PI10-blend

And this is what we are making:

DESCRIPTION: Make a beautiful blend with PI.
Tutorial: Copyright © Inge Klement

PI Version: 10
Level: Intermediate
Featured tools: Transform Tool, Pick Tool, Paint Tool
Additional filters: None
Additional files: 2 photos (which I have resized for our use), 1 texture, 1 brush and 1 mask.
You'll get them in the zip-file.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
I'm using 2 photos from Aboutpixel.de (Mosquita and Simbär),
the mask is from a site which doesn't exist anymore.
Photos: If you like them, you can register yourself (free) at Aboutpixel.de,
and download the original photos directly from there . (Read the rules!)
The copyright © belongs ALWAYS to the original artist/designer/photographer!
No copyright infringement is intended.

Remember to save often!

Before we start, you should open the masks, and store them into your Easy Palette. In case you need to freshen up your memory on how to save a mask into the EP - you can take a look at one of my other tutorials, where I explain a little bit more about how to use a mask in PI. You'll find the tutorial here. Important - in my tutorials my masks fit the chosen background/object ... you achieve this by right clicking any mask inside the original category Mask Library in your Easy Palette. Now you choose the option Fit Mask. Brush: If you don't know, or are a little bit unsure how to install brushes in PI, take a look here - install the picture called loveletter.jpg. And you should also install the texture into your PI Texture Filter. (If you need help, take a look here.) Very important: Do NOT merge the picture before I tell you to do so!
	After all this preparation we are finally ready to start with the tutorial :)) Open the picture 06[1].02.21_5_2...._Mosquita. I've resized and made it ready to use. I suppose you've installed the texture from the zip file, so go to Effect/Fills and Textures/Texture Filter/ Embossed (1) and find the texture you've installed (white hand). Change the Level to 30 (red arrow), ... you can use the rest of the default settings. Click OK/Apply Current Frame Effect to Image.

	Open the picture mr_DSC_9214_2..._Simbär. Also this picture is ready to use. Copy (Ctrl+C) the photo (1) and paste (Ctrl+V) the copy on our main picture (2). Close the downloaded photo ... the photo on the main picture should still be activated. Choose the Transform Tool (white hand)/Rotate and flip, and Flip Horizontally (red arrow). Right click the rotated photo, choose Properties/Position & Size (3) and change the Position to: Left: 260 (white arrow)/Top: 0 (should be already 0). Click OK and keep the woman photo selected.

	Go to Edit/Fade Out and use these settings: Fill type: 6. (white hand) Fill color: Two-color (1): 100% (red arrow) to 10 % (white arrow). Click OK and keep the photo selected. Right click/Duplicate and open the Layer Manager.

	Layer Manager: Now we have to activate the woman photo that lays underneath, because we have to adjust some settings. First of all - click away the eye icon (white hand) on the top photo. This will only blend out the top picture, so we can see what we are doing with the other photo. Activate the underneath picture by clicking it (red X) in the Layer Manager. (The activated picture/object will be marked blue like you can see it on the screenshot.) As you can see ... we still have the eye icon (red arrow) for the activated picture.

	Choose the Pick Tool (white hand), and change the Soft edge to 40 (red arrow). In the Layer Manger you can see the activated picture (1).

	Now activate the top photo ... click on it in the Layer Manager (red X) - it's marked blue now -, and click the eye icon (white hand) for the top picture, so we now also can see the top photo on our background picture. With the Pick Tool still activated, change the Soft edge to 25 (red arrow). Deselect all photos (Enter).

	I suppose you've installed the the picture loveletter.jpg from the zip file as brush, so choose the Paint Tool/Paint- brush (white arrow). Click the little arrow (white hand) on the Texture button and find the picture you've installed. I used brush size: 143, Color: Black, Trans: 0, Soft edge: 50 and VERY IMPORTANT - Mode: Paint as object (red arrow). Paint now on the background as you can see on the screenshot.

	When you are satisfied with the brush painting, click the Pick Tool (white hand), and a small window appears on your screen. Click Yes. Keep the brush activated (1), go to Arrange/Send to Back (red arrow). This will move the brush behind the two woman photos. Keep the brush activated.

	Choose the Transform Tool (white arrow)/Rotate by degree and set the value to 15.00 (white hand). Click the button Rotate counterclockwise (red arrow). Resize the brush to fit your background (as you can see on the screenshot), choose the Pick Tool and set the Transparency of the brush to 60 (as you wish). Merge All.

	Open your Easy Palette/Libraries (white hand) and double-click the mask tut_blend_008 (1), which you've downloaded, unzipped and stored into the EP. On the screenshot you can see that the mask applied on the image (2). Check that your background color is Black (red arrow), and push 1 x the Delete button (alternatively - go to Edit/Fill/ Color and fill with Black.) Deselect the mask (spacebar). Add some text ... if you want to, ... and your blend is finished! :)) Merge All.

	I wanted to have the same background as my website for the blend, so I expanded all sides equally with 2 Pixels in Black. Then I used the same mask as before, but I changed the background color (white arrow) to the color of my website, pushed 1 x the Delete button, and the background was filled with the color I wanted. Keep the mask selected, right click/Invert, right click/ Convert to Object. Now the picture looks like the one on the screenshot (1). Right click/Shadow, Color: Black (white hand), 1.altern. (red arrow), and change the settings as you like. Merge All.
Here's the result with the background color of my website :))


That's it! A beautiful blend ... made with PI, one mask, two photos, and one brush. HAVE FUN!!!
If you need any help with this tutorial - or want to make suggestions to improve it - please email me!