Animated Bats

©Doodles by LadyFox  10/22/06

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This tutorial and all images [except the PSP logos] belong to ©Doodles by LadyFox.  You may make a copy of this tutorial or print it out for your own personal use ONLY.  You are free to LINK to my tutorials if you would like to share them.  What you create from my tutorials belongs to you to do with as you wish.

Feel free to email me LadyFox

This tutorial was done with PSP9   
but could be done with other versions.

All of my tutorials are written following the steps I used to make my graphic.   
It is my hope that you will take what I provide 
and do your own thing with it. 

YOU WILL NEED

Remember to SaveOften
STEPS - These are the steps I used.

1.

Lets Begin

New Image 300x300
File/Save As: bats.pspimage

2.

 The Body

New Vector Layer: body

Preset Shape Tool
Mode: Draw Ellipse
Create On Vector: Checked
Show Nodes: Checked
Anti-alias: Checked

Foreground Style: Null
Background Color: Black

Draw a small ellipse for the body
{140x118 to 163x154}

Click the 1+ sign on the Overview palette to zoom in

Pen Tool
Mode: Edit

Layer Palette
Click the eye next to body to turn off the fill

Objects/ Convert To Path

Click on one of the side nodes
Hold down the Shift Key and click the other side node
Tap the up arrow on the key pad 6 times

Click on any blank spot to deselect

Add 2 nodes

Select new nodes hold down the Shift Key and click the other new node
Right Click/Node Type/Cusp

While still selected
tap the up arrow key 10 times
[
Click on any blank spot to deselect

Click on the left top node
Tap the left arrow key 6 times

Click on the right top node
Tap the right arrow key 6 times

Adjust nodes to your liking


Click Apply

Layer Palette
Click the eye next to body to turn the fill back on

3.

 The Wings

New Vector Layer: r wing

Pen Tool [P]
Mode: Draw Point to Point - Bezier Curves
Tracking: 5
Connect Segments: Checked
Create On Vector: Checked
Show Nodes: Checked

Using the screenshot as a guide
Click along to the basic shape you want for the wing

I changed the color of my bats body so you can see the wing better

Pen Tool [P]
Mode Edit
Adjust nodes to smooth

Click Apply

Layers/ Duplicate
Image Mirror
Rename this layer: l wing

Active Layer: body
Object Selection Tool

Right Click on the body/ Align Object/ Horz Center In Canvas

The body and each wing should be on their own layer
Adjust wings if needed

Convert each layer to a Raster Layer

4.

 Change The Wing Positions

Duplicate each layer of the bat
Turn off the view to the three copy layers

Make sure one of the visible layers is the active layer
Layers/Merge/Merge Visible

Rename the merged layer Bat1

Turn it off for now and make the other three bat layers visible

Make Copy of l wing the active layer
Image/ Rotate/ Free Rotate
Direction: left
Free: 70
All layers: NOT Checked
Rotate single layer around canvas center: NOT Checked
OK

Use the Move Tool to move the wing into place

Repeat for the other wing except rotate it to the right

Merge the three copy layers and rename them bat2

Turn bat1 back on

Active Layer: Raster 1
Add the background of your choice

5.

 Add Another Bat

Duplicate each bat layer

Active Layer: Copy of bat 1
Turn off all the other bat layers

Image/ Resize [Shift+S]
Under Pixel Dimensions
Width: 125
Height: 125
Select: Percent
Resample using: Checked - Select Bicubic
Maintain original print size: NOT Checked
Lock aspect Ratio: Checked
Resize all layers: NOT Checked
OK

Use the Move Tool [M] to move him where you want him

Active Layer: Copy of bat 2

Image/ Resize [Shift+S]
OK

Use the Move Tool [M] to line him up with copy of bat 1

Turn on all layers
Here is what we have so far

Save this file but keep it open

6.

 The Animation