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TEOM as you know it has been closed. I will keep it up for reference but it no longer will receive tutorial updates.

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Thanks for the support throughout all these years :)

Paint Shop Pro 7

Shadows on the Wall

Tube credits » Jazzl’s

First, let’s create the image where we’ll be practicing the creation of the shadow.

Create a new image.
» Settings: 400×400 pixels, 72 dpi, background color = transparent, image type = 16.7 million colors.

Double-click on the Selection tool.
» Settings: left = 0, right = 400, top = 0, bottom = 275.
This will be for the wall.
Flood Fill the selection with white.
Save this selection to the Alpha Channel and deselect.

Double-click on the Selection tool again and change top to 275 and bottom to 400.
This will be for the floor.
Flood Fill the selection with light brown.
Save this selection to the Alpha Channel and deselect.

Add a new raster layer, name it Object.

Add a Picture Tube or create a shape or anything you wish to add a shadow to.

Add a new raster layer, name it Light.

Set the foreground color to black.

With the Draw tool, make a line indicating the direction where the light is coming from.
» Settings: type = single line, width = 1, line style = #1 solid, antialias = checked, create as vector + close path = unchecked.

Go back to the Object layer and duplicate it.

Make the Copy of Object layer active and go to Selections – All / Float.
Flood Fill the selection with black and deselect.

Move the object following the light line.

Note: it would be better if you didn’t pass the canvas’ edges like I did. Later I discovered that when I used the wall selection to delete the extra areas it didn’t delete was passed the canvas and I simply couldn’t get rid of it and the deformation process wouldn’t work with that area. Yeah, I know, shame on the tut writer, but at least you’ll learn from my mistakes ;)

Delete the Light layer and keep the Copy of Object layer active.

Click on the Deformation tool and pull the bottom middle node down until the black object’s bottom line coincides with the original object’s.

Duplicate this layer and hide the copy.
Keep this layer active.

Load the floor selection from the Alpha Channel and hit delete.

Make the copy of this layer visible again and make it active.

Load the wall selection from the Alpha Channel and hit delete.

Click on the Deformation tool and press the Alt button to move the bottom middle towards the original object.

Hide the Object layer and Layer 1 (wall + floor) and Merge Visible.
Make the other layers visible again and rename Merged to Shadow.
Move the Shadow layer under Object.

Apply a Gaussian Blur effect on the Shadow layer and change its opacity to 25..
» Settings: radius = 5.

Scenes & Natural Effects · May 13, 2002 ·