Gladiolus

YOU WILL NEED

Paint Shop Pro  
    Download a trial version here  
Basic knowledge of vectors and layers

Remember to SaveOften STEPS - These are the steps I used.

Part One The Flower

1.

Lets Begin

New Image 250 x 250
File/Save As:  flower1.pspimage

2.

The Petals

New Vector layer: petal-1

Preset Shapes Tool
Shape: Ellipse
Anti-alias: checked
Create as vector: checked
Line style: +Solid
Width: 1

Foreground color: #C3446F
Background color: #EFB7CF
 
Place the cursor at 62 x 118
Drag out to 119 x 199

Image/ Rotate/ Free Rotate

Direction: Right
Free: 40
All layers: not checked
Rotate single layer around canvas center: not checked

Pen Tool
Mode: edit

Use the Control Arm and Control Handle to shape the petal

Object Selection Tool
Right click on the ellipse/ Copy [Ctrl+C]

New Vector layer: petal-2
Right click on the canvas/ Paste New Vector Object [Ctrl+G]

Image/ Mirror [Ctrl+M]
Image/ Flip [Ctrl+I]
Move the new petal into place above the first

New Vector layer: petal-3
Right click on the canvas/ Paste New Vector Object [Ctrl+G]
Use the Rotation Handle to Rotate the ellipse about a third of a turn

Right click on the ellipse/ Copy [Ctrl+C]

New Vector layer: petal-4
Right click on the canvas/ Paste New Vector Object [Ctrl+G]

Image/ Mirror [Ctrl+M]
Image/ Flip [Ctrl+I]
Move it in to place below the third petal

New Vector layer: petal-5
Repeat as for petal-3

New Vector layer: petal-6
Repeat as for petal-4

3.

 The Flower Center

New Vector Layer: center

Preset Shapes Tool
Shape: Ellipse
Anti-alias: checked
Create as vector: checked
Line style: +Solid
Width: 8

Foreground color: #CA975A
Background color: #BF496C

Draw a small ellipse for the center
Place the cursor at 103 x 112
Drag out to 133 x 143

New Vector Layer: stamen

Foreground Color: #FAE4EC
Background Style: Null

Pen Tool
Create as vector: checked
Mode: Draw
Segment type: Freehand
Line Style: +Solid
Width: 2

Draw 4 stamens

New Vector Layer: tips

Preset Shapes Tool
Shape: Ellipse
Anti-alias: checked
Create as vector: checked
Line style: +Solid
Width: 1

Foreground Style: Null
Background Color: #FDD76F

Draw a tiny ellipse at the tip of one of the stamens

Object Selection Tool
Right Click on the ellipse/ Copy [Ctrl+C]
Right Click on the canvas/ Paste New Vector Selection [Ctrl+G]

Paste one ellipse at the end of each stamen
Use the Rotation Handle to rotate the ellipse so it lines up with the stamen

Not a bad looking flower just like this

4.

 Export As a Preset Shape - Optional

Need help exporting a shape see my mini tutorial

5.

 Shaping and Shading The Flower

Layer Palette
Right click on each layer/ Convert to Raster Layer

Click the eye next to stamen and tips to turn them off for now
If using PSP7 you need to click the eyeglasses

Make petal-1 the active layer

Selection Tool
Selection type: Rectangle
Mode: replace
Feather: 0
Anti-alias: Not checked

Draw a rectangle around the petal
Click inside the rectangle to float

Airbrush
Shape: Round
Size: 18
Hardness: 25
Step: 25
Density: 80
Thickness: 100
Rotation: 0
Opacity: 60
Blend mode: Normal

Foreground color: #EFB7CF
Background color: #C3446F

Brush on some of the dark color around the outer edge of the petal
Brush light over the edge near the center as needed

Keep Selected

Smudge Brush
Shape: Round
Size: 5
Hardness: 50
Step: 5
Density: 75
Thickness: 100
Rotation: 0
Opacity: 75
Sample merged: Not Checked
Smudge the dark color slightly dragging it towards the center

Note: I selected the petal because I wanted to keep the edge nice and crisp for now

Selections/ Modify/ Expand
Number of pixels: 3

Warp Brush
Warp Mode: Expand
Size: 5
Hardness: 25
Strength: 100
Step: 25
Edge mode: background
Draft quality: High
Final apply
Best quality: Checked

Using a sort of zigzag stroke run the brush around
the edge of the petal to give it sort of a ruffled look

Click on the check mark to apply the warp 
Warp Brush-Reset

Lighten/Darken Brush
Shape: Round
Size: 5
Hardness:25
Step: 25
Density: 50
Thickness: 100
Rotation: 0
Opacity: 100
Continuous: Not checked
Mode: RGB
Swap mouse buttons: Not checked

Use the left mouse button to lighten and the right button to darken
Darken the creases slightly

Smudge Brush
Shape: Round
Size: 10
Hardness: 25
Step: 5
Density: 50
Thickness: 100
Rotation: 0
Opacity: 50
Sample merged: Not Checked
Smudge the lines slightly

Repeat the above steps for each petal

6.

 Center Details

Make center the active layer

Smudge Brush
Using the two settings above smudge the center colors
Pulling some of the pink into the yellow and some of the yellow up into the light pink

Lighten/Darken Brush
Darken the center and up the sides slightly

Smudge Brush
Smudge slightly

Make petal-1 the active layer

Effects/ 3D Effects/ Drop shadow
Offsets: 0
Opacity: 75
Blur: 5.00
Color: #9B254C

Repeat for each petal

7.

 Stamen Details

Click the eye next to stamen and tips to turn them back on
If using PSP7 you need to click the eyeglasses

Make stamen the active layer

Effects/ 3D Effects/ Inner Bevel
Bevel
Bevel: #2
Width: 2
Image
Smoothness: 8
Depth: 2
Ambience: 25
Shininess: 0
Light
Color: #FFFFFF
Angle: 336
Intensity: 25
Elevation: 50

Airbrush
Shape: Round
Size: 8
Hardness: 25
Step: 25
Density: 80
Thickness: 100
Rotation: 0
Opacity: 60
Blend mode: Normal

Foreground color: #72041E

Click once or twice at the base of the stamens

Smudge Brush
Shape: Round
Size: 5
Hardness: 50
Step: 5
Density: 75
Thickness: 100
Rotation: 0
Opacity: 75
Sample merged: Not Checked

Smudge the ends of the stamens so they blend in with the center

Make tips the active layer
Effects/ 3D Effects/ Inner Bevel
Same settings as above except: Change
color: #FDEDC7

Layers/ Merge/ Merge Visible

8.

 Export As A Picture Tube

File/ Export/ Picture Tube
Tube Name: gladiola-flower

File/ Save
Close this image

to  go to Part 2