..: Wire Mesh Cage Tutorial :..

This effect is rather striking against a black background, which is really excellent news because that's the only background colour it works with. lol!

Maybe by shuffling blend modes around it could be done on a different coloured background, but for the sake of this tutorial I'm going to have to insist on black. So, if you've all brought your black colour swatch with you... we can begin.

I made the above graphic in PSP 6, but with some minor tool selecting differences it should work just as well in PSP 7.

You'll need Joe Cilinceon's Eliminate Black filter for this tutorial, which can be downloaded here.

Begin by opening a new canvas (File|New) that is 400 x 400 pixels with a black (I insist! lol!) background and 16.7 million colours. Set your foreground colour to white and your background colour to medium grey R 128, G 128, B 128.

1. Add a new raster layer and select the flood fill (paint bucket) tool. Fill the new layer with a sunburst gradient. The setup is resplendently displayed here for your viewing pleasure and ease of use:

2. Go to Image>Effects>Weave and set up the filter thusly:

3. Go to Image>Plugin Filters>Transparency>Eliminate Black. (Your filter may be listed a little differently, but it'll be there somewhere...)

4. Go to Colors>Adjust>Brightness & Contrast and zoom both sliders all the way to the right.

5. Go to Image>Deformations>Circle. Anyone getting giddy yet? lol!

6. Add a new raster layer.

7. Turn off the visibility for Layer 1. On Layer 2, execute another sunburst fill, but this time have your foreground set to R 128, G 128, B 128 and your background set to R 192, G 192, B 192. Use the same settings as we did previously.

8. Go to Image>Effects>Weave and use the same settings again.

9. Go to Image>Plugin Filters>Eliminate Black.

10. Go to Colors>Adjust>Brightness & Contrast and, again, whip both sliders to the far right.

11. Go to Image>Deformations>Circle.

12. Go to Image>Rotate... Direction=Right, Degrees=180 and make sure the box for All Layers is unchecked.

13. Drag Layer 2 below Layer 1, and turn on the visibility for Layer 1.

Whewww... okay... time for recess. Did everyone bring a box of raisins or a bag of Doritos? (These two items leap to mind since they are a part of two significant food groups... the first being old dried up wine-making material and the second being the ever important junk food with simulated flavour but tons of real, honest to goodness calories.) Me, I'll be sitting here with my feet on the desk... sipping margaritas until you kids get back. Don't dilly-dally now... things are about to get ridiculously exciting with this tutorial. ;-)

To Part Two > >