ORIENTAL FAN

• You will need this file to complete this tutorial

Step 1:  Open a new canvas, 600 x 600, white background, 72 dpi ( you can work smaller canvas if you wish).

Step 2:  Create a new layer.  Select the elliptical marquee too and draw a shape something like this. 

Step 3:  (a )  Select a foreground and background color of your choice.  (b)  Go to Filter/Render/Clouds.  (c)  Now go to Select/Feather and setting of 2. (d)  Select/Modify/Contract, setting of 2.  (e)  Select Inverse and hit delete.  This should get rid of some 'jaggies'.

Step 4:  Using the rectangular marquee delete a selection of your image so that it looks something like this you may want to play with the sizing at this point).

Step 5:  Open up the fabric/texture swatch and drag and drop it onto the fan canvas and position over fan shape (you will probably have to resize the texture).  Control+Click on fanshape layer while on fabric layer.  Go to Select/Inverse and hit delete key.

You have a choice here to either leave the fabric layer in normal mode, or to change the blending mode to let the color come through the fabric.  Here, the layer mode is overlay.  If you use a blending mode, turn off all eyes except the two fans shapes, and merge them.

Step 6:  Double-click on fan layer to bring up layer styles dialog box.

Check Drop Shadow (75% default) and Bevel & Emboss.

Step 8:  Create a new layer.  Using a Size 3 hard brush, color black (or another dark color complimentary to your fan color,  draw a straight line across the base of the fan (you can achieve this by clicking the brush on one side and then hold down the shift key and drag to right edge).

Step 7:  Create a new layer.  Pull out your guides something like this on one half of the fan only.  We now want to draw in the fan spines starting in the centre.  Using the No. 3 hard brush, click on the bottom centre guide line.  Go to the top of the centre guide and shift click.  Your line will automatically be drawn.  You want to repeat this process for each spine, working your way around the fan, starting at the bottom centre guide and clicking on the outer guide at each position.  The aim is to have the spines as evenly spaced as possible (you may have to add some without help of guides as you move towards the base of the fan).

You should have something like this.

Step 8:  Right click on this layer and duplicate it, then go to Edit/Transform and Flip horizontal.  move into place on other half of fan.  Turn off eyes for all layers except spine layers and merge.  Double click on this layer to bring up layer styles, select drop and inner shadow boxes (experiment with different blending modes),

Step 9:  Use similar colors as the same colors as you used for clouds previously (or if you decided not to change the blending mode of the fabric - use eyedropper to set foreground and background colors complimentary to the fan and each other). Create a layer below the fan layer.  Using the elliptical marquee tool draw a circle. 

Step 10:  Click on gradient tool, select radial gradient, make sure you have the solid gradient selected, click on the gradient bar to bring up the gradient editor.  Make the following adjustments.

By clicking along the gradient line you can make new 'pots'/stops.  Click on the first pot on the left, eyedropper is automatically activated, click on foregounrd color.  Click on next stopper, use eyedrop again to select background color and so on until you have a gradient that resembles this.

The end result will depend on the amount of difference between the two colors (you can experiment with this, perhaps try including more stops - as long as it 'dark-light, dark-light, and finishes with the dark color).

Step 10:  Using the angle gradient tool, draw the gradient from the middle of the circle up.  This should give you something that looks a little like folds of fabric (again depends on color difference between two selected colors).  (Repeat procedure earlier to get rid of any jaggies).

Step 11:  Now we are going to make some cords for the fan.  If you think your fan requires repositioning to allow space for the braids, save the psd, turn off the background layer and merge visible and move it to the desired position (save the second file as fan merged or something to keep original intact).You can either choose a complimentary color, or select black.  Create a new layer above the spine layer.  Click on your brush and select a Size 13 hard brush.  Now go to Window/Brushes to open the brush dialog box.

Change the spacing to 85% and draw in your cords.

You can add a drop shadow @ 50%.

Step 12:  We now need to make some tassles.  I am sure there is an easier way to do this ...... and if anyone knows, please share.  This is how I did it.

Select a No. 3 brush and draw a straight vertical line, approx. 3/4 inch long.  Click back on move tool.  Holding down Shit+Alt click on right arrow key, 6 times.  Now move these lines closer together, till you have something like this.

Step 13:  Turn of the eyes for all layers except your line layers and merge them.  Go to Edit Transform/Scale the alter size.  Then go to Edit/Transform and use the perspective tool.  Your aim is something like this.  If the tassle needs more depth, duplicate the layer and merge the two together.  Arrange the tassle over the braid, using the rotate tool to fit the angles of the braids.  Duplicate this layer and do the same for the second braid. 

You should now have something like this.

Step 14:  Almost done!.  Create a new layer, select elliptical marquee tool and draw a semi reasonable circle (we might have to edit it later) where the cord  joins the fan.

Step 16:  Go to Select/Feather, enter setting of 2.  Select/Modify Contract and enter setting of 4 (depending on the effect and size of your original circle, you want it may be more or less. Select/ inverse/delete.  Resize and position as necessary.

There are so many variations on this theme in terms of pattern, how you make the cords and tassles, everything in fact.  If you do something different, promise to show us :O-).  Have fun experimenting.

Luv & Light - dreamcatcher.