WIRED

W I R E D

This tut was written on May 3, 2010.
It is written using PSPX; I'm NOT sure the same effects are available in other versions.

SUPPLIES
A tube.
I'm using the work of Ismael Rac. You need to purchase a license to use this work from AMI.

The following filters:
VM Instant Art - Wired
Greg's Factory Output Vol. II - Pool Shadow

Font of choice (I'm using "Escoffier Capitaux")

Let's begin!

Pick a color to be the glittery background.

Open a new image, 600x600.

VM Instant Art - Wired with the following setting:

Effects, Distortion Effects, Warp with the following setting:

Selection Tool, Custom Selection with the following setting:

Crop Tool, Snap crop rectangle to Current Selection, then click on the checkmark on the left side:

(Snap crop can be found on the crop toolbar to the far right side.)

Magic Wand, with these settings: Add (Shift), RGB Value, Tolerance 10, contiguous, Feather 0)
Click on this part of your image:

Selections - Modify - Select Color Range with the following setting:

DELETE

Add a small drop shadow.
(I used 5, 5, 50, 5, black.)

If this effect doesn't work for you (like I said, I'm not sure whether this will work with other versions), I've attached this layer at the bottom of the tut.

Add a new layer.
Floodfill with your chosen color.

Greg's Factory Output Vol. II - Pool Shadow with the default setting.

Duplicate twice, for three layers total.

On the top layer, Add noise - Uniform, 90
On the 2d layer, Add noise - Uniform, 95
On the 3d layer, Add noise - Uniform, 100

Bring your Wired layer to the top.
(Layers - Arrange - Bring to top.)

Add your tube, positioning where you think is best.
Add the same drop shadow you used earlier.

Add a 2 pixel selection border.
(Selections, Select All.
Selections, Modify, Select Selection Borders - Inside, 2, anti-alias checked.
Fill with your chosen color.)

Add your name and all necessary copyright information.

Animate as usual.

For the avatar:

Duplicate your tag in PSP.

Remove the tube layer.

Crop to 150x150.

Add your 2 pixel selections border.

Add your name (or initial.)

Here is another example, also using the work of Ismael Rac (I flipped the Wired layer):