Bodyshop with Paint Shop Pro - Job 2: Tinted Windows

The intrepid hippy bus returns for further modification in Paint Shop Pro X2; we already have the pimped-out wheel arches, now what else does every self-respecting pimpmobile require? Tinted windows of course!

So here I am going to show you how to create some nice shaded glass for your vehicle so that everyone assumes your car belongs to a celebrity when they see it, or just so it looks cool really.

Step 1  Open your subject matter in Paint Shop Pro and duplicate the background layer (unless you’re continuing from the previous project like me, in which case you already did that). What we are going to use here is the Freehand Selection tool, so select that and we’ll start.

Step 2 The best way to do this is to use the Freehand Select tool in ‘Smart Edge’ mode; this will search for contrasting borders within the area you select and make that the border of your selection. This works best if your vehicle is like mine; white window frames and dark edges or windows, though it will probably work in other colours.

If it doesn’t use the ‘Point to Point’ mode instead which will take longer but will frustrate you less than the ‘Smart Edge’ does when it goes horribly wrong. The way you use ‘Smart Edge’ is to click to set a start point, and then drag out the box over the edge of the area you want your selection to border. Click again when you are happy and the tool will automatically find the edge.

If you make any mistakes whilst drawing your selection you can press the ‘Delete’ key to head back one step at a time and attempt to set a better selection. Continue all the way around the object you want to select and double-click to finish one selection.

Step 3 When you have one window selected, hold the shift key and select the others one at a time as you did with the first. Remember to avoid going over any pieces of frame that separate windows made up of more than one piece of glass or the windscreen wipers, once you have finished your selection you should have something like this.

Step 4 Now you have all your windows selected you can begin the tinting process. Because we all love non-destructive editing we’ll create a new Layer. Open Layers>New Raster Layer and rename it to ‘Windows’ or something like that.

Step 5 Now you have a layer ready equip the Paintbrush tool (‘B’) and set it to near black. Fill your selection with uniform black for a classic tint (you could try other colours, but I’m not that adventurous) and press Control and ‘D’ to deselect the windows.

Step 6 Now set the layer opacity down to around 75% (or whatever you like really at this point) to set how dark you want the windows; make sure the reflections from the original image show through however, otherwise the windows will look extremely artificial.  Clean up the edges of the window with the eraser if you made any mistakes and there you have it; one step closer to the coolest hippy van ever.