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During this tutorial I will be making use of a "flame" pattern. This is not a default pattern included with the program but rather a custom made pattern. It is part of my Pattern Set 2. A png substitute (which can be copied and pasted in) can be found here. You can try other patterns if you wish, but I was unable to get a satisfactory result with the few other patterns I tried.
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OK, welcome to yet another tutorial from me. Here you will learn how to emulate this effect:
Step 1
Alright, let's get to work. File > New from the main toolbox. Set your canvas size and OK it. Bucket fill with white. Create a new layer called "Flame" and bucket fill it with the flame pattern. Hide this but remember it as we will use it later. Now bring in your chosen render on a new layer (I'm using this render, resize and position as needed.
Step 2
Create a transparent layer underneath the render layer. Use the colour picker tool to grab two shades of the same colour from your render - one light and one dark. If you need to you can always colour pick one shade and then manually adjust it to create another shade. For me I have two shades of green. Now pick out the gradient tool, select FG to BG RGB as the style and set the type to Spiral CW. Draw out a suitably sized gradient to make use of.
Step 3
Duplicate this layer twice and hide the copies - we'll use them later. On the remaining visible one go to Filters > Map > Displace. Use the flame pattern layer for both dropdowns and pick a high amount for the X value (I used 90). OK it. Now go to filters > Blur > Gaussian Blue and use an amount like 15.
Step 4
Show one of the spiral gradient layers and make sure it is above the other visible one and still under the render layer. Go to Layer > Mask > Add Layer Mask and opt for fully black. Now using a brush with the colour white paint in some shapes around your focal like lines and circles. Do whatever you want but don't go overboard. Set this layer's mode to Overlay.
Step 5
Reshow the final gradient layer and ensure it is between the render layer and the other gradient layers. Go to Colour > Invert. Now go to Layer > Mask > Add Layer Mask again and choose the all black option. Using the circle tool draw out 2 large-ish white circles on this layer mask. Now go to the previous step's layer and go to Layer > Mask > Mask to Selection. Return to the inverted colour layer and press delete. Now set this layer's mode to Grain Merge.
Step 6
Duplicate the render layer 3 times so you have 4 layers total. On the bottom layer run Filters > Map > Displace. Use the flame layer as the base and a high X value like -110 and On Edges should be set to Smear. Erase anything bad. Next layer up repeat except make the X value go into the opposite way (s0 110 for me). Again, erase anything bad. Skip the next layer (this will remain as the main focal) and work on the final render layer. Displace this the same way as the last layer and apply soft erasing over the focal so only a part of it is covered by the effect.
Step 7
Copy visible and paste as new layer. Gaussian blur this by about 10 and then set the mode to Lighten Only. Erase over the focal.
Step 8
Create 2 new transparent layers. On the top one circle select around the focal and feather the selection by about 100. Bucket fill this with white. Now switch to the other layer, invert selection and bucket fill with black. Change layer modes and opacity to suit. I used Overlay at 40% opacity for white and Normal at 70% opacity for black.
Step 9
Copy visible and paste as new layer. I now did a contrast and brightness adjust through Colours > Brightness-Contrast. Move the sliders as need (for me it was Brightness at -40 and Contrast at +30. OK it.
Step 10
Copy visible and paste as new layer. Now we just need to run a suitable gradient map through Colours > Map > Gradient Map. I used a custom purple to peach gradient for mine. Set it to Lighten Only and lower opacity as needed (mine was knocked down to 60% opacity).
Step 11
Now to finish things up. Copy visible and paste as new layer. Go to Filters > Enhance > Sharpen. Use a good amount (somewhere around 30) and OK it. Free select around the focal, feather the selection by about 50, invert and delete.
Then just add anything else you need like a border.
Outcomes
This post has been edited by Fatal Edge: 29 July 2011 - 10:53 PM
