Easy Mouse Tutorial       
 

                                                               
This tutorial was done using PSP 8 but can easily be done using other versions. It is intended to serve as a learning tool. The images on this page are reduced for space. I encourage you to make it uniquely your own creation. You will need:          
** Paint Shop Pro - download a trial version here
** A basic knowledge of psp tools, vectors and layers

 
Getting started
Open a new file 500 x 500 and save it as "mouse". You may flood fill it with a color if you want to make it easier to see just make sure you keep it on a separate layer so you can delete it later. We are going to draw each body part and color it as we go along. Please make sure you save often.

Make the Head
Make a new raster layer and name it head. Make your foreground null and your background color #C0C0C0. Select your preset shapes, ellipse, create as vector not checked and Anti-alias checked, line style solid. Using the numbers at the bottom right, draw a circle starting at 180/38 and ending at 303/168.



Using your selection tool, select the head and go to selections, invert (if you get a message it needs to defloat it, click ok. Go to effects, 3D effects, drop shadow with the following settings... Color = #52536E, Vertical = 0 Horizontal = 0, Opacity = 100, Blur = 51.
Go to selections, select none, then adjust, add/remove noise, add noise, Gaussian, blur % = 10.
 
Make The Ears
Make a new raster layer name it ears. Select your preset shapes, ellipse, create as vector not checked and Anti-alias checked, line style solid, same color #C0C0C0 foreground color null and draw a circle starting at 127/48 and ending at 202/167.
Select the deform tool then select deform. Grab the handle and pull the ear a little to the right then in your layers palette, drag the left ear layer below the head layer. Click the reset arrow in the tool options window above the deform tool to turn the tool off.
Using your selection tool, select the ear and go to selections, invert (if you get a message it needs to defloat it, click ok. Go to effects, 3D effects, drop shadow with the following settings... Color = #52536E, Vertical = 0 Horizontal = 0, Opacity = 100, Blur = 51.
Go to selections, select none, then adjust, add/remove noise, add noise, Gaussian, blur % = 10.

 

Copy the left ear layer and paste as a new layer. Rename the layer to rightear. Select image then mirror and move the ear to the right side of the head, a little bit lower than the left ear.  It should look something like this. If you haven't been saving your file now would be a good time to do it.



Make The Body
Create a new raster layer name it shoulders. This layer should already be below the head layer. Select your preset shapes, ellipse, create as vector not checked and Anti-alias checked, line style solid, same color #C0C0C0 and draw a circle starting at 182/141 and ending at 306/223.

Create a new raster layer name it body, select your preset shapes, ellipse, create as vector not checked and Anti-alias checked, line style solid, same color #C0C0C0, foreground color null and draw a circle starting at 146/192 and ending at 325/340.
Click on the eyeball next to the head and ear layers and also the background color layer if you chose to use one, to turn them off and merge visible the body together.

Using your selection tool, select the body and go to selections, invert (if you get a message it needs to defloat it, click ok. Go to effects, 3D effects, drop shadow with the following settings... Color = #52536E, Vertical = 0 Horizontal = 0, Opacity = 100, Blur = 60.
Go to selections, select none, then adjust, add/remove noise, add noise, Gaussian, blur % = 10.

Make The Feet
Haven't I been nice not making you fight with vectors? We have to do one little thing with the foot and it is painless. Oh common now lol! With the exception of the feet and tail, you did not have to make the other parts as a vector. But I know that some with more experience will probably want to play shaping the mouse so those people may want to create the other body parts as vectors. Ok let's get started.

New vector layer name it leftfoot.  Select your preset shapes, ellipse, create as vector and Anti-alias checked, line style solid, same color #C0C0C0, foreground color null and draw an oval starting at 127/249 and ending at 162/324. If you are using PSP X, you have to select "Preset Shape" from the dropdown menu and at the top select "Ellipse" from the dropdown menu. See screen shot below. (If you just select ellipse you will not have a handle to turn the foot with.

 Grab the node handle and rotate the foot to the left a little.

Select the pen tool. On the top node, pull the circle handle out away from the body and the arrowhead handle towards the body. Just a little! See the image below.

   
Convert to raster layer. Using your selection tool, select the left foot and go to selections, invert (if you get a message it needs to defloat it, click ok).
Go to effects, 3D effects, drop shadow with the following settings... Color = #52536E, Vertical = 0 Horizontal = 0, Opacity = 100, Blur = 29.
Go to selections, select none, then adjust, add/remove noise, add noise, Gaussian, blur % = 10.

Copy the left foot and paste it as a new layer name it rightfoot. Mirror the rightfoot and move it in place. Now, drag both foot layers below the merged layers. Merge all visible (turn off color layer first if you have one).
Now make a new raster layer and draw a small oval using background color #F77B95 for the nose, foreground color null. I wanted the head to appear slightly tilted so I selected  the deform tool then selected deform and grabbed the handle and rotated it a little to the right. When you have the nose where and how you want it, paint a little white dot near the tip of his nose and then merge all visible.

Now Make A Tail
Now we are gonna have fun and we are almost done. New vector layer name it tail. Select your preset shapes, ellipse, create as vector and Anti-alias checked, line style solid, background color  #666179, foreground color null and draw a thin oval starting at 225/376 and ending at 497/390.
Using the pen tool, grab the left node and pull it up to the mouse where the tail should join. That was the politest way I know of telling you where to put it :)

 Now grab the left node and pull it upwards. Zoom in on the node and grab the arrowhead handle and pull it out just enough to make the tail tip a little less pointy.

When you have the tail the way you want it, convert it to a raster layer and drag the tail layer to the bottom under the merged body.You may want to move it around now until you like how it looks and then merge all visible but make sure you turn off the background layer first if you chose to use one.

You can paint little toes on it's feet and decorate it the way you would like. Feel free to play around and shape the vectors to look more detailed.
                                                
                                                                          
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that it stimulated your creative juices. If you have any questions or problems, don't hesitate to email me.