Egg-Cited


Supplies:
Scrap Kit: ScrapKarmalized_EasterPeeps-mini
Tube: April-PinUpToons-2019
Mask: March Subscriber Downloads (no longer available) or you can get some free ones HERE.
Font: Alitide
Other Supplies 

Please do not use any of the licensed supplies without purchasing them first.


First off, unzip all supplies. 

Open the mask you would like to use.  You don’t have to use the one I have chosen.

Select > All
Edit > Copy
Select > Edit in Quick Mask Mode
Edit > Paste
Select > Edit in Quick Mask Mode (uncheck)
Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal Selection
Layer > Layer Mask > Apply
Layer > Matting > Remove Black Matte
Right click the layer thumbnail in the layers panel
Select Pixels
Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal Selection
Layer > Layer Mask > Apply
Save this as a .psd on your desktop (or wherever you want)

Open a new canvas.  I always use 800×800 pixels.  Be sure your resolution is 72 Pixels/Inch.

I usually add a color fill layer to the tag so it is easily changed should I use it on a different color website.  Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color…
White usually works with most websites.

You can drag and drop items straight from your file browser into the canvas.

Browse to the mask that you just saved in your computer’s file browser.  Drag it onto your tag.

Don’t forget to set the Transformation by double clicking the layer on the canvas, or clicking the checkbox at the top of the window. 

Next, choose the paper you would like to use on your mask.

Drag the paper onto the canvas above the mask.

In your layers panel, right click on the paper layer and choose Create Clipping Mask.

Repeat this for any extra masks.

Now, time for the elements!

Instead of telling you exactly where to put what and what size to use, I am just going to show you a animated image of what I did.

As you can see, it is pretty random.  I just place the items where I think they might work.

Now, back to the frame element layer.  We need to add a fill to the picture frame.

Highlight the layer UNDER the frame in your layers panel.  Now drop the paper you would like to use onto the canvas.

Grab your selection wand from the tools panel.  If you can’t find it, check out the basics page for a better understanding of the tools layout.

The wand options should look like this at the top of your window:

Click on the center portion of the frame.
In the upper menu of Photoshop, click on Selection > Modify > Expand…
Expand your selection by 2px.
Now highlight your paper layer.  Go to Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal Selection.

Now you have a fill to your frame.

We definitely want to add some shadows to our elements.  Without shadowing, the tag will just look flat. The secret to a good tag, is a good shadow effect.

Right click a layer (topmost works fine) and choose “Blending Options.”
I add a drop shadow and an outer glow.  It enhances the effect a bit.

Now after you have hit OK, right click the layer again and choose “Copy Layer Style.”
Highlight all of your layers (click the top one, then shift + click the bottom one) and right click again.  This time, choose “Paste Layer Style.”

It makes a HUGE difference to add shadows:

Notice the shadow at the bottom of the tag sort of drops off? Let’s fix that!

In the top menu of Photoshop, go to Select > Select All Layers.  Now go to Layer > Group Layers.  You will see that your entire tag has now collapsed into that folder.  You can open it back up by clicking on the arrow beside the group icon.

In the layers panel, right click on the THUMBNAIL of the bottom mask layer.  You will see the option to “Select Pixels.”  Choose that.

Right click on the THUMBNAIL of the next mask layer.  Now you will see “Add Transparency Mask.”  Choose that.

Repeat this for all element layer, EXCEPT the paper layer we added behind the mask. 

After you have added the selection of all of the element layers, go back to the paper that we added behind the frame.  You will see the black and white thumbnail of the mask attached to it in the layers panel.  Right click on that mask thumbnail and choose “Add Mask to Selection.”

You will see the “marching ants” around your entire tag.  In the layers panel, highlight the group folder that you put everything into.  This should be at the very top of your layers.

Now go to Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All.

You will see that the shadowing has now disappeared from your tag!  however, so did the white background, haha!

Highlight your background layer and go to Layer > Arrange > Send to back.  This will remove your background layer from the group.

Oh right!  The wordart.

Drag and drop the wordart from the supplies zip that I provided.  Place it where you like.  Now add the following layer style by right clicking the layer and choosing “Blending Options.”

Now that we have all of that done, time to add the next details.  Tube and text.  Fun!

Choose where you want your main tube to be placed. I have chosen to put her behind the fence layer, so I highlighted the layer UNDER the fence.

Now drag and drop your tube onto the canvas. Resize and adjust it to your liking. Always make sure you constrain your proportions while resizing.  Hold the Shift key while you drag the corners.

Add the same drop shadow you did before.  Don’t forget your copyright text!

Highlight the top layer of the layers panel.

Grab your text tool and add the name you would like.  Position it just where you want it and add a layer style. I used the same style as above.

That leave us with the non-animated version of the tag!  If you wold like to keep the JPG version, you can save here.  Simply File > Save As…  and choose the jpg option from the drop down box at the bottom of the dialog.

Here’s where it starts getting complicated.

Make sure your Animation Panel is open.  Window > Timeline (or Animation, if you are on earlier versios)

You will need to click the “Create Frame Animation” button. If you do not see this button, please refer to THIS page for more information about the timeline.

Back to the layers panel.

Highlight your tube layer.  If it is not in a “Smart Object,” make sure you do that now.  Right click the layer and choose “Convert to Smart Object.”

You will see this icon on the thumbnail if you have successfully converted it.

Go to Edit > Puppet Warp.

This will add a mesh around your tube.

Place the “pins” around your tube like I have here.  This will make sure that the anchor points don’t move around.

Click the check at the top of your screen.

Duplicate your tube layer.
Go to Edit > Puppet Warp

You will see that the placement of your pins was remembered.  This is the importance of putting your tube in a Smart Object.  Raster layers will not remember the placement.

Now, drag the pin on the tail just a little to simulate a wagging movement.  You can use the tube underneath as a guide.

Click the check again at the top of the screen.

Duplicate your tube again.  Drag the tail pin just a little further, again, using the lower layers as a guide.

 Set the transformation with the check at that top of the screen.

I think 3 booty shaking layers is plenty for this animation.  You can make more if you like.

Now, we want to add the blinking animation.

File > Open… and navigate to the blinking animation that I provided in the zip file.

If you would rather paint your own version  of the blink, that would be fine, too!  The more you learn, the better it gets bigsmile

Hightlight the group in the layers panel and right click.  Choose “Duplicate Group…”

In the drop down menu of the popup, select your tag.

Close the blinking file and go back to your tag.

Make sure your blinking animation group folder is highlighted.

Edit > Free Transform

Move and resize the entire group to fit directly over the eye of your tube.

Click the check at the top of the screen once you have it placed right where you want it.

Now, we want to get the animation going.  This is going to be fun…

First, you need to hide some layers:

Both duplicates of your tube must be hidden.  Also, all eye animation layers must be hidden.  This way, you are left with what looks exactly like the JPG image we saved earlier in this tutorial.  No extras.

Down in the animation panel, duplicate your frame by clicking on the little icon at the bottom that looks like a folded piece of paper.

Now you should have two frames in your animation panel.

With the second frame highlighted, go to your layer panel and hide your origianal tube layer.  Now unhide the first copy tube layer.

Back to the animation panel.  Duplicate the frame again.

To the layer panel.  Hide the first copy tube and unhide the second copy tube.

Again, to the animation panel.  Duplicate the frame again.

In the Layers panel, hide the second duplicate tube and unhide the first duplicate tube.

If you click on the play button at the bottom of your animation panel, you can see how your animation will look so far.

But, we still want some blinking, huh?

In the animation panel, click on the first frame, and then hold shift.  Click on the last frame.  This will highlight all of your animation frames.

Now click on the duplicate button at the bottom of the panel.

This will duplicate all of the frames.  Repeat this two more times.  You should give you 16 frames.

Highlight the third frame.
In your layers panel, unhide the “eye1” layer.

Highlight the fourth frame.
In your layers panel, unhide the “eye2” layer.

Highlight the fifth frame.
In your layers panel, unhide the “eye3” layer.

Highlight the sixth frame.
In your layers panel, unhide the “eye4” layer.

Highlight the seventh frame.
In your layers panel, unhide the “eye5” layer.

Highlight the eighth frame.
In your layers panel, unhide the “eye3” layer.

Highlight the ninth frame.
In your layers panel, unhide the “eye1” layer.

This completes your animation!

Oh, right!  Don’t forget to set your frame delay.
Be sure all frames are highlighted.

Now you will need to save your animation as a gif file.

In your animation dialog, use these settings:

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial!