Tut-blend

And this is what we are making:

Poser@Springangel.de Photos@inkl-Design

DESCRIPTION: Make a beautiful blend with PI and two 3rd party filters.
Tutorial: Copyright © Inge Klement

PI Version: X3
Level: Intermediate
Featured tools: Pick Tool, Transform Tool
Additional filters: Virtual Photographer and Xero (Porcelain)
Additional files: 1 tube, 2 photos, 1 mask and 1 file for the Virtual Photographer.
You'll get the file for the Virtual Photographer in the zip-file.

IMPORTANT NOTE/COPYRIGHT INFORMATION:
The tube I'm using is from Springangel.de, the mask is from www.itazura.org (Masques/Masks page 06).
My chosen mask was itamasque108 ... before you store the mask in the EP, you have to invert it for this tutorial.
Both winter photos I used for the background are from my private collection.
Please make sure you read and accept the TOU from each artist/photographer -
it's only fair and it is your responsibility!
The copyright © belongs ALWAYS to the original artist/designer!
No copyright infringement is intended.

Remember to save often!

Before we start, you should open the mask, and store it 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. And for this tutorial, you also need to use the Virtual Photographer and one file I've made to fit our picture. So you have to install the filter and the file before you start this tutorial. If you are not sure how to install the filter or the file, you can find a tutorial here. Very important: Do NOT merge the picture (tubes) before I tell you to do so! I've made a "misted tube" from one of my photos, because sometimes it's easier just to use parts of a photo instead of the whole photo. The second photo was used as it was ... ... both the photo and the "misted tube" were in black/white. I've written a tutorial/explanation on how to make "misted tubes" here.
	Open the whole photo, right click/All, right click/Convert to Object. Change the Background color to 210/225/240 (white hand) and drag the converted photo on your free working space. This will be our new image background (1). Open the "misted tube" (2) - or your 2.photo -, and the face tube (3) you want to use. We want to give them all the same icy blue look, so that's what we are doing. Go to Effect/optikVerve Labs/Virtual Photographer and click the Load button (red arrow). Find the file with the name ik-Satin steel_002.vph (white arrow). Open the file and now you can use the settings I found suitable for this picture. Change all 3 photos/tubes into icy blue and minimize the "misted tube" and the face tube. Now we are ready to start on our new image background!

	Go to Edit/Fade Out and use these settings: Fill type: 6. (white hand) Fill color: Two-color: 100% (white arrow) to 35% (red arrow). Click OK and deselect the background.

	Maximize the "misted tube" (1) - or your second photo - copy (Ctrl+C) it, and paste (Ctrl+V) the copy on our main picture (2). Right click the tube on our main picture, choose Properties/Position & Size (white hand), and change the Position to: Left: 324 (red arrow) / Top: 260 (white arrow). Click OK and keep the tube selected. Go to Edit/Fade Out and use the same settings as we did before: 6. altern. + 100% - 35%. Keep the tube selected.

	Choose the Pick Tool (white hand) and change the Soft edge to 25 (red arrow) and the Transparency to 10 (white arrow). Deselect the tube.

	Maximize the face tube you want to use, copy the tube (1) and paste it on our main picture (2). Right click the tube on the main picture/Properties/ Position & Size, and go to Size. Check that you have crossed the box Keep aspect ratio (red arrow) and change the Width to 732 (white hand). Now we can change the position of the tube: Left: - 346 and Top: - 1 (white arrows). Click OK and keep the tube selected. Go to Edit/Fade Out and use the same settings as we did before: 6. altern. + 100% - 35%. Keep the tube selected.

	Go to Edit/Fade Out once again but this time use these settings: Fill type: 1. (white hand) Fill color: Two-color: 100% (white arrow) - 50% (red arrow). Click OK and keep the tube activated. Right click/Duplicate and change the Transparency of the duplicate to 25%.

	Open the Layer Manager (it's easier to see what you are doing LOL), and activate the 4 objects/tubes (big red X on the screenshot) - the background photo, the "misted tube" and the 2 face tubes on top of each other. Go to Effect/Xero/Porcelain and use these settings: Softness: 200 Strength: 150 Brightness: 110 Red channel: 0 Green channel: 0 Blue channel: 100 Click OK and deselect all objects (Enter).

	Open your Easy Palette/Libraries and double-click the mask itamasque108 (1), which you've downloaded, unzipped, inverted and stored into the EP. Choose the Transform Tool (white arrow), click the button Action on selection (white hand), and use the command Flip Horizontally (red arrow). Go to Edit/Fill/Color and fill the mask with a suitable dark color. I used 24/47/69. Keep the mask selected. Comment: If you've forgotten to invert the mask before you stored it, you can also do that here ... first click the button Action on selection, right click/Invert and then flip the mask.

	You can see on the screenshot, that I still have the mask selected (1). Go to Effect/Fills and Textures/Texture Filter/Embossed (white hand) and choose a texture as you wish (red arrow). I've chosen the texture emboss10.bmp. with the default settings. Click OK/Apply Current Frame Effect to Image (white arrow), and Merge All.

	Right click/All, right click/Border, and use these settings: Border width: 1 (white hand), Direction: Inward (red arrow), Shape: Box and Anti-aliasing. Fill the border with a nice light shade from the picture. (I used 188/203/218.) Deselect (spacebar). Add some text and the proper credits, and your picture is finished :))
And that's how my finished blend looks in the original size :))


That's it! A beautiful blend ... made with PI, one mask, some photos/tubes and two 3rd party filters. HAVE FUN!!!
If you need any help with this tutorial - or want to make suggestions to improve it - please email me!