Can't have Christmas without lights can you ? So here's my tut on how to make pixel Christmas lights !

This page is graphic intense because of the big screenshots, please give it time to load :)

Fire up your PSP, this tutorial can be done in all versions of PSP.

Remember to save often !

Open a new image 170 x 53. Set your paintbrush to : Shape = square, Size = 1, Hardness-Opacity-Density = 100, Step =25. Outline color = #000000.

Important uncheck your anti-alias !!

Screenshot 1

Screenshot 2

Screenshot 3

Save your work !

If you want to animate the bulbs make a copy of your outline layer so you'll be able to change the colors. Hide this layer.

Let's give the bulbs some color. Select the inner of your first bulb with your magic wand and floodfill it with #E89898, go to selections invert your selection and add a drop shadow : shadowcolor #C00000 - Offset V = 2 & H = -2, Opacity = 65 - Blur = 7. Deselect.

Second bulb : Select the inner of your first bulb with your magic wand and floodfill it with #FBFBD3, go to selections invert your selection and add a drop shadow : shadowcolor #FFFF00 - Offset V = -2 & H = 2, Opacity = 65 - Blur = 7. Deselect.

3rd bulb : Select the inner of your first bulb with your magic wand and floodfill it with #C0FFC0, go to selections invert your selection and add a drop shadow : shadowcolor #008000 - Offset V = 2 & H = -2, Opacity = 65 - Blur = 7. Deselect.

4th bulb : select the inner of your first bulb with your magic wand and floodfill it with #E89898, go to selections invert your selection and add a drop shadow : shadowcolor #C00000 - Offset V = -2 & H = 2, Opacity = 65 - Blur = 7. Deselect.

5th bulb : Select the inner of your first bulb with your magic wand and floodfill it with #C7F1F5, go to selections invert your selection and add a drop shadow : shadowcolor #000080 - Offset V = 2 & H = -2, Opacity = 65 - Blur = 7. Deselect.

Save your work !

Now for the sockets. Select one or all (hold down your shift key when you are selecting them all). Floodfill it with #F1D75F, invert your selection and apply a dropshadow : shadowcolor #957C07 - Offset V = -1& H = 1, Opacity = 50 - Blur = 4. Deselect.

Finished !

I hope you enjoyed doing this tutorial :)

Anita