You may use the graphic as you like, since this is just a learning tutorial showing you some techniques. I did not supply any selections or fills. The tutorial itself still follows my terms.
Please
make sure you have read them.
You will need Eye Candy 3 (Free Plugin)
This tutorial was written using PSP9. You may do in other version of PSP, but locations for effects and adjustments may be located in different areas. This tutorial was written with the intermediate user in mind.
Heart Balloon
New Image 200 X 300 Transparent (Save in PSP format as any name you would like.)
Preset Shapes - Heart Preset Shape
- Not checked: Retain Style and Anti-alias
- Checked: Create as vector
- Line style doesn't matter since we are only using the background.
Foreground: Null
Background: Color of your choice. I used #c00000
We are going to do this one on a transparent background. That is why we are not using the Anti-alias. You may need to play around with the shape a little or even pixel a little after you convert it to a raster layer.
You may want to Flood Fill the first layer to help you see better and create another layer to begin on.
Drag out a heart shape near the bottom left corner.
Right click on the Vector layer on the Layer Palette - Convert to Raster.
I liked the way the left came out better than the right half, so I'm using the selection tool to remove the right side.
You could pixel in or pixel erase stray pixels if necessary.
Then I will duplicate (Right click on xlayer), mirror and use the Mover Tool to place.
Hide background
Right click on either layer on Layer Palette - Merge Visible
SAVE
Lock Transparency on the Layer Palette 
. You will find this way over on the right side. You may have to slide the bar to the right.
Effects - 3D - Cutout (You may have to adjust according to the size of your image.)
- Vertical and Horizontal: -6
- Opacity: 100
- Blur: 20
- Shadow Color: Black
Select All and Float (Ctrl A+F)
Paint some white highlight on.
Adjust - Blur - Gaussian Blur 4
Select None (Ctrl+D)
Use the Mover Tool to move the heart where it is touching the bottom edge of the image.
SAVE Copy As (Ctrl+F12) Make sure it is still in PSP format - Create a folder to put animation images - Name this one 1.
Use the Mover Tool to drag up and to the right slightly for a balloon that will sightly move sideways as it floats up. If you want to make a straight string or pixel line, you want to move up as straight as possible.
String
Foreground: Select a color for the string. I used #606060
Background: Null
You can do this several ways:
You could add a New Layer below the layer containing the heart on the Layer Palette and pixel paint the string straight or curved line.
or
Use the Pen Tool (Draw) with Bezier curves. Here are the settings I used:
- Point To Point -Bezier Curves
- Connect Segments, Create On Vector and Show Nodes all checked.
- Solid Line
- Line Size: 1
- Anti-alias not checked
Keep this as a Vector layer for now.
Drag this layer below the balloon layer on the Layer Palette
SAVE Copy As (Ctrl+F12) Make sure it is still in PSP format - Save to same folder - Name this one 2.
Repeat the above moving balloon up as you go using the Mover Tool
The reason we keep the string as a vector layer is so we can just:
- Click back on the Vector layer
- Select Pen/Draw Tool, (PSP 9) click back on the Point To Point - Bezier Line icon or it will be on Edit Mode
- Click on the node at the top of the line and add another node at the bottom of the balloon.
or just pixel brush in
SAVE Copy As (Ctrl+F12) Make sure it is still in PSP format - Save to same folder - Name this one 3.
Keep repeating the above 2 or 3 more times, but don't forget to SAVE Copy As (Ctrl+F12) and Name in order each time. I have a total of 7 images right now. You may have one more or less. That is fine.
Right click on Vector string layer on Layer Palette - Conver to Raster Layer
Click on heart balloon layer on Layer Palette
Effects - Plugins - Eye Candy - Jiggle
This is the setting I used, but you may need to make adjustments.
- Bubble Size: 31
- Wrap Amount: 240
- Twist: 4
- Movement Type: Bubbles
SAVE Copy As (Ctrl+F12) Make sure it is still in PSP format - Save to same folder - Name with the next number you need.
Words
Foreground:Null
Background: Your choice. I used #800000
Text Tool - Choose a font that looks good without Anti-alias.
Use Create as: Vector then convert to a Raster layer
NOTE You may want to set the kerning to 100 or higher to leave space between the letters. We will be selecting each one to float and place on its own layer for animating.
Use the Selection Tool: Rectangle to select around each letter. Make sure Mode is set to Replace.
Click inside the selected area.
Notice the Floating Selection on the Layer Palette - Right click on it and select Promote Selection to Layer
Click back on the layer with all your writing and select the next letter - click inside to float - promote to layer.
Continue until you have all the letters selected and placed on their own layer. I did not do this with my name. I wanted it as just one word showing.
This is what mine looked like before and after I moved the letters.
Preparing for Animation
Hide all the layers (Click on eye/glasses) but the balloon and string - right click on Layer Palette - Merge Visible.
Right click on background layer on Layer Palette - Delete
Make the first letter of the writing visible
SAVE Copy As (Ctrl+F12) Make sure it is still in PSP format - Save to same folder - Name with the next number you need.
Make the next letter of the writing visible
SAVE Copy As (Ctrl+F12) Make sure it is still in PSP format - Save to same folder - Name with the next number you need.
Continue until you have all the letters and name visible
I ended up with 19 images. Seven with the balloon floating up and 12 with the words. You can close the original image.
Go to the folder where you saved the files for the animation. We are going to make some adjustments to prepare for animation.
Open all the images.
For each image, right click on any of the layers on the Layer Palette that are NOT visible and/or any background layers you Flood Filled - Delete
Right click on any layer on Layer Palette - Merge Visible.
Animation
File Jasc Software Products Launch Animation Shop
In Animations Shop
File Animation Wizard (Shift+A)
On Popup Check the following
- 1st Screen Same size as the first image frame - Next
- 2nd Screen Transparent
- 3rd Screen Upper left corner of the frame
With the canvas color
Scale frames to fit Next
- 4th Screen Yes, repeat the animation indefinitely
40 (A lower number will create a faster animation. A higher number will create a slower animation.)
- 5th Screen Add Image
Browse to the folder where you saved the images.
Click on any image (Ctrl+A) to select All - Open - You will notice the last image is at the top - (Mine was 20, because that is how many images I used.) Click on it, then click the Move Up button. That will place it at the bottom. Next
- Finish
You may View - Animation
~ You may leave as it is. I wanted the letters to move a little faster, so I selected all the frames with letters, but not my name. (Click on the frame with the first letter, hold down the Shift key, and click on the last frame.)
Right click on any of the selected frames - Frame Properties
I changed the setting to 20.
File - Save
Name as you wish.
I usually save with the slider all the way up to Better Image Quality
Keep hitting the Next button until it is finished.
Hope you have enjoyed this
tutorial.
Contact
Carla
© 2005 Carla Polston All Rights Reserved
