Special note to cover the series of pages that will be connected to this tutorial.  I began this tutorial before September 11, and I just got back to it this past week, the first week of December.  Since I'm editing the tutorial now, there won't really be any differences in that, but some of the patterns made before September 11 will be a little different than the newer patterns I have made recently.  For one thing, I branched out into drawing many of my own patterns which will be shown in a few tutorials here.

Please read all the tutorials because each will give important tips that you can put together to learn how to make the perfect stained glass patterns each time.  You will also need the following two Blade Pro Presets: Pewter and Gold Shiny

This actually won't be much of a technical tutorial.  You don't use effects, filters, etc., except for Blade Pro.  What it really requires is patience and isn't meant for everyone to do.  So do you enjoy getting down to tiny pixels of work and making sure all the dots connect?  Then this part of doing stained glass is for you.  I personally really enjoy working like this.  It is good therapy.

When picking a photograph to work with, pick something that isn't complicated and has simple lines to it.  For this lesson, I've picked a simple photo of pyramids against a blue sky.  If you want to use this image and follow along with the directions, then click on the thumbnail to download the full size image.

I picked this image because there really isn't much going on.  There are some sand patterns, and then just the three pyramids which will be easy to draw on top of.

Open your full size image of the pyramids.  Go to Layers and then Duplicate.  You should now have the first Background and a Copy of Background.  Flood fill the one named Background layer with a solid color.  This layer needs to be on the bottom.

Now add a new layer and call it Pyramids.  This layer needs to be on top and active.  Click on the draw tool.  For the Pyramids, use Single Line/Width 1.  Uncheck Antialias & uncheck Create as vector.  When making soder lines for stained glass, you don't want any soft lines like antialias will give you.  You are using the Single Line to draw the Pyramids because they ARE straight lines.  The rest of your drawing will be done using the Freehand Line Type.  Now simply draw on your new layer, following the Pyramids that you can clearly see since you have nothing else on your new layer.

Once you have all your lines drawn for the three Pyramids, turn off all the other layers so you just see the Pyramids.  You will need to flood fill with a solid color in each section of the Pyramids.  I chose to use white.  Here is where that darn pixel work begins.  If there is just one tiny open spot, you will not be able to select just the inside sections.

You will have to zoom in to find where the broken spot might be.  See the example below.  Once you find the missing pixel of border line, use the paint brush to add the missing pixel.  Once you have flood filled successfully, use the flood fill color and remove any excess spots where the black of your border line has extra pixels.  If you don't do this, when you turn your border lines into the stained glass soder lines, they will look lumpy.
 

Test your ability to edit the soder lines by right clicking and saving the next two simple graphics.  The one on the left has a serious of problems.  There are some missing pixels, some excess pixels and some pixels outside of the lines of the drawing.  For missing pixels, just add the pixel in.  For excess pixels and pixels outside the drawing, normally you would use the selection tool and delete them.  On the simple one layer gif image below, just use the color white.  When you think you have fixed all the problems, look at the second image.  It is color coded.

Once you have been able to fill in your Pyramid sections, add a new layer for the sky and sand.  Turn off the Pyramid layer so this doesn't distract you.  I basically followed the lines of the sand, but for the sky I had to create my own lines.

When you have drawn all your sand and sky lines in, you can then delete the actual photograph layer.  Back to pixel work.  You need to be able to flood fill each section with a solid color.  Make sure this layer is on top and active.  If any of the sections can not be selected alone, then you have to find the missing spot.  Once your sand and sky is all fixed up, bring the pyramid layer to the top.  Do NOT merge any layers yet!

Ok, all the hard work is now over!  In fact, I just have a few instructions to give you before you have a finished work of art.  Zoom in on the Pyramid layer enough to see the black lines clearly.  With the Magic Wand, click on the black lines.  Now go to Selections/Modify, Select Similar.  All your black lines will now be selected. Add a new layer called Pyramid lines.  Go to Selections/Modify/Expand.  Expand by 1 pixel.  Flood fill with white.  Use the Blade Pro Preset of Pewter.  Now go back to the Pyramid layer.  Have your glass picked out that you want to fill your Pyramids with.  Select just one section, or, click on one section with the magic wand, then hold down the Shift key on the keyboard and select the rest of the Pyramid sections.

Note here:  You get different results with your glass depending on whether you fill one section at a time or fill them all at the same time.  The result varies, so you may want to try both ways and see which way looks best for the particular image you are working on.  Ok........the Pyramids are done.  Copy the glass you have chosen.  Go back to your Pyramids.  Go to Edit/Paste Into Selection.

Make the sand and sky layer active.  Zoom in enough to be able to see the black lines clearly.  Click on the black lines with the Magic Wand.  Go to Selections/Modify, Select Similar.  All your black lines will now be selected.  Add a new layer called sand and sky lines.  Go to Selections/Modify/Expand.  Expand by 1 pixel.  Flood fill with white.  Use the Blade Pro Preset of Pewter.  Now go back to the sand and sky layer.  Have your glass picked out that you want to fill your sand and sky with.  Read the instuctions above on how you want to do this.

When your work is all done, you layer palette should look like this before you merge the layers.  It is logical if you think about it.  The pyramid soder lines have to be above the pyramids, then they both have to be above the sand and sky layers.  Now why are we putting the soder lines on their own layer?  Well........remember how I had you expand the selection on the new line layer?  This way you will never have any of those annoying little white areas when you fill your first layer with the glass.  Since the lines were expanded, they will cover that up.  Don't worry, it will all make sense as you work on your graphic.  Click on my tiny thumbnail to see my finished glass.  I didn't do any fancy work for this example because I wanted to keep it simple.  I bet you can make a much prettier image than I did!

Now don't run off!  I have much more to go.  I have a more complicated photo image that I drew over, and I have a whole lot of clipart stained glass work to show and explain to you.  There are also a couple of simple drawing lessons, one for a simple bear, the other for horses.  And I've just completed a bunch of new drawings that are ready for making them stained glass.   Since it's December, I made sure that many of them were for the season.