Bannerwoman's Fiber Tutorial

This tutorial was created when I had the idea to attempt to make my own fiber tube.  I wanted something that would be a continuous tube.  This is what I came up with.

1. Open a new image, 100x100px at 200dpi.

2. Choose your paint brush at these settings.

3.  Draw a line vertical in your square, leaving a bit of space at the top and bottom.

4.  Go to effects/plug-ins/eye candy/jiggle, and use this setting, or something you like. 

5.  Add a texture to your image, I used straw at the default settings, but anything that will add a bit of texture is fine, at this size you don't notice what the texture is, just that there is some.

6.  Effects/sharpening/sharpen.

7.  Open a new image, 400x200 at 200dpi.

Now we have to set up your grid so you can place your 'fiber' to make a continuous tube with it.

8.  Go to View/Change grid, guide & snap properties. Enter these properties.  Also make sure you have view grid ON.

9.  Now you should see that your new image has 4 blocks across and 2 blocks down.  You are going to place that string into each of those 8 blocks. So go back to your string, and Edit/Copy.

10.  Go to View/Rulers if your rulers are not already on, you will need them to 'center' your images in the individual squares.

11.  Right click on your new image and paste as new selection.  Using your rulers as your guide, place the new selection at 50, 50. 

12. Now your second fiber, right click and paste as new layer again as your fiber should still be your last item in the clipboard and paste at 50, 150. With this fiber still selected go to image/rotate/free rotate with these settings.

13.  Again, right click and paste as new layer, at 50, 250. Rotating 90 degrees.

14.  Fourth one, right click and paste as new layer, at 50, 350. Rotating 135 degrees. This should finish your top row.

15. Continue with the bottom row, now being right click and paste as new layer, at 150, 50. Rotating 180 degrees.

16.  Second bottom, right click and paste as new layer, at 150, 150. Rotating 225 degrees.

17.  Third bottom, right click and paste as new layer, at 150, 250. Rotating 270 degrees.

17.  Fourth bottom, right click and paste as new layer, at 150, 350. Rotating 315 degrees.

(I hope I managed to get all of the rotating right, if not, someone please let me know, as it can get quite confusing!  lol)

18.  Now you should have an images that looks something like this...

19.  Now you need to export this as a tube so it will function as a fiber looking string. To do so, go to file/export/picture tube. This is the settings.

This will create a 'multi' part tube.  now you can use this tube like you can use your paint brush, anytime you want.  Use it on its own layer, and you can colorize the tube to what ever you like, using the colorize option in PSP. You can also lighten and darken the 'fiber' using adjust/brightness and contrast.  Here are some of my results.

This one is used at 50%.  I added inner bevel and a drop shadow, also colorized it purple.

This one is at 25% and lighten, then colorize the same settings as the one above.  Also beveled and drop shadowed.

This one is used at 10%, darkened, colorized with the same settings, and a drop shadow added. 

They all look so different, that's why I like this idea so much!  Depending on the size or shade its used at, it can create very different looks.