Step 1

Start by creating a new image 300 X 300 with a white background.

Determine two primary colors you want to use. For this particular tutorial we're using #f17400 as our Foreground color and #feff73 as our Background color.

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Ok

On the Tools toolbar, select the Preset Shape Tool (P)

On the Tool Options palette, select the Flower 2 within the Shape list:

Starting from the upper left hand portion of your canvas, draw your flower pattern downwards towards the lower right portion of the screen. For the best effect, don't make it perfectly square! Keep the shape slightly elliptical:

Now lets add some color to this pattern.

On the Layers palette, click on the "+" mark to expand the Vector 1 layer.

Double click on the Flower 2 Layer.

This will bring up the Vector Property window:

Click on the black fill color to bring up the Material Properties window.

Select the Gradient tab and use the following settings:

Click OK to return to the Vector Property window.

Now, place a check mark in Stroke. You'll notice that is now has our Foreground color in it. We don't want to use that, so, click on the orange fill color to bring up the Material Properties window again, and once more select the Gradient tab. Use the following settings:

Click OK to return to the Vector Property window. Set Stroke Width : 4 then click OK:

Your image should now look similar to this:

Layers > Convert to Raster Layer

Selections > Select All [Keyboard shortcut: CTRL + A]

Selections > Float [Keyboard shortcut: CTRL + F]

Selections > Defloat [Keyboard shortcut: CTRL + Shift + F]

Selections > Modify > Contract > Number of pixels: 5 > Okay.

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Ok

This next step is really neat, and adds a whole new dimension to our flower!

On the Materials palette, click on the Foreground color and select the Gradient tab. Click on the image to open the available gradients. Select Fading white and use the following settings:

Use the Flood Fill Tool (F) and fill the selection:

On the Tools toolbar, select the Move Tool (M) and move the image upwards to create a fairly pronounced edge:

Selections > Invert

Now hit the Delete key on your keyboard.

Selections > Select None

Layers > Merge > Merge Down

Your image should now look similar to this:

On your Layers palette, turn the Raster 1 layer opacity down to around 76:

Step 2

Now let's create the center piece of the flower.

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Ok

On the Tools toolbar, select the Selection Tool (S)

On the Tool Options palette, set Selection type: Ellipse

Draw an elliptical selection in the center of the flower. It doesn't have to be perfect:

Also, remember if you want to move the selection, place your mouse cursor somewhere inside the selection and hold down on the right mouse button while moving it where you would like it to be.

On the Materials palette, click on the Foreground color and select the Gradient tab. Click on the image to open the available gradients. Select Foreground-background and use the following settings:

Use the Flood Fill Tool (F) and fill the selection:

Don't deselect yet!

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Ok

Remember what we mentioned above about being able to move the selection? Yes, for those of you that didn't try it, now's your chance.

On the Tools toolbar, select the Selection Tool (S)

Move your selection downwards just slightly so that you still see a nice clean edge on the top of the flowers center:

On the Materials palette, set your Foreground color to white(#FFFFFF)

On the Tools toolbar, select the Flood Fill Tool (F) and fill the selection:

On the Tools toolbar, select the Selection Tool (S) and again, move your selection downwards slightly:

Now hit the Delete key on your keyboard.

Selections > Select None

Adjust > Blur > Gaussian > Radius: 3 > Okay

Your image should now look similar to this:

Doesn't look very transparent does it?

On your Layers palette, turn off the visibility for the Background layer make sure that the top layer (Raster 3) is still highlighted:

Now you see the transparency.

Layers > Merge > Merge Visible

Turn the Background layer visibility back on:

Step 3

There is a lot you can do with this simple flower pattern. Let me show you one.

I tend to make things larger then they need to be. So I'm going to make mine a bit smaller. You may want to read ahead just a little to determine if your's is either to large or to small.

To make mine smaller, I simply select the Raster Deform Tool (D) from the Tools toolbar and grab one of the corner nodes and bring it closer together. You won't really see the difference just yet, but i'll include a screen shot none the less:

Layers > Duplicate

Now, still using the Raster Deform Tool (D) I don't want my duplicated image to look exactly like the first image, so I made this one more square and moved it down along the lower side of the first image:

I'll change the color on this one.

Adjust > Hue and Saturation > Colorize... Hue:131 Saturation:255 > OK

As you can probably already see, you just barely make out the flower beneath it. Next I want the top flower to look as though it's not directly on top of the bottom flower. We'll add a drop shadow to it to add some depth.

Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow... and use the following settings:

Your image should now look similar to this:

Layers > Merge > Merge Down

Apply another drop shadow so we get the bottom flower "off the board".

Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow... and use the same settings:

Step 4

We're not done just yet! I know it seems like a long tutorial when your first trying it, but once you get the hang of this, you can create one in less than 3 minutes! Right now, lets add a nice finishing touch to it. You might want to make sure your flowers are lined up towards the center of the canvas so that you can achieve the same type of results.

Layers > Duplicate

On the Layers palette, highlight the second layer (merged):

Effects > Distortion Effects > Twirl > Degrees: 475 > Ok:

Adjust > Hue and Saturation > Colorize... Hue:66 Saturation:255 > OK

On the Tools toolbar, select the Move Tool (M), move the bottom image downwards just so it's below the top flower, if you place it just right, it will almost look like the smaller flower has a stem: