ScareCrow
Created by: Teaser

Set Color Palette as follows:
– Foreground style = Solid Color
– Color: R = 179, G = 231, B = 255 (HTML code: #B3E7FF)
– Background style = Solid color
– Color: R = 181, G = 83, B = 36 (HTML code: #B55324)
– Textures = Null
– Lock = checked

Tip: Place the cursor on the bottom right edge of the image window. Drag it out and down so the edges of the image can be seen.

Making the Head

Go to Layers || New Raster Layer.
Name the new layer "Head".

Using the status bar at the bottom left as a guide, hold down the left mouse button and draw an 80x80 circle. The coordinates to watch are located in the first set of parenthesis just after the "=" sign. You may not be able to lock exactly on 80x80. Most likely you'll either get 79x79 or 81x81 ... That's good enough!

Note: The location of the head on the background isn't important at this time. Final placement can be made at the end of the tutorial as final adjustments.

Activate the Flood-Fill tool and set as follows:
– Blend mode = Normal
– Match mode = None
– Opacity = 100
– Sample merged = unchecked

Right-click to flood-fill the selection with the background color.
Do not deselect!

Go to Effects || Texture Effects || Weave. Set as follows:
– Gap size = 2
– Width = 2
– Opacity = 100
– Weave color = R=140, G=64, B=28 (HTML code: #8C401C)
– Gap color = R=117, G=54, B=23 (HTML code: #753617)
– Fill gaps = checked

Click on OK when finished to apply Weave.
Do not yet deselect!

Go to Effects || 3D Effects || Cutout. Set as follows:
– Vertical Offset = 19
– Horizontal Offset = -6 (minus 6)
– Opacity = 70
– Blur = 60
– Shadow color = Black
– Fill interior with color = unchecked

Click on OK to apply the effect.
Now deselect with Ctrl+D (Selections || Select None).

Open the Layer palette if it isn't opened already.

Set the Blend Mode of the "Copy of head" layer to "Luminance".

Tip: To find this, click on the right-arrow beside 'Normal' in the layer options.

Slide the Opacity to 85.

Creating the hat

Set Color palette as follows:
– Foreground style = Solid Color
– Foreground color = Black
– Background color = Black

Tip: If you right click on the Foreground and Background palette, a "Recent Color History" box will pop up. You'll be able to find the colors you've used faster.

Using the status bar as a guide, draw an ellipse of approx. 110x30.

Place the cursor over the rotate node and rotate the hat to give it a slant along the head.

Go to Layers || Convert to Raster.

Left-click on bottom node.

Right-click and choose Edit || Delete.

Right-click again. Choose "Quit Node Edit".

Move the half circle into position on the hat rim and rotate it (using the rotate node like you did with the rim) to fit the angle of the rim.

Convert to Raster (Layers || Convert to Raster).

Activate the Mover tool.
Move the hat top off to the side for the next step.
Save your work in psp format.

Creating the Hat Band

Activate the Zoom tool and enlarge the half circle image. We're going to use the Freehand (Lasso) tool to draw a rectangle along the bottom edge to create a hat band.

Set Foreground color to yellow.

Activate the Floodfill tool and fill inside the selection.
Do not yet deselect.

Go to Effects || Texture Effects || Texture.
Choose the "Plastic Wrinkles" preset.
Deselect

Go to View || Normal Viewing (1:1).

Activate the Mover tool and position the cap back into place on the rim.

Hide the "Head" and the "Background" layer.
Activate another layer that is not hidden.
Merge visible layers (Layers || Merge || Merge visible) and rename the merged layer to "Hat".
Unhide all layers.
Position the head and hat in the upper middle area of the background.

Making the Post

Change the Foreground and Background colors to White.

Activate the Preset Shapes tool.
Select Rectangle as the shape.
Leave the other settings unchanged.

Watching the status bar, draw a 16 pixel wide rectangle that starts about 1/2" from the top of the background and extends to the bottom of the image.

Convert to Raster (Layers || Convert to Raster).

Go to Effects || Texture Effects || Sculpture.
Choose the "Mahogany" preset from the preset list.

Go to Layers || Duplicate.

Go to Image || Rotate:
– Direction = Right
– Degrees = 90
– All Layers = unchecked

Adjust the stakes so they are centered.

Hide Head, Hat and Background layer.

Activate an unhidden layer and go to Layers || Merge || Merge visible.

Rename the merged layer to "Post".
Unhide all layers.
Drag the "Post" layer down so that it rests on top of the "Background" layer.
Save your work!

Clothing for the Scarecrow

Activate the top layer.
Create a new layer and name it "Shirt".
Color palette unchanged.

Select the Freehand (Lasso) tool.
Settings unchanged.

Draw a shirt outline for the scarecrow in the same manner the hat band was created.

The idea is to trace a basic clothing outline. It can be any shape you'd like: Long or short sleeve, tank top. You can make your scarecrow a girl! Whatever you'd like it to wear. When finished right-click to set.

Floodfill the selection with white.
Deselect.
Save your work!

Set the Foreground and Background colors to: Red = 181, Green = 83, Blue = 36 (HTML code: #B55324).

Activate the Preset Shapes tool and choose Triangle for the shape.
Leave the other settings unchanged.

Draw a triangle large enough to fill in the gap.

Convert to Raster.
Rename the new Layer to "Triangle".

Go to Effects || Texture Effects || Weave.
Settings unchanged.

Duplicate the "Triangle" layer.

Go to Effects || 3D Effects || Cutout.
Settings unchanged.

Change the blend mode of the "Copy of Triangle" layer to "Luminance". Slide the Opacity to 85.

Hide all layers except the "Triangle" and "Copy of Triangle" layers.

Merge visible layers (Layers || Merge || Merge visible).

Unhide all layers.

Rename the merged layer to "Neck".
Drag the "Neck" layer down to rest on top of the "Post" layer. Use Mover tool to position if needed.

Placing a Drop Shadow on the Head for Depth

Activate the "Head" layer.

Go to Effects || 3D Effects || Drop Shadow. Set as follows:
– Vertical Offset = 1
– Horizontal Offset = 0
– Opacity = 75
– Blur = 7.5
– Color = black

The Clothing, Continued

Activate the "Shirt" layer.

Go to Effects || Texture Effects || Texture. Set as follows:
– Preset = Dross
– Color = Red=54, Green=54, Blue=27 (HTML code: #36361B)

Leave all other settings for "Dross" unchanged.

Change the Foreground color to Black.

Create a new layer and name it "Pants".

With the Freehand (Lasso) tool (settings unchanged) "freehand" in the pants.

Floodfill with black.

Deselect.

Drag the "Pants" layer down to rest above "Post" layer.

Finishing Touches

Activate the top layer.
Create a new raster layer. Name it "Buttons".

Foreground color = R=243, G=243, B=37 (HTML code: #F3F325)
Background color = R=102, G=102, B=49 (HTML code: #666631)

Click on the Paint Brush tool. Set as follows:
– Shape = Round
– Size = 5
– Hardness = 50
– Opacity = 100
– Step = 1
– Density = 100

Paint buttons down the front of the shirt.

Create a new layer, name it "Collar".

Activate the Freehand (Lasso) tool.
Freehand a collar along the neck.
Right-click to set.

Activate the Floodfill tool.
Right-click into the selection to flood-fill it with the background color.
Deselect.

Create a new layer. Name it "Face".

Set Foreground and Background color = Black.

Activate the Preset Shapes tool. Set as follows:
– Retain Style = unchecked
– Antialias = checked
– Create as vector = checked

Select the triangle to make the first eye.
Convert to Raster.

Go to Layers || Duplicate to make the 2nd eye.
It will place the 2nd eye right on top of the first eye.

Use the Mover tool to position it to the other side of the face.

Activate the Preset Shapes tool again.

Make a smaller triangle for the nose.
Convert to Raster.

Use the Mover tool to position.

Activate the Paint Brush tool. Settings as follows:
– Shape = Round
– Size = 1
– Hardness = 50
– Opacity = 100
– Step = 1
– Density = 100
– Build up = unchecked

Freehand a line for the mouth. Add a few stitches if desired.

Position all the components to the desired location.
Save your work in psp format.
Merge all layers [Layers || Merge || Merge All (Flatten)].
If needed crop around the scarecrow and save as a .jpg or as a .gif file using File || Export || JPG Optimizer (compression around 5-40) or File || Export || GIF Optimizer.
This step does two things: It allows you to save your PSP work image and then save a smaller file size for use on a web page.