Beach Day Mermaid

For this tutorial you will need the following:

Paint Shop Pro, I am using PSP X, you should be able to use any version.

Tube of choice, I am using the artwork of Ismael Rac which you need a license to use. You can get it at his store here.

Scrap kit of choice. I am using Day At The Beach by Farrah's Designer Scraps.

Font of choice, I am using

Mask: Becky Mask023, she isn't online anymore, and I have supplied the mask here.

Plugins: No outside plugins used.

Just remember that my choices of papers and elements is just a suggestion, change it up and make it yours! You don't have to follow mine exactly.

Let's get started!

Drop shadow throughout is 1, 1, 50, 5 unless otherwise noted.

Open a new image 650 x 650 white.

Open frame 1, copy and paste as a new layer, resize by 35%.

Take your magic wand and click inside all the little areas between the sticks, and in the big middle part, selections, modify, expand by 5.

Open paper 3, copy and paste as a new layer, resize by 35% three times, selections invert, click delete on your keyboard. Deselect and drag it below your frame layer.

Open the ships element copy and paste as a new layer, resize by 20% then by 40%, add a drop shadow, I used 2, 1, 70, 5. Move the ships over near the top left side of the frame so it looks like they're floating in the water.

Duplicate the ships, mirror and drag down a little lower in the water and to the right.

Open the bottle element, copy and paste as a new layer, resize by 20% then again by 30% add drop shadow move near bottom left side of frame.

Open your tube, copy and paste to the right side of your frame. If you are using the same tube as me, mirror it and then resize by 65% add a drop shadow.

Open paper 6, copy and paste as a new layer, resize by 20% then by 75%, drag below your frame layer.

Take your selection tool set on rectangle, make sure you are on your paper layer, Takeand select the top 2/3 of the paper, so that it's just a little bit above where the stick goes across the bottom of the frame. Click delete on your keyboard.

Take your eraser tool set on round, hardness at 8, step 1, density at 100, thickness 100, rotation 0, opacity 100. Run your eraser around the edges of the sand to make it look wavy/irregular around the edges. When you get something you're happy with, drop the opacity down to about 60.

Open the chest, resize by 25% then by 60%. Move to the bottom left of the frame, add drop shadow.

Do the same with the barrel.

Open the glitter, copy and paste as a new layer, reize twice by 45%, drag down below your tube, on the sand, duplicate and mirror.

Open the fish charm, resize by 20%, then by 60%, arrange on the top left side of frame.

Open the lantern, resize by 15%, copy and paste as a new layer, arrange on the bottom left side with the chest and barrel, add drop shadow.

Open flower 2 element, copy and paste as a new layer, resize by 25%, arrange on top left side of frame, drag below fish charm layer

Add the pearls element, resize by 15 then by 80% drag it below the lantern but on top of the chest on the left side.

Open some of the shells, resize as necessary and arrange around the tube.

Open paper 8, copy and paste as a new layer, resize by 25%, drag it just above the background layer, open the mask, apply mask by going to layers, new mask layer, from image, find the mask in the drop down box and click ok. Delete the mask and merge group. Duplicate and merge again.

Add your name, copyright and other credits as needed.