For this tutorial, you will need Paint Shop Pro 6, 7 or 8, Eye Candy3, Greg's Factory Outlet Filters Version 2, Almathera's Puddle Filter, and if you are using PSP6, the VM Natural Lightburst Filter. You can find all these freeware filters here - just scroll down the page to find the filter in the alphabetical listing.

To install plugins, open the zip file using a program such as Winzip. Extract the files to your Program Files/Paint Shop Pro/plugins/nameofplugin folder. If you do not have a plugins folder already, simply create one. The "nameofplugin" folder is optional, but if you have a lot of plugins (like me), it will make it easier to keep track of them later. You should not have to restart your computer, but you will need to reopen PSP. To locate the plugins, go to Effects/Plug-in Filters (Image/Plug-in Filters in PSP6). (For more information on installing plug-in filters, look here.)

We will be working with several duplicated layers - to duplicate a layer, go to Layers/Duplicate; to rename a layer, go to Layers/Properties, and type the new name in the box that opens. If you are using PSP6, you will find the effects under Image in the toolbar, rather than Effects. The screen shots included here were made in PSP7, so the input fields may be ordered differently in 6 and 8 - when entering settings, check to be sure they are going in the correct parameter box.

Open a new image the size your final image will be, with a transparent background. Click on the paint bucket in the toolbar, and flood fill the background with a blue color - this can be any light to medium shade of blue, depending on the color scheme you are using; for this tutorial, I used #00C0C0. Now go to Effects/Plug-in Filters/Greg's Factory Outlet Filters/Pool Shadow and apply it using the settings shown in Image One. Then go to Effects/Plug-in Filters/EyeCandy3.0/Swirl and apply it, choosing "Typical" in the drop down menu, and using the default settings. Next, go to Effects/Blur/Gaussian Blur and give it a blur of 7. Rename this layer "Shadowswirl".

Image One

Duplicate the Shadowswirl layer and go to Effects/Geometric Effects/Ripple (Image/Deformations/Ripple in PSP6) and apply it using the settings shown in Image Two, then give it a Gaussian Blur of 10. (Note: in PSP8, Edge Mode in the Ripple effect settings should be set to "Repeat") Open the Layer Properties box, rename the layer "Ripple", and change the opacity setting to 60.

Image Two

Make the Shadowswirl layer active by clicking on it in the Layers drop down menu (or the layer palette) and duplicate it again. Move it above the Ripple layer by dragging it in the layer palette or using Layers/Arrange/Bring to Top. Go to Effects/Plug-in Filters/Almathera/A Puddle and apply it using the settings shown in Image Three. In the Layer Properties box, change the name to Puddle, the Blend Mode to Multiply and the Opacity to 60.

Image Three

Now place your figures, image, tubes, whatever you are using for your scene on top of these three layers, using whatever techniques you wish and as many layers as you need to create your scene. For the finished images shown here, you will need my Dolphin Tube, and the Grass tube that comes with PSP, arranged however you like them.

When your scene is completed, activate and duplicate the Puddle layer, and move it above your scene. Go to Filters/Plug-in Filters/Greg's/Sine Blobs III, apply it using the settings shown in Image Four, and give it a Gaussian Blur of 6.

Image Four

On the same layer, go to Effects/Illumination Effects/Sunburst and apply that using the settings shown in Image Five. If you are using PSP6, you will not have the Illumination Effects that PSP7 does, so you will need to go to Image/Plug-in Filters/VM Natural/Lightburst and apply the settings shown in Image Six. You can also use Lightburst in PSP7 if you prefer.

Image Five

Image Six

Next use the Layer Properties box and change the name to "Sine Puddle", the Blend Mode to Dodge and the Opacity to 37. Note - this layer will have the most effect on your "scene" beneath it - try adjusting the Blend Modes and Opacity for different light and dark effects until you get the "look" you want.

Now activate and duplicate the Puddle layer again, and again move it to the top. Change the name to "Top Puddle", the Blend Mode to Multiply and the Opacity to 23.

And now you're done! Again, nothing here is cast in stone, just some basics to get you started - play with the background color, filter settings and layer settings to achieve the look you want!

Finished images, larger size....

Illumination Effects/Sunburst

VM Natural/Lightburst

Here's another image created using this effect.