:: Halloween Kitty ::

This Tutorial is written with the assumption that you are moderately familiar with PSP 7 and its tools, in specific some vector knowledge.

For this tutorial you will need Eye Candy 4000... You can download a free copy of Eye Candy 3 here or here which should work as well. If you don't have it or don't want it, I've offered the alternative of using the smudge tool. :o)

1. Open a new image 450 x 450

2. Using the preset shapes with the foreground set to null and the background set to #202020 select the tear drop shape with Antialias and Vector checked. Draw a tear near the bottom 3/4th of the image:

3. Next switch to node edit

4. Pull down the side nodes till it has a rounded "butt-like" shape.

5. Next add to nodes near the top and play with the curve handles until you have a rough "neck-like" shape.

6. When you are satisfied go to Layers>convert to Raster. And you image should look something like this:

7. Go to Selections>Select all then Selections>float

8. Go to Effects>3D Effects>Cut Out and use the following settings:

Vertical: 0
Horizontal: 0
Opacity: 100
Blur: 75
Shadow Color: Black

9. Go to Selections>Select None

10. Go to Effects>Noise>3%

11. If you have Eye Candy:
Go to Effects>Plug Ins>Eye Candy> Jiggle and apply these settings:

Movement: Turbulence
Bubble Size: 38.87
Warp Amount: 7.59
Twist: 79
Random Seed: 224

You can play with any of these settings to make yours slightly different

If you don't have Eye Candy:
Use the retouch tool set on smudge with these settings:

Hardness: 48
Opacity: 61
Step: 16
Density: 100
Very the brush size from 20 to 5 to get a furry effect by pulling the edges out.

Now for the kitties Tail.

12. Add a new Raster Layer

13. Choose your Paint Brush Tool with #202020 set as the color and these settings:

Size: 38
Hardness: 100
Opacity: 100
Step: 1
Density: 100

And draw the kitties tail from roughly the center of its bum moving up into a "kitty-like" pose like this:

note: you might have to move your "body" shape up a bit, I got mine a little too close to the bottom of the image.

14. Once you have your Kitty's tail how you like it:
Go to Selections>Select all>float
Go to Effects>3D Effects>Cut Out and use the following settings:

Vertical: 0
Horizontal: 0
Opacity: 100
Blur: 16.3
Shadow Color: Black

Go to Selections>Select None
Go to Effects>Noise>3%

15. Apply the same Eye Candy Settings or Smudge Settings you used on the body.

Now for the kitties Head

16. Now, go back to the preset shapes and use the same settings as the body but use the Ellipse shape and draw a oval over the neck

17. Set yourself up for Node Editing and pull the curve handles of the sides nodes together to give yourself a football shape like this:

18. Next inside the vector shape is a line with two nodes on it (I don't know what it's called so if anyone knows, please tell me lol) and grab the right-hand side one which will allow you to rotate the whole object. You want to rotate it so that the head looks tilted to the side.

19. When you are satisfied go to Layers>convert to Raster.

Go to Selections>Select all>float
Go to Effects>3D Effects>Cut Out and use the following settings:

Vertical: 0
Horizontal: 0
Opacity: 100
Blur: 75
Shadow Color: Black

Go to Selections>Select None
Go to Effects>Noise>3%

20. Apply the same Eye Candy Settings or Smudge Settings you used on the body & Tail

20. Now, go to image>canvas size>

New width: 450
New height: 550
Center image Horizontally: checked
Center image Vertically: unchecked
Top: 0
Bottom: 0

(yes, we are doing this because I made the original image too small and I'm much too lazy to start over doing the screen-shots)

Now for the hat!

21. Decide what color you want for the hat (I chose purple) and set that as your backgrounds color and select the preset shape tool with the same settings as before (other than color) and choose the cone shape. Draw a cone on kitties head and position it using the rotate thing in the middle. When you are satisfied go to Layers>convert to Raster. And you image should look something like this:

22. now you can leave the hat like that or draw a "brim" on it using the paint brush tool with whatever width you'd like to put a brim on it like this:

23. Once you have it how you want it
Go to Selections>Select all>float
Go to Effects>3D Effects>Cut Out and use the following settings:

Vertical: 0
Horizontal: 0
Opacity: 100
Blur: 35
Shadow Color: A darker shade of the color you used for the hat

Go to Selections>Select None
Go to Effects>Noise>3%

23. If you want stars on your hat:
Add a new raster layer
Select the preset shape tool on star with vector unchecked and the background color set to the color you want your stars. Randomly add stars all over the hat making some overlap where the edges are (don't worry, we'll fix that)

Now go to your layer palette and select the hat layer
Using the magic wand tool click on the outside of the image away from the hat.
Go to your layer palette and select the stars layer and hit delete
Selections> Select None

24. Layers>New Raster Layer
Using the paint brush tool with the same color as your stars and using a brush size of 17 and the same settings as earlier draw a band above the rim of your hat.
Once you have it how you want it
Go to Selections>Select all>float Go to Effects>3D Effects>Cut Out and use the following settings:

Vertical: 0
Horizontal: 0
Opacity: 100
Blur: 35
Shadow Color: A darker shade of the color you used for the hat

Go to Selections>Select None
Go to Effects>Noise>3%

Now for the kitties ears

25. Go back to your preset shapes with the foreground set to null and the background set to #202020 select the cone shape with Antialias and Vector checked, make a small "ear-sized" triangle rotating it slightly to make the left ear.
When you are satisfied go to Layers>convert to Raster.

Go to Selections>Select all>float
Go to Effects>3D Effects>Cut Out and use the following settings:

Vertical: 0
Horizontal: 0
Opacity: 100
Blur: 7.5
Shadow Color: Black

Go to Selections>Select None
Go to Effects>Noise>3%

Apply the same Eye Candy Settings or Smudge Settings you used on the body, Tail & head
For Eye Candy change the bubble size to 11.61 and the warp amount to 6.13

26. Now, go to layers>duplicate
Image>mirror
and move the right ear into position using the deform to give it the correct angle
go to effects>sharpen>sharpen once you have it in place.

And that's it!
Merge all the layers and crop and resize to fit your needs!
You're done!

This was the first one I did that inspired me to write the tut, Hat shape on this one was by Bel. :o)

The image you just made is yours to do whatever you want with. No part of this tutorial may be offered for download anywhere else. You may link to it with a text link only. Violators will be hung by toenails.

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