Displacement Map
In your toolbar you have Effects-Distortion Effects-Displacement Map. This is one I don't see a lot of tutorials about but it is really a handy tool and a good way to use all those patterns that may be laying around in your textures or patterns files that you have been collecting. Very few come with the psp program so if you want to add patterns and textures go to File-File Locations and highlight Displacement Maps to the left. Go to the right side and click on the file location and click add to add the path where your textures and patterns are.
You should be keeping a separate file for things like this outside your art program so that if you lose your program for some reason or have to re download it you will still have all the things you have collected. I have a separate file for everything in PSP. It is in, My Documents, Make a My PSP file, and inside there start a textures, patterns, tubes etc. just like you have in your downloaded art program.
Start by opening a 500 X 500 transparent raster image.
Go to preset shapes and find any shape. I have tried using different ones and they all end up looking different. In your materials palette find a gradient you like and use it in the foreground and background boxes. One will be the outline and the other the fill. Just start pulling out shapes on your background. Change your gradient if you want and make either colors in the same shades or you could even use solid or patterns. I just used gradients in this one.
Go to Effects-Distortion Effects- Displacement Map.
Settings:
Blue dot-2D
Black dot-Stretch map to fit image
Red dot-Blur 0
Green dot-Transparent
Yellow dot-Intensity 100
The rotation I have set at 179 but you can play with this setting if you don't like your results.
What this does is put a transparent image of whatever image is showing in the pattern box over your shapes. If you use a more indistinct map your image will look more subtle. If you use a more distinct map your image will be more distinct. Some of them will even let your image show through in some places depending on what you choose. Whether you choose a shape, pattern or even a photo.
I save this one as a png file so the background would stay transparent to maybe use in a background tile.
Here is one I just used the preset image and pulled out a bunch of flowers using red.
As you can see my displacement map is more distinct with darker lines in it so there is less background on the image it is placed over.
You can also go to Image-Greyscale and make this into a brush to export to your brush file.
If it doesn't turn out dark enough as you like go to Adjust-Brightness and Contrast-Brightness/Contrast. You can make it darker there.
Most of these that have more detail I used the settings:
Brightness:-63
Contrast:17
Here is one I made using the silver ball tube that comes with PSPX.
Below is one made with a coral pattern and tiled. I added a new layer, pulled it to the bottom in my layers palette and filled that layer with black. I used an orb tube with a reflection on it for this pattern.
Below I just took a photo I shot and applied another displacement map over the whole photo. Flowers photos make some really nice abstract backgrounds.
Good sources for patterns and textures:
Barb's Playground
Wingsdesired on deviantArt
Google search
Missy the fire one is on the first page of this search above.
cgtextures
You should be keeping a separate file for things like this outside your art program so that if you lose your program for some reason or have to re download it you will still have all the things you have collected. I have a separate file for everything in PSP. It is in, My Documents, Make a My PSP file, and inside there start a textures, patterns, tubes etc. just like you have in your downloaded art program.
Start by opening a 500 X 500 transparent raster image.
Go to preset shapes and find any shape. I have tried using different ones and they all end up looking different. In your materials palette find a gradient you like and use it in the foreground and background boxes. One will be the outline and the other the fill. Just start pulling out shapes on your background. Change your gradient if you want and make either colors in the same shades or you could even use solid or patterns. I just used gradients in this one.
Go to Effects-Distortion Effects- Displacement Map.Settings:Blue dot-2D
Black dot-Stretch map to fit image
Red dot-Blur 0
Green dot-Transparent
Yellow dot-Intensity 100
The rotation I have set at 179 but you can play with this setting if you don't like your results.
What this does is put a transparent image of whatever image is showing in the pattern box over your shapes. If you use a more indistinct map your image will look more subtle. If you use a more distinct map your image will be more distinct. Some of them will even let your image show through in some places depending on what you choose. Whether you choose a shape, pattern or even a photo.
I save this one as a png file so the background would stay transparent to maybe use in a background tile. Here is one I just used the preset image and pulled out a bunch of flowers using red.
As you can see my displacement map is more distinct with darker lines in it so there is less background on the image it is placed over.You can also go to Image-Greyscale and make this into a brush to export to your brush file. If it doesn't turn out dark enough as you like go to Adjust-Brightness and Contrast-Brightness/Contrast. You can make it darker there. Most of these that have more detail I used the settings:Brightness:-63
Contrast:17
Here is one I made using the silver ball tube that comes with PSPX. Below is one made with a coral pattern and tiled. I added a new layer, pulled it to the bottom in my layers palette and filled that layer with black. I used an orb tube with a reflection on it for this pattern.
Below I just took a photo I shot and applied another displacement map over the whole photo. Flowers photos make some really nice abstract backgrounds.
Good sources for patterns and textures:
Barb's Playground
Wingsdesired on deviantArt
Google search
Missy the fire one is on the first page of this search above.
cgtextures
