Making that Cowboy Boot
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I would like to thank Wayne, his sister and of course his Dad for the idea!!
Without you this tutorial would never been thought of!! *LOL*

Also many thanks to Em and Jim for all the laughs and for the input on making
the original boot, and for being my tute tester too!!
Here is Auntie Em's boots she made. Click on the image to visit her site, she
has some awesome tutorials too!

After writing the boot tutorial I thought a cowboy hat would be nice, so I set
out to make one. I sent the hat I had made to Emily to see what she thought
about it. Much to both of our surprise we had the same idea!! *LOL*  She had
also been working on a cowboy hat to go along with the boots she had made using
my boot tut!! After a good laugh over how great minds think a like, I asked Em
to continue with her hat and make it into a tutorial. I was so happy she agreed
to do it. Below is the hat I made following her tutorial. I do hope you will make
a cowboy hat using her tut to go a long with your boots. If you click on the image
below you will be taken to Auntie Em's Cowboy Hat Tutorial!

 

This tutorial is written using PSP7 but could be done in 6 with the exception
of the Leather filter.
All screenshots resolution are lowered and or resized to save on load time.

I guess I better explain a little about how I came to create a cowboy boot
kicking a pile of manure? *LOL* Well a friend of mine's Dad use to have a cap
that had something close to this on it. He loved that cap, but it wore out. Well
my friend and his sister came up with the idea they wanted to have him another
one made as a surprise. So that's where I come in *LOL* I was asked to create
the image so that they could have it embroidered onto a cap for their dad! The
above image isn't the exact one I made for them but gives you an idea of it if
you use your imagination a little to picture the boot going through the cow pie
and splattering it all over the place. *LOL*

Stop laughing now and let's get on with the lesson!!

You want to do this using Selections?? Tough, you gotta do it the hard way using
vectors!! *Muwahahaha*

I also used Wingdings 2 font, if you don't have it, here it is.

This tutorial is written using vectors and assumes you have a good working knowledge
of how to manipulate them.

Remember to SAVE OFTEN!

Here's a color swatch if you'd like to right click and "Save As", open in PSP. The
only other color we will use is black.

Open a 400x600 transparent. This is large but it gives plenty of room to make your
boot, you can always resize later.
 
 

1.) Make your foreground the darkest brown. (the first color on the swatch)
Make your background the medium brown (the 2nd top color)

PSP6 users, remember to set to Stroke and Fill on vector settings!
 

2.) Preset Shapes Tool, Rounded Rectangle. Line Width 1, Both Antialias and create
as vector Checked.
Draw out a rectangle, click on the Object Selector then right click on the rectangle and
choose Node Edit. You will see two nodes in each corner of your vector. Pull the right
middle node down to make a V at the top like this...

Place 3 nodes on the left side of the v to round it out, moving the inside left node closer
to the middle, like this...

Now go to the right side of the V. Zoom in so you can see better.
The screenshot below will show the placing of the nodes and how they should look.
I have zoomed in on this one so you can see how it should look.
Right click on a node and change the type to Cusp where needed. (Note you may have to
change to Symmetric or Asymmetric first then right click again on a node and Cusp should
be available.)

Continue to bring the outer left down adding nodes and moving the arrows on the nodes as needed.
Go to the right side and add nodes bringing them down as well until you get to the bottom original
nodes that were there on the rectangle. Something like this...

Once you are to the bottom outer Nodes then start to bring in the left side to create the
ending of the shaft of the boot. Look at the screenshot below to see how I placed the nodes
to create an upward cove on the bottom of the shaft. I have zoomed in to show detail...

You should now have something that looks like this...

Convert to Raster. Name as Shaft.
 

3.)With same colors and preset shape, draw out a simple long rounded rectangle to use as
the pull tab on your boot. Like this...

Convert to raster, rename as tab.

4.) Make Layer 1 your active layer. With the same settings used for the shaft. Except
dark brown as background color and turn off foreground color.
Draw out a small rounded rectangle between the right and left blank area on your
shaft. Object Selector, right click Node Edit. Bring in the nodes so that the entire blank
area is covered. Like so...

Convert to Raster rename as inside.
 

5.) Make Layer1 your active layer. Change your background to the light brown that's
on the color swatch, Foreground dark brown. Preset Tools, setting same as before. Draw
out a wide narrow rounded rectangle like shown below...

Object Selector, right click on vector, chose Node Edit. Start to shape the top over the
rectangle to follow the bottom of the shaft of your boot like so...

Work with the left side of the foot, lets round it out to create the heel of the boot.
Look at the screenshot below to see how I have done this. Right click on a node and
change to cusp where needed....

Continue down the outer side of the foot until you get to the original inner node then
start to round out the toe of the boot starting there and continue up the far side of
your boot ending at the shaft. Place nodes and change to Cusp as needed...


Convert to Raster, rename as foot.

6.) Change your foreground color to Black, background color to the dark gray on
the swatch. Preset shapes tool same settings as we've been using. Make Shaft
Layer your active layer. Draw a rectangle the width of your foot. Object Selector,
right click on rectangle, Node Edit. Zoom in so that you can see better. Start at the
heel of the boot. Bring up the bottom nodes. Add more nodes, changing the type to cusp
where needed, as you follow the contour of the foot. Look at the screenshot below to
see where and how I placed my nodes...

Round out the toe area and continue around the top bringing the nodes down to meet
the dark brown line of the foot. Like this...


When you are happy with how the sole looks, convert to raster, renaming as sole.

7.) Make Shaft Layer your active layer. With same settings used for sole let's
make the heel.
Draw out a rectangle toward the heel of the boot. Zoom in again so you can see
what you are doing.
Object selector, right click on rectangle, Node Edit.
Starting with the top right nodes, bring them down to follow the contour of the
black line on the sole.
Adding nodes as needed all the way to the back until you get to the heel area.
Look at the screenshot below to see where I started my heel...


Now use the node that is on the top of the left side, (the one where the arrow
is in the screenshot above).
Pull that node so that it is in line underneath the one above it, then square off
the other nodes, like this...

When you're happy with the heel convert to raster naming as heel.

8) We now have a plain cowboy boot. Save this as a psp file with layers unmerged
so that you can change the colors later.
Duplicate your window so you aren't working on the original anymore and let's add
some detail to the boot.
Set foreground color to the darkest brown on the swatch. Make your top layer the
active layer, add a new layer naming it stitching. Use these settings...

Go around your boot top making small dashes to look like sewn stitches. Like this...

Add all the stitching you want on your boot on this layer.

9) Add a new layer, naming it detail. Switch the dark brown to your background
color, foreground Null.
Click on your text tool. Find the Windings2 font I provided you with. Make sure
Floating and Antialias is checked on your front window. Set size to 48. Type lower
case b. Click ok. Move the design to just below where the V is on the shaft of you
boot. Go to Edit, copy, paste as new selection. Image, Mirror.
Line the copy so that the ends are touching like this..

Select None.

10) Make the shaft your active layer. Got to Selections, Select All, Selections Float,
Selections, Invert.
While inverted make your detail layer your active layer and hit the delete key on your
keyboard to remove the area that hangs over your boot. Select None.
Copy and Paste as new selection your detail layer. Move into position below the first one.
Do that 2 more times so that you have a total of 4. Make sure all are on the detail layer.
Select None on the last paste Now go to Selection, Select All, Selections, Float. Selections,
Save to Alpha Channel. Selections, Select none. Now hit the delete key on your keyboard
to remove the font you created.
Go to Selections, Load from Alpha Channel. While still selected go to Effects, 3D Effects,
Cutout and apply a cutout using these settings.. (the shadow color is the dark brown on the
color swatch)

11) Add a new layer and apply a second cutout using the same settings except -2 on
the V & H. Select None. Close all layers except the detail and the second cutout layer
and merge visible renaming to detail. Open the layer palette and lower Opacity on detail
layer to 46%

12)Make your shaft layer your active layer, go to Selections, Select All, Selections,
Float. Go to Effects, Texture Effects, Fine Leather, apply these settings...

For those using PSP6. Once shaft is selected, Add a new layer, Set foreground
color to the dark brown. Use the Airbrush set to these settings to spray some
detail on to your shaft...

Merge Airbrushed layer visible with shaft layer, rename to shaft. RE-select
shaft once merged.

13) Apply a cutout using these settings..

Select None.

14) Make the tab your active layer, Selections, Select All, Selection, Float.
Apply a cutout using the settings above except make the Blur 15.
Select None

15) Make your foot layer your active layer. Do the Select All, Selections,
Float thing again.
Apply the Fine Leather filter using the same settings as used for the shaft.

For those using PSP6. Once foot is selected, Add a new layer, Set foreground
color to the dark brown.
Use the Airbrush set to the settings used for the shaft. Spray some detail on
the foot like you did on the shaft.
Merge Airbrushed layer visible with foot layer, rename to foot. RE-select foot
once merged.

Apply a cutout using the settings in the screenshot above. Select None.

Make your stitching layer your active layer. Using the Draw tool same settings
as used for the stitching around the shaft. Make stitches across the toe of
your boot, like so...

16) Make your top layer your active layer. Add a new layer naming it roping.
Set your Draw tool to size 5, single line, Antialias checked. Start just below
the bottom of the tab, draw a line down to where the shaft meets the foot
and stop. Now draw again, starting where that one stops, come down to
where the sole meets the foot, angling it back toward the heel a little,
like this...

17) Go to Selections, Select All, Selections Float. Effects, 3D Effects,
Inner Bevel, from the drop down menu choose the round preset. Change
the Shininess to 0 and lower the Ambience to -23

Go to your Layer Palette and lower the Opacity on the roping layer to 72.

18) Now I didn't like how dark my stitching looks once I applied my cutout
so I made it my active layer and went to Colors, Adjust, Brightness/Contrast
and lowered the Brightness to -32, Contrast to 0 so it would show up better.

19) Make your heel layer your active layer. Foreground color Black. Draw tool
set to single line, width 1.
Draw a line to separate what would be the side of the heel from what looks to
be the part that goes underneath the boot. Like this...

Alrighty... that's it, you now have a cowboy boot. You can merge all layers
visible, export as a tube or whatever you like. I know most of you are going to
want a pair of boots....but tough, I made only one so you get only one, unless you
want them to have two right feet then by all means mirror the boot as in the
examples below!!! *LOL*

I hope you have had fun with this tutorial. I know Auntie Em and I had some
good laughs while making the original boot with the cow pie!! *L*
Until Next time,
May your boots stay clean and your hat always shade you from the sun!
God Bless,
Connie