Little Chick

Open a new image 500x500.

Select the preset shape tool "ellipse" with a dark yellow stroke (

)
and a yellow gradient background of you choice (or you can use mine (ita_gradient_poussin)). Draw an ellipse with the setting of the picture.

Open the "Vector 1" layer by clicking the cross next to its name,

Then double click the layer called "Ellipse" in the layer window.
Change the name of the layer to "Body" or whatever you would like your shape to be named.
(Don't be afraid about the picture: corps means body in french, not corpse :) )

Select the pen tool.

(for psp7 users, click on object selector tool then node edit in the tool options.)

Add a new node (Ctrl+Left click) on the top right border of the ellipse around the middle of the top and right nodes.
Drag it a little towards the north-east.
(That's the top-right for you who are geographically challenged, like me :) )
Then press Ctrl+L to convert the node to line.

If you want, you can drag the bottom node of the ellipse downwards to fatten your chick a bit.

Select the shape tool again. Draw a smaller and rounder ellipse outside the top left border of the body.
Place it where you want to have the head 'cause that's what it is :)
And that's the name we give to this new sub-layer.

Select the body layer. Copy it with Ctrl+C, and paste it as a new layer with Ctrl+L.

It may happen that the Ctrl+C / Ctrl+L trick doesn't work, especially when the mouse cursor has this

shape.
If it happens, I select the move tool

to have this

shape and it works.

You can see that the layer you pasted is named 'body'. Change it to 'wing'

Select the Object Selection Tool

Resize the wing to make it smaller and move it to fit the body.

Click on the wing sub-layer, keep the mouse button down and drag the layer beneath the head sub-layer.

Right-click on the empty 'Vector 2' layer and delete it.
We will not use it anymore.

Tuts index Part 2 Part 3