Open PSP X2 and open a new image. Set the width and height of the image to 500 pixels for practicing the effect.

Select a color in the Materials palette at the right edge of the workspace. Click the "Flood Fill" tool and click the left mouse button once within the image area to fill the image with color.

Select a color for the pen tool by clicking the Foreground color box within the Materials palette. Turn the Background color box off by clicking the "Transparent" toggle beneath this color box.

Click the "Pen" tool above the workspace. Set the "Line Style" to a solid line by clicking the arrow to the left of the setting and choosing this line style within the drop-down menu. Select the pen width to 10 by entering this number in the appropriate field above the workspace. Select the pen mode by clicking the button of your choice above the workspace (choose between lines, point-to-point Bezier curves or freehand).

Create the lines you desire with the pen tool on the background color with your mouse. Make as many lines as you desire before going back to edit the ends to taper them.

Change the Foreground color box to match the Background color and keep the background color transparent. Increase the pen tool width to 14. Select the point-to-point curve mode for the pen tool by clicking this button.

Position the cursor at the point where you want a tapered end to begin on a line and click the mouse button once. Click the left mouse button and hold it down at the point on the opposite side of the line and a Bezier curve will appear. Adjust the Bezier curve by moving the mouse as you hold down the button. The curve line will adjust over the pen line -- after you create the tapered end you want, release the mouse button and the edge of the line will taper.

Remove any remaining portions of the lines to clean up the tapered ends, if necessary, by selecting the "Clone" tool. Press the shift key and click the left mouse button anywhere on the background color to select the background color for the Clone tool. Click the left mouse button, hold it down and move the mouse back and forth over the portions of the pen line you wish to remove.