Gazebo Addon

This is an addon for the gazebo tutorial for those having problems.
For the full gazebo tutorial, please refer to Peggy's tutorial.

This is the first tip that I feel is important for a lot of you. When you have that first layer that is just the background, add a color to it so that you can see the work on your gazebo layers much easier.

Now you've added your second layer and have the basic rounded rectangle drawn. You have drawn a line across the bottom to make your filled bottom section. The reason it may not fill completely is that your selection tool is using anti-alias for a smoother look to the gazebo. As Peggy says, a little careful air brushing will fill that in. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ok, now you have added a new layer for your top part. Using just the plain rectangle, you have made a selection that you have filled with white. I bet this next step is the first place you had some problems. Here is what I did.

While the white rectangle was still selected, I copied it and pasted it as a new image. I filled that with another color. Then I reduced it in size by using the percentage. I chose 33, or one-third.

You should enlarge the canvas a bit before you do the next thing. To enlarge the canvas, go to Image/Canvas. Check the current size of your rectangle. Make the height and width of the canvas about 3 or 4, even 5 pixels bigger than that. Flood fill the new space with your color.

Now............change you selection tool to ellipse. Keep playing until you have a nice oval that almost fills to the left and right, top and bottom.

With that selected, copy and paste it as a new selection on your top. Paste two more times and see if it fits to the end. You may have to undo a couple of times until they fit just right. Now use the wand on them and delete. It is easier than trying to eyeball three correct ovals across the top.

The other tip I have for this top section is that I selected it with the magic wand. I expanded the selection by one pixel and used the Guassian Blur at 2. That gave me the softer look to the top section.

Oh, and remember. Since everything is going to be on layers, you can always trim a little here, trim a little there. You can also use the deform tool to stretch or squeeze something to match it up.

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Now you are ready for your roof. From here on out, add a new layer for each new thing or step. It helps a lot by the time you are finished! So add a new layer for the roof. And here is something else you may have to do if you were working like I was on that 300x400 image. At this point I enlarged my canvas to be 400x500. I needed more working room.

So put on your roof per Peggy's instructions. Now you are ready for your Fleuron. Add a new layer. I ended up using size 40. While it is still selected, use the Blade Pro preset cutout. It adds some nice definition to the Fleuron.

Add a new layer for the middle set of Beezier lines. I made my first one until I liked how it looked and a little longer because I could trim it as it was on it's own layer. I then copied that line and pasted as a new selection but mirrored it. Then fitted it in the correct position. This was my middle set of lines. Then you can use the magic wand to select them. Go to Effects/Outer Bevel. Here are the settings I used for all the rest of the gazebo.

Now trim the top and bottom of the lines.

Add a new layer and do the same as above for the outside lines.

Add a new layer and draw your first pole. I also drew this a little longer. Then I selected it with the wand and used the Outer Bevel on it. Then I copied and pasted it as a new selection on that poles layer for the other 3 poles. Once that was done, I went back and did the trimming.

The lattice step is next, and if you are really exhausted, Peggy supplies you with a lattice tube in the zip on her site. You might want to consider that.

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Ok, I only have a few more tips for you because you are actually almost done. I did use the Outer Bevel on each of my front steps.

There is also something extra I did. Now you know when you take that slice out of your latice and you cut and paste it as a new layer? Then you draw those lines that make the top rail of the back of the gazebo? Well, once again make sure every one of these steps in on a new layer.

I took that top bar, copied it and pasted it as a new layer named bottom latice lines. I wanted to see if that would define the back area a little more. Given that, here comes the tricky part. I wanted my floor to also show to the left and right instead of just in the center area. So I used the selection tool to draw a rectangle along that area and flood filled it with white.

I copied and pasted that as a new image. Then I made the bottom line active and copied and pasted it as a new selection on that new copy. Don't deselect! Air brush it another color. Use the deform tool to stretch it to the edges. Use the wand to select the white area under the lattice line.

Now go back to your gazebo. Undo that selection you made. Add a new layer and paste your selected piece from your new image on there as white floor. Do the blinds effect on that. Move it to the correct layer position so that it is behind the front lattice and other things it should be behind. If it doesn't fit exactly, just use the deform tool to either stretch it a little or squeeze it a little. Now your floor inside the gazebo will extend on the left and right sides. Add your chairs. That's easy since Peggy has them cut already!

Last tip. I made the poles layer active. I copied the far left pole and then deleted it and the pole on the far right. I pasted as a new layer twice to get the two back poles on their own layers. I then moved them under those layers they should be under until they were correct.

The last thing I will do is put in a screen capture of my layer palette. You can move things around much easier if you use this palette. You can simply put your cursor on a layer and move it anywhere on the list. The fleuron is the top layer, the background/yellow is the bottom layer. Note how the roof needs to be below the beezier lines and how the top needs to be below the decrative knobs.