Crank Phone Tutorial

These crank phones were great fun--especially long distance. You cranked up, spoke to the operator and told her where you were calling. Then the operator would call the next point and you'd hear that operator and her town, and then she'd call the next point--it was like a geography lesson, with no test!

This image was made with PSP 8, but can be done with earlier versions. All you will need is the Crank Phone file, a metallic gradient (you can find some nice ones here, and a wood texture. You can use the one below by right-clicking and saving.



The terms of use are here

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

There is a short tutorial for the Materials Pallette in PSP 8 here.

How to Get The Alpha Selections
Selections - Load/Save Selections - Load Selection from Alpha Channel
Click on the selection you want and then on Load



1. Crank - Flood-fill with #202020. Then go to:

Effects - 3D Effects - Inner Bevel - Round preset.

2. Back - Flood-fill with the wood fill, Angle 90, Scale 100.

Selections - Modify - Contract 3 pixels
Selections - Invert
Click on the Magic Wand and then click on the very outside rim



Effects - 3D Effects - Inner Bevel - Pillow Preset

3. Side - Flood-fill with the wood pattern and then go to:

Adjust - Brightness and Contrast - Brightness/Contrast
Brightness - minus 15, Contrast 0.

4. Front - Flood-fill with the wood pattern and follow the directions for the Back in Step 2.

5. Panel - Flood-fill and follow the directions for the Back, again. (If you temporarily turn off the Back and Front layers by clicking on the eye in the Layer Pallette, it is easier to see what you're doing.)

6. Bell - Flood-fill with a metallic gradient.

Effects - 3D Effects - Inner Bevel - Round preset.

7. Set your Foreground colour to black. Then click on the Paintbrush Tool or Press B, and use the following settings in the Tool Ribbon:

Shape Round, Size 6, Hardness 100, Density & Thickness 100, Rotation 0, Opacity 100.

Now, click once in the centre of the bell. It's o.k. if it's not exactly centred, since the phone is at an angle. Then go to

Layers - Duplicate

8. With the Mover Tool , move the duplicated bell over to the right.

9. Shelf Side - Flood-fill and go to:

Adjust - Brightness and Contrast - Brightness/Contrast
Brightness - minus 20, Contrast 0.

10. Shelf - Flood-fill, changing the Angle to 50.

11. Ear Piece - Flood-fill with #202020 and then apply an Inner Bevel, Round preset, changing the Width to 8.

12. Holder - Flood-fill with #C0C0C0 and apply an Inner Bevel, Metallic preset.

13. Metal Piece - Flood-fill with #202020. Apply an Inner Bevel, Groove preset.

14. Shank - Flood-fill with the same colour, and apply an Inner Bevel, Round preset, changing the Width to 6.

15. Mouth Piece - Set the Foreground colour to black, and make the Background colour #808080. Then, using the Materials Pallette (Colour Pallette in PSP 7), use the Foreground-Background gradient to Flood-fill.

Apply an Inner Bevel, Frame preset.

16. Wire - Make your Foreground Colour #202020. (If you're using PSP 7, turn off the background colour.) Then click on the Pen Tool , and use these settings in the Tool Ribbon:



Then click on the tiny arrow off to the right of the ribbon and use these settings:



Now, draw the wire from the box to the Ear Phone, as in the picture, and you're all done!

Congratulations! I hope you like your old-time phone.


If you have any questions or comments, our email address is here

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