City Mansion

The tutorial was written with PSP 7, but should work with earlier versions. This tutorial is not difficult, but it has many, many layers. All you will need, besides PSP, is the citymansion.zip file, which has the selections and a decoration for the mansion.

The terms of use are here

NOTE: Each step which needs a new layer will use the format with the name of the new layer, and then the selection for that layer. So Whatever layer - whatever.sel, means make a new layer Whatever, and then get the whatever.sel file by going to Selections - Load from disk.

If you aren't familiar with using the Colour Pallette for patterns, there is a short explanation here

1. Open a new image, 430 x 375 pixels. Get 01chimneys.sel, name this layer Chimneys, and flood-fill with #C6B392. Then go to

Effects - Texture Effects - Texture.
Brick2.bmp - Width 25%

(You find the brick2.bmp texture by scrolling through the images in the Texture box.)

Now, on the same layer (or you can make a new layer), use the Draw Tool to draw two little chimney caps on top of the chimney. Set your foreground colour to dark gray or black. Here are the settings:



2. Front layer - 02front.sel. Flood-fill with #6B705C.

3. Optional: Brick lines layer - 03blocklines.sel. Flood-fill with black, and then lower the opacity of the layer by using the slider in the Layer Pallette, to about 12.

4. Upper Windows layer - 04upperwindows.sel. Flood-fill with the tan colour (#C6B392). Go to

Effects - 3D Effects - Inner Bevel and use the Soft Edge preset, changing the Width to 4.

To add depth, holding down the SHIFT key, click on the Magic Wand and click inside all the window panes.



Then go to Selections - Modify - Expand 2 pixels
Selections - Invert
Effects - 3D Effects - Drop Shadow
V & H 3, Opacity 100, Blur 10, Colour Black.

5. Lower Windows layer - 05lowerwindows.sel. Flood-fill with the tan and repeat the Inner Bevel. Also repeat the directions for adding depth.

6. Small Windows layer - 06smallwindows.sel. Flood-fill with tan and repeat the Inner Bevel and the directions for adding depth.

7. Door layer - 07door.sel. Flood-fill with a dark wood pattern. (I used Finished Wood with an Angle of 90^o.)

8. Inner Door Frame layer - 08doorframeinner.sel. Flood-fill with tan. Deselect (CTRL-D). Then, using the Magic Wand , hold down the SHIFT key and click inside each opening in the door frame.



Then go to Selections - Invert
Effects - 3D Effects - Drop Shadow with these settings:
V & H 3, Opacity 100, Blur 10, Colour black.

9. Door Frame layer - 09doorframe.sel. Flood-fill with tan and use the same Inner Bevel as before. On the same layer, get 10shadowdoorframe.sel (it is already inverted) and add the same Drop Shadow.

10. Foyer Drop Shadow - 11foyerdrop.sel. Use the Drop Shadow again, changing the Blur to 20.

11. Lower Stones layer - 12lowerstones.sel. Flood-fill with the tan colour.

12. Upper Stones layer - 13upperstones.sel. Flood-fill with tan.

13. Bands layer - 14bands.sel. Flood-fill with tan.

Now, you could place the deco on the upper middle window frame under the band. Make a new layer and open the deco.psp file by clicking on it. Copy (CTRL-C) and then click on your mansion image and paste (CTRL-E) into place. You can copy again (CTRL-E) and place the deco over the door, too.


14. Ledges layer - 15ledges.sel. Flood-fill with tan. Go to

Effects - 3D Effects - Drop Shadow
V 3, H 0, Opacity 100, Blur 10, Colour black.

15. Mansard layer - 16mansard.sel. Flood-fill with #808080. Then go to

Effects - Texture Effects - Texture
Squares.bmp - Change Width to 25 Repeat, changing the Angle to 68.

16. Top Windows layer - 17topwindows.sel. Flood-fill with the tan. With the Magic Wand, click anywhere outside the windows and then go to Selections - Invert. Now, apply the same Drop Shadow as before, changing the V to 0, and H to 3.

You can also use the Magic Wand and add depth as in Step 4.

17. Foundation layer - 18foundation.sel. Flood-fill with tan. Go to

Effects - Texture Effects - Texture
Bricks2.bmp - Width 50

18. Porch Foundation layer - 19porchfoundation.sel. Flood-fill with tan and apply the Texture Effect again. Then apply the same Drop Shadow as last time.

19. Arched Window layer - 20archedwindows.sel. Flood-fill with tan. Apply the Inner Bevel with the preset Frame. Then go to

Colors - Adjust - Brightness/Contrast
Brightness minus 30, Contrast 0.

With the Magic Wand, holding down the SHIFT key, click inside each window. Go to Selections - Modify - Expand 1 pixel, and flood-fill with medium gray (#404040).

20. Porch Floor layer - 21porchfloor.sel. Flood-fill with tan.

21. Mansard Drop Shadow - 22mansarddropshadow.sel. Apply the following Drop Shadow:


V & H 3, Opacity 100, Blur 30, Colour black.

22. Mansard Trim - 23mansardtrim.sel. Flood-fill with tan.

23. Upstairs Drop Shadow layer - 24upstairsdropshadow.sel. Apply the same Drop Shadow as you did for the Mansard Drop Shadow, changing the blur to 25.

24. Upper Porch Spindles layer - 25upperporchspindles.sel. Flood-fill with tan. Apply the following Drop Shadow:

V 0, H 2, Opacity 60, Blur 2, Colour black

25. Upper Porch Rail - 26upperporchrail.sel. Flood-fill with tan.

26. Supports layer - 27supports.sel. Flood-fill with #A2885E. Go to

Effects - 3D Effects - Drop Shadow
V 0, H 3, Opacity 65, Blur 2
Apply again, changing H to minus 3.

27. Eyebrows & Triangle layer - 28eyebrowtriangle.sel. Flood-fill with the original tan (#C6B392). Then go to Selections - Modify - Contract - 3 pixels. Flood-fill with dark gray - #404040.

28. Porch Spindles - 29porchspindles.sel. Flood-fill with the tan, and then add a Drop Shadow with the following settings:

V 0, H 3, Opacity 60, Blur 2, Colour black.

29. Porch Railings layer - 30porchrailings.sel. Flood-fill with tan. Go to Effects - 3D Effects - Inner Bevel and use the preset Round, changing the Smoothness to 48.

30. Block Decoration layer - 31blockdecoration.sel. Flood-fill with tan. Use the Inner Bevel preset Round again and change the Smoothness to 81 and the Ambience to minus 17.

31. Upper Blocks layer - 32upperblocks. Flood-fill with tan and apply the Inner Bevel preset Soft Edge, changing the Ambience to minus 33.

32. Porch Blocks layer - 33porchblocks. Flood-fill with tan and apply the same Inner Bevel.

33. Roof layer - 34roofsel. Flood-fill with black or dark gray.

Inside the Windows
Make a new layer, and then go to

Layers - Arrange - Send to Bottom

Use the Selection Tool to draw a rectangle around the window you're working with. You can then flood-fill with gray, or a colour, or gradient. You can draw a rectangle around more than one window and flood-fill, too.

If you want to do the upper panes in one colour and the lower in another, then go to the layer where your window is, click with the Magic Wand inside the panes you want to select, and then go to Selections - Modify - Expand 2 pixels. Then go back to the Bottom layer and fill in any way you want--with a colour or pattern, or use the Blinds Effect (Effects - Texture Effects - Blinds).

Congratulations! This has been a long tutorial, and I hope you enjoy your mansion.


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