This Electric Type effect can be created in almost any version of PhotoPaint:
the steps used are the same for all versions except for minor changes in
menu command names.
The effect result from the combined use of several masks and so the tutorial
shows users how can combine masks using mask modes.
Create a new document with a white background, then create some fancy text
using your favourite font in a dark colour;
use of a large font size is recommended, but the actual font and size are
not important: black and dark greys may be the best here;
use a 3D effect on the text (Plastic texture, The boss, Glass,...) |
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Create the Electric mask:
the effect relies on a mask, created by substracting one mask from another;
therefore the mask must be stored temporarily as Channels;
the initial mask is created over the entire image using Paint on Mask (POM)
Mode;
Switch to Paint on Mask Mode (CTRL+K);
fill the entire area with 100% black (use fill tool, the buket, or Edit/Fill);
applied a Stained Glass effect (Effects/Creative/Stained Glass) using the
setting: Size = 15, Light Intensity = 2, Solder Width = 3, Solder Color
= white, 3D Lighting = Off;
press OK, your image should look like the one below (left);
note: for thinner text, use a smaller size value in the Stained Glass Effect;
toggle POM mode off;
you can visualize the mask better by viewing it in Mask Overlay Mode if
you wish;
save this mask as a channel called 'full mesh' (Mask/Save/Save as Channel);
once saved, removed this mask (CTRL+SHIFT+R);
select the text object and create a mask from it (CTRL+M); |
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expand the text mask by 2 pixels (Mask/Shape/Expand);
invert this mask (CTRL+SHIFT+I), this is important;
then save this mask as a channel called 'cutter';
this mask will
be used to cut the correct shape from the full mesh mask;
remove this inverted text mask;
then load the 'full mesh' mask (Mask/Load/full mesh);
(at this point, turn on the Mask Overlay so you can see more clearly what
happen next!)
select any Mask Tool from the Toolbox to display the Mask Tools Property
bar;
change the mask mode to Subtractive;
now load the cutter mask (the cutter mask in subtractive mode will remove
all parts of the full mesh mask that are outside the 2 pixel expansion area
of the original text mask);
now save this mask as a channel called 'base';
we need to access this mask several times in the following steps. |
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Create the Electric text effect:
the 'base' mask should be loaded;
if not, load this mask: make sure you are in either Normal or Additive mask
mode first or else the mask will be loaded inverted if the mode is still
subtractive! (if mask does load inverted, then simply invert it again);
create three new objects (use the icon on the Object Docker, at bottom);
the text object should be directly below the three new objects; then, starting
from the topmost of the new objects, rename them 'inner', 'middle', 'outer';
these will be our 'electric' object;
select the inner object:
change the Fill colour to white, then use Edit/Fill to fill this object
with white; |
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select the middle object:
Feather the mask outside by 4 pixels;
change the Fill colour to 0, 165, 254 (RGB), then use Edit/Fill to fill
the middle object with this colour;
select the outer object:
Feather the mask again, but this time outward by 8 pixels;
change the Fill colour to 0, 0, 154 (RGB), then use Edit/Fill to fill the
outer object with this colour;
remove the mask to reach the image below (right) |
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using the Object Docker and your SHIFT or CTRL key, select all three electric
objects;
then right click on the selected object's names and combine them together
(Combine/Combine Objects together or CRTL+ALT+DnArrow);
a single new combned object will replace the previous three; add a ripple
effect (Effects/Distort/Ripple): it is probably best to use a low Period
value and a very low Amplitude and NO perpendicular value, change the angle
if you wish and check Distort Ripple for a jagged effect if you wish (not
done here); press OK when you are satisfied with your distortion. |
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You can apply a Light Displacement Effect to make the electric more jagged
if you wish;
also: the effect can be made more striking with the addition of:
a brick wall textured object at the background level,
a fencing Texture fill below the text object,
the use of spraytool (Lamp) on objects above and below the text object. |
| >from a tutorial by David Mutch (http://www.visionary-voyager.com.au/corel/photopaint) |
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