"Rocky Rooster"

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Rocky Rooster is based on one of the characters my 15 yo daughter, Nikki drew. She is a
fantastic artist and loves drawing Manga characters. I wish I had the talent she does to
hand draw. Thanks sweet for letting Mom borrow your idea!

This is a vector tutorial. I have provided lots of screenshots in hopes that intermediate to
advanced newbies will be able to follow it. Advanced users will be able to work through
this tutorial quickly and with ease. Don't let the length of the tutorial scare you, the shapes
are fairly easy.
Vectors in PSP 9 thru 11 work basically the same way, older version work a little differently
so you will need to know how to get into and out of vector mode in older versions to work this
tutorial.

This tutorial is written using Paint Shop Pro X but can be done in all versions. If you are a new
user you may want to do my Vector 101 tutorial and Exploring Node Types tutorials first.

Let's get started.

1. Go to File, New. Use the setting in the screenshot below to open a new canvas...

2. Set your foreground color to black and your background color to #ffe073

3. Preset Shapes tool set to Ellipse with these settings....

4. Draw an oval about mid center your canvas...

5. Activate your Pen Tool

6. Right click on your oval and select Convert to path...

This takes you into Node Edit Mode. Click on the Pen Tool

7. Look to the right, see your Layers Palette, see Vector Layer 1 and the little eye in front?
Click on the eye. This closes your color so you can see your nodes better. I prefer to vector
this way but if you don't you can skip this step.

8. Click once on the center node on the left to activate it. Right Click and chose Node Type, Cusp...
NOTE. Remember this step, you will be using it a lot.

9. Move the node down just a little so it is slightly off center. Using the bottom and top handles
on your node pull down or up and out to the left a little.
Something like this......

10. Right click on the right center node, Node Type, Cusp. Move this node down a little and adjust the
handle like you did on the other side. This forms the head and cheeks of your chick....

11. In the Layers Palette click on the eye to make your color visible again.
Go to Layers, Convert to Raster...

12. In the Layers Palette, right click on Raster 2 Layer and select Rename, name as Head.

13. Go to Layers, New Vector Layer, name this layer Spike 1.
Note. When I say "Add a New Vector Layer" that is how you do it.
Preset Shapes set to the Ellipse setting used for the head. Same Background/Foreground
color as well.

14. Draw a small over at the top center of your head allowing the top of the oval to extend
over the head line......

15. Right Click, Convert to Path. Activate your Pen Tool .
Click on the eye in your Layers Palette to close your color.

16. Click and hold on the top node moving it to the right a little.

17. Right click on the top node and change it to Cusp. Move the
handles down something like this.....

18. On each side of the bottom node add a node....

19. Make the center node your active node, hit the delete key on your keyboard.
That will remove the center node. Move the nodes on each side to form something
like this....

20. Convert Raster.

21. Add a New Vector Layer naming it Spike2.

22. Same Preset Shape and colors as used for Spike 1.

23. Draw an oval just off center below the first spike...

24. Shape your oval something like this and add two nodes on each side of the
right side existing node....

25. Make the right center node (your existing node) the active node, hit the delete
key on your keyboard to remove that node....

26. Moving the other nodes, shape something like this.....

27. Convert to Raster.

28. Make Raster 1 Layer your active layer, add a New Vector Layer naming it Spike3.
Draw out an oval on the left side of Spike 1 and shape it something like this...
Change nodes to Cusp where needed.

29. There will be 3 more Spikes, do them the same way, add new vector layers,
naming them as you go. Convert to Raster each layer as you go.
The screenshots below will show the shape of each....

Spike 5 Layer should be made below Spike 4 layer so that it is behind Spike 4...

Spike 6

Since we're working with the yellow and black we will make our body and come back later
to make the eyes and beak.

30. Make Raster 1 Layer your active layer. Add a New Vector Layer naming it Body.

31. With the same colors and Preset shape, draw out an oval just below the head...

32. You will need to add nodes, change some to cusp and shape your body something
like this....
 

33. Convert to Raster.

34. New Vector Layer naming it Right Wing.

35. Draw out an oval on the right side of his body...

36. Right click, Convert to Path, click on the Pen Tool.

37. Add nodes and change to Cusp where needed to shape your wing something like this...
Note the node on the body I placed two nodes beside the original one and deleted the
original just like I did on the Spikes.

38. Convert to Raster.

39. Make Raster 1 Layer your active layer. Add a New Vector Layer naming it Left Wing.

40. Draw a small oval to the left of the body....

41. Use the existing nodes to shape the wing something like this...

42. Convert to Raster.

43. Add a New Vector Layer naming it Tail Feathers 1.
Like the spikes I will show the node placement for each feather. Make each on a separate layer.
Converting to Raster as you go.

Tail Feather 1....

Tail Feather 2...

Tail Feather 3...

Tail Feather 4...

All 4 Tail Feathers together....

Now on to his feet!

44. Leave your foreground color set to black, change the background
color to #e5460f

45. Preset Shapes same settings as we've been using.

46. Make Raster1 Layer your active layer. Add a New Vector Layer naming it Left Foot.

47. Draw out an oval on the left bottom side of the body...

48. Add nodes, changing to Cusp where needed to shape your foot something like this...

49. Convert to Raster.

50. Add a New Vector Layer naming it Right Foot.

51. Draw an oval to the right of the Left Foot...

52. Add nodes, change to Cusp where needed to shape your foot something like this...

Both feet...

53. Make your Head Layer your active Layer. Add a New Vector Layer naming it Lower Beak.

54. Same colors and Preset Shape used for the feet. Draw out an oval on the bottom line of
his head....

55. Add nodes, changing to Cusp where needed and shape your beak something like this...

56. DO NOT Convert to Raster. Leave this layer in vectors so that we can adjust it if we
need to once we have our top beak made. Click Apply instead to set your vector.

57. Add a New Vector Layer naming it Top Beak.

58. Preset Shape and colors the same. Draw out an oval on top of the bottom beak....

59. Add nodes, change to Cusp where needed to shape your beak something like this...

60. Convert the Top Beak to Raster.

61. Make your Bottom Beak your active layer. In the Layers Palette click on the Plus + sign,
then click on the layer that drops down. This will reactivate your vectors.

62. Adjust the nodes on the bottom beak so that the right top side hides behind the top beak.
Adjust the nodes something like this....

63. Convert to Raster the Bottom Beak.

Now for the eyes!

64. Leave the foreground Black, set your background to White.

65. Preset Shapes same as we've been using. Make your Active Layer the Head layer.
Add a New Vector Layer naming it Left Eye White.

66. Draw an oval to the Left top of the Beak...

67. Add a node on each side of the bottom node that touches the Beak. Make the original
bottom node your active node and hit the delete key on your keyboard to remove the node.
Pull the two nodes you added down so they are behind the beak....

68. DO NOT convert to Raster. Click Apply.

69. Go to Layers, Duplicate, Image, Mirror. Use your Pick Tool to move the
Right Eye into place. Using the Pick Tool, pull out on the right side to make the eye
larger and a little on the top to make it taller. Not much, we just want it slightly
larger than the left eye.
Click on the Pen Tool and adjust the bottom nodes so that they are behind the beak....

70. Convert both Eye White Layers to Raster. Rename the Right one to Right Eye White.

71. Make the Left Eye White your active layer. Add a New Vector Layer naming it
Left Eye.

72. Leave your foreground color Black, set your background color to #283e91

73. Preset Shapes same as before.

74. Draw an oval on the right side of the Left Eye White...

75. Adjust the nodes so that the eye looks more like an egg, something like this...

76. Convert to Raster.

77. Make the Right Eye White your active Layer. Add a New Vector Layer naming
it Right Eye.

78. Same color and Preset Shape. Draw and oval in the center of the Right Eye White...

79. Use the Pick Tool to Rotate and enlarge (if needed) the eye something
like this...

80. Convert to Raster.

81. Add a New Vector Layer naming it Right Pupil.

82. Make your background color Black, foreground turned off.

83. Preset Shapes the same as before, draw a small oval on the blue of the eye...

84. Use the Pick Tool to rotate the Pupil and move it to the center of the eye...

85. Convert to Raster.

86. Make your Left Eye your active layer. Add a New Vector Layer naming it Left Pupil.

87. Draw a small oval on the eye...

88. Convert to Raster.

Almost finished. We just need to make the nails on his feet and we'll be through.

89. Make Raster 1 Layer your active layer. Add a New Vector Layer naming it Nail1.

90. Set your foreground color to Black. You background color to White.

91. Draw a small oval at the right foot....

92. Pull the two side nodes up so that you form a triangle, Change the bottom node
to Cusp and pull the handles up so you form a point. You want something like this...

Convert each Nail to a Raster as you go, add New Vector layers naming them.

2nd Nail....

3rd Nail...

4th Nail....

You're finished!
Here's Rocky Rooster........

Now you can shade him, change the colors of his spikes and or tail feathers to "punk"
him up more or whatever you want to do with him, just have fun!

Until next time... God Bless!
Connie