Pixel Pansies



I can remember, from my childhood, my mother on her knees planting tiny flowers along our
driveway. Later I learned that these were Pansys; smallish flowers with three petals,
containing two or more colors like blues, purples, yellows, pinks, reds and white. I can
remember this narrow flower garden (one of three mom would plant each year) and the
lovely colors it would contain. In this particular garden, she would plant Pansies, Daffodils and Tulips. Sometimes she would plant each in their own group, from small to tallest, and other times she would mix them together. No matter how she planted them, it was always a lovelysight when all were in bloom. These cherished memories are what made me think of this tutorial.



#1 Open a NEW image 100X100.
Use the color charts below to draw your pansies in pixels. I have color coded the chart to
make it easier to count the pixels.

     

Zoom your canvas to 500% or 800% so that it will be easier for you to see the pixels.



#2 When you have your pansies drawn, save as a .pspimage. Go to Selections/Select All.
Selections/Float. Click on your Paint Brush and using the settings below, go over your
outline to color it all in DARK BLUE, #0055af.

     

Select/NONE.

#3 I will be making blue pansies, so if you want a different color, change your colors
when needed. I will be using thse colors; foreground #95b7dd and background #1482fa.

#4 Add a NEW Raster layer. With the foreground color, use the Paint Brush, same
settings as before, but change the SIZE to 1. Make a 1-pixel outline INSIDE each petal.





#5 Add a NEW Raster layer. Change the foreground color to a yellow-gold, #fed03c.
Using the close-up below, add the center section (this will be the stamen of the flower).
You can DUPLICATE this layer and move it into position on the upper left pansy
(this will save you time).





#6 Highlight Raster 1 (this should be your outline). Using the Magic Wand and the settings
below, hold down the SHIFT key and click INSIDE each flower. Being as the sections
are NOT closed, this should only take TWO clicks.
Now you have Marching Ants INSIDE your flowers.








#7 Add a NEW Raster layer. Flood Fill with your background color.

#8 KEEP Selected. Add a NEW Raster layer. Arrange/Send to Top.
Image/3D/Cutout use the settings below to add some depth to your pansies.
If you used different colors for your pansy, you will need to change the
Shadow Color to a darker shade of your outline color.





#9 Select NONE. Merge/Merge Visible. Now you can Export as a tube
so that you will have the pansies for later use.


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I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.
2006 All Rights Reserved PJ Keplinger