BONSAI TREE

Software: Ulead PhotoImpact 6

Skill Level:  Beginner, Intermediate

Featured Tools:
Path Drawing Tool, Resize Tool,
Bezier/Polygon Tool

Additional Tools:
Spruce Stamp.

Note:  Create a beautiful bonsai tree using the paint on edges technique.

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Open a new image 360 x 360 pixels.

Making The Stand

Click on the Path Drawing Tool, choose the shape Triangle, 2D object.  Make a triangle. Click on the transform tool and resize it down to look like this.

While it's active, change the mode to 3D round. Click on light and place your mouse over the lower right hand edge of the triangle to get the rounded effect.

To make the sides, with the Path Drawing Tool choose Rectangle. Use the transform tool, Slant. Place your mouse over the upper right corner of the rectangle and move upwards until its top is parallel to the bottom of the triangle.  Click on Resize and size it as shown here.  You have the right side of your stand made.

To make the left side of the stand, right click on the right side of the stand, duplicate, edit, rotate & flip, flip vertically.

Arrange your sides to the top of your stand. Right click and select all, Group. Here is your stand. You can add legs to it by making three 3D round circles with Copper 1 from the Material Gallery, Metallic. After arranging them to the lower three corners, right click, arrange, send to back. I also used Light to change the effect of the lighting.

You can dress your stand up with dingbats if you like.

When you're satisfied with your stand, hit the space bar to deselect anything active. Right click, select all objects, right click and group. Move the stand to the bottom of your work area as we're now going to make the bonsai tree.

Bonsai Tree

Click on the Path Drawing Tool.  Choose the Bezier/Polygon Shape and make a shape similar to the one shown here. This will give the tree and gnarled look.

When you make your shape and are finished, double click your mouse to bring it into the path drawing mode. For color chose Natural Texture Fill, Rock 1 and put it in 3D Mode. This is your trunk for your bonsai tree. You can play with the border and depth and Light to get the effect you want.

At this point right click and select all objects and group. Drag this to the bottom of your work area as now we're going to work on the leaves for the tree.

Leaves

Click on the Path Drawing Tool, Line Arrow Tool. Set it at Width: 1, Style: the last on the drop down menu, Arrow: the first on the drop down menu.  Start drawing lines where you think you'd like your leaves to go. I am using the color Natural Fill, Rock 1 so as to blend in with the tree.

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Now it's time to add your leaves.

The leaves used here are from Paint Shop Pro's spruce.tub.   I've provided my own spruce stamp if you don't have this tube.  You'll have to import this stamp into your stamps folder.  If you don't know how to add stamps, Ginger Bauer has a tutorial on how to do this here.

The spruce stamp is done using Ginger Bauer's Paint On Edges Technique.   Thank you Ginger

Right click and select all objects. While holding down the control key, click on your tree and base stand to deselect it. Click on your stamps tool and choose the spruce stamp. Scale: 25, Spacing:25, Order: Random, Placement: Trail, Object: Single Object and Lines: Freehand. Go to Effects and Paint on Edges. Click on the space bar to deselect.

Now some of the lines that were drawn for the leaves may show. You can select these individually and delete them.

You can also individually stamp more leaves on if you want to add on and change the shape of the trees leaves.  Some of my top leaves are "cut off" as the stamps went beyond the canvas.  I expanded the top and added a few leaves here  and I added a few for the final touches

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial.

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