Lesson 3 - TearDrop


With this lesson it's a little bit different. I find the best way to use teardrops is to make a template that you can use each time rather than draw it with every image.

I was making the teardrop a different way but with help from my friends I found that path is the way to go. BeeDiana made a teardrop so what I did was just follow her steps and adjusted my numbers to the size I wanted to use for these projects.
Step 1. Use a transparent background of 300x315 Go to Draw and used Path and M150 0 c365 400 -365 400 Stroke color of #796837 Stroke Width of 2 or 3.
Step 2. To color it with a shiny gold, use an url of a background using Atop and Misc. Here's one you may use:

http://www.wtv-zone.com/MsLee/Bgs/goldglass.jpg

Of course you can go over the gold with any other color if you prefer to change it.
Step 3. Go to Transform, Trim and check in reset geometry and output as a Gif Single File -- 215x303
Now when you use this template all you do is go to Image Magick using a background color of 300x315 then matte out the center of the teardrop if you want to put in a jpg, using DSTOVER. You can then matte out the background and go to Transform - Trim and Reset geometry, if you want to make it a "gif" (no background).

Here's my sample if you do not wish to draw one.
"For printer's convenience, here's the url for the template:
http://www.wtv-zone.com/MsLee/TEMPLATES/templategold.gif

Template

Here is a page I've done with some teardrops. You can also use just plain gifs but these lessons were basically to show that you can composite a jpg into a circle, oval, teardrop or any shape. You can also decorate them with bows, flowers, etc.
My Teardrop Page

NOTE: CaliKat came up with her teardrop using Draw and PATH. Check it out on her new Path page. She's done a few other images using PathTeardrop Tute


İOctober 8, 2006