VDC Example

Valentine’s Day card

INTRODUCTION

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and soon enough, you’ll have to find the perfect present for your loved one. If you’re having trouble finding a gift, you can try using Pixelmator to cook up something nice. Create a unique Valentine’s Day card.

The Gradient Tool, shape tools, effects and other features of Pixelmator are used in this tutorial.

RESOURCES

PXM File

STEP 1

Open Pixelmator and create a new document. The image size used in this tutorial is 1000 by 600 pixels. Start by filling the “Background Layer” with a radial gradient. Choose the Gradient Tool and open the Gradients palette (View > Show Gradients). Then, double-click the first gradient from the left on the third row and choose Radial as Gradient Type. Finally, fill the layer with the gradient just like in the example below.

STEP 2

Now, make the background lighter and add some grain. First, create a new layer and name it “Noise.” Then, choose the Paint Bucket Tool and fill the layer with white.

Next, choose the Stylize group in the Effects Browser (View > Show Effects) and double-click the Noise thumbnail. Set Amount to 2% and click OK. Finally, reduce the “Noise” layer’s Opacity to 90%.

STEP 3

Start drawing the heart. First, make the gridlines visible by choosing View > Show Grid. Then, select the Ellipse Shape Tool and choose Add to Shape in the Tool Options bar. Draw two red (color code #941100) circles alongside each other, just like in the example below.

STEP 4

Now, select Ellipse Shape Tool and draw a red rectangle. Make sure that the rectangle is selected and choose Edit > Transform. Rotate the shape by 45º and make its width the same as the two circles’.

STEP 5

You can now hide the gridlines (View > Hide Grid). Control-click the rectangular shape and choose Make Editable. Smooth the points at the sides and the top of the shape by double-clicking them. Then, select the topmost point and move it downward until the shape resembles a heart. Use the image below as a reference.

STEP 6

Now select all the shapes in the “Shape” layer and choose Edit > Transform. Reduce the width and height to 10% and click OK. Then, Control-click the “Shape” layer and choose Convert into Pixels from the shortcut menu.

STEP 7

Turn the single heart into a continuous pattern by using the Brickwork effect. Choose the Tile group in the Effects Browser and double-click the Brickwork thumbnail. Then set the width to 40 pixels and use the rope to point just below and to the right of the heart. Adjust the position of the rope until you get a nice and even pattern. Finally, click OK to apply the effect.

CONCLUSION

And that’s it. You’ve got yourself a nice and simple pattern that can be easily used for making a Valentine’s Day card. Below is an example of what I’ve done by simply adding text and erasing some of the hearts with the Eraser Tool.