Santa with birds.

This is a Santa with two bullfinches.
In Sweden these birds are common in winter. I like feeding them seeds.

This Tutorial uses Vectors in some places.
But don't dispare, this is easy. Try it and you'll see.

Let's start with Santas trousers. 

New Image, 300 x 400, transparent, color #C0C0C0 on both Fore- and Background.
New Vector Layer. Call the Layer Leg1.

Preset Shapes, Ellipse, Create as vector checked.
Make an oval 85 x 160.

Click on the Object selector in your Tool Palette.
Click on Node Edit in your Tool Option Box.
Keep Ctrl down while you add some nodes to the leg.

If you look at the upper part of the leg you will see an arrow. You can drag and turn that arrow,
so the shape will look, the way you want it to look. Try it.

When you are satisfied, right click outside of the leg and Quit node editing.
Left click outside of the leg and there you will have the leg finished.

Right click on Layer Leg1 in your Layers palette and Convert to Raster Layer. Call it Leg1.

This is how the leg looks now.

Duplicate that Layer and drag the leg a little to the right. Call the layer Leg2.

Go to Layer Leg1 again. Flood fill with color #AEA8A8. Drag the leg up a bit.

Now for the sweater.

New Vector Layer. Call it Sweater.

Preset Shapes, Ellipse, Create as vector checked. Red color on both Fore- and Background.
Make an oval 125 x 150 . Object Selector, Node Edit.
Add some nodes like I did.

When you are satisfied, right click outside of the sweater and Quit node editing.
Left click outside of the sweater and there you will have the sweater finished.

If there are some parts your'e not satisfied with, you can always use the Eraser to set it right.
Be sure the sweater will cover Santas bottom.
Right click on Layer Sweater in your Layers palette and Convert to Raster Layer. Call it Sweater.

Now we will make the arm.

New Vector Layer. Call the Layer Arm. Preset Shapes, Ellipse, Create as Vector.
Make an Ellipse 130 x 40. Red color.
Use a little darker color on the Foreground. Then you will see the arm better.

Add nodes the way I did.

When you are satisfied, right click outside of the arm and Quit node editing.
Left click outside of the arm and the arm is finished.
Right click on Layer Arm in your Layers palette and Convert to Raster Layer. Call it Arm.

Now for the hand.
New Vector Layer. Call it Hand. Preset Shapes, Ellipse. Create as Vector.
The same color on both Fore-and Background. Color #FAE1D4.
Make an oval 30 x 40. Put some nodes the way I did.

Right click on Layer Hand in your Layers palette and Convert to Raster Layer. Call it Hand.
When you are done, right click outside of the hand and Quit node editing.
Left click outside of the hand and it is done.

Drag Layer Hand under Layer Arm.

Stand on Layer Arm. New Raster Layer. Call it Head.
Preset Shapes, Ellipse. The same color as on Hands. Uncheck Create as Vector.
Make an Ellipse, 70 x75. Selection Tool. Make a rectangle around the head.
Click inside it.

New Raster Layer. Put some red color on Santas cheek.

Gaussian Blur 9. Turn off all Layers but your last one and Layer Head.
Merge Visible. Call it Head.

New Raster Layer. Call it Nose. Preset Shapes, Ellipse. Color #F5C4A9.
Make an Ellipse 12 x 9. Use Deformation Tool to turn the nose upwards and put it in place.

New Raster Layer. Call it Eye. Preset Shapes, Ellipse. Color black on both Fore- and Background.
Make an Ellipse 5 x 9. Deformation Tool. Turn the eye a little.

New Raster Layer. Call it Mouth. Preset Shapes, Cresent, Retain Style.



Make the mouth very small. Use Deformation Tool and turn it a bit and put it in place.
As the mouth is so small, you have to zoom the picture, in order to be able to turn it.

New Raster Layer. Call it Hair. Airbrush3. Color white. Make some lines on the head.

New Raster Layer. Call it Cap1. Preset Shapes, Ellipse. Color red.
Make a circle 84 x 84.
 

New Raster Layer. Call it Rim. Preset Shapes, Cresent. Color a little darker red.
Make it 47 x 85. Effects, Blinds as below.

Deformation Tool. Turn it 90º. Put it in place.

New Raster Layer. Call it Cap2. Preset Shapes, Ellipse. Make a circle 73 x 73.
Put it on top of Cap1.
Close all Layers except Cap1 and Cap2. Merge Visible.

Stand on Layer Rim. New Raster Layer. Call it Ball. Make a circle 37 x 37, with red color.
Put it in place at the end of the cap.

Now to the shading of our Santa.

Layers, view all. Drag Layer Head under Layer Sweater.
Stand on Layer Head. Selection Tool. Make a rectangle around the head. Click inside.
Effects, Cutout.

Close all Layers except, Head,  Nose, Eye and Mouth. Merge Visible. Call it Head.

Close Head Layer. Stand on Layer Hand. Do the Cutout as you did on Head Layer.

Close Hand Layer and stand on Layer Leg1. Make the Cutout as before, but use color black.

Close Leg1 Layer and stand on Layer Leg2. Make the Cutout as before, and use color black.

Close Leg2 Layer and stand on Layer Arm. Make the Cutout as before, and use color #850707.

Close Arm Layer and stand on Layer Sweater. Make the Cutout as before, and use color #850707.

Close Sweater Layer and stand on Layer Cap. Make the Cutout as before, and use color #850707.

Close Cap Layer and stand on Layer Ball. Make the Cutout as before, and use color #850707.

View all Layers. Put Layer Arm over Layer Sweater.

If you have to adjust your parts, use Deformation Tool.
If you are pleased with what you see, take Layers, Merge Visible. Call it Santa.

Now to the bullfinches.

New Layer call it Body. Preset Shapes, Teardrop. Red color on both Fore- and Background.
Make it 30 x 40. Deformation Tool. Turn the body a bit.

New Layer call it Head. Preset Shapes, Teardrop. Black color on both Fore- and Background.
Make it 23 x 30. Deformation Tool. Turn the head a bit.

New Layer call it Beak. Preset Shapes, Diamond. Black color on both Fore- and Background.
Make it 12 x 8. Put it in place. Effects, Inner Bevel, Round.

New Layer call it Eye. Preset Shapes, Ellipse. Black color on both Fore- and Background.
Make it 6 x 6. Put it in place. Effects, Inner Bevel, Round.

New Layer call it Wing1. Preset Shapes, Teardrop. Gray color on both Fore- and Background.
Make it 27 x 37 . Deformation Tool. Turn the wing. Put it in place.
Duplicate and put the Layer under Body Layer. Call it Wing2.

I have put white color as a background, so you can see better.

New Layer call it Tail. Preset Shapes, Rounded Rectangle. Black color on both Fore- and Background.
Make it 20 x 50. Effects, Texture, Blinds.

Deformation Tool. Keep trl down while you put the upper part together.

Deformation Tool. Turn the tail and put it in place. Drag the Tail Layer under Body Layer.

Stand on Wing1 Layer. Selection Tool. Make a rectangle around the wing. Click inside it.
Effects, Cutout, Same settings as before, but use black color and Blur 15.

Make the same with Wing2. Layers, Merge Visible. Call it Bird1.
Put the bird on Santas hand.

Make the same procedure with the other wing, but turn the wings a bit more uppwards.

Merge Visible and all is done!

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