Paint Shop Pro - and - Animation Shop - My tutorials - Little Mermaid

Bubbles effect

This tutorial was inspired by another tutorial made a long time ago by Titoune called 'Beauty's Kingdom' and translated in italian by Pinuccia here, yet unfortunately, this specific tutorial is unavailable in english.

That aside, I want to thank Pinuccia for all her translations of Titoune's tutorials and thereby, avoiding that those tutorials disappear into the clouds and become unavailable anymore.

To realize it, I have used a beautiful kit by Linda's site 'My Tagging Addiction'  called 'Tales of the Deep Blue Sea'.  You will also need Simone's animation 'SimoneAni371'.

All her animations are in her site 'Scrappy Bit of Fun' as well as her tutorials for Animation Shop fans!!  You can use any other kit or images that you like, of course.  You will need Animation Shop for either the bubble version or the tropical ocean waves. It is a different animated version of this Little Mermaid as you can see:

Waves effect

I have made this tutorial with PSPX on March 21, 2025, and
tested/corrected it on April 14, 2025.
Thank you to respect my work and the other creators work.
Don’t hesitate to write to me here if you have any trouble with this tutorial and I’ll try to help as best as I can.

Decompress the zipped files, open the files and save them somewhere in your PSP folder where you will find them later on.  Make duplicates of your images to preserve originals. 
Save your work often as pspimage with all your layers just
in case your PSP crashes!!

If you use your own images, some steps, like the offsets, could need different settings.

Materials
Scrapkit from Linda
SimoneAni371.gif 
Background image made by me with Bing's Image Creator

1
Open a new transparent image of 800 x 600 px
Selections - Select all

2
Select one of the images 'background' furnished in the Materials
Back to your work, Paste it into the selection
Layers - Duplicate
(keep the selection active)

On the duplicate (top layer)
Selections - Modify - Contract 50 px
Selections - Invert
Adjust - Blur - Radial blur

3
Effects - User Defined Filter - Emboss 7

4

Selections - Invert
Effects - 3D effects - Chisel with color #1b589c

Keep selected

5

Layers - Duplicate
(now, we have 2 layers of the border)
On this duplicate layer (the 2nd border of 50 px)
Effects - 3D Effects - Cutout with color #6699cc

Selections - Select none

6
We have these layers:

7
Highlight the bottom layer
Layers - Duplicate
On the duplicate, Effects - Geometric effects - Circle

8
On the circle layer, Image - Resize at 80% uncheck 'Resize all layers'
You now have these layers:

9

On the circle layer
Effects - 3D effects 5 / 5 / 50 / 20 with color black

Repeat the drop shaddow effect with the negative settings
Layers - Merge visible

10
Open, Copy/Paste as a new layer 'image 5' (bubbles)
Image - Resize at 80% uncheck 'Resize all layers'
Effects - Image effects - Offset

Open, Copy/Paste as a new layer 'element 21' (anchor)
Image - Resize at 50% uncheck 'Resize all layers'
Effects - Image effects - Offset

Effects - Plugins - Alien Skin Eye Candy Impact 5 - Perspective shadow

11
Open, Copy/Paste as a new layer 'element 4' (mermaid)
Image - Resize at 80% uncheck 'Resize all layers'
Effects - Plugins - Alien Skin Eye Candy Impact 5 - Perspective shadow, same settings

12
Open, Copy/Paste as a new layer 'element 38' (aquatic plant)
Image - Resize at 50% uncheck 'Resize all layers'
Effects - 3D effects - Drop shadow with same settings as before but color #113947

I think there are enough elements in this image; feel free to select whatever elements for the completion of your under the sea image. 

When you are satisfied, you can add text if you like, then sign your image before saving it.

If you want to animate it, like I did, save it as a psp image.
In step 13, you will obtain the image with the Bubbles and
in step 14, you will obtain the image with the Waves effect.

13 - Bubbles effect
Open your Animation Shop
Open your image just saved as a jpg or as a psp image as a new animation
Animation - Resize animation to 80%
Select Frame 1, Copy it and Paste it after current frame
Repeat this in order to obtain a total of 24 identical frames

Open 'SimoneAni371'
Edit - Select all,  Edit - Copy
Back to your image with the mermaid, you should have 24 frames
Highlight Frame 1 - Edit - Select all
Edit - Paste into selected frames and click about where you see the bubble in the red oval in the screenshot below:

Click on the Cinema icon  to see the animation and if you like it, add your watermark in the same way, using the Propagate Paste icon and clicking in the "Paste into selected Frame' icon.  Save your result as a gif.

14 - Waves effect
Open your Animation Shop
Open your image just saved as a jpg or as a psp as a new animation
Animation - Resize animation to 80%
Effects - Insert image effect
Select Animation Frame and in the Effect, select Underwater
In Define effect, enter the following settings:
Effect length at 1.1 secs
Frames per second at 7
Then click on Customize

When you do, the image below will come up; here are the explanations of this image:
1- The Vector area (inside the red square):  here, we make the wave vectors (looks like a star with many rays) we pull a line from the center going outward.
for the wave that I used in this tutorial, there are 12 lines and any line can be deleted by extending it outside of the grey square. Try to be as precise as you can but when you are done, do not pass on the Vector area as it will change your settings; you can play with these vectors, adding or removing them and trying other wave effects.
2- The Effects zone: check 'Apply sunlight dappling' and set 'Sunlight intensity' at 10
3- In Liquid properties, Set 'Water depth' at 30
4- In the Waves zone: set the Wave at 1, X at 30 and Y at 30,
then, hit your Enter key (so that you don't pass over the Vector area)

You obtain an animation with 8 frames but frame 1 has no effect on it so delete frame 1. You can admire your beautiful wave effect by clicking on the Cinema icon. Don't forget to add your watermark in your result and save your result as a gif.

Here is another example with the Underwater effect:

I truly hope that you enjoyed doing this tutorial and that making waves and bubbles will inspire you for other beautiful creations!! Send me your result here and I will be honoured to add them in this page, below.

BACK TO PSP INDEX   MY TUTORIALS   MY TRANSLATIONS    MY BANNERS

Paint Shop Pro - My tutorials - Strawberry Queen

 

This tutorial is a personal creation.
Any resemblance with another one would be only pure coincidence.

It is strictly forbidden to modify my images, to change their name or take off the watermarks in order to present them on your sites or blog, to share them in groups, to make a bank of images, or to use them on lucrative purposes.

I have made this tutorial with PSPX on May 2, 2024. Thank you to respect my work and the creators work. Don’t hesitate to write to me here if you have any trouble with this tutorial and I’ll try to fix the problem as quickly as I can. 

Decompress the zipped Materials file, open the files and save them in
their respective My PSP files folder.  For png and other images, duplicate them after taking away my watermark, if any.  Work with your duplicates to preserve originals.  Copy/Paste the gradient into your PSP files in the Gradients folder.  Copy/Paste the pattern into your PSP files in the Patterns folder.

Save your work often as pspimage with all your layers just in case your PSP crashes!!

Materials
1 pattern 'Plaid 30'
1 gradient 'Bicromia rosso'
3 images of my creation

Plugins
User's Defined filters - Emboss 3
Alien Skin Eye Candy 5 Impact - Glass
VM Natural - Lakeside Reflection
Simple - Blintz and Pizza Slice Mirror
 

1
Open a new transparent image of 900 x 700 px

2
In your Materials, after selecting these colors
Foreground color 1 #eec3ca
Background color 2 #dc5454
click in your Foreground icon and select the Pattern Plaid 30 (in the Materials)

3
Flood fill your image with this plaid pattern
Adjust - Sharpness - Sharpen

4
Selections - Select all - Modify - Contract of 50 px
Selections - Promote selection to layer
With your Background color in the Foreground selected color, flood fill the selection
Selections - Float
Selections - Defloat
Selections - Modify - Select Selection borders
and check 'Outside' and 'Antialias' and set at 8 px


Flood fill this border with the linear gradient 'Bicromia Rosso' (included in the Materials)
Angle 310 and 10 Repeats

(Note: I obtained a series of gradients from the same site many years ago but I forgot the URL. I want to thank this person for his collection of
wonderful gradients)
Selections - Select none

5
With your Magic wand, Tolerance 0 and Feather 0,
click in the center of the image to select this color rectangle
Copy/Paste in the selection the image 'lc-strawberry-forever'
Effects - Plugins - VM Natural - Lakeside Reflection with default settings
except for the Horizon at 222


Selections - Select none

6
Copy/Paste as a new raster the image 'strawberry-queen'
With your Move tool, place it on the right lower corner of the image


At this point, save as a Pspimage, just in case

7
Image - Resize check 'Resize all layers' at 85%
Image - Add symmetric borders of 50 px with the Background color
With your Magic wand, click in this color
Copy/Paste into the selection your strawberry queen (it should still be in the memory)
Effects - Plugins - Simple - Blintz
Effects - Plugins - Simple - Pizza slice mirror
Do not deselect

8
With your 50 px border still selected:
Adjust - Blur - Gaussian blur at 20
Effects - Texture effects - Mosaic Antique with these settings:

Effects - User's Defined filters - Emboss 3 (should already be in your options)

Do not deselect yet!

8
Selections - Modify - Select selection borders 5 px both sides
Flood fill with the gradient previously used
Effects - 3D effects - Outer bevel with these settings and color

Selections - Select none

10
With your Text tool, write your text - I used
Scriptomania Hostess font size 50 but you can use whatever font you like
or if you prefer, use my text image 'lc-text' in the Materials
Effects - 3D effects - Drop shadow 2/2/58/4 with color black

 11
Image - Add borders - 2 px black

12
Sign and save your image as a jpg or File - Export as an optimized jpg

 You are done!

I hope that you enjoyed making this tutorial as much as I had fun making it! I added a little more to my result with an animation with Sqirlz Water Reflections using the 'circles only' feature. You can get the Sqirlz Water Reflections here. There are tutorials inside the program under Examples.

Send me your creation here and I will gladly add it below!

BACK TO PSP INDEX   MY TUTORIALS   MY TRANSLATIONS    MY BANNERS

Paint Shop Pro - My tutorials - Disappearing Mouse

This is a tutorial inspired by another tutorial from a group on Animation Shop owned by Carin, a wonderful Animation Shop teacher; it was her lesson 31 entitled 'Lazy Tiger'.  You can apply to her group here.  I can assure you that you will not regret it!

This tutorial is basically 2 images worked separately that we unite in Animation Shop.

 

Materials
1 alpha-channel pspimage
1 Brushtip to save in your 'My PSP Files' under the Brushes folder
In case you cannot get the brush from your Brushes after you have imported it, I also enclosed the corner image as a png file in the zip
2 masks
1 jpg image

Plugins
Carolaine & Sensitivity - CSL-Dots
Alien Skin Eye Candy Impact 5 - Pespective shadow

Colors
Foreground color 1 #95440d
Background color 2 #b89953
Additional color 3 #c7a043

Let's begin!

 BACKGROUND IMAGE

1
Open the pspimage image 'alpha-channel-mouse-lc'
Window - Duplicate
Never work on an original, you could need it intact later on

 2
Flood fill with Sunburst gradient with these settings
and Foreground color #95440d and Background color black

3
Open the mask '1250181704_nikita_masques' and minimize it
Back to your image:
Layers - Load/Save mask from Picture

and select '125081704_nikita_masques' from the options

Layers - Merge - Merge group

 4
Layers - New raster layer
Change your colors in your Materials with
Foreground color #95440d and Background color #c7a043

Your gradient changes at the same time; you leave it like that and
Flood fill with this gradient
Layers - Arrange - Send to bottom or Move down

5
Highlight the top layer
Effects - Plugins - Carolaine and Sensitivity - CSL-Dots: 112 - 240 - 18

6
Layers - New raster layer
Using your Paint brush tool, select the leaf motif 'klorn_003'
In your Materials, using the same gradient previously made (at step 4)


Click in the upper left corner
Effects - 3D effects - Drop shadow  -1 / -1 / 100 / 1 with color black
Layers - Duplicate
Image - Flip
Layers - Merge - Merge down
Layers - Duplicate
Image - Mirror
Effects - 3D effects - Drop shadow  1 / 1 / 100 / 1 with color black

 7
Layers - New raster layer
Selections - Save/Load selection from alpha-channel layer
Flood fill the selection with color #c7a043
Effects - Buttonize with these settings 75 / 45 / 61 check Transparent and color black

Still selected,
Effects - Plugins - Alien Skin Eye Candy 5 Impact - Perspective shadow
and enter these settings in Basic:

Note: you could save these settings by clicking in Manage and naming it; it is very efficient and appropriate for many uses.

Selections - Select none
Layers - Merge - Merge all (Flatten)
File - Save as a jpg file and name it 'background-image'
Your background image is done.

We will now work on the animated part of the image that will be placed in the centre of it.  Let's start!!!

ANIMATED MIDDLE IMAGE

1
In your PSP, open image 'black-white-slats' from the Materials
Windows - Duplicate and close the original
Always work on the duplicate - never on the original
Layers - Promote background to layer
In your image and with your Magic wand with Tolerance 25, Feather 0

Click inside the white part (between the black slats); 
zoom in if you need to see better

The whole white part will be selected; delete using your Delete key or the Scissors
Selections - Invert
Now, all the black parts become selected

2
Open your image 'lc-mouse1.jpg'
Copy/Paste into the selection
Effects - Buttonize with same settings as before (which should be in memory)
Selections - Select none
Your image should look like this:

Duplicate this image in order to obtain a total of 9 layers,
one layer for each slat in the image
This is what we want to achieve:

You will notice that the complete image is at the bottom and one by one, as we
go up in the layers, one slat is disappearing. If we would have had a slat template with 14 parts, there would be 14 layers.

We start the animation with the complete image so that when we place it
in the middle of the larger background image, we can see where we put the animation. Then, 'Animation - Reverse frames' in order to have the animation start with the middle square. In other words, here is what we do:

Starting from layer 9, we will delete all the slats except the little square in the middle. To help us, we close the visibility of all layers except the one that we are working on.

Layer 9 (the top layer):
Highlight layer 9.  Zoom into the image to see what you are doing.
Using your Selection tool (Rectangle), select the small square in the middle,
Selections - Invert - Delete with your Delete key
Selections - Select none

We are left with the single square in the middle like this:

Layer 9 done! Close the visibility of layer 9

Note: I have used the Rectangle selection tool for the deleting part in the lower layers but if you are more familiar with the Eraser, please use it. Layer 8 will contain 2 slats, Layer 7 will contain 3 slats, etc..etc.. The bottom layer will stay complete. 

Layer 8
Open the visibility of layer 8 and activate this layer.
Using your Selection tool, Freehand selection - Selection type Point to point 

Start your selection at the right lower angle of the small square and follow the path indicated below going up:

You left-click every time that you change direction, making sure that
you do not include a mouse bit. To close the selection, right-click.
Selections - Invert - Delete
Selections - Select none
Close visibility of layer 8
Layer 8 done!!

Layer 7
Open the visibility of layer 7 and activate it.
Start your selection at the right lower angle of the small square and follow the path indicated below:

Selections - Invert - Delete
Selections - Select none
Close visibility of layer 7
Layer 7 done!!

Layer 6
Open the visibility of layer 6 and activate it.
Start your selection at the right lower angle of the small square and follow the path indicated below:

 Selections - Invert - Delete
Selections - Select none
Layer 6 done!!

Continue like this, including another slat as you go, always following the way to select the slats to be deleted.
Your end result should look as previously shown but here is a reminder:

Before saving it as a psp file, make sure that all the eyes of visibility are opened for all the layers. Now, name this work 'final-mouse-animation' and save it as a psp file.

HOW TO ANIMATE YOUR IMAGE
Open your Animation Shop.
File - Open 'background-image.jpg'
Copy - Paste after the current frame
There are many ways to multiply a frame to
obtain a larger number of the same frame;
 it will be for you to use whatever method that you like.
We need a total of 20 frames of this background image
Here is what you should have in your Animation Shop:

Edit - Select all

 In your background image, select frame 1 and with your SHIFT key, click into your frame 9
Frames 1 to 9 are selected. Leave this work aside.

Now, open your mouse animation:
 File - Open 'final-mouse-animation.psp'
(enlarge in order to see all the frames)

Edit - Select all - Edit - Copy
Go to your 'background-image.psp' and Paste into selected frames,
clicking inside the middle square so that the animated mouse
will correspond with the middle square.
When you are certain of the emplacement, release the click
Animation - Reverse frames

Select your frame 11 and with your SHIFT key,
click into your frame 19
Frames 11 to 19 are selected.
Your selection is still in memory so in your 'background-image.psp',
Paste into selected frames

 Open the image 'text-1'
Edit - Copy
Back to your image, click into your frame 10 and paste it in the selected frame, in the middle

Open the image 'text-2'
Edit - Copy
Back to your image, click into your frame 20 and paste it in the selected frame, in the middle

 If you prefer some other text, in Animation Shop:
With your text tool, colors to your liking, select your font
I used Copperplate Gothic with these settings

Write your text
Place your text in the middle of the square
 Go to frame 20 and write your text
Place it in the middle of the square

Go to your frame 1
Edit - Select all
Frame properties at 35
Select frames 10 and 20 (holding CTRL key)
Frame properties at 125

Your animation is done.
Apply your watermark to it and save it as a gif.
I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial; it is quite long but it is very satisfying!!!  Send me your versions and I will post them below.

BACK TO PSP INDEX   MY TUTORIALS   MY TRANSLATIONS    MY BANNERS