1. Open a new image 300 x 300 and flood fill with a colour if desired. Once again, I find it best to make this as close to the final size you want but for demonstration purposes have made it big.
2. Add a new raster layer and name it "post". With your preset shapes tool, draw a rectangle in a colour of your choice, as shown. I am using white:
3. Layers--->Duplicate. Go to your duplicate layer and rename it to "post side". Adjust--->Brightness and Contrast--->Brightness/Contrast. Enter -15 for Brightness, 0 for Contrast (or whatever settings you prefer). Move the duplicate over so that it's left side touches the original's right side.
4. Click on your Deform tool. Hold down the Ctrl key while you drag the bottom right node up with your mouse and then push the middle right node in, as shown:
Click on any other tool to apply the deformation.
5. Add a new raster layer and name it "top front". Draw a rectangle across the front. For demonstration purposes, I am using a different colour but for my final image I will use white.
Click on the deformation tool and hold down your Ctrl key while pushing in on the bottom right node, as shown:
Push in until the bottom corners line up with the top corners of the post (not the side post). Once again, click off the deformation tool to apply. You may need to move the piece down a bit to sit on top of the post.
6. Add a new raster layer and name it "top side". Once again, I am using a contrasting colour to make it easier for you to see, but in my final image, it will be white. Click on your pen tool and use the following settings:
Zoom in a couple times. Click on the top right corner of the post side and then hold down your Shift key and draw a line as shown (holding down Shift will keep it straight and even)
Now, using the same technique, draw a second line:
7. Draw a line on the bottom and one on the left to complete the shape. You will not be able to use the trick with the shift key for this one as it won't go in the direction we want. But it doesn't matter as much as it's the top and right side that it was really useful for.
8. With your magic wand, click inside and flood fill with your colour. Fill in any gaps with the paint brush. I zoomed in a couple more times to do this. Take your eraser tool and erase the parts of the lines going over.
Adjust the brightness by about -20. Here's how the post looks in all-white (before I adjusted the brightness - oops!):
9. Turn off your background layer and merge visible the rest. Turn the background
layer back on. Add a new raster layer. With the shapes tool, draw a circle on
top of the post. You draw a circle by using the ellipse shape and holding down
your shift key as you draw the shape. You don't need to draw it exactly centred
over the post, as you can use the mover tool to put it in place.
10. Effects--->3D Effects--->Inner Bevel. Use the Round preset but change the Depth to 1 and the Elevation to 30. With your mouse, drag this layer to below the other post layers. It should be just above the background layer. Adjust the ball's placement with the mover tool.
11. Add a new raster layer. With the pen tool, draw a line 1 pixel wide where the top front meets the post. In the example below, I have drawn it in red so you can see. I have also zoomed in.
Adjust the brightness by -20 and reduce the opacity of the layer to around 30
depending on your personal taste.
Delete the background layer and merge visible the rest. Export as picture tube or save the image and copy and paste into your images.
To learn how to put the fence together in a scene, please continue to Page Three
Tutorial and images © Margaret M. aka MsRosie of Rosie's Graphics 2000-2004 and may not be copied or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Please see my terms of use page. If you have any problems or questions regarding the tutorial, please email me.