Distinctively Donna - Scarecrow Tutorial

This tutorial was written for PSP v7, but should be easily adapted to v6, and assumes you have a working knowledge of the tools and effects.

The selection files are available as a zip file, or there are instructions for making your own selections.

Right click and save the color palette, open in PSP and use your dropper to select the numbered colors when called for.
Some of the screenshots are clickable thumbnails, most have been reduced to 75% of the original size. Some are zoomed in by 1 to view the details more clearly.

Don't forget to save often!

	Begin with a 400 x 400 transparent canvas. With your ellipse selection tool, antialias checked, make a head shape toward the top of your canvas, or load head.sel from your scarecrow selection files. Fill with Color #1 from the color palette. Selections \| Float Effects \| 3D Effects \| Cutout V \| -1 H \| -10 Opacity \| 40 Blur \| 20 Shadow Color \| #9 from the color palette Deselect

	Create a new layer and name it bandana. With your ellipse selection tool, make a saucer shaped selection under the head, or load the bandana.sel from the scarecrow selection files. Fill with #7 from the color palette Selections \| Float Effects \| 3D Effects \| Cutout Same settings, but change the shadow color to Black or #10 on the color palette Deselect Effects \| Geometric Effects \| Wave Horizontal Displacement 0 \| 50 Vertical Displacement 12 \| 50 Effects \| 3D Effects \| Drop Shadow V \| 1 H \| 1 Opacity \| 50 Blur \| 7

	Create a new layer, name it shirt. With your point to point lasso tool, antialias checked, draw the outline of a shirt, or load the shirt.sel file. Fill with #3 Selections \| Float Effects \| 3D Effects \| Cutout Same settings, but change the shadow color to #5 Deselect Effects \| 3D Effects \| Drop Shadow Same settings Effects \| Noise \| Add 10% \| Uniform Move the shirt below the bandana layer on your layer palette

	Create a new layer, name it overalls. Move below the bandana layer on your layer palette. With your lasso tool, point to point, antialias checked, draw the outline of the overalls, or load the overall.sel file. Fill with #5 Selections \| Float Effects \| 3D Effects \| Cutout Same settings, change shadow color to black or #10 Repeat, change the V \| 1 and the H \|10 Deselect Effects \| 3D Effects \| Drop Shadow Same settings Effects \| Noise \| Add Same settings

	Hide the head layer and merge visible, rename the merged layer to body and move to the bottom of your layer palette. Don't forget to save!

	Create a new layer above the head layer, name it eyes, then zoom in by 1 to make it easier to see. With your circle selection tool, antialias checked, make a circle for an eye. Fill with #9 Deselect Duplicate the eye layer and use your mover tool to move the duplicate eye into place.

	Create a new layer and name it nose. With your triangle selection tool, antialias checked, start at the bottom right side of the nose, pull up and left to make the nose. Fill with #8 Deselect Effects \| 3D Effects \| Drop Shadow Same settings Use your mover tool to move the nose into place on the face.

	Create a new layer, name it mouth. Set your foreground color to #7 Background color to No Fill or Null Use your Draw Tool \| Freehand \| Width 1\| Antialias Checked Only Refer to the screenshot for ideas. Effects \| 3D Effects \| Drop Shadow Same settings

	Create a new layer, name it cheek. With your circle selection tool, antialias checked, make a circle for his cheek. Fill with #6 Deselect Effects \| Blur \| Gaussian Blur \| 3 Lower the opacity to 60 Duplicate the cheek layer, then move into place on the other side of the face

	Hide the head and the body layers, merge visible and rename the merged layer to face. You should have three layers at this point. Don't forget to save!

	Create a new layer, name it hat. With your ellipse selection, create the brim of the hat, change to the rounded rectangle selection, hold the shift key and create the crown of the hat, or load the hat.sel from the selection files. Fill with #2 Selections \| Float Effects \| 3D Effects \| Cutout Same settings, change the shadow color to #9 Repeat, change the V \| -1 and the H \| -10 Deselect Effects \| Geometric Effects \| Wave Change the Vertical Amplitude to 4 Effects \| 3D Effects \| Drop Shadow Same settings If you hid a part of the face, either move the hat or the face into place.

	Create a new layer, name it straw, then move the straw layer to the bottom of your layer palette. You can zoom in to make this next step easier. Foreground color set to #2 Background color set to #1 Use your draw tool, same settings as before to make the straw stuffing for the hands and feet. Draw several lines in varying positions and angles. Effects \| Artistic Effects \| Black Pencil Detail \| 100 Opacity \| 20 Dulplicate the straw layer 3 times and move into place to represent the feet and hands. Use the deformation tool to rotate and or resize. Always sharpen when you rotate or resize. View normal.

	Duplicate the original straw layer again, then move on your layer palette just below the head layer and above the body layer. We want a little straw above the bandana, but below the face.

	Create a new layer just under the hat layer and rename hair. Zoom in by 1 to make this step easier. Use your draw tool, same settings, same colors and give the fellow some hair. Effects \| Artistic Effects \| Black Pencil Same settings Effects \| 3D Effects \| Drop Shadow V \| 1 H \| 1 Opacity \| 50 Blur \| 1 View normally. Add the same drop shadow to each of the straw layers, then merge visible. Your scarecrow is complete as is, or do as I did and embellish the overalls or any other ideas you might have to personalize him! If you want to reuse your scarecrow, save as a psp file, or export as a tube.

Let me know if I can assist you in any way, thanks for taking the time to view and/or try my tutorial!

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