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Cassie The Halloween Cat
A Vector Tutorial
For this tutorial, you will need PSP7 and
Fantastic Machines Paint Engine for the background if you like.
If you'd rather use selections, you can d/l
mine here.
If you have any trouble d/l please email me and I'll send it asap :)
NOTE: If you use selections, just unzip
them to your psp/selection folder and choose "load from disk" on
separate layers when my tut. calls for the cat body, tail, hat and rim shapes,
and floodfill.
Remember to save often as a .psp file, just to be safe :)
Ok, Let's do it!
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Begin with a new transparent image, 300 X
500.
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First we will draw the outline of our
cat. Using your shape tool, choose black for foreground colour and a light brown background colour (#AE906F).
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Set your shape tool on elipse, antialias and
create as vector checked. Line width of 2.
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Draw a large elipse shape in the middle of
your image.
Now choose your object selector tool to edit
the nodes. Click on the node edit button in your tool options palette.
Now, pull each node on the left and right
side of the elipse upwards to make the head shape. Don't worry too
much about the top, it'll be covered by a witchy hat. Click on the
node in the center at the bottom and drag the arrows on each side outward to
make a sort of bell shape as below:
Right click on each node on the side of the
head, choose "Node type - Symetric", repeat and choose
"Cusp". Now you can round out the sides of the head.
Add a node by holding down ctrl/shift to each
side at the bottom and one just above to form the feet. Edit using the
same steps as above, choosing "Cusp" again. Move the arrows
around until it shapes something like this:
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Ok, now lets make the tail! Again,
using the preset shapes tool, on a new layer, draw a long, thin (about 15
pixels), rounded rectangle with the same settings, vector, antialias and
width of 2.
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Now this node editing is a bit tricky, but if
the tail comes out crooked, all the better! Add 4 more nodes
(ctrl/shift), 2 near the top and 2 below the middle. Right click on
each of the nodes and choose "Symetric", this will round all the
edges of the tail. Move the nodes until they are in a nice sweeping tail form
(or crooked, if you like). Move this layer in the layer palette below the body elipse
layer.
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Ok, now lets draw the details on this
kitty! Add a new layer, Change your background colour to a darker
brown (#4F3C29), Using the preset shapes tool, choose a heart shape, draw a small heart and place it in the
middle of Cassie's face. Image/flip and move it into place.
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Now onto the whiskers! On a new layer,
using your draw tool, black foreground colour, background colour OFF,
width of 2, vector unchecked, draw a bezier line. First click close to
the nose, drag your mouse outward about 1 inch. Release your mouse
(not your real one, Cassie's not ready to chase any mice yet!)
(g) Now
click above your line two times, one beside the other. Voila! a
nice curved whisker!
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Copy and paste as new selection and use your
deformation tool to position and slightly rotate the next one.
Repeat. Select none. Now, duplicate this whisker layer, (right
click on your whisker layer in the layer palette). Now click on your
duplicate layer and go to image/mirror. Move into place on the other
side of Cassie's nose. How's she looking?
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Lets draw more details. Using your
freehand line tool, new layer, black, width 2, draw a line to outline
the chin and bottom of her head.
Next, draw a line for her paw and
another small line below it. Duplicate this line and flip it as
we did with the whiskers. Draw a single freehand line in the middle
between her paws and one small line on her back paws.
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Ok now to draw on her stripes. We'll
use the preset shapes tool, turn your background colour back on. It should be
the same darker brown colour we used for her nose. Choose triangle, antialias checked, width
2. Draw a small triangle on the edge of her side. Use the
deformation tool to turn it and move it into place. Copy/paste as new
selection until you have all the stripes you'd like. You can change
their size as well as position using the deformation tool. Continue
along the tail as I've done below: Use the magnify tool to see that
you place it right near the black edge.
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With the cat body layer active, using your spraypaint
tool,
black colour, settings as below, select all/float and add some spraypaint in a
black for shadowing:
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Now lets turn of the background layer and
merge visible. Ok we're ready for the hat!
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Choose a new background colour - a dark grey
(#808080). Using the preset shapes tool, draw an elipse as below.
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Add a new layer on top of this elipse, and
draw another elipse, this time black as foreground and background colours.
This will be the shadow under the hat. Turn off all the other layers,
except for the 2 elipses, and merge visible. This will be the rim of
the hat. Move the rim into place under the cat using the mover
tool.
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Select all/float and add some spraypaint in a
darker grey for shadowing:
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Now, with the rim layer still active, use
your selection tool, rectangle and select the top half of the
rim. Copy and paste as a new layer. Move this layer on top of
the hat layer in the layer palette. Position it so it matches up
exactly with the bottom of the rim.
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Now to draw the top of the hat. Use
your preset shape, triangle, antialias, create as vector, width 2, choose
your light grey as before... #808080.
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Node edit by adding more nodes as
below. Right click on each node and choose symetric to get those
curves and bumps in the hat. When it looks the way you like, right
click and quit node editing.
Move this layer to the bottom of the
stack in the layer palette.
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Now draw in some small black lines using line
tool, foreground colour off, width of 2 for creases in the hat. I
always use the magnify tool to make it easier to place the lines.
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Now add some shadowing again...Select
all/float and add some spraypaint in a darker grey for shadowing as we did
on the rim.
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We're almost done! Ya! Ok now
let's add some cute yellow stars! On a new layer, set your background to a nice
yellow, choose the starfish shape in your preset shape tool, and draw a
little star to go on the end of her hat. Add a couple more on the hat
if you'd like. I also put one on her tail. Select all/float and
add some spraypaint to the stars.
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Merge all the layers/merge visible, save as a
tube and/or .psp file. Add a new layer for the background.
Move it to the bottom. Flood fill with the colour of your choice and
apply paint engine, flakes preset. Frame using your favorite method.
That's it! You did it!
Way to go!
I hope you had fun :)
Angie
Created by Angie on October 19, 2001.
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