Here is a sample photo of the Magpie that gave me the inspiration for this tutorial. I took this photo on one of our trips to Chino, California. This tutorial is of my own creation and any resemblance to any other is strictly coincidental.

Open a window 400X300, transparent. We can resize it later.

Click on the Preset Shapes Tool and select Ellipse from the drop down window. We will be using Ellipses for all bird parts, just to be different. Use these settings; antialias and Create as Vector both CHECKED, solid line, width 3. When I refer to Ellipse in the steps, I will be meaning Preset Shapes Tool/Ellipse.

BODY

Make your foreground color BLACK and the background color NULL.

NOTE: You could have your Background color as BLACK, so that the Ellipse Shape will already be colored. But, since we are using Vectors, I felt it would be easier to see what you are doing as you go along. This choice I will leave fully up to your own discretion.

Move your curser over the middle left area to the numbers of x45 y95. You will find these numbers in the lower right side of your bottom bar, just to the left of the image size. Left click your mouse and drag down and to the right to x220 y180.

Click on the Rotating arm and pull it down slightly (see IMAGE 1). Then click in the center and move it slightly down and to the left, x107 y160 (see IMAGE 2).

SAVE your image as a pspimage. Remember to SAVE often. This way, if something happens, you will know where you left off.

Click on the Pen Tool and add some NODES (hold down the Control key and move mouse over lines until you see the +ADD, then click) at the bottom right and a few where the belly will be. Drag the NODES to form the tail and to round out the belly, coming as close to the Image below as possible. Do not worry if yours is not exactly like mine. Remember, this is going to be YOUR Magpie.

Selections/Select None

Right click on the Vector Layer and Convert to Raster Layer and name this BODY.

SAVE

HEAD

Click on the Preset Tools, Ellipse should still be selected and make a circle above the top left part of the BODY. Now we are going to make the head and beak.

Click on the Pen Tool and add two NODES, one a little above and one a little below the left side node. Then add a NODE about half way between the right side node and the bottom node. Then, with the one node, drag it down and to the right, joining it to the bird back to form the back of the neck. Do not worry if you drag it below, into the BODY area, as it will be corrected further down.

Click on the middle node on the left side and drag it out to form the beak. You might adjust the other two nodes slightly, to give more definition to the head. Check the Image below.

Selections/Select None. Right click on the Vector Layer and Convert to Raster Layer and name this HEAD.

SAVE

LEGS

Using the Ellipse shape, make a small oval at the bottom of the BODY where you would like one leg to be and add some NODES to the top and bottom of the oval. Remember that the top 1/3 of the leg is slightly wider than the lower 2/3. To make things easier, I make the bottom part of the foot area wider. This way, I can see where to add NODES for the toes and can adjust them when completed. See Images 1 and 2 below. (You can enlarge the image so that you can see your work area better).

When you are happy with how the LEG looks, then click Selections/Select None. Right click on the Vector Layer and Convert to Raster Layer and name this LEG 1.

Now, for the back leg, you can use the Ellipse and draw another leg, even making it look like it is walking, OR you can do it the easy way. Right click on the LEG 1 layer and Duplicate it, then name this LEG 2. Then you can position it where you would like it to be. I am just going to make mine standing.

When you a happy with how your Magpie looks, Merge/Merge Visible, rename this layer BIRD.

SAVE

Now we will clean him up a bit before coloring him in. Click on the Eraser Tool and (Zoom in to see better) erase the lines at the neck and leg areas. I used the Square Shape and size 5, but you can use whichever is easiest for you.

BEAK, YELLOW SPOT & EYE

Click on your Paint Brush, size 1 (your Foreground color should still be BLACK) and close in the beak area. Add a small area from the top of the beak, up by the right side of the eye, down slightly and back to the lower beak (see Image below). This will be for the yellow eye feathers.

Use the Ellipse to made a small circle for the eye. Since the Create as Vector in still checked, you will need to click Selections/Select None and then you right click on the Vector Layer and Convert to Raster Layer. Then you can right click on the Raster layer and then Merge/Merge Down. This will merge the layers without changing your BIRD layer name.

SAVE

WING

NOTE: This is not going to be an actual wing shape, as we are going to work on the white area of the wing. If you want an all black wing, like a Crow, make the wing the shape as you see fit.

Using the Ellipse, make an oval inside the BODY area. Rotate it so that the long side of the bottom oval meets the chest part of the BODY (See Image 1 below).

Using the Pen Tool, add two NODES between the top and right NODES. And add a NODE 1/2 way between the bottom and right NODES, or more if you need them. As you can see in the original photo, the white are is split into two sections. Click on a NODE and position them as you see fit. See Image 2 below.

Selections/Select None and then you right click on the Vector Layer and Convert to Raster Layer. Name this layer WING.

SAVE

FINAL STEPS

Now we can work on coloring him in.

Click on the Magic Wand; use settings of Mode-Replace, Match Mode-RGB Value, Tolerance and Feather 0, Contiguous and Antialias CHECKED.

Make sure the BIRD layer is highlighted and click INSIDE the BODY area. Go to Selections/Modify/Expand by 2. This will make sure that there are no gaps between the Fill and the Outline. Flood Fill this with BLACK. Selections/Select None. SAVE.

Make sure the WING layer is highlighted and click INSIDE the WING area. If you have the black line separating the sections, hold down the SHIFT key and use the Magic Wand in the other WING section. Go to Selections/Modify/Expand by 2. This will make sure that there are no gaps between the Fill and the Outline. Flood Fill this with WHITE. Selections/Select None. SAVE.

Use the Zoom Tool to enlarge your image so that you can work on the head area. I found that Zooming to 400 worked just fine.

Go back and make sure the BIRD layer is highlighted and click INSIDE the BEAK area. Go to Selections/Modify/Expand by 1. Flood Fill this with the beak color of your choice. I used #FFB85D. Selections/Select None. SAVE.

With the Paint Brush, size 1, foreground color BLACK, draw a line for his mouth. As he actually does have a top and bottom bill :)

Click INSIDE the small CHEEK area. Go to Selections/Modify/Expand by 1. Flood Fill this with the beak color of your choice. I used #FED03C. Selections/Select None. SAVE.

Repeat the above step for the EYE. I used a bright yellow #FFFF00.

You can tweak the WING position now if you prefer. I used the Mover Tool and moved my WING back a bit as I kind of made my Magpie at less of an angle. SAVE.

If you are happy with how your Magpie looks, you can Merge/Merge Visible and save as a Tube.