tufted titmouse in pine tree above holly

Tufted Titmouse PSP7-8

This bird is a mix of the two color forms of the tufted titmouse in my area. One is the traditional gray back, white or buff lower body with a black mark between the eyes. Other bird has a black crest, and various shades of gray on its body. You will use my canvas and colors to create a finished bird for your personal use. Tools used include lighten, darken, fill, and possibly the smudge tool.

Sources

You will need my canvas and colors files available here.

PSP7 users please note that the Lighten/Darken settings are found in the Retouch tool options. You may wish to use the soften setting to give your finished image a look more like the PSP8 finished image.

Keep in mind that your results will vary every time you try using the lighten, darken, smudge and soften tools.

Remember to save often!

Why you won't see any specific Lighten/Darken settings.

The more you repeatedly go over an area with either brush, the darker it gets with darkening and lighter it gets with lightening. If we pretend I give you the exact settings I used, you still won't get the exact same results I got *that* particular time. I get very different results with the same settings on the same day. I suspect those of you uncomfortable with this tool and other similar tools do not trust your own eyes. You will need to trust your own artistic judgement. Once I learned to do that myself, my own retouch tool group work improved to my own eyes. I will give you rough settings: hardness and density less than 50.

You will need to open the canvas file and the color swatch file in whichever version of PSP you will be using.

Make sure you are on the 01 layer. Load the matching selection from alpha channel. Flood with the almost black color. Use the Lighten tool to apply highlights to beak and legs. Smudge if needed. Selections->Select none.
Make sure you are on the 02 layer. Load the matching selection from alpha channel. Flood with the pinkish color. Use the Lighten tool to apply highlights and the darken tool for some depth. Smudge if needed. Selections->Select none.
Make sure you are on the 03 layer. Load the matching selection from alpha channel. Flood with the off white color. Use the Lighten tool to apply highlights and the darken tool for some depth. Smudge if needed. Selections->Select none.
Make sure you are on the 04 layer. Load the matching selection from alpha channel. Flood with the same off white color. Use the Lighten tool to apply highlights and the darken tool for some depth. Smudge if needed. Selections->Select none.
Make sure you are on the 05 layer. Load the matching selection from alpha channel. Flood with the darker gray color. Use the Lighten tool to apply highlights and the darken tool for some depth. Smudge if needed. Selections->Select none.
Make sure you are on the 06 layer. Load the matching selection from alpha channel. Flood with the lighter gray color. Use the Lighten tool to apply highlights and the darken tool for some depth. Smudge if needed. Selections->Select none.
Make sure you are on the 07 layer. Load the matching selection from alpha channel. Flood with the almost black color. Use the Lighten tool to apply highlights and the darken tool for some depth. Smudge if needed. Selections->Select none.
Check over your image, this is your last chance before merging visible. Merge visible.
Click on the eye layer and reveal the eye.
Merge visible and save.

PSP7 tool icons are from MaMaT's icon tubes.

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