Beautiful Abstract Background
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This two part background tutorial is the beginning of many cool projects...abstract painting, webpage background, sig tag...the possibilities are endless! After you complete the base background, play around with different effects, blurs and blend modes to achieve totally different backgrounds. Part 1 shows you how to make the background. Part 2 shows you how to make a sig tag using the background.
Resources
- PSP 8. You can download a demo HERE.
- I like working with large images so in order to save download time I have zipped up the beginning images into 2 zip files. You can download it HERE and HERE Unzip them and open them all in PSP.
- If you decide to continue on to the sig tag portion of this tutorial, you will need to download this zip file HERE
FYI...all of the photographic images used in my tutorials can be found at the stock.xchng. There are some wonderful photographers there and most of the images are offered without restrictions. Great stuff! you should check it out!
Let's get started
*Please note: If you install this tutorial as a quick guide you may get a script error when trying to view the images, just click "yes" at the prompt and the images will show properly. Don't know how to install quick guides? then check out the tutorial found HERE.- Open a new image 600x600 px, 72 res, white background. Select all (ctrl+A).
- Make image one.jpg active and copy it (edit->copy or ctrl+C). Go back to the new image and paste into selection (ctrl+shift+L). Select none (ctrl+D). Close image one.jpg.
- Add a new raster layer. Grab the rectangular selection tool
add mode, 38 feather. Make a selection in the upper right corner. Active image two.jpg, copy it and paste it into this selection as before. You should have something similar to this:

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Set the layer blend mode to hard light then select none (ctrl+none). Close two.jpg.
- Add a new raster layer. Make a new rectangular selection in the lower left corner same settings as before. Now bring up three.jpg copy it and paste into selection as before. Select none. Set the layer blend mode to dodge. Close three.jpg.
- Add a new raster layer. Make 2 rectangular selection so that you end up with something like this.

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- Bring up four.jpg, copy it and paste into selection as before. Set the layer blend mode to burn and lower the opacity to 48. Select none. Merge visible
- Add a new raster layer and select all. Bring up image five.jpg, copy it and paste into selection. Set the layer blend mode to exclusion. Select none. Merge all flatten.
And there you have it. Here are a couple of examples of what you can do with it.


Click each for larger versions
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and learned something. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to .
