Everyone can have longs Nails:)

I sat down one afternoon and wanted to make a couple of designs to paint on my nails.  Well I had so much fun just making the nails on the computer that I never did get my nails done.

This tutorial uses the bezier curve to help define the nail (with text and lines), cutout to give a look of a curve to the nail and last but not least, YOUR imagination.

You will need your own graphics if you want them, as like chips (or maybe the clock tutorial:) you may find that you can't make just one:)  You also need THIS.  Download the zip file and extract the selection file into your selections folder.  IF you do not have a selections folder then make one under the PSP folder.
 
 

Use a new Image, 200, 250 .. 16 million colors, transparent background

Go to Selections, Load from Disk the file that you downloaded (sherrie_fingernail.sel) (this will put a selected area inside your new image.

Use your FLOOD FILL tool (piant can) to fill the selected area with the color of your choose, or use a gradient.  I am going to use a gradient.  Foreground C000C0 (0 is ZERO), Background FFC0FF (0 i ZERO), with the gradient set to FOREGROUND/BACKGROUND, Right click (my second style button is set for gradient fill) inside the selected area.

PSP7 To set your gradient set your colors first.  Then click on the second style palette under the color palette (hold in down until a small window pops up with 4 icons in it)  Choose the second icon from the left, that is the gradient icon.  After choosing the gradient icon the button will show the last gradient used.  Now click your mouse (regular click) on the style button.  A window will open the first button on the top left side should b your FOREGROUND/BACKGROUND gradient.  If by chance it's not just hold your mouse over the pictures it will say the name of the gradient in a very small pop up text box.  You may have to scroll up also to see the top left one:) Angle at 135, repeats at 1, the TOP style button in the gradient window is used.

Turn your 3rd and 4rth sytle button off/null by clicking and holding on each of them, the last icon on the right will do this.

PSP6 open your tools options box, use the fill style window and choose Linear Gradient, normal, none, rbg value, tollerance 100, opacity 100.  Click on the top middle icon and go to the second page.  I hate to say this but I can't remember every thing in the box, but there SHOULD be one that says Foreground/background, use that one:) Angle at 135, repeats at 1.

Go to Effects, Noise, add, 10%, Uniform, Click OK
       PSP6 Image, Noise, same settings as above

Use CRTL D to deselect.  I will say this now and not agian, but don't want you to worry about it.  You will be working on several different layers.  Do not worry about going over the "Nail Edge" as we make lines or when the tutorial calls for it .. when you are done we will get rid of the excess with a couple of clicks .. HMMMMM, like using a Q-tip or orange stick and nail polish remover:)  LOL

Now set your Foreground color to a darker color, I am using 7C097D (0 is zero),   *** Turn your second style button off now

Go to Layers, Add new Raster Layer, click OK

Use your DRAW TOOL (looks like a pencil drawing) .. in your TOOL OPTIONS window set type to BEZIER CURVE, Width 4, Line Style solid, Antialias Checked, CREATE as Vector unchecked
      PSP6 Bezier curve, Stroked, width 5, antialias checked

If you can not see your graphic well then zoom in once

Start on the outside left of your nail and draw the outside right of your nail

This shows where you start and finish, then with the bezier curve you will have to move it twice to get it to set,  so after you let up off the mouse at the finish then go to about where the 1st X is in this graphic and draw the line up just a tad:) then let go with your mouse.  Now go to where the 2nd X's are and draw up this side just a little, what you want is for it to look a little curved.  Anytime you work with the Bezier curve your first curve will start on the same side that you started to draw from.

Change your line width to 2 and do the same thing agian.  This one will be a little tougher because your other curve is already set.  Start on the left side and end on the right side .. this time you will look at how much space you have between the top curve (at the side) and the one you are drawing, you want just about that much space on the right side when you let go of the mouse.

This is mine

Right click on the top border of the window you are working in .. you will see several choices, choose COPY.  Then right click again in the same area and choose Paste as New Selection.  Move the selection down to the bottom and then click when you have it where you want it.

This is where I placed mine

Lets get rid of those lines now.  Go to Layers, on the bottom you will see layer 1 and layer 2 .. click on layer 1 to select that layer.

Now go to selections, select all

Selections, Float (it's at the bottom)

Then selections (defloat)

Go to Layers again and click on layer 2

Selections INVERT .. now hit DELETE on your keyboard.

CTRL D to deselect.

You should have this now.

 

Lets put some curved text on it now .. and then you can go to town and do what ever you want:)

Use your draw tool again .. this time CHECK the create as VECTOR box.  Line width 1, and change your foreground color to BLACK.

DO not start outside of the nail this time.  Start a little inside of it and draw to the same spot on the other side ..

here is mine after applying my curves (zoomed so you can see it and smaller so you can see where I placed it)

OK .. now click on the TEXT TOOL (looks like a capital A) when you pass it over the line you just drew you will see it change to an A with a curved line under it, CLICK

I used Times new roman set at 12 and typed in "look how pretty" then I clicked OK .. YOU type in what ever you want or the same thing for this practice.  IF it goes outside of the nail then use CTRL Z to under and re click to type something else.

After you get what you want and the TEXT is selected then open your layer palette .. see that little white box beside the Layer 3, it has a plus in it.  Click on that little box, you should see a drop box now that says Bezier with an icon the right of it that looks like a pair of glasses.  CLICK on those glasses beside the word Bezier.  IF by chance you also have a box that has what ever you typed, DON'T worry about it, just click the glasses beside the Bezier word.

NOW right click on the button that says LAYER 3, choose CONVERT TO RASTER LAYER.  Now your line that you used as a path is gone and your text is still selected.

Go to Image, 3D, Drop Shadow .. and apply a very light drop shadow.  Verticle 1, Horizontal 0, Opacity 70, Blur 1, click OK
        PSP6 Image, effects, drop shadow, same settings as above.

Now use your line tool again and draw another line .. then click on your Text tool and do it again, typing what you want.  This time I drew one side up and the other side down, then typed in what I did.

After writing your second line of text go to your layer palete, click on the white x box beside the layer you just added (should be 4) click the glasses off of Bezier and then right click on layer 4, convert to raster layer, add your drop shadow, then CRTL D to deselect.

Here is mine.

Go to layers, merge, merge visible.

Go to selection, select all, then selections float, then selections, defloat.

Go to layers add new raster layer, click OK

Go to Effect, 3D, CUTOUT and use these settings.
         Verticle 0, Horizontal 13, Opacity 65, Blur 22.5, Shadow color 443E3E, fill interior UNchecked.  Click OK

Go to Layers add new raster layer, click OK

Go to Effect, 3D, Cutout and change Horizontal to -10 (minus 10) click OK

Layers, merge, merge visible.

Save how you want to save.

That's it .. the main thing learned while using this tutorial was the text on a bezier curve, but I would LOVE to see the nails that you come up with.  If you like you can send then to me at alisande@thrifty.net .. I am thinking about setting up a nail page like the cameo and mirror page .. As soon as I ge the first one I will put the page up and link your nails to your (family friendly) site if you have one .. Please do not make the graphic any larger than the 200, 250 it starts as.  You may add borders if you like or have it a transparent gif .. which ever you prefer:)

I paint this scene on my nails the most.	Very Easy to do for Christmas	The lady's love this  one for rodeo dances	Not easy, but I have painted this before.

  Graphic made by Dee

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