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This is a very simple tutorial on how to make a balloons in PSP only. I've given you my settings, but yours may vary. Experiment till you find what looks good to you. Have fun!

1. Start with a 400x400 canvas with a TRANSPARENT background. Flood fill with white so you can see what you are doing.
2. Add a layer. Use the selection tool set to ellipse, antialias on, and draw a nice large balloon shape.
3. Flood fill with a sunburst gradient that you choose.(my settings below) If it appears too transparent you can flood fill with white first and then add a layer and fill with the gradient.
Selection shape  Gradient settings  Sunburst fill
4. Go to Images/ Deformations/ Punch and set it to about 35.
5. Add a layer and using your paintbrush set to white (my settings below) paint a highlight in the upper left area of the balloon.
6. Go to Images/ Blur/ Gaussian Blur set to about 8. I did this twice on my highlight, but that is personal preference and will depend somewhat on the colors you've chosen.
7. Add a layer and using your paintbrush set to white make another highlight on the lower right.
8. Use Gaussian blur again. I did this one twice also on my balloons.
Highlight settings  Highlight 
9. Select a color similar to the color of the bottom of your balloon. Use the eyedropper for this.
10.Add a layer, and then click on the draw tool (looks like a pencil and settings below) and just make a shape that somewhat resembles the bottom part of the balloon. I sort of made a triangle with a flat top. LOL
Draw tool settings  Balloon bottom
Now delete the white background layer, and merge visible. Crop the image and export as a tube. These balloons colorize very nicely and it doesn't seem to matter what color you start with. I recommend that you don't add the bow or string before you tube because anything that is colored will colorize along with the balloon. Only white will not colorize. The transparent appearance is created by adding each balloon to it's own layer and adjusting the opacity. Hope you have fun with this!
Email me if you have any problems.

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Tutorial, graphics and screenshots © by Jan Lewis
Purrcat Designs 2001