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[seen running in the studio....] Hay am I too late- the dog ate-er- I mean, I worked all night......

This tutorial is available as a PDF. Click here to view or download it It's more convenient to download a frame from the internet, but for those who want to have fun... I am sure there are much simpler methods than the one below. I apologize for my bad English. Plugins needed: Object Align Polar Transformation 1. Start with a new canvas by 800x800px. 2. Add a new layer then draw a black horizontal line (press and hold Shift key) on entire canvas and a little in outside. In the Effect menu click on Object Align and choose Align Both. 3. Make the same thing like in the step 2, but for vertical line. Now click on Merge Layer Down button or press Ctrl+M keys. We have now a centered "crosshair" layer. 4. Add a new layer and move it down. 5. In the Colors floating window click on More>> button.Type in the Hex box: 7F0000. Click on swap Colors button and type in the Hex box: E2CD7F. Click on <<Less button. 6. In the Tools floating window click on Ellipse then draw a circle (press and hold Shift key). Click on Move Selection tool and move the circle to centered. Press G (gradient) an choose radial. 7. Left click on the center of crosshair and draw a radial shape from the center to the edge of the circle. Press Enter, Ctrl+D or Esc key to deselect. In the Effect menu click on Object Align and choose Align Both. Delete "crosshair" layer. 8. In the Effects menu click on Distort and choose Polar Inversion with following settings: You get a ring. 9. In the Effects menu click again on Distort and choose Polar Transformation with following settings: 10. In the Tools floating window click on Move Selected Pixels activate the rullers and resize to half = 400px (press and hold Shift key) and then (release Shift key) stretch it to the right. Duplicate the layer. Go to Layers menu and click on Rotate/Zoom... and rotate with 90°. 11. Now we need to cut the corners at 45°. In the Tools floating window click on Rectangle Select and draw a rectangle.Then press M key twice (Move Selection) press and hold Shift key and right click on the corner of selection and rotate in 15 degrees steps Look in to bottom of the window (Angle = 45°). Cut the selection. Select bottom layer and repeat the actions. 12. Make Background layer invisible then flatten limage (Ctrl+Shift+F). 13. Duplicate the layer, flip orizontal, cut the corner, Merge Layer Down. 14. Duplicate the layer, flip vertical, cut the corners,( both layers - Top and Bottom). 15. Merge Layer Down. You can use Adjustments>>Conditional Hue / Saturation plug in to change colours or Effects>>Color>>Metallize plug in. You can use a wood texture in another layer and set the blend mode to overlay.

I hope I put this short piece in the right place on this forum, If it isn't, let me know and I will move it...here goes! I would like to give a BIG thank you to the developers of Paint.net! (Rick Brewster) I am not a Graphics Designer but I know my stuff with whatever work I do and from time-to-time I need to do some quick designs here and there that requires quite a bit of power in terms of software. I absolutely could not understand why Graphics Softwares' (companies) have to make things so complicated by putting their options and settings all over the place and hiding it...(probably to look smart)... Why re-invent the wheel, right? Till I by mistake came across Paint.net this morning, downloaded a simple 6Meg file and I was doing everything I would normally do on a mid-level Graphics Software platform. You guys ROCK and you understand the Market (Well, I think so!) Almost like they (Big Fancy Genius Companies) develop software so that you HAVE to go on courses and go to Schools to learn the stuff.... Again, thank you guys (Rick Brewster) and you have my full support after today!!!!

You're welcome :-D

Just fooling around again, testing some new shapes I made and came up with this. I think it looks very much like a cheap plastic suncatcher from the dollar store. Please enjoy my 'Cheap Plastic Suncatcher'

Welcome to the forum! I'm glad you like the program. Be sure to check out the tutorials section of the forum for instructions on how to accomplish amazing things using paint.net. Also, check out the plugin forum to unleash the full potential of paint.net. Finally, consider supporting future development of paint.net by giving a donation.

Puff puff -whew, I made the deadline! Thanks Pixey for my-er the extension. * woodsy get better; starting now, please.

A B&W pencil sketch that I thought could use some color.

This tutorial is available as a PDF. Click here to view or download it How many times has this happened to you? You're working on your picture in your favorite image editor of all time, Paint.NET, and you think to yourself, "Man, I sure wish I could have feathered brushes like they do in Photoshop! Or that other free image editor. *cough*" Well think no more! ... Oh wait... Keep thinking about other stuff, but stop thinking about this because I'm going to show you how to fake it! You'll need to use the Clone Stamp and a few layers for everything, and there's really no way to fake fancy brush shapes (that I can think of at the moment) . But this will allow you to have soft brushes and mimic an airbrush effect! Hurray! Soft Brush/Airbrush So often requested, yet until now, we could only sit back and say 'wait until 4.0'. Now, we have the opportunity of saying 'Hey, you know what? We can have soft brushes!' Granted, Photoshop's soft brushes are much more... you know... ...but Paint.NET comes pretty darn close if you use it right! First, you'll need three layers. One that has your main image (or not), one with the color you choose, and a third for your brush. On the 'Color' layer, fill in your desired color. Take out the Clone Stamp and set your reference point on the color layer. (And hide the color layer while you're at it) Now for the interesting part: Set your primary color alpha value to something lower. The exact setting depends on your brush size and how 'soft' you want your brush to be. For the sake of example, I've shown different alpha values at the same brush size (70). To give you an idea of what you can do. If your alpha value is too low, there won't be any effect at all. Remember that. Go to the Brush Layer, line up with the reference point*, and start painting away! *If you don't line it up, or at least get it really close, you'll get less than desirable results. Especially in the next section. Blur Tool You may be thinking, "Ok, Wither. I'll admit airbrushing colors sort of works. But surely you can't fake a Blur Tool! Paint.NET just can't do it. Never!" Well, now I get to prove you wrong! I like doing that! It's fun, and it makes me feel more intelligent. Which ongoing research suggests is a good thing. We start out much the same as last time with one key difference: Instead of adding a new layer, duplicate the existing picture. Now go to the layer you're going to blur, and use Gaussian Blur at your desired setting. It's totally up to you... I swear. Go ahead and repeat the last few steps of the Color portion. Hide the blurred layer, set the reference point, lower the opacity, preheat to 450°... etc. Dodge Tool Now I'm sure you're saying in your head "That's impressive, I'll admit. But I know for sure that you can't give me a Dodge Tool." Wrong again! 😉 Let's go ahead and make our extra layers (you should be getting used to this by now). Set your primary color to hex code 8C8C8C and fill the second layer up. Ok, now unlike the last two times. We're going to change the blend mode of the Brush Layer. Change it to Color Dodge, of course. You were expecting me to say Xor, weren't you? Admit it! Here we go again! It should really be habit by now. The numbers, just like in the Color section, represent the alpha value used. Burn Tool By now you're probably saying to yourself, "I'm amazed. Paint.NET seems far less pathetic now. You showed me the wonder of the Dodge Tool. Please enlighten me further, oh wise one." Actually, if you really are saying that last part, I suggest you see a therapist... soon. >_> Well, we're almost done. You've stuck it out this far. Just a little longer, I promise! Three layers once more. Fill the middle layer with this shade of gray (hex code A5A5A5). Change the Brush Layer's blend mode to Color Burn... Yes, I know it's a shock and completely unexpected but just bare with me! Don't bail out on my crazy ideas now! You've seen me do it in an example 3 times already... You should know exactly what to do at this point. 😉 Eraser "All that other stuff is great, but we want a feathered eraser too!" the crowd shouted enthusiastically. It just so happens that you're in luck! Because it can be done... it will just take a few more steps than the other sections. You'll need the Alpha Mask plugin ([Plugin] | [Tutorial]). Faking a feathered eraser tool isn't as 'fluid' as the other mock-ups. But if you really need a feathered eraser and don't feel like turning to the alternative(s), read on. All these steps are made necessary because the clone stamp doesn't pay attention to the alpha value of the reference point. It will just ignore it entirely if it's transparent, and if it's a really low alpha color, it will simply fill in the color at full opacity. You'll have your three layers (big surprise there, eh?) Fill your middle layer with black this time. Reference point, Brush Layer, scribble, rinse, wash, repeat. Unhide the middle layer, invert colors (so it's white) and Flatten. Save this as your mask (see the tutorial for Alpha Masking above if you don't understand. Just remember it NEEDS to be a .png to work right) Undo the Flatten, hide/delete the "Black & White scribble layer", and load your alpha mask. It took a few steps and you may not ever need to use it... But now you know how to do it anyway! Smudge Tool So you're probably saying, "No way it can do a Smudge Tool. Just no way.... Right?" Well... ... yeah, actually. You're right there's no way. At least I can't think of how at the moment. >_> ...See? I'm nice, I let you guys win every once in a while. 😉 --- So there you have it! Some of the basic tools of Photoshop... Namely, soft brushes, can be mimicked in Paint.NET. Please don't hesitate to ask me to explain anything more in depth than I have here. If you're curious, I chose those shades of gray specifically for the Burn & Dodge Tools, because that's pretty close to the affect the 'real' Burn/Dodge Tools have in Photoshop CS2. (I compared the two. I'm good like that. ) Of course, you should feel free to use darker/brighter grays to adjust exactly how you want your Burn/Dodge to look.

Looks like a dragon fly @AndrewDavid . Don't know if you've seen this tutorial I made for how to use Midora's Animate Plugin - which is here.

32 vertexes later......

Thanks for showing me some new tricks

I Agree - shapes are wonderful things to play with. Add some color and you have a masterpiece to share. Thank you so much.

Thank you ladies Too much time on my hands. This app is a wonderful pastime.

I like them. They're very colorful. Also...did you use half-tones? :]

These look so cute they don't seem cheap at all

I hope he gets well. :]

Thanks for the extension, Pixey, and I wish Woodsy a speedy recovery!

Hello Everyone, I think I will extend the SOTW #164 for another week. So, it is now open for entries until: SOTW #164 - Cubism - 25th March 2017 7 pm (UK) - 3 PM EST Also I'd like to mention here that @Woodsy would like to apologize to everyone for not being able to comment on all your latest images/polls, etc; as he is laid up at the moment and is unable to work at his computer. Get well soon @Woodsy

Two bald boys facing each other. They stare at the viewer, unfazed at what's happening to them.

My bike.

I've been playing around with this piece for months trying to get it 'just right'. If I don't publish it now, I never will, so I present another stained glass technique that I think is realistic. Rippled Stained Glass: I hope everyone enjoys it!! I've followed BBQ's suggestion in post #137 and posted a revised image which really makes the butterfly 'pop'!