The picture we ended up with in the last post could, in fact, be used as a template. With a little more simplification, however, we will make the task of transferring it to the pumpkin or T-shirt that much easier. To begin with, we could get rid of the white around the image as it is no longer needed.

To do this we take the lasso tool and click through the black surrounding the face until we have circled the entire face. Now, go to Selections in the menu and click on Invert. This changes the selection so that only the outer part of the image is selected. It is an easy matter now to take the fill tool and fill the selection with black - just a click will do it.

We now have a template of the original picture. But if we can change the colors around so that the black is white and vice versa, transferring the image to the final surface will be a lot easier. Go to Colors in the menu and choose Negative Image. Suddenly we are presented with a negative of our template and the holes to be cut are in black. It is harder to see the face, but easier to envisage the holes now that they are black.

All that remains to be done is to print out the file, attach it to the pumpkin and start pricking through around the edges of the shapes to give a guideline for the cutting out. I am assuming that you already know how to carve a pumpkin - it is hardly rocket science, after all. For a design as complex as the one we are attempting, it is best to buy a set of pumpkin carving tools; they are very cheap but so much better than a kitchen knife for cutting fine detail.

Once the carving is done, all that remains is to place a lantern inside the pumpkin, turn off the lights and marvel at your creation!