This tutorial will require you to have a basic knowledge of Paint Shop Pro 6/7. This is not meant for the beginner. I also highly recommend you save all selections to an Alpha channel as you work.

I start with a 400x400 image and did a vector pattern of my circles then converted it to raster. This can also be done with the selection tools on a rester layer just remember to work from the center of the image (200x200). I have the pattern as show in Fig. 1. Working from out side to the inside the rings are named as follows and the widths are really up to you: This is show half size to speed up loading.

Fig. 1

Outer Ring (about 25-30 pixels wide)
First separator (about 4 pixels wide)
Bead band also about 25-30 pixels wide)
Second separator (about 4 pixels wide)
Cloth part of speaker center section.
Center Core is about 124 pixels in diameter but this is up to you.

First thing I do from the pattern is with the wand I select the outer ring and promote it to a new layer. I now apply Image | Effects | Inner bevel and start with the Metallic preset. Now I make a few simple adjustments to the settings as show in Fig. 2. Once this is done I then do Image | Blur | Gaussian Blur set to about 1. This softens the edges and smooths it out some what.

Fig. 2

Now we move on to the Bead section of our pattern by selecting it with the wand and expanding it by 2 pixels. I now make a new layer on the very top and flood fill it with Black. Now apply the inner bevel again only using the Rounded preset modified as show in Fig. 3. Again I un select this and apply Gaussian blur set to about 1.

Fig. 3

Next step is the cloth part of the speaker so we first must select it, then expand it 2 pixels. Now we flood fill using a Sunburst Gradient with a White Foreground and Black Background. I also use the Foreground to Background gradient set as show in Fig. 4. Don't un select this but apply Image | Noise | Add and the set it to Uniform at about 6 to 8.

Fig. 4

Now open a new image with a transparent background 6x6 and with the paint brush set to square fill in the pixels as show in Fig 5. We will use this for a pattern for our cloth.

Fig. 5

To do this go to your speaker image again and change the Flood Fill tool to Pattern and pick the pattern you just made. Now add another layer and flood fill. At this point you should have something as shown in Fig 6. below (shown half actual size).

Fig. 6

While I still have the Cloth section selected I now apply a the Image | Deformation | Ripple set as show in Fig. 7 below. This gives that swirled effect seen in many speakers. We can now un select this and move on to the Core.

Fig. 7

We now add a new layer for the Core and flood fill it and with black. I then applied the inner bevel effect set as show below in Fig 8.

Fig. 8

Now we add another new raster layer with the Core still selected and apply Image | Effects | Drop shadow as set as shown in Fig. 9. We now go back to our pattern layer and select the 2 separator rings and do Selections | Modify | Expand set to about 2 or 3. Now add a new layer to the top of the layer stack and flood fill with black then un select and gaussian blur with it set to about 3. Now set the layers opacity down to about 75%.

Fig. 9

You now have the basic speaker and can add screws as I did in the finished speaker below. You can also play around with the Core elements making it flat as I did or mess with other designs. You can also add wires from the core element to the Cloth section also. I've included the a psp file with this tutorial so you may look at each layer as it was done, it also has the pattern I used for the cloth.

Finished Speaker

This page was last updated on October 11, 2001 by Joe Cilinceon