I'm continuing my Halloween tutorials. This one is a mouth just dripping with blood. I've made a sigtag out of it, but you could make it a non-sigtag as well. Also, you can make this tag either static or animated.

A drippy font. I used Blood of Dracula, and you can download it here or here.

My selection files. Place these in your PSP selections folder (or another location of your choice).

You may download all of my materials here.

My color chart. Right click on this and save it to your computer.

Step 1. Open a new image 200 x 200, black background. Copy your color chart and paste it as a new layer onto your canvas. Move it to the top out of the way. When you need a color, just click on it with your eye dropper tool.

Step 2. Add a new layer. Load selection 1 (go to selections>load from disk - then navigate to the location where you placed the selection files. Flood fill with color #1.

Float the selection (selections>float; OR hit the "Ctrl+F' keys). You'll see marching ants around the lips. Now apply a cutout (effects>3d effects>cutout) using the settings in the screenshot. The shadow color is color #2 on your color chart.

Repeat the cutout, but change the horizontal and vertical to -3.

   

Step 2. Add a new layer. Place it underneath the mouth. Load selection 2. Flood fill with white. Apply an inner bevel (effects>3d effects>inner bevel), using the settings in the screenshot.

   

Repeat for selections 3, 4, and 5.

Step 3. Add a new layer and place it on top of the teeth layers. Load selection 6. Flood fill with color #3. Float. Apply a cutout as before except change the shadow color to color #4.

Step 4. Add a new layer. Load selection 7. Flood fill with white. Apply inner bevel, same settings as before.

Step 5. Now make the lips layer active. Duplicate it. Move it to the top of all the layers.

Now you want to get rid of the bit that overlaps the fangs. Choose your selection tool, rectangle, and draw up to the point where the lips join at the side.

Hit the delete key on your keyboard.

   

Step 6. Add a new layer. Load selection 8. Flood fill with red. Float. Apply cutout as before. Duplicate this layer as many times as you wish and arrange.

Step 7. Add a new layer. Add your text. I've used the "blood of dracula" font, size 26. Apply a cutout if you wish (I did).

Step 8. If you want to animate your sigtag, move on to Step 9. If you want it to be static, then you're all done. Just delete the color chart and merge visible layers.

Step 9. If you're animating, delete the color chart, hide your drops, and merge visible layers. You should now have the mouth, text, and background on one layer, and your droplets on another.

Choose your crop tool and crop away any excess black area around your mouth. Resize by 70% (image>resize). Sharpen (effects>sharpen)

To animate, decide where you want your droplets to fall, and in what order, and arrange them. Then you 'll just save individual gif files of each step. In the screenshot, I've numbered my drops (in green), in order, so you can see how the finished product will look. I have 11 drops, and I will have 11 individual gif frames for my animation.

The numbers on the drops correspond to the number of the gif. For example, drop #1 will be "01.gif" (or whatever you choose to name yours). Drop #2 will be "02.gif" and so forth. To save a frame, just hide all layers except your mouth layer and the drop. Then merge visible layers and save. Continue this way until you have all 11 frames done.

   

Step 10. Open Animation Shop. Click file>animation wizard.

• Choose "Same size as the first image frame" then "Next."
• Click "Transparent" then "Next."
• Click "Upper left corner of the frame" and "With the canvas color" then "Next."
• Click "Yes, repeat the animation indefinitely" and choose "20" then "Next."
• Now you'll add your images. Click "Add Image." Browse to the location where you placed the 11 gif files and choose them. Click "Open."
• You'll see your list of graphics. Make sure they're arranged in the correct order, then click "Next."
  Click "Finish."

You'll see all of your frames. To see what your animation looks like, click on the view animation icon, or you can click View>animation. When it's the way you want it, click File>save. The Optimization window will appear, just leave the default settings (just click "Next" for each screen), and "Finish" at the end.

And that's it, all done....You're now officially an honorary Halloween vampire! Hope you enjoyed the tut ;o)