BLENDER

B L E N D E R

This tut was written on March 7, 2011.
It is written using PSPX; I'm sure the same effects are available in other versions.

SUPPLIES
A tube.
I'm using the work of Keith Garvey.
This tube was purchased when this artist was with MPT.
You may purchase a license to use this work at PTE.

The following filters:
Krusty's FX, Vol I 1.0 - Transparent Blender
Unplugged Effects - Tangent Deform
MuRa's Meister - Copies
Xenofex2 - Constellation

Font of choice (I'm using "Ambiance BT")

Let's begin!

Choose two colors from your tube, a lighter color for the foreground and a darker for the background.
Prepare a foreground linear gradient - Angle = 0, Repeats = 0, you want the lighter color on top.

Open a new image, 600x600

Fill with your darker color.

Krusty's FX, Vol I 1.0 - Transparent Blender chaning the Blends Amount from 6 to 4.

Selection Tool - Custom Selection using the following setting:

Selections - Invert

DELETE

Duplicate this layer.

Image - Mirror.

Layers - Merge - Merge Visible.

Set this aside for a bit.

Open a new image, 600x250.

Floodfill with your gradient.

Unplugged Effects - Tangent Deform using the following setting:

Effects - Edge Effects - Enhance.
Repeat the Enhance.

Add your Blender image that you set aside to this image as a new layer.

Crop to 600x250.

Duplicate this layer.

On the original layer, MuRa's Meister - Copies using the Line preset, changing the number from 8 to 3.

On each of this three layer, Xenofex2 - Constellation using the following setting:

(NOTE - Depending on your chosen colors, this Constellation effect may not show very well.
You can increase the Overdrive to make the effect more prominent.)

Highlight the top Blender layer.

Selections - Select All
Selections - Float
Selections - Defloat

Add your tube, moving into position.

Selections - Invert

DELETE.

Change the layer setting of the tube layer to Luminance (not Legacy)
Change the layer opacity to 70.
These are suggestions, you may choose other settings...

Add a 2px Selection border, using your dark color.
Effects - 3D Effects - Drop Shadow using 2, 2, 58, 3, black and -2, -2, 58, 3, black.

Add your name and all necessary copyright information.

Animate as usual.

For the avatar:

Duplicate your tag (Shift + D.)

Delete the layers with your tube and top Blender layer.

Crop to 150x150.

Add your name (or initial.)

Here is another example, using the work of Lorenzo DiMauro: