Image Hose Creation Tutorial

Create a new file. File New

I am working with 500 x 500 pixel images, which is a nice size to draw on. Painter will calculate the size of the file floater file, so it doesn't matter too much what you choose.

I use a black paper color because I like it, but I also think that it works better for creating image hose floaters because any extra pixels showing on edges are not so obvious.

Creating the Stone

In this case, I use the oval selection tool in the toolbox,

click in my new image, and drag to select,

and choose Select Float.

Now, here’s the fun, creative part. Remember, you can do your own thing

- a little chalk
- some more chalk
- the Liquid Brush, distorto variation,
- the Special f/x brushset, the thin mohair variant (sorry, I just realized that the thin mohair variant is one that I created. But you get the idea. Use a thin white chalk instead.)
- Effects, KPT 3.0, glass lens.

If you don't have Kai's Power Tools, use Effects, Surface Control, Apply Surface Texture. In the "using" box, select floater mask, ramp up the soften slider until you get an effect that you like.

-Bingo. Nauseatingly easy, isn’t it?

- So, time to duplicate! Make sure that you have the Objects Palatte open, Window, Show Objects, and click on the floaters button so that you can see the floaters.

Now, make some variations. Select your floater, (click on the floater in the floater list,) copy your floater, and paste it.

Now, vary it, paste another, vary it, etc. until you have a nice selection. Here I used the F/X brushes, with the fire, glow variations. (I decided that I wasn't happy with the blue/yellow combination).

At this point, you could also resize or rotate the floaters for added variety in the final hose.

Your light source should be reasonably consistent. If you rotate the floaters into positions where the highlights are no longer consistent, use Effects, Surface Control, Apply Lighting, and add a new lighting effect.

Now, to add dimensionality in the final hosed output, you need a drop shadow. You don't have to use a drop shadow, but if you intend the final hosed images to have dimensionality, a drop shadow enhances the effect greatly.

And, unless you have the drop shadow effect memorized, you are going to need to see what you are doing.

Copy one floater and create a new document with a white background. Paste your floater, then experiment with the drop shadow. Effects, Objects, Create Drop Shadow.

When you are satisfied with the effect, go back to your original document. Add a drop shadow to all the floaters in turn (the values that you used will stick until you change them again, or you restart Painter). Check the collapse to one layer box if you have no further editing to do.

All right! Now we are going to create the image hose file!

- Select all of the floaters, either by holding down Shift, and click on each one in turn in the floater list, or by selecting the floater pull down menu on the Objects palette, and choosing select all. Now, group your floaters by clicking on the group button in the Objects palette.

Now, go to the Nozzle pull down menu, which is on BOTH the Brushes palette and the Brush Controls: Nozzle palette, (it's the same menu, doesn't matter which one you use), and select, (drum roll please), make nozzle from group.

You will see that a new file has been created. All of your images are tidily organized in a grid pattern. Save that file. (I usually name it something that indicates it is an image hose, i.e. "lava stones nozzle.rif")

This is your image hose!!! That's it. You did it.

Now to actually USE that puppy.

- To actually hose with this file, you will need to load it. Select the nozzle pulldown (remember where it is by now? Both the Nozzles palette and the Brushes palette.) Select Load Nozzle.

- Navigate, if necessary, to where you saved the file. Select it and click on the open button. Ta-da. Nothing has apparently happened.

- That's ok. The image is loaded as a hose anyway. Now, you can select the Image Hose brush and hose with it right now, or you can add it to your nozzle library so that you can modify the settings with the sliders in the nozzle palette, and so that it is ready to go next time. Important note: if you don't add the nozzle to the nozzle library, you will have to reload it every time you want to use it.

To add your nozzle to the nozzle library, select Add Nozzle to Library from the Nozzle pulldown menu. You will be asked to name your nozzle, and I usually go with the file name, without the .rif.

- And there it is, a permanent part of the nozzle library. (Well, not completely permanent. You can remove it, but let's not worry about that now.)

So, now you know everything you need to know about making a single-rank nozzle.

Some cool ideas for hoses: flowers, fruit, vegetables, moths, butterflies and other insects, shrubbery, coins, stones, pebbles, seashells, nuts n bolts, nails and screws, bricks, alien artifacts, body parts.

Go crazy. Have fun. Show me your samples.

Things to try:

Change the opacity of the nozzle. Use the controls palette.

Adjust the size of the individual hosed images with the scale slider, and try the rank 1 slider to adjust the order, (or the variable that controls the order,) that the images are laid down. (This is a single-rank hose, so rank 2 and 3 sliders do not do anything.