Ball Juggling Clowns Animation Tutorial

Ball Juggling Clowns Animation Style Tutorial
The tutorial was written for PSPX3 - but can be done using any of the versions of PSP by Woven
The Bold writing are the keyboard shortcuts for each action.You may or may not need to have the [ F lock ] on your keyboard activated for these to work

Shows Animation Finished

Requirements for this tutorial
The Underlined Text are Links to Files or Webpages The 2 clown tubes I used for this tutorial came from ccdstubeheaven.com For Fonts go to the Fonts Menu Font are sorted alphabetically

Instructions
Open the 2 tubed images we are going to use for this tutorial Image>Resize ( Shift + S )> Advanced Settings Checked; Lock Aspect Ratio Checked; Resize All Layers Checked; Resample using Bicubic This option reduces jadgged edges; Sharpness 50; Change height to 130 pixels for the old clown and 150 for the white and blue clown width will self adjust>OK. Adjust>Sharpness>Sharpen. Do this on both tubed images Open a New Image in PSP ( Ctrl + N )> width 350 pixels x 200 pixels; Resolution 200.000 pixels/cm; Raster background checked; Color depth RGB 8bits/channel For Users of old PSPversions this is 16million(24bit); Color Transparent Checked; Name it - Clowns layer 1>OK. View>Rulers( Ctrl + Alt + R ). View>Guides. Now holding cursor over the lefthandside ruler The cursor will change into a black + sign Left click and holding down the mouse button drag a guideline across to the 50 mark on the top ruler and then let mouse button go to set it there Repeat for the 100 - 150 - 200 - 250 - 300 marks Then pull down some guides from the top ruler to approx as shown in image below This is to help with the placement of our balls Click on the clown facing right to make it the active image Edit>Copy Click back on our transparent Image to make it the active image again Edit>Paste>Paste as a new selection ( Ctrl + E ). This will stick your clown to the end of your cursor position him so he is in the vertically central and on lefthandside of image - when happy Left click to drop him there. Selections>Select None ( Ctrl + D ). Repeat for clown facing left, positioning him in the bottom right corner of your new image. Layers>New Raster Layer> Name it Clowns layer 2>OK. Click on the clown facing right to make it the active image Edit>Copy Click back on our transparent Image to make it the active image again Edit>Paste>Paste as a new selection ( Ctrl + E ) This will stick your clown to the end of your cursor position him so he is a 1/2 bike wheel in front of the other one - when happy Left click to drop him there. Selections>Select None ( Ctrl + D ). Now click on the left facing clown to make it the active image Edit>Copy Click back on our transparent Image to make it the active image again Edit>Paste>Paste as a new selection ( Ctrl + E ) position and drop him anywhere for now With marquee still wriggling around this clown - go to - Image>Free Rotate ( Ctrl + R )> Left; Free 20 degrees; Use all layers and Rotate single layer around canvas center both Unchecked>OK. Then Left click on him and holding down the mouse button drag him so that he sits on top of the 1st one Selections>Select None ( Ctrl + D ). Layer Palette> Click on the eye symbol of this Clown Layer 2 to hide it for now. You can close the 2 clown images now - DO NOT SAVE THE CHANGES on them. Now let's make 14 New Raster layers - Layers>New Raster Layer> name it Ball 1>OK. Repeat naming them Ball2 Ball 3 Ball 4 Ball 5 and so on up to Ball 14. Click on Picture Tube Tool ( I )> From drop down menu select 3d Gold or any round ball shape> Scale I used was 30%; leave other settings as their default settings. Layer Palette> Click on Ball 1 Layer to make it the active layer Left click on the hand of the left side clown that is nearest the middle of the image to put a ball in his hand Layer Palette> Click on Ball 2 Layer to make it the active layer and palce the next ball Repeat for the 5 layers - when done the image will look like this Layer Palette> Click on the eye on Clown Layer 1 to hide it and then Click on the eye on Clown Layer 2 to make it visible again and also click on Ball 6 Layer to make it the active layer Left click on the hand of the right side clown that is nearest the middle of the image to put a ball in his hand Layer Palette> Click on the eye on Clown Layer 2 to hide it again and then Click on the eye on Clown Layer 1 to make it visible again and click on Ball 7 layer to make it the active layer Add a ball to the right clowns hand closest to edge of image window Then changing layer each time add balls as per image below until Ball 13 layer has a ball on it. Layer Palette> Click on the eye on Clown Layer 1 to hide it and then Click on the eye on Clown Layer 2 to make it visible again and also click on Ball 14 Layer to make it the active layer Add a ball to the left clowns hand closest to edge of image window Layer Palette> Click on the eye on Clown Layer 2 to hide it again making both clown layers hidden You balls will look like this now View>Rulers( Ctrl + Alt + R ) To turn them off. View>Guides To turn them off. Now with both clown layers hidden - File>Save>Save In a folder where you can find it; Name it Balls; Save as type - PSP Animation Shop (.psp)>OK. Layer Palette> Now hide all the Ball layers and make both Clown layers visible - File>Save As>Save In the same folder ; Name it Clowns; Save as type - PSP Animation Shop (.psp)>OK. NOW TIME GET UP - MOVE AROUND - STRETCH - GO FOR A WALK - HAVE A DRINK - GET SOME FOOD Open your PSP Animation Shop File>Open> Browse to the file you saved both the balls and clowns .psp images into and open them both as Animations The Clown animation has 2 frames and the balls animation has 14 frames Click on the Clowns animation to make it the active one Edit>Select All ( Ctrl + A ). Edit>Copy ( Ctrl + C ). Click on the last Frame - Frame 2 Edit>Paste>Paste after Current Image Click on the last Frame - Frame 4 - to make it the active frame Edit>Paste>Paste after Current Image Then repeat the last 2 steps clicking on the last frame each time (6 - 8 - 10 - 12) until you have 14 frames in all Edit>Select All ( Ctrl + A ). Now click on the Balls animation to make it the active animation Edit>Select All ( Ctrl + A ). Edit>Copy ( Ctrl + C ). Click back on the clown animation again to make it the active animation again Zoom the animation up in size so you can see their hands clearly in the frame Scroll the animation back so that Frame 1 is the visible frame Edit>Select All ( Ctrl + A ). Edit>Propogate Paste Edit>Paste into selected frame ( Ctrl + E ) This will stick the ball of the first frame to the end of your cursor. Hold your cursor over the left side clown the hand that is nearest the middle of the frame and when ball is positioned there - Left click to drop it and this will set the balls in all the frames in their correct positions You can close the balls animation now as we are finished with it Now click on View>View Animation to see it running - and as you can see it is running way too fast Click back non active animation that has all the frames showing Edit>Select All ( Ctrl + A ). Animation>Frame Properties> and change the value to about 30>OK. Click back on the working animation and you will see it has slowed down Now let's slow down the frames where the clowns have the balls in their hands Click back non active animation that has all the frames showing and holing down the Ctrl key on your keyboard click on the 1st frame then scroll to frames 6 7 and 14 left clicking on them as you go so that you will have the 4 frames selected at the same time Animation>Frame Properties> and change the value to about 60>OK. Click back on the working animation - when happy it is time to save it now Keep the working anmation as the active one File>Save As ( F12 key ) Browse to the folder you want to save the animation into Give your animation a name File type will be CompuServe Graphics Interchange (*.gif) Save Quality versus size - for this one I left the slider at the top best quality (You can backtrack later if you find that the filesize is going to be too large); Use these settings when saving unoptimized files leave it Unchecked; Leave the customise as default. Next - Next - Next - If you are happy with file size - Finish.

Instructions

Open the 2 tubed images we are going to use for this tutorial
1. Image>Resize ( Shift + S )> Advanced Settings Checked; Lock Aspect Ratio Checked; Resize All Layers Checked; Resample using Bicubic This option reduces jadgged edges; Sharpness 50; Change height to 130 pixels for the old clown and 150 for the white and blue clown width will self adjust>OK.
2. Adjust>Sharpness>Sharpen.
3. Do this on both tubed images
Open a New Image in PSP ( Ctrl + N )> width 350 pixels x 200 pixels; Resolution 200.000 pixels/cm; Raster background checked; Color depth RGB 8bits/channel For Users of old PSPversions this is 16million(24bit); Color Transparent Checked; Name it - Clowns layer 1>OK.
View>Rulers( Ctrl + Alt + R ).
View>Guides.
Now holding cursor over the lefthandside ruler The cursor will change into a black + sign Left click and holding down the mouse button drag a guideline across to the 50 mark on the top ruler and then let mouse button go to set it there
Repeat for the 100 - 150 - 200 - 250 - 300 marks
Then pull down some guides from the top ruler to approx as shown in image below This is to help with the placement of our balls
Click on the clown facing right to make it the active image
1. Edit>Copy
Click back on our transparent Image to make it the active image again
1. Edit>Paste>Paste as a new selection ( Ctrl + E ). This will stick your clown to the end of your cursor position him so he is in the vertically central and on lefthandside of image - when happy Left click to drop him there.
2. Selections>Select None ( Ctrl + D ).
3. Repeat for clown facing left, positioning him in the bottom right corner of your new image.
Layers>New Raster Layer> Name it Clowns layer 2>OK.
Click on the clown facing right to make it the active image
1. Edit>Copy
Click back on our transparent Image to make it the active image again
1. Edit>Paste>Paste as a new selection ( Ctrl + E ) This will stick your clown to the end of your cursor position him so he is a 1/2 bike wheel in front of the other one - when happy Left click to drop him there.
2. Selections>Select None ( Ctrl + D ).
Now click on the left facing clown to make it the active image
1. Edit>Copy
Click back on our transparent Image to make it the active image again
1. Edit>Paste>Paste as a new selection ( Ctrl + E ) position and drop him anywhere for now
2. With marquee still wriggling around this clown - go to -
  Image>Free Rotate ( Ctrl + R )> Left; Free 20 degrees; Use all layers and Rotate single layer around canvas center both Unchecked>OK.
3. Then Left click on him and holding down the mouse button drag him so that he sits on top of the 1st one
4. Selections>Select None ( Ctrl + D ).
Layer Palette> Click on the eye symbol of this Clown Layer 2 to hide it for now.
You can close the 2 clown images now - DO NOT SAVE THE CHANGES on them.
Now let's make 14 New Raster layers -
1. Layers>New Raster Layer> name it Ball 1>OK.
2. Repeat naming them Ball2 Ball 3 Ball 4 Ball 5 and so on up to Ball 14.
Click on Picture Tube Tool ( I )> From drop down menu select 3d Gold or any round ball shape> Scale I used was 30%; leave other settings as their default settings.
1. Layer Palette> Click on Ball 1 Layer to make it the active layer
2. Left click on the hand of the left side clown that is nearest the middle of the image to put a ball in his hand
3. Layer Palette> Click on Ball 2 Layer to make it the active layer
4. and palce the next ball
5. Repeat for the 5 layers - when done the image will look like this
Layer Palette> Click on the eye on Clown Layer 1 to hide it and then Click on the eye on Clown Layer 2 to make it visible again and also click on Ball 6 Layer to make it the active layer
Left click on the hand of the right side clown that is nearest the middle of the image to put a ball in his hand
Layer Palette> Click on the eye on Clown Layer 2 to hide it again and then Click on the eye on Clown Layer 1 to make it visible again and click on Ball 7 layer to make it the active layer
Add a ball to the right clowns hand closest to edge of image window
Then changing layer each time add balls as per image below until Ball 13 layer has a ball on it.
Layer Palette> Click on the eye on Clown Layer 1 to hide it and then Click on the eye on Clown Layer 2 to make it visible again and also click on Ball 14 Layer to make it the active layer
Add a ball to the left clowns hand closest to edge of image window
Layer Palette> Click on the eye on Clown Layer 2 to hide it again making both clown layers hidden
You balls will look like this now
View>Rulers( Ctrl + Alt + R ) To turn them off.
View>Guides To turn them off.
Now with both clown layers hidden -
File>Save>Save In a folder where you can find it; Name it Balls; Save as type - PSP Animation Shop (*.psp)>OK.
Layer Palette> Now hide all the Ball layers and make both Clown layers visible -
File>Save As>Save In the same folder ; Name it Clowns; Save as type - PSP Animation Shop (*.psp)>OK.

NOW TIME GET UP - MOVE AROUND - STRETCH - GO FOR A WALK - HAVE A DRINK - GET SOME FOOD
Open your PSP Animation Shop
File>Open> Browse to the file you saved both the balls and clowns .psp images into and open them both as Animations
The Clown animation has 2 frames and the balls animation has 14 frames
Click on the Clowns animation to make it the active one
1. Edit>Select All ( Ctrl + A ).
2. Edit>Copy ( Ctrl + C ).
3. Click on the last Frame - Frame 2
4. Edit>Paste>Paste after Current Image
5. Click on the last Frame - Frame 4 - to make it the active frame
6. Edit>Paste>Paste after Current Image
7. Then repeat the last 2 steps clicking on the last frame each time (6 - 8 - 10 - 12) until you have 14 frames in all
8. Edit>Select All ( Ctrl + A ).
Now click on the Balls animation to make it the active animation
1. Edit>Select All ( Ctrl + A ).
2. Edit>Copy ( Ctrl + C ).
Click back on the clown animation again to make it the active animation again
1. Zoom the animation up in size so you can see their hands clearly in the frame
2. Scroll the animation back so that Frame 1 is the visible frame
3. Edit>Select All ( Ctrl + A ).
4. Edit>Propogate Paste
5. Edit>Paste into selected frame ( Ctrl + E ) This will stick the ball of the first frame to the end of your cursor.
6. Hold your cursor over the left side clown the hand that is nearest the middle of the frame and when ball is positioned there - Left click to drop it and this will set the balls in all the frames in their correct positions
7. You can close the balls animation now as we are finished with it
Now click on View>View Animation to see it running - and as you can see it is running way too fast
Click back non active animation that has all the frames showing
Edit>Select All ( Ctrl + A ).
Animation>Frame Properties> and change the value to about 30>OK.
Click back on the working animation and you will see it has slowed down
Now let's slow down the frames where the clowns have the balls in their hands
Click back non active animation that has all the frames showing and holing down the Ctrl key on your keyboard click on the 1st frame then scroll to frames 6 7 and 14 left clicking on them as you go so that you will have the 4 frames selected at the same time
Animation>Frame Properties> and change the value to about 60>OK.
Click back on the working animation - when happy it is time to save it now
Keep the working anmation as the active one
1. File>Save As ( F12 key )
2. Browse to the folder you want to save the animation into
3. Give your animation a name
4. File type will be CompuServe Graphics Interchange (*.gif)
5. Save
6. Quality versus size - for this one I left the slider at the top best quality (You can backtrack later if you find that the filesize is going to be too large); Use these settings when saving unoptimized files leave it Unchecked; Leave the customise as default.
7. Next - Next - Next - If you are happy with file size - Finish.

For further help email me

Ball Juggling Clowns Animation Style Tutorial

Requirements for this tutorial

Instructions