I'm going to show you how to make this little animated Cat.  Using your PSP 9 and Animation shop.

The artist of the cat as you probably recognize is Mary Engelbreit's creation.

Here is the supplies ZIP for your supplies... 

*included  is the  ME cat tube and the two eye lash PSP brushes.. put the brushes in your Brush folder..

Open the cat tube and click Shift + D to duplicate the window, close the original tube.

Name the CAT tube layer on the layer palette.. and duplicate it 2 times. End up with 3 layers there as shown.

Use your freehand selection tool/point to point selection type.

Select around the right eye, right click on the last click to close the selection in as shown below.

Add a new layer name it Eye or something to identify what it is.. With the new layer selected on the layer palette fill it with white. See sample below.

On the same layer as the white, use your selection tool /Ellipse.

and draw an oval for the cats iris. fill it with whatever color you want the cats eye to be. While its still selected go to selection/INVERT and apply a 3D drop shadow on the Iris using the settings below. Use a darker color than what the iris is.

Next on the same layer make a smaller oval using the selection tool like before this time its for the pupil. so smaller.. thinner and fill with black. you can put a 3D drop shadow around the eye now using the settings below.. use V-1 H-1 apply the shadow then change the V to -1 and the H to -1.

Add a new layer.. and use the eyelash brush I supplied in the Zip. You might have to use the deformation tool to get it positioned along the top of the eye at the correct angle. Once you get the lashes right.. merge/merge down the lashes and the eye. Now your eye is complete..

DUPLICATE the eye layer now and on the new duplicated eye layer go to Image /mirror, use the deformation tool to turn the eye in correct angle for the left eye.

Once the eye is in the correct angle.. merge the two eye layers.

On the layer palette you should have 3 layers now.. the top cat layer is the one with the opened eyes.. the middle and bottom one.. is of the original cat.. X or hide the top and bottom layers.. and lets work on the middle layer... this is the layer were going to work on to make the cats tail move. Use your selection tool again... the Freehand selection tool on point to point.

Carefully click around the cats tail.. against the body.. where the tail connects on.. right clicking to close in the selection.

That middle layer is still selected on the layer palette.. right click on the top of the image window and COPY and PASTE as new layer.

This sample below is after I pasted as new layer.. see the selection? its still selecting the original TAIL.. making sure that layer is selected NOT the new tail layer but the original middle layer... click delete or the CUT button . Now click and drag the new tail layer *remember you always rename these layers* down BELOW the original middle layer that has the cat body on it.. that way the tail will be BEHIND the body and the end of it where you cut it off wont be seen.

Use your deformation tool and skewer the tail into a new position.. keep your eye on where it attaches on to the body.. You want it in about the SAME place as the original tail was cut off..

Merge the new placed tail and the cat layer. *REMINDER* always when you use the deformation tool or resize something, SHARPEN it once.. or it will be blurred in that area!!!!

You should have 3 layers on the layer palette now.. the bottom one is the original untouched cat.. the middle one.. is the one that you just re-adjusted the tail on.. the top layer is the one where you made the open eyes..

On each of the cat layers.. apply a 3D drop shadow.. I used the settings below.. but you can do it how you want it to look.

I ADDED a new layer.. clicked and dragged it to the BOTTOM of the layers.. filled it with white.. named it bkg layer.. and 'decorated' it with a few brushes. you can put whatever deco you want on it. I also put my watermark on this bkg layer.

Duplicate your Bkg layer now 2 times.. you should have the 3 cat layers and the 3 bottom layers that are the bkg layers.. so 6 layers all together. Drag a cat layer above a bkg layer... you should have cat layer on top.. bkg.. cat layer.. bkg ...cat layer then lastly on bottom, a bkg layer.  click on EACH cat layer.. merge/merge down. You end up with 3 layers when done.. SAVE AS an Animation Shop (*.psp) file type and then open your Animation shop and browse to this file you just saved in PSP... you MIGHT have to re-adjust the animation speed.. you would do that by going to EDIT/Select ALL frames. then right click on any of the frames and go to animation properties... by default its set on 10.. which is FAST.. the higher the number the slower the animation speed.. Mine I set on 30.. then you SAVE AS a .gif.. if you need help in fine tuning.. your GIF settings.. I have another tutorial for that, the PERFECT GIF.

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial.. till next time friends.

TOODLES!

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