Tutorial 2: Filling, Soder Lines, Framing

This will be good to get in some practice before starting on more complicated stained glass patterns.  Take the simple pattern 18 again, but this time we are going to do it as a framed image.  We are also going to add some new lines to connect to the frame and add interesting glass details.  This part is entirely up to your own imagination.

Add a lime green border to pattern 18, I made mine 10 pixels.  Next, be creative and draw new sections to the pattern.  Most of the patterns have a pixel width of 4 on the lines.  Also make sure you have your brush hardness set to 100.  Don't worry about ending up in the border; in fact, you should extend into the border by a brushstoke.  I learned that one the hard way!  Do any little touchups with a size 1 brush.  Be careful that all your black lines connect together somehow.

Now, use the magic wand and select the black lines.  Copy them.  Paste them to a transparent image a little bigger than the size of the current image.  Leave it selected and put it to one side for now.  Remember, the lines you draw are your vision.  Hee.....no comments on my vision please.

Now go back to your pattern 18 and unselect the black lines.  Start having fun filling your image with the glass pieces of your choice.  You can either fill the jewels or leave them for later and use a tube gem.  I did both.  When you've got everything filled, paste the black lines back on the image carefully, lining it up exactly.  While it is selected, change your bottom color on the color palette to white.  Now delete the black lines leaving them white.  Use the blade pro pewter.  Trim your image with the square selection tool just on the inside green border so that no green remains.

Small notes here:

The reason you went into the border a few  pixels when you painted the lines is so that when you paste it back on and apply blade pro, the soder will fit smoothly along the edges after trimming.  That was a really long sentence!

Want the soder lines to be bolder?  Here's how to do that.  When you first paste the black lines back on, leave them selected and go to Selections, Modify, Expand.  Expand by 2 pixels.  Now do the delete to get white soder lines like you did above.  You've made bolder lines to soder, and covered any little problem areas if you have them.

If you want to go back and make the frame also with blade pro, do this:  Add a border again with the lime green.  Trust me, if you start with white, you won't be able to select just the border.  Now use the magic wand to select the border.  Once again make sure the bottom color of the palette is set to white and delete.  You can now use the blade pro with any preset of your choice to add a special border/frame, or simply use the pewter if you want it to match the first soder lines.  Of course, if you have frames laying around, you can skip this whole part and just frame the image after you have trimmed off the green area.  And here is my finished one.