Hands and Fingers Detail
Tutorial written by Arizona Kate, ©Copyright May 2001
This tutorial provided for personal use only and may not be reproduced,
in whole or in part, without prior permission. Please read terms of use!
Many people have written and asked for help drawing the hands in the animated self-portrait, so here goes a more detailed explanation!
A one pixel black stroke with a fill color is used to draw the oversized hands that hover over the keyboard. Three versions of the hands will be needed to create animated movement, each with fingers in a slightly different position. For the self-portrait in the original tutorial, I used these 3 finger positions for my animation (screenshots are enlarged). (Arizona Kate is wearing gloves...you do your own personalized version of hands.)
A one pixel black stroke with a fill color is used to draw the oversized hands that hover over the keyboard. Three versions of the hands will be needed to create animated movement, each with fingers in a slightly different position. For the self-portrait in the original tutorial, I used these 3 finger positions for my animation (screenshots are enlarged). (Arizona Kate is wearing gloves...you do your own personalized version of hands.)
There's 2 ways these can be drawn, using the PSP vector tools (PSP 6 or 7 only) or drawing freehand. I'll explain both ways, do whichever way is easiest for you. First, keep in mind that most cartoon characters have big, oversized hands with only 3 fingers and a thumb....so let's keep it simple and do that for our not-so-realistic portrait!
Vector version:
To simplify this explanation, let's make the vector version of hands in a completely new image. We'll need to make 3 different versions of hands, one for each of the 3 animation frames. When done, we'll copy/paste hands into the self-portrait images.
Create new image about 300x150. These hands may be too large for your self-portrait, but later you can easily resize the vector object before copying.
Vector version:
To simplify this explanation, let's make the vector version of hands in a completely new image. We'll need to make 3 different versions of hands, one for each of the 3 animation frames. When done, we'll copy/paste hands into the self-portrait images.
Create new image about 300x150. These hands may be too large for your self-portrait, but later you can easily resize the vector object before copying.
Select Preset Shapes, ellipse with antialias and vector checked. Line style solid, line width 1.
Foregound/stroke color black for the outline and background/fill color flesh (or whatever you want to use for hands).
Draw an ellipse, any size.
With the Object Selector tool (the one below the Preset Shapes tool), select the oval, right click and select Node Edit. Your image should look like this, an oval with 4 nodes.
Foregound/stroke color black for the outline and background/fill color flesh (or whatever you want to use for hands).
Draw an ellipse, any size.
With the Object Selector tool (the one below the Preset Shapes tool), select the oval, right click and select Node Edit. Your image should look like this, an oval with 4 nodes.
We need to add 7 nodes. To do this, hold down your Ctrl key and hover your cursor near the line....when the word +ADD appears next to your cursor, click to add a node. Do this 7 times and your image will look something like this screenshot (exact position of node isn't important).
Use your cursor to pull on the nodes and move them around until you have a rough outline of 3 fingers and a thumb. There should be nodes at the wrist too. Refer to screenshot.
Select the node that's at the end of a finger and pull on the node handles to round out the end of the finger. Do this for each finger.
You can adjust fingers to your preference, but the hand should look something like this screenshot.
To make the other hand, first move the existing hand off to one side to make room for the second hand. Next, select the hand with the Object Selector, right click, select Copy. Right click again, select Paste as New Vector Selection.
To make the second hand face the opposite way, select the hand (with Object Selector), pull the center right handle of the selection box all the way to the left....pulling the object over itself and ending up with a mirrored image. Adjust size of hands so they are similar.
You will need 3 copies of each pair of hands to make the animation...each one with fingers in a slightly different position. The easiest way to do this is to duplicate this pair of hands 2 more times. With the Object Selector, select both hands (hold shift key down to select more than one object). Right click>Copy. Create a new VECTOR layer by clicking the new layer icon on your Layer Palette. Paste a copy of the hands into layer 2. Create a 3rd VECTOR layer and paste another copy of hands into layer 3.
Position each set of hands directly of top of each other so they align. Make some changes to the finger positions in layer 2 by just moving the nodes around just a little.
This screenshot shows the original hand as a red outline and 2nd layer copy with the fingers moved a little.
Do the same for layer 3....move the fingers a little.
Position each set of hands directly of top of each other so they align. Make some changes to the finger positions in layer 2 by just moving the nodes around just a little.
This screenshot shows the original hand as a red outline and 2nd layer copy with the fingers moved a little.
Do the same for layer 3....move the fingers a little.
You now have lots of hands....except they're probably way too large! Turn of visibility for layer 2 and 3 so you can see layer 1 by itself. Reduce the size of hands on layer 1 by selecting left hand, hold shift key down, select the right hand. The selection box should enclose both hands. Using your RIGHT mouse button, grab one of the corner handles and push in to reduce the size of the hands to a size that will fit into your self-portrait.
Now move to layer 2, make visible. Select both hands and reduce size until they match the size of layer 1. Do the same for hands on layer 3.
Now paste each pair of hands into your self-portrait images where appropriate according the main instructions for the animated self-portrait. Paste as a new raster selection....not as a vector selection. (Note: If you paste as new layer each time, it will be easier to adjust position of hands...just don't forget to merge all layers as last step!!) Copy the hands from layer 1 and paste into your image called frame1.psp. Copy the hands from layer 2 and paste into your image called frame2.psp and copy the hands from layer 3 and paste into image called frame3.psp.
When you paste in the different versions of the hands for the animation, try to get the wrist area of the hands in the same position on each image....so they won't jump around too much. It doesn't have to be exact....but close works better!
Now move to layer 2, make visible. Select both hands and reduce size until they match the size of layer 1. Do the same for hands on layer 3.
Now paste each pair of hands into your self-portrait images where appropriate according the main instructions for the animated self-portrait. Paste as a new raster selection....not as a vector selection. (Note: If you paste as new layer each time, it will be easier to adjust position of hands...just don't forget to merge all layers as last step!!) Copy the hands from layer 1 and paste into your image called frame1.psp. Copy the hands from layer 2 and paste into your image called frame2.psp and copy the hands from layer 3 and paste into image called frame3.psp.
When you paste in the different versions of the hands for the animation, try to get the wrist area of the hands in the same position on each image....so they won't jump around too much. It doesn't have to be exact....but close works better!
Non-vector version:
If you don't have PSP version 6 or 7, you don't have the vector tools. You'll have to freehand draw your hands. It might be easier to draw the hands as a separate image and then copy them to your self-portrait when done!
If you don't have PSP version 6 or 7, you don't have the vector tools. You'll have to freehand draw your hands. It might be easier to draw the hands as a separate image and then copy them to your self-portrait when done!
Open new image about 200x100. Use the Line Tool, Freehand, line width 1, and do your best to draw the shape of 3 fingers and a thumb. Here's some tips that will make it easier:
1. On the 2nd tab of the Line Tool is "curve tracking". Set this to a number between 5 and 10. Experiment with the setting to see which works best for you when drawing freehand lines. Curve tracking can also correct some of the shakiness of your freehand lines.
2. Draw your hands close to the correct size for the finished image. Do not draw extra large and then reduce in size, they could get real blurry. Instead, ZOOM in and enlarge your canvas until it's big enough for comfortable drawing.
3. Don't try to be realistic....make simple "hot dog" shape fingers.
4. Make sure the beginning and ending line connect so your fill color does not spill out of the gap in pixels. If you have the choice on your dialog box to 'Close Path', check that box.
5. For the second and third set of fingers needed for the animation, create a 2nd and 3rd set of hands on new layers. Trace the original set of hands for the new hands except make finger position slightly different on layer 2 and on layer 3.
6. Fill each hand with flesh or another color.
7. Copy a pair of hands into each of the self-portraits images (frame1.psp, frame2.psp, and frame3.psp) where appropriate according the main instructions for the animated self-portrait. Note: If you paste as new layer each time, it will be easier to adjust position and size of hands...just don't forget to merge all layers as last step!!
8. When you paste in the different versions of the hands for the animation, try to get the wrist area of the hands in the same position on each image....so they won't jump around too much. It doesn't have to be exact....but close works better!
1. On the 2nd tab of the Line Tool is "curve tracking". Set this to a number between 5 and 10. Experiment with the setting to see which works best for you when drawing freehand lines. Curve tracking can also correct some of the shakiness of your freehand lines.
2. Draw your hands close to the correct size for the finished image. Do not draw extra large and then reduce in size, they could get real blurry. Instead, ZOOM in and enlarge your canvas until it's big enough for comfortable drawing.
3. Don't try to be realistic....make simple "hot dog" shape fingers.
4. Make sure the beginning and ending line connect so your fill color does not spill out of the gap in pixels. If you have the choice on your dialog box to 'Close Path', check that box.
5. For the second and third set of fingers needed for the animation, create a 2nd and 3rd set of hands on new layers. Trace the original set of hands for the new hands except make finger position slightly different on layer 2 and on layer 3.
6. Fill each hand with flesh or another color.
7. Copy a pair of hands into each of the self-portraits images (frame1.psp, frame2.psp, and frame3.psp) where appropriate according the main instructions for the animated self-portrait. Note: If you paste as new layer each time, it will be easier to adjust position and size of hands...just don't forget to merge all layers as last step!!
8. When you paste in the different versions of the hands for the animation, try to get the wrist area of the hands in the same position on each image....so they won't jump around too much. It doesn't have to be exact....but close works better!
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