Welcome to Tracy's Graphics ©Ballerina Hippo Tutorial. This is based on one of my daughter's soft toys, and I thought it would be fun to re-create in PSP7.I have included a zip file which you can get here Unzip the file, and extract the selections files into your selections folder within PSP. And place the tube in your PSP tubes folder.

I've included lots of screen shots, so please be patient while it's loading. (I've reduced them in size to try and reduce the d/l time) Of course, if you like working with vectors, you can make your own shapes!! ;o)

Let's begin!

1 Open up a new image in PSP7 400x500, transparent background, 16 million colours. Add a new layer. Set the foreground colour to mid-grey #BEBEBE. Go to selections>load from disk and find the head.sel. Load this and flood fill with the grey. Selection>float (Ctrl+F). Then apply a cutout using the following settings:



2 Add a new layer. Load the selection file muzzle.sel. Selection>float (Ctrl+F). Apply a cutout changing the vertical to 5, and the horizontal to 0 (leave the other settings as above).

3 Turn off your Layer 1, and merge layers visible. Rename this merged layer Head. Add a new layer, name it Eye. Set your background colour to black, turn your foreground box in the styles palette off and using your pre-set shape tool, draw an elipse for one of the eyes. Copy and paste it to make the other eye. Then select all, selection float. Go to effects>3D effects>Inner Bevel and apply the round pre-set bevel. This adds a nice shine to the eyes. Your image should now look like this:



4 Add a layer, name it nostrils. Draw a circle with your pre-set shapes tool, again using black. Copy and paste so that your hippo now has two nostrils. Position them like this:



5 Add a layer, name it Mouth. Switch you foreground and background on your styles boxes by clicking on the double ended arrow, and draw a mouth with your draw tool, freehand, line width 2. It should look something like this:



6 Add a new layer, drag this below the Head layer, name it Ears. Load the ears.sel file from your selections folder, and flood fill it with the grey #BEBEBE. Selection>float (Ctrl+F). Then apply a cutout using the same settings as in step one.

7 Add a new layer. Load the ears.sel file from your selections folder again, and go to selections>modify>contract by 10. Flood fill with pale pink #FCCACA. De-select (Ctrl+D).

8 Turn off your background layer, and merge visible layers. Re-name Head. Your hippo should now look like this:



9 Add a new layer, name it body, drag this below the Head layer. Go to selections>load from disk and find the body.sel. Load this and flood fill with the grey. Selection>float (Ctrl+F). Then apply a cutout using the same settings as in step one. Repeat this step changing the vertical & horizontal to -2. Hippo should now look a little like this:



10 Add a new layer, name it Legs. Load the legs.sel file from your selections folder and flood fill with grey #BEBEBE. Selection>float (Ctrl+F). Then apply a cutout using the same settings as in step one. Repeat this step changing the vertical & horizontal to -2.

11 Add a new layer, name it Arms. Load the arms.sel file from your selections folder and flood fill with grey #BEBEBE. Selection>float (Ctrl+F). Then apply a cutout using the same settings as in step one. Repeat this step changing the vertical & horizontal to -2. Hippo should look like a hippo now:



12 It's now a good idea to turn off your background layer, merge layers visible, and export the plain hippo as a tube. (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, File>Export>Picture Tube).

13 Okay, let's dress her now! Add a new layer, name it Slippers. Load the slippers.sel file from your selections folder and flood fill with pale pink #FCCACA. Selection>float (Ctrl+F). Then apply an inner bevel using these settings:



14 Add a new layer, name it Ribbons. Use your draw tool, line width 5, both style boxes set to pale pink #FCCACA. Draw single lines across the ankles to look like crosses: Then apply an inner bevel again using the same settings as the slippers. Hippo now should look like this:



15 Add a new layer, name it Leotard. Load the leotard.sel file from your selections folder and flood fill with pale pink #FCCACA. Then apply an inner bevel again using the same settings as the slippers & ribbons.

16 Add a new layer, name it Skirt. Load the skirt.sel file from your selections folder and flood fill with pale pink #FCCACA. Then go to Effects>Texture>Weave, and apply the following settings. (The gap/weave colour is a mid pink #D77575):



17 Now lower the opacity of that layer to 68% to give the appearance of a sheer tulle skirt. Apply your tube at the waistband of the skirt. Turn off your background layer (no 1), and merge visible. There! You're all done - one Ballerina Hippo!!



I hope you enjoyed my Ballerina Hippo tutorial - why not check out my tutorials page? Problems? Then E-Mail me.

I won an award for this tutorial, if you would like to see it, then you can find it here Thank you PSPMadeEZ!!