Making a Clock
The lesson was written using PSP X
by Woven
The Bold writing are the keyboard shortcuts for each action.You may or may not need to have the [ F lock ] on your keyboard activated for these to work

Lesson updated April 2008

Image completed

Requirements for this lesson
A Graphic of your choice - roughly square in shape best, but not essential. Open this graphic in PSP and minimise it for later use.
For this lesson I used the font - A Cut Above the Rest Save the zip and open to C:WINDOWS/fonts.
and Preset ShapesHands that came with PSP7 object shapes file. Open the zip and save to My Documents/My PSP Files/Preset Shapes

On with Making a Clock

An introduction to use of Rulers - Guides and Vectors

THIS IS A LONG TUTORIAL SO TAKE LOTS OF BREAKS AND SAVE YOUR WORK VERY OFTEN

  1. For this exercise we will start by opening a New Image - 500(W) x 500(H) pixels; Resolution 100.000 Pixels/inch; Raster Background Checked; Transparent checked>OK.
  2. View>Rulers - View>Guides. We are going to use the guides to mark the centre spot of our image. For the guides to work you need to have the rulers showing on top and left edge of image .
  3. Hold mouse ontop of the lefthand ruler - left click and holding down mouse button, drag a vertical guide across to the 250 mark on the top ruler,let mouse button go. You will see a grey bar on the top ruler now at the point where your guide is - LOL - if like me at times it didn't land exactly where you wanted to put it, left click on this grey bar on the ruler and holding mouse button down you can drag it into position - sometimes it helps to zoom image up so can see the mark easier.
  4. Hold mouse ontop of the top ruler - left click and holding down mouse button, drag a horizontal guide down to the 250 mark on the lefthand ruler,let mouse button go.
    The place where they intersect is where the centre of your image is.
  5. Now repeat Steps 3 and 4 and place guides (both vertical and horizontal) at 30 and at 470.
    image with rulers and guides showing

    NOTE: You can change colour of guides to suit yourself by going to View>Grid,Guideand snap properties>Guides> and click on bottom current colour square and change colour.
  6. Changing colour of guide as described in previous step - Hold mouse above lefthand ruler - left click and holding down mouse button, drag a vertical guide across to the 210 mark on the top ruler,let mouse button go.
  7. Preset Shapes>Elipse ( Q ) >Click on Circle; Show Nodes and Create as vector both checked;Line Style Solid Line; Width 15; Antialias Checked; Join Mitre; Mitre Limit 15.
  8. Materials palette> Foreground> Solid Colour - right click on Foreground Colour swatch and select Black; Background>Transparent/Null.
  9. Starting where the 1st 2 lines intersect at (30,30) left click and holding down mouse button drag down and across until your vector shape touches the bottom guide line and then let mouse button go.
    image with 1st vector circle
  10. Go to layer pallette and right click on this vector layer 1>Rename>Outer Circle.
  11. Layers>New Raster Layer>Name it>Numbers.
  12. Select Text Tool ( T ) >Font= A cut Above the Rest; Size 60; Units - points; Alignment - Left; Direction - Horizontal; Antialias Checked; Stroke-width 0; Create As Floating; Line-Style Solid; Join Mitre; Mitre Limit 10; Warp Text Checked; Offset=(minus)-60; Leading,Kerning and Tracking=0; Auto-kern=checked:
  13. Materials palette> Click on the double ended swap colours arrow inbetween the Foreground and Background colour swatches to change black from foreground to background.
  14. Hold mouse over the top of the circle where the cursor turns into A) under the mouse crosshairs and where it intersects the 210 point guide line. Then in the Text Box type in 12 (3spaces) 1 (3spaces) 2 (3spaces) 3 (3spaces) 4 (3spaces) 5 (3spaces) 6 (3spaces) 7 (3spaces) 8 (3spaces) 9 (3spaces) 10 (2spaces) 11.
    [ NOTE: ONLY 2 SPACES BETWEEN 10 AND 11 ]> Apply.
  15. Selections>Select None ( Ctrl + D ) .
    image with numbers
  16. Materials Pallette> Click on the double ended arrows between the foreground and background colour swatches again to change black from background back to the foreground.
  17. Select your Preset Shape Tool>Elipse ( Q )>change line width to 5; Rest of settings as before.
  18. Holding mouse over top left side of outer ring - look at status bar at bottom of your workspace and when 1st set of numbers in brackets reads(100,100) left click and holding mouse button down drag circle across and down unto 2nd set of numbers in brackets reads (400,400) - Release mouse button.
    image with inner circle

    TIME TO GO STRETCH YOUR BODY.

  19. Go to layer pallette and right click on this vector layer 1>Rename>Inner Circle.
  20. Layers>New Raster Layer>Name It>Centre dot.
  21. Selections Tool ( S ) > Selection Type Circle; Mode Replace; Feather 0; Anti-alias Checked.
  22. Starting at where centre guideline crosshairs intersect make a small circle.
  23. Floodfill Tool ( F )>Match Mode RGB Value; Tolerance 0; Use All Layers Unchecked; Blend Mode Normal; Opacity 100.
  24. Left click inside the selection to floodfill it Black.
    image with centre circle
  25. Selections>Select None ( Ctrl + D ).
  26. Layers>New Vector Layer>Name It>Hands.
  27. Materials Palette click on the double ended swap colours arrows inbetween the foreground and background colour swatches to change black from foreground to background.
  28. Left Toolbar>Preset Shape ( P )>Tool settings bar> in dropdown select Hand 6; Retain-Style=Unchecked; Antialias and Create as Vector=Checked; Line-Style=Solid; Width=1; Join=1st Choice Mitre; Mitre-Limit=15: and make a hand AND grabbing handle marked with a Red A in image below turn to point up, then placing mouse over centre hand at point B and 4way move arrows appear move across till pointed at the 12, with centre of wrist on the centre guide line.Use the node squares around the hand to fine tune sizing, then Selections>Select None ( Ctrl + D )
    image showing vector turning points
  29. Selecting Hand 7 from dropdown menu make a slightly smaller hand and turn to point at the 8.
    image with hands
  30. Select Pen Tool ( V )> Settings>Draw Polylines selected polylines selection connect segments and Create on vector and Show nodes=checked; line-style=solid; width=10; antialias=checked; Join=1st choice Mitre; Mitre-Limit=15:
  31. Materials Palette click on the double ended swap colours arrows inbetween the foreground and background colour swatches to change black from background to foreground.
  32. Make a line from wrist to centre circle on both hands>Click Apply for each one in turn when happy.
    image with hands and arms
  33. View>Click on Guides>View>Rulers - this will take rulers and guidelines off of your image as we no longer need them.
  34. Make sure you SAVE your image as a .psp image at this point so can use as a template for future use and so layers are still visible for easy alteration.

    TIME TO GO STRETCH YOUR BODY AND HAVE A DRINK AND SOME NIBBLES THEN WE WILL COME BACK AND DECORATE OUR CLOCK.

    Okay, great to have you back again, are we ready to decorate our clock. Right on then then let's get back to work.
  35. First click on the graphic you chose to use to re-Activate and maximise it.
  36. Edit>copy( Ctrl + C )> then minimise it again.
  37. Click back on Clockface image we are making.
  38. Go to Layer Palette and make the Inner Circle layer active - then right click on this layer in the layer palette>Convert to Raster.
  39. Select Magic Wand Tool>Settings - Mode=Replace; Match Mode RGB Value; contiguous=checked; Use all Layers=Unchecked; Feather=0; anti-alias=checked;outside.
  40. Click somewhere inside the inner circle to select this area.
  41. Selections>Modify>Expand>2.
  42. Layers>New Raster Layer - Layers>Arrange>Move Down. To position the new layer under the inner circle layer
  43. Edit>Paste into selection. And the graphic you copied before will be placed inside your selection.
  44. Selections>Invert.
  45. Effects>3D Effects>Drop Shadow> Vertical and Horizontal=4; Opacity=90; Blur=18; Colour=Black;Shadow on new layer=Unchecked>OK.
  46. Repeat Step 44 changing Vertical and Horizontal to -4.
  47. Then Selections>Select None ( Ctrl + D ).
    Filled inner circle
  48. In Layers palette click on invisibility eye on all layers except inner circle layer and the new raster layer underneath it that you just filled ( Leaving only these 2 layers now visible ). Make sure layer you just filled is the active one. Then Layers Merge/Merge Visible. Then re-name this merged layer - Inner Circle.
  49. Select Dropper Tool from left toolbar and choose a dark colour from image and left click (this will put dark colour in Materials Pallette foreground) then choose light colour and right click (this will put light colour in your Materials pallette background).
  50. In Foreground select gradient>foreground/background>angle=45; Repeats=7: Style=Linear; Invert=Unchecked.
  51. In layer palette click on eye on Outer circle layer making it visible again as well.
  52. In layer palette Click on Inner circle layer in the Layer Palette and holding mouse button down drag it until it is underneath the numbers layer so that the inner and outer circle layers are one above the other.
  53. Layers>Merge>Merge Visible.This layer will now be called merged.
  54. Select Magic Wand tool again>settings as before. Click in between the 2 circles, making a selection of this area. Selections>Modify>Expand>2.
  55. Layers>New Raster Layer - Layers>Arrange>Move down. To position this layer underneath the merged layer
  56. Select Floodfill Tool ( F )>Match Mode RGB Value; Tolerance 0; Use All Layers Unchecked; Blend Mode Normal; Opacity 100.
  57. Left click inside the selected area to Floodfill with gradient.
  58. Effects>3D Effects>Inner Bevel - Bevel shape #2; width=6; smoothness=30; depth=6; ambience=30; shininess=40; colour=white; angle=315; Intensity=39; elevation=38> OK.
  59. Selections>Select none. ( Ctrl + D )
  60. In layer palette click on the numbers layer to make it active layer, then click on eye on numbers layer to make visible again.
  61. Layers>Merge>Merge visible.
    Filled outer circle

    TIME TO GO STRETCH YOUR BODY.
  62. In layer palette click on layer with centre dot to make it the active layer - also click on the invisibility eye again to make this layer visible again.
  63. Magic Wand tool>settings as before and click on the black dot.
  64. Effects>3D Effects>Inner Bevel> Same settings>OK.
  65. Selections>Select None. ( Ctrl + D )
  66. Layers>Merge>Merge Visible.
  67. In layer palette> click on Hands Layer to make this layer the active layer> then click on the eye again to make it visible>Then Right click on this layer > Convert to Raster Layer.
  68. Magic wand tool>Change Mode to Add(Shift);rest of the settings as before.
  69. Left click inside each of the transparent finger nails on top hand and the inside the transparent area of other hand. To have them all selected at the same time.
  70. Selections>Modify>expand>1.
  71. Layers>New Raster Layer - Layers>Arrange>Move down To place the new layer underneath the hands layer.
  72. Seelct Floodfill Tool( F )> Change Match Mode to None; rest of Settings as before.
  73. Materials palette> foreground to solid colour; Left click on the foreground colour swatch to activate the materials properties dialogue box and change the HTML code to #b40f08.
  74. Left click on one of the selected areas and it will floodfill all of them at the same time.
  75. Effects>3D Effects>Inner Bevel>settings as before> OK.
  76. Selections>Select None. ( Ctrl + D )
  77. Layer Palette> Click on the Top Hands layer to make it the active layer again.
  78. Magic Wand settings the same> Left click on a black arm and it will select all the black parts of hands and arms.
  79. Effects>3D Effects>Inner Bevel>Settings as before> OK.
  80. Selections>Select None. ( Ctrl + D )
    centre dot, Arms and hands completed
  81. Layers>Merge>Merge Visible.
  82. In layers palette> click bottom layer to make it the active layer and then click on the invisibility eye on bottom layer to make visible again.
  83. Selections>Select All.( Ctrl + A )
  84. In materials palette> right click on Foreground coloured square and in pop up click on dark colour you chose before. It will either be on the top row or in bottom left corner.
  85. Floodfill Tool ( F )>Match Mode RGB Value; rest settings as before.
  86. Left click on image to floodfill with dark colour you chose.
  87. Selections>Select None. ( Ctrl + D )
  88. Layers>Merge>Merge Visible.
  89. Magic wand tool>settings as before and click on outer area you just flood filled.
  90. Effects>Reflections Effects>Kaleidoscope>horizontal and vertical=10; rotation=322; Scale factor= -47; No:Petals=20; No: Orbits=1; Radial suction=90; Edge mode=Reflect:>OK.
  91. Selections>Invert.
  92. Selections>Modify>Contract>2.
  93. Effects>3D Effects>Drop Shadow> Vertical and Horizontal=8; Opacity=80%; Blur=26; Colour=Black;Shadow on new layer=Unchecked.>OK.
  94. Repeat Drop shadow changing Vertical and Horizontal to -8.
  95. Selections>Select None. ( Ctrl + D )
  96. Layers>New Raster Layer>Add watermark.
    Image completed

I would love to see the results of your efforts email me.