Doggie Tail

 

In this lesson we're going to learn how to make a dog's tail wag.  You can use this method for making hands wave, heads bop, etc...  It is just a matter of angles and having a mutual pivot point.  Let's get started.

 

1. Open up your tube in PSP.  I have zipped the cute little doggie I'm using in case anyone would like to use that one as well.  You can find it here.

 

2.  With your freehand selection tool carefully select the dogs tail.  Selections Float.  Selections Defloat. 

 

 

3.  CTRL+X to cut off the doggie's tail.  (Don't worry, no doggies were harmed in the making of this lesson...LOL)  Do not deselect.  New Raster.  Edit>Paste into Selection.  Deselect.

 

 

4.  Duplicate the tail layer 2 times for a total of 3 tail layers.  Hide the top 2 tails by clicking on the eye in the layer palette.  Make the bottom tail your active layer.  Go to Image>Free Rotate>Right>5.  Be sure All Layers and Rotate Around Canvas Center are both Unchecked.

 

 

5.  Now, as you can see there is a space between our doggie and his tail.  Go to your rotated tail and move it over til it touches the dog.  This spot where the tail touches the dog will be your pivot point.  You will want each of your tail layer to touch the dog at this same spot when we are finished.  I have circled my pivot point in red below. 

 

 

6.  Unhide the middle tail and make it the active layer.  We are not going to rotate this one.  Just position the tail at the pivot point.  An easy way to do this is lower the opacity of the middle tail so that you can see the position of the bottom tail.  Then line them up at the pivot point.  

 

7. Unhide the top tail and make it the active layer.  Go to Image>Free Rotate>change the direction to Left this time.  All other settings remain the same.  Position the tail at the pivot point just like the other 2 tails.  You should now have something like this.

 

 

 

8.  Hide the top 2 tails.  Go to Edit>Copy Merged.  Open Animation Shop and Paste as a New Animation.

 

9.  Back to PSP.  Hide the bottom tail and unhide the middle tail.  Edit>Copy Merged.  Paste After Current Frame in AS.

 

10.  Once again back to PSP.  Hide the middle tail and unhide the top tail.  Edit>Copy Merged.  Paster After Current Frame in AS.

 

11.  Now in AS you will have 3 frames.  Go to the 2nd frame.  Copy.  Then make the last frame your active frame and Paste After Current Frame.  This will now give you 4 frames.  We did this so that the tail wags more fluidly.    I have left my frame rate at 10, but you can adjust it according to your liking.  When you view your animation it should looks something like this.

 

 

Save your animation once you are satisfied and you're done!

 

 

               

Enjoy!

 

MaeBugg