By following this tutorial you will be creating a rag doll. Nothing is written in stone, feel free to change the fills and the retouch tool settings, the ones used here are my preference, they may not suit you :o)

By doing this tutorial you agree to my terms of use. But you are creating the doll using the tools provided by PSP so the final result will belong to you.

For this tutorial you will need PSP7 and, yes, we're going to be using vector shapes and node editing :o) Hopefully the screen shots provided will guide you through.

Pattern fills, right click and save as

dress fill pinny fill linen fill

Not sure on how to obtain a pattern fill? Click here

A snippet of vector info

While writing this tutorial and talking to others about the fact I couldn't save in vector format I found out it was my settings and not the program. I use PSP 7.04 and use the option to save so that the PSP files are version 5 and 6 compatible. It was this that prevented me from saving vectors. Making it so that it saved for PSP 7 only meant I could save the vectors :o)

OK, lets get to the work in hand.

We are going to work on making the shapes for our doll, when they are completed we will move on to the detail. 

1. Open all images needed to complete the doll, a dress fill, pinny fill and bloomer fill, you will need these for your pattern fill. Open a new image 300x500 with a transparent background. Create a new vector layer naming it head. With the shapes tool, foreground nulled, background set to a light pink, I used #EFE0E2, shape set to ellipse, uncheck retain style, antialias and vector checked. Draw out a round shape at the top of your working image, this will be the head. We now need to add some nodes, click the object selector , right click your ellipse and from the pop up menu select node edit. Place the pointer near the bottom node, hold Ctrl and add a node by clicking on the line (you will see + add). Now move the pointer to the other side, hold Ctrl and add another node.

If you click on one of the nodes you have just added you will see a line with an arrow one end and a circle at the other, this is the control arm. Click either the circle or the arrow and move the arm so that it is vertical, then do the same to the other node. This will give the head some shaping for a neck. 

2. Create a new layer naming it l arm. Staying with the preset shape tool at the same settings we will now draw the arms starting with the right arm. Don't worry to much about placing, we're working with vectors so they can be moved easily. Draw out a long thin ellipse then rotate it slightly. Choose the object selector, right click the ellipse and choose node edit. Pull out the control arm to make the end of the arm wider, this will be the hand. 

         

If you look at the screen shot, the top of my arm was too close to the head so I moved it over a tad. In the layer palette, right click the arm layer, duplicate and rename the duplicate to r arm. At this point both the l arm and the r arm will be selected.  In the layer palette click the plus sign on the r arm layer, you should now see the layer open up to reveal r arm and ellipse, click ellipse in the palette to select. Image/mirror.

3. We're now going to draw the legs using the preset shape tool at the same settings but changing the background colour to black. Create a new vector layer naming it l leg. Draw another long ellipse, with the object selector choose node edit, add 2 nodes to the right of the bottom node, move them and pull out the control arms until you are happy with the foot shape.

In the layer palette right click l leg layer and duplicate, rename the duplicate to r leg. As with the arms both shapes will be selected. In the layer palette click the plus sign next to r leg layer, click ellipse to select. Image mirror. Rotate the r leg slightly.

 4. Make sure you are on the top layer, create a new vector layer naming it pinny bottom. With the preset shape tool change to rectangle and change the background to pinny fill, angle 0, scale 100. Starting at the left arm pit draw out to the right arm pit and down to roughly where the knee caps should be. With the mouse over one of the outer bottom nodes, hold Ctrl and pull out the edges.

The sides look very straight so we'll give the skirt some shape. With the object selector right click the skirt and choose node edit. Click the upper right node, click Ctrl+2 (curve after), you can now adjust the curve by pulling the control arm.

While still in node edit, click the upper left node, click Ctrl+1 (curve before), adjust the curve. We are now going to give the bottom of the pinny some shape. While still in node edit, hold the curser over the bottom line, hold Ctrl and click to add a node, do this 5 times, adding 5 extra nodes. 

While holding shift, click the 5 nodes that you added, this will select them all. While they are all selected click Ctrl+1, Ctrl+2, Ctrl+S, this will curve them before, after and make them all symmetrical. Now move every alternate node up a tad.

The bottom of your pinny should now be wavy.

5.  Create a new vector layer naming it pinny top. We will now make the top of the pinny, keeping the same shape settings draw another rectangle, starting at the top of your previous shape and drawing up to the neck. Hold Ctrl and pull in the top edges. 

OK, we now want to make a curve for the neck so with the object selector right click the shape to node edit. Click the top right node, Ctrl+2 (curve after), using the control arm pull out and down a tad. Now click the top left node, Ctrl+1 (curve before), adjust accordingly.

*note - if you drew your vector from top left to bottom right, the node editing needs to be reversed, top right/curve before, top left/curve after.

6. We are now going to make the skirt. After completing it and not being happy I have come up with this way of making the skirt, sorry, but this turned out better for me. In the layer palette click the r leg layer to make active. Create a new vector layer naming it skirt front. With the preset shape tool, change the background to your dress fill, change the shape to rounded rectangle. Draw a rectangle at the center of the pinny, see below. While holding Ctrl push in one of the top outer nodes slightly.

Ctrl+C to copy, Ctrl+G to paste as new vector selection. Place this selection at the outer edge of the dress and rotate slightly so that it matches the edge of the pinny. Ctrl+G again and place this selection the other side, rotating to match the pinny.

Create a new vector layer naming it skirt back. Ctrl+G to paste new vector selection. Place the selection in between one of the front panels rotating very slightly, Ctrl+G again and place the selection the other side rotating very slightly.

7. Click on the r leg layer to make active. Create a new vector layer naming it bloomer. With the preset shape tool, foreground nulled, background set to a linen or lace fill, rectangle, antialias and vector checked, draw a rectangle for the bloomers, starting above the hem of the skirt to a length you are happy with. While holding Ctrl, push in one of the top outer nodes slightly.

 Convert the bloomer layer to raster. Effects/geometric effects/waves using these settings

Alter the wave length of the vertical displacement if needs be. Ctrl+C to copy, Ctrl+E to paste as new selection, place the selection over the other leg. 

 

I think we are done with the node editing, phew. If you are happy with the dimensions of your doll convert all vector layers to raster.

 

8. We will move on to making the sleeves. In the layer palette click the pinny top layer to make active, create a new layer naming it R sleeve. The best way I could think of was to use the freehand selection tool , set this to freehand, feather 0, antialias checked, draw your right sleeve. Flood fill the selection with your dress fill changing the angle to about 30. Selections/Select none. 

In the layer palette, right click the R sleeve layer, duplicate, image/mirror then rename to L sleeve. Or you could create a new layer named L sleeve and draw another selection to fill as the sleeve, it's your choice :o)

OK, we're done with creating the actual doll, we have now got to put in some detail, this is what you should have so far. 

9. We will now add some shading to the skirt, with the retouch tool set to darken RGB, round, size 19, hardness 0, opacity 31, step 1 and density 51, click on the skirt back layer and darken the visible edges and top to look like pleating. Make the skirt top layer active and darken the edges and the top. When you darken the top it will give the effect of a shadow from the pinny.

10. Make the pinny bottom layer active, with the retouch tool at the same settings sweep across the top to darken. Change the size to 3 and darken some short lines at the top. 

Then make some longer sweeping lines to give the effect of folds. Change the brush size to 23, opacity 10 and density to 30, follow the sweeping lines to give some depth.

Change the retouch tool to lighten RGB, size 15, hardness 0, opacity 20, step 1 and  density 30, lighten opposite to where you have darkened.

11. That's the dress and pinny, now onto the sleeves. Changing between lighten and darken, altering the size and opacity as for the pinny paint in some detail on the sleeves. If you're anything like me you won't get it the first time, thank goodness for that little gem, the undo option :o) 

Click on the bloomer layer to make active, with the retouch tool set to darken RGB, round, size 13, hardness 0, opacity 9, step 1, density 40, darken the bloomers to match the contours.

In the layer palette click the padlock to lock the transparency , this will prevent your image from disappearing when you apply the cutout, Effects/3D effects/cutout, vertical 6, horizontal 0, opacity 56, blur 25, colour black. I then used the retouch tool, darken RGB to darken the top a tad more to make it look shaded from the skirt.

We're getting there, hang on in with me :o)

12. Make the head layer active, in the layer palette click the padlock to lock the transparency . Effects/3D effects/Cutout, vertical 0, horizontal -3, opacity 100, blur 47.5, colour #C2949C. Make the L arm layer active, click the padlock to lock transparency and apply the same cutout changing the blur to 20. Go to the R arm layer, clicking the padlock, and apply the cutout changing the Horizontal to 3. 

13. Click on the head layer to make active, create e new layer naming it nose, with the preset shapes tool, ellipse, antialias checked, no vector this time, foreground nulled, background set to #EFE0E2 draw a small ellipse for the nose. Effects/3D effects/Inner bevel at these settings

Effects/Blur/Gaussian blur set to 1.00. Create a new layer, with the preset shape tool, change the colour to black and draw an eye. Ctrl+C to copy, Ctrl+E to paste as new selection, place the other eye. Selections/Select none. With the air brush tool  foreground set to white, round, size 4, hardness 0, opacity 100, step 1, density 100, paint in a couple of highlights.

With the draw tool foreground black, background nulled, single line, width 1, #1 solid, draw in some eyelashes, it may help to magnify the image. Change the draw tool to bezier curve, foreground #D5A5A7, draw in a mouth.

14. Create a new layer naming it hair, this is the fun bit :o) With the tube tool select the rope tube supplied with PSP7, change the size to 36. This tube is a continual one and one that I love to play with :o) starting at the fringe draw out a line, with maybe a curve to it, the go back and start again, gradually drawing more lines and changing direction until you have her fringe and sides. Click on layer1 and create a new layer naming it hair back, draw in the rest of the hair with the rope tube. I wasn't happy with the colouring so when I had finished I adjusted the hue/saturation/lightness, and applied to both hair layers.

15. Click on the head layer and create a new layer, with the airbrush tool, foreground set to  #D5A5A7, round, size 27, hardness 0, opacity 100, step 1, density 75, spray a cheek and then another. Effects/Blur/Gaussian blur 2.00

16. Make the l leg layer active. Effects/3D effects/Inner bevel at these settings

Apply the same bevel to the r leg changing the angle to 315. Make the pinny top layer active. With the draw tool set to bezier curve, width 3, #1 solid, antialias checked, foreground set to your dress fill, background nulled, draw a curved line to match the top of your pinny.

Merge all visible layers, and save in PSP format or as a tube.

 

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