Guardians Tutorial

This tutorial was written by Amber Howard on July 4, 2015. Any resemblances to other tutorials are completely coincidental. Scripting and translating of this tutorial is forbidden. Do not copy and paste this tutorial anywhere else on the internet. Please link back to the main blog instead.

In this tutorial I used the artwork of Amy Brown.

You can purchase this artwork and a license through CDO. 

Please do not use this or any artwork without purchasing a proper license first.

Supplies needed:
PaintShopPro — I used X7 but any version will work
Two tubes of choice.
Template by JustFi. (Shared with permission! Thank you so much, Fi!)
Fonts of choice — I used Poison Hope and Poem Script Pro.

Plugins needed:
Eye Candy 4 — Gradient Glow
Eye Candy 6 — Perspective Shadow
Graphics Plus — Cut Glass
Lokas Artistic Effects — Ice
Mura’s Meister — Copies
Nik Software  — Color Efex Pro 3
Penta — Color Dot
Xero — Serious Fog

Ready? Set? Go!

Open the provided template, and hit Shift + D on your keyboard to duplicate.

Close the original file.

Delete the credits layer on the duplicate,

and then resize the canvas to 400 pixels wide, all layers checked.

Open the two tubes that you are going to use for this tag,

and find a color that is either similar between the two tubes,

or one that compliments the two tubes.

Both of my tubes had a very pretty shade of medium blue,

so I used #758cb8.

Make sure that the Mask layer is active.

Apply Nik Software – Color Efex 3.0 – Colorize,

using your color of choice and a Method that suits your tag.

I used Method 5 from the drop down menu.

Grab another color from your tubes that either matches,

or compliments the color that you used for your mask layer.

Using the first color as your foreground,

and the second color as your background,

create a Foreground/Background gradient:

Angle: 45, Repeats: 5.

Make the circle layer active,

and grab your magic wand tool with the following settings:

Mode: Add, Match: RBG, Tolerance: 20, Contiguous and Anti-Alias checked,

Outside chosen in the menu.

Click inside of the circle once.

Selections – Modify – Expand by 3 pixels.

Add a new raster layer, and drag it beneath the circle layer in the layer palette.

Flood fill the raster layer with your gradient.

Selections – Select none.

Rename this layer Gradient,

and hide for now.

Choose one of the two tubes that you are going to use.

Copy and paste as a new layer, below the Gradient layer.

Resize as needed,

and position the face or focal point in the top most half of the circle layer.

Rename Bottom Tube 1.

Duplicate the tube layer,

Image – Mirror.

Reposition the focal, or another focal, in the bottom half of the circle layer.

Rename Bottom Tube 2.

Grab the magic wand tool again,

with the same settings.

Make the circle layer active,

click inside of it once.

Selections – Modify – Expand by 3 pixels.

Make the Bottom Tube 2 layer active.

Selections – Invert.

Hit delete on the keyboard once.

Make the Bottom Tube 1 layer active.

Hit delete on the keyboard once.

Selections – Select None.

Grab the selection tool,

and select the portion of Bottom Tube 1

that is still visible in the bottom half of the circle.

Hit delete on the keyboard once.

Selections – Select None.

Merge the Bottom Tube layers together.

Change the settings to Luminance or Luminance Legacy.

Rename Bottom Tubes.

Duplicate the Bottom Tubes layer,

Adjust – Blur – Gaussian Blur at 4.00.

Change the settings of this layer to Screen.

Rename Screen.

Unhide the gradient that you created earlier.

Apply Penta – Color Dot at default settings.

Change the settings of this layer to Burn,

or something that suits your tag.

Duplicate the Circle layer.

On the duplicate go to

Adjust – Add/Remove Noise – Add Noise at 50%, Gaussian and Monochrome checked.

Rename this layer Glit Circle.

On the original, go to

Adjust – Brightness and Contrast – Brightness/Contrast with the following settings:

Brightness: -255, Contrast: 0, Linear Mode checked.

Adjust – Blur – Gaussian Blur at 6.00.

Rename this layer Circle Shadow.

Grab the magic wand tool again, same settings.

Make the Glit Circle layer active,

and click inside the circle once.

Selections – Modify – Expand by 3 pixels.

Go back to the Circle Shadow layer,

Selections – Invert.

Hit delete on your keyboard once.

Selections – Select None.

Add a new raster layer and arrange in your layers palette,

so that is above the Black Rectangle layer.

Make the Black Rectangle layer active,

and grab your magic wand tool again.

Click inside of the Black Rectangle,

making sure the entire rectangle is selected.

Make the empty raster layer active once more,

and flood fill with the color gradient again.

DO NOT DESELECT.

Go to Adjust – Blur – Gaussian Blur at a setting of 20.00.

Selections – Select None.

Rename this layer Gradient Square.

Apply Nik Software – Color Efex 3.0 – Bi-color User Defined,

changing only the colors to match the two of your gradient,

and the Vertical Shift to 60%.

Copy and paste the first tube once again,

resizing as needed, and arranging the portion

that you want visible in the rectangle layer.

Duplicate the tube layer,

Image – Mirror.

Merge the two tube layers together.

Rename this layer Base Tubes.

Make the Black Rectangle layer active.

Selections – Select All – Float – Defloat.

Return to the Base Tubes layer,

Selections – Invert.

Hit delete on the keyboard once.

Selections – Select None.

Change the settings of this layer to Luminance or Luminance Legacy.

Just to make sure that you still have a 400x400 canvas,

go to Selections – Select All – Clip to Canvas.

Image – Crop to Selection.

Duplicate the Base Tubes layer.

Apply Graphics Plus – Cut Glass with the default settings.

Apply Xero – Serious Fog with the default settings.

Rename this layer Cut Fog.

Make the Black Rectangle layer active.

Selections – Select All – Float – Defloat.

Return to the Cut Fog layer,

Selections – Invert.

Hit delete on the keyboard once.

Selections – Select None.

Change the settings of this layer to Screen.

Hide all layers except the Cut Fog, Base Tubes, and Gradient Square.

Merge Visible.

Rename this new layer Square Base.

Layers – View – All.

Duplicate the Square Base layer.

Selections – Select All – Float – Defloat.

Selections – Modify – Contract by 4 pixels.

Hit the delete on the keyboard once.

Selections – Select None.

Image – Mirror.

Rename this layer Square Frame.

Adjust – Add/Remove Noise – Add Noise at 50%,

with Random and Monochrome checked.

Duplicate the Square Frame layer.

On the original, go to

Adjust – Brightness and Contrast – Brightness/Contrast with the following settings:

Brightness: -255, Contrast: 0, Linear Mode checked.

Adjust – Blur – Gaussian Blur at 6.00.

Rename this layer Frame Shadow.

Grab the magic wand tool again, same settings.

Make the Square Frame layer active,

and click inside the frame once.

Selections – Modify – Expand by 3 pixels.

Go back to the Frame Shadow layer,

Selections – Invert.

Hit delete on your keyboard once.

Selections – Select None.

Make the Square Base layer active.

Apply a drop shadow of choice.

I used V&H: 0, Opacity: 45, Blur: 10.98.

Make the Purple Rectangle layer active.

Selections – Select All – Float – Defloat.

Flood fill with a medium color that matches,

or compliments the rest of the tag.

Selections – Modify – Contract by 6 pixels.

Adjust – Add/Remove Noise – Add Noise at 50%,

with Random and Monochrome checked.

Selections – Select None.

Rename this layer Glit Bar.

Apply the same drop shadow used on the Square Base layer.

Make the White Squares layer active.

Change the settings of this layer to Soft Light.

Make the Square Base layer active again.

Grab your Pen tool with the Draw Lines and Poly Lines setting,

and a width of 15.00.

Foreground – the light color from your gradient.

Background – null.

Draw a line out, holding down the Shift key so that it's straight,

a larger than the height of the Square Base layer.

Convert to raster layer when happy with the length.

Objects – Align – Horizontal Center in Canvas.

Image – Free Rotate – Rotate by 15 degrees to the right.

Apply Mura’s Meister – Copies with the Line settings,

changing the number from 8 to 12.

Rename this layer Lines 1.

Make the Black Rectangle layer active.

Selections – Select All – Float – Defloat.

Selections – Contract by 3 pixels.

Return to the Lines 1 layer,

Selections – Invert.

Hit delete on the keyboard once.

Selections – Select None.

Change the settings of this layer to Screen.

Grab the selection tool once again,

and select the upper portion of the Lines 1 layer.

Selections – Promote Selection to Layer.

Make the Lines 1 layer active again,

hit delete on the keyboard once.

Make the promoted layer active once again.

Change the settings of this layer back to Screen.

Image – Mirror.

Grab the Move tool,

and click the lines of the promoted layer.

Using the arrow keys on your keyboard,

move the lines so that they are off center of the lines on bottom.

Rename this layer Lines 2.

Make the Black Rectangle layer active.

Selections – Select All – Float – Defloat.

Selections – Contract by 3 pixels.

Return to the Lines 2 layer,

Selections – Invert.

Hit delete on the keyboard once.

Selections – Select None.

Make the Circle Shadow layer active.

Grab the Ellipse tool,

with the foreground on any color,

and the background null,

Stroke: 3.00.

Holding down the shift key,

draw out a circle just a bit larger than the Glit Circle layer.

DO NOT CONVERT TO RASTER!

Objects – Align – Center in Canvas.

Grab the text tool, and a font of choice.

I used Poison Hope, at 18 pixels.

Foreground: null, Background: the darker color from your gradient.

Make the Glit Circle layer active, and hover your text tool along the edge,

until it gives you the circle text symbol.

Click once, and then add a phrase or word of choice.

I used ‘watch over me always.’

Repeat the text until it fills the circle.

When happy, convert the text to raster layer.

Delete the vector circle.

Rename this layer Circle Text.

Duplicate the Circle Text layer.

On the duplicate: Adjust – Blur – Gaussian Blur at 3.00.

Rename this layer Text Blur.

Change the settings of this layer to Hard Light.

Make the White Rectangles layer active.

Copy and paste the second tube of choice as a new layer.

Resize as needed.

Arrange the tube along the left or right side

of the Square Base, within the Square Frame.

Once happy with the positioning,

grab the Eraser tool with the following settings:

Shape: Square, Size: 22, Hardness: 100, Step: 10, Density: 100, Thickness: 100,

Rotation: 0, Opacity: 100, Smart Edge: unchecked.

Zoom in on your canvas until you can clearly see the edge of the Square Frame layer.

Using the Eraser tool, very carefully erase the bottom portion of your tube

along the Square frame layer, making sure to stay even with the edge

of the frame.

Once you have erased along the edge of the frame,

you can zoom out and erase the rest of your tube

below the erased line.

Rename this layer Main Tube.

Selections – Select All – Clip to Canvas.

Image – Crop to Selection.

Duplicate the Main Tube layer.

On the original apply a drop shadow of choice,

or the one I applied using Eye Candy 5 Impact – Perspective Shadow:

Grab the Eraser tool again,

zoom in on the canvas,

and carefully erase the shadow overhanging the bottom

of the frame layer.

On the duplicate of the main tube,

Adjust – Blur – Gaussian Blur at 9.00.

Change the settings of this layer to Screen,

and lower the Opacity to 80%.

Rename this layer Tube Screen.

Make the Lines 2 layer active.

Copy and paste your second tube again.

Arrange the face or focal in the bottom half of the square,

opposite of your Main tube.

Rename this layer Focal 1.

Copy and paste your first tube again.

Arrange the face or focal in the top half of the square,

next to your Main tube.

Rename this layer Focal 2.

Grab the magic wand tool again,

with the same settings.

Make the Square Frame layer active,

click inside of it once.

Selections – Modify – Expand by 3 pixels.

Make the Focal 1 layer active.

Selections – Invert.

Hit delete on the keyboard once.

Make the Focal 2 layer active.

Hit delete on the keyboard once.

Selections – Select None.

Grab the selection tool,

and select the portion of Focal 2

that is still visible in the bottom half of the rectangle.

Hit delete on the keyboard once.

Selections – Select None.

Merge the Focal layers together.

Change the settings to Luminance or Luminance Legacy.

Rename Focals.

Duplicate the Focals layer,

Adjust – Blur – Gaussian Blur at 4.00.

Change the settings of this layer to Overlay.

Change the Opacity of the original Focals layer to 30%.

Hide the white background layer.

Make sure all other layers are visible.

Merge visible.

Make the white background visible again.

Choose a pixel font of choice,

add your credits, license, and tagger’s mark.

Choose a script font of choice,

or use Poem Script Pro.

Foreground and background the light color from your gradient.

Stroke 1.00.

Add your name.

When happy with the placement and size, convert to raster layer.

Duplicate the name layer,

Twice for a total of three name layers.

On the top name layer,

apply a thick 3.00 gradient of choice using the darker color from your gradient.

Adjust – Blur – Gaussian Blur at 4.00.

Change the settings of this layer to Hard Light.

On the middle name layer,

Adjust – Add/Remove Noise – Add noise at 50%,

With Random and Monochrome checked.

Apply Lokas Artistic Effects – Ice at default settings,

making sure to turn off the color overlay.

On the bottom name layer,

apply the same gradient glow used on the top name layer.

Apply the same drop shadow used on the Main tube layer.

Crop away excess canvas,

delete the white background layer,

save as .png and you’re done! 

Thank you so much for trying my tutorial, I would love to see your results!

Below we have another example using the artwork of Enamorte, also available through CDO. The fonts used in this example are Poison Hope and Platinus Script Pro.