Santa Claus Tutorial

This is my very first tutorial, if you find anything that isn't right, please let me know.

Created with Ulead Photo Impact.

PI Version- I am using version12, I am certain it can be done in earlier versions, from PIXL on up to PI12.

Skill Level: Intermediate

Author: Jane Davidson

Web Site: Jane's Haven

Email

Tools Needed- Path drawing tools, paint brush, blur, burn,  airbrush, edit tools, dodge

Your will need these fur presets download them HERE

Don't forget to save your work often.

Open new image, white background or what ever color you prefer.
450x523

Head

Step 1

Path drawing tool, elipse, draw a 2d ellipse, size:43X71, color #FFA2A2, or color of your choice. Go into edit mode, edit to this shape,add nodes, see example at left. Set aside.We are going to make the eyes.

Eyes

Step 2

Path drawing tool, ellipse, 2D, color white, draw a small ellipse, approximately 13x6, go into path edit mode, zoom in 300% or more, see example at left, my finished size is 13X6. The eye you see while in edit mode is larger then actual size. When you have the eye finished. click on the paint brush, set at, size 1, soft edge 1, color black and paint on edges, POE. Blur the edges of this shape. With these settings.

Now to make the rest of the eye's.

Path drawing tool, ellipse, 2d color blue #0000FF or color of your choice, draw an ellipse size 5Wx6H, draw another, color black 3D, width and border, set as high as it will go, size of the circle, 3x4, zoom in if you need.  Open Material options and make sure you have two lights first one direct, second light spot, use your mouse to position the lights as shown. Assemble the three parts of the eye as shown left,   duplicate all three parts, you can group them so that they are easier to work with, notice on the right eye I have positioned the blue and black parts, slightly to the left, Move the eyes aside for now.

Santa's Mouth.

Step 3

Path drawing tool ellipse, 2D, color #EE3535, or choose your own color, draw an ellipse size, 19WX11H, go into path edit, see the example at left. Draw another ellipse, color black, 2D, size, a little smaller than the first one for the mouth. Change to edit mode and edit the shape like the one on the left. Remember those shapes are zoomed. Now take the first mouth part and click on the paint brush, with the setting at left.

I have also displayed the actual size.

The image at left is what we have so far.

Saving????

Step 4

Shading the face.

First you must right click and convert the face to an image. We are going to use the burn tool with these settings, see left. We must use some shading to show up Santa's nose. You can use the original image at left, take it into PI , put it under your face and go to properties and set the transparency a lower %, so you can see the image under it to trace the shading. Use the blur tool with these settings:

NOTE "The illustrations of the burn and blur may look different. depends on which version of PI your using."

NOTE: "If you position the eyes on the face it will help with the shading.

Blur the line you just burned, tap it so that it blends, not too much or it will disappear.

Use the dodge tool on the forehead, not too much, one or two passes, lightly. Again use the blur, the same setting to blend.

Reduce the size of the dodge tool to size 10 on the nose, between the eyes down to the end of the nose. Grab the burn tool again with these setting: size 5, soft edge:50, Level: 57, to shade the left side of the nose, blur again, very lightly. Burn tool, change to size to 15, to rosy his cheeks and on each side of his chin.

Yours may look different, we all have a different style, if it looks right to you go with it. Feel free to change anything you like.

Step 5

Santa's Hat.

Grab your path drawing tool ellipse, color white, 2D, make your ellipse size 86X32, go to edit mode and make the shape you see on the left. Use the preset you downloaded at the top, when you have the hat band finished.

The top part of his hat.

Draw an ellipse size: 107x29 or there abouts, color:#E50900, 2D. Path edit and edit the shape as shown on left. Right click convert to image, use the burn tool again with these settings: size 7, soft edge 82, level: 100, to shade in some lines, like in the picture.

We are going to paint on edges, paint brush color:#9E0B09 size: 10, transparency: 0, soft edge: 100, effect, creative and paint on edges. We need to blur all that with these settings,

size 20, softness 50, level 5. You should have something similar to the image at the left.

Send this piece behind the band.

Draw another ellipse 29X26 for the ball on his hat. We don't want it perfectly round, I added some nodes and edit it to the shape you see. Then I used the white fur preset on the fur ball. Hat completed.

Step 6

Eye brow, moustache, and beard. Using the path tool, ellipse, size:approximately:14X5,  go to path edit mode until you get the shape like in the example. Do two more for the moustache, color white, 2D. Of course you have to go into edit mode. The first image you see is actual size the other one is 200% zoom . Apply the eyebrow preset to all of these.

The Beard. Path drawing tool ellipse, 2D, color, white, size:86X106, go into edit mode and edit like the image at left.  it doesn't have to be exactly like mine. The bottom image is zoomed 200%. Fill it with the santa beard preset. Right click and bring the hat band forward, The beard should be behind the hatband at the top.

Put them together like the example.

Note: "Feel free to change to beard any way you please".