This tutorial is written for PSP7. I've included the eyes and the beak in a zipfile as you may not be able to make your own, at least not as shown, without KPT5. Also, if you want to use the same plaid I've made, just right click on the image below and save it to your hard drive. Otherwise, you may use any plaid or pattern that you choose on your bird!

If you need my gray eye and beak you can get them HERE
*These are in PSP format. Unzip, open in PSP and Export as Tubes or save to your hard drive in PSP format so you can use again later. But, if you have KPT5, I really would encourage you to make your own. June, of www.junescubbyhole.com has some excellent tutorials on how to make the eyes and the beak - the best! Visit her site here to learn how to make these objects:

OK! Time to get started. Lets open a new 450 x 450 transparent image.

First we're going to use the Preset Shapes Tool, heart shape, white background, foreground set to null. Make large heart. Use the settings shown below:

And here's what you'll now have:

Now, place cursor on the point on the bottom of the vector box and drag up to make the bottom less of a point.

If we still need to make him a little more plump we can take our Node tool and place some nodes. Then we can add some nice thigh meat down near that heart point. :o) Here's where I've put my nodes, and what it looks like after I've made my adjustments. You can put yours wherever you'd like so that your bird looks pleasing to you:

Once you are satisfied, go to Layer palette, right click on the body layer and convert to raster layer.

Add a layer. Get your Draw tool and use the following settings and draw a straight line down toward the bottom of the image - not all the way, though:

Click on node edit, then put cursor over the 'leg' and right click and click on node edit (at the bottom). Now put your cursor somewhere in the middle of the leg, hold down Ctrl, and when you see the '+add', left click. Release the Ctrl, and drag the node out a bit. This is how mine looks at this point:

Right click on the leg and click on Quit Node Edit. Go to Layer palette, right click on the leg layer and convert to raster layer. Add a layer for the foot/shoe. use preset shapes tool, ellipse shape, with the following settings:

Hold your cursor a little behind the bottom of the leg and draw an ellipse shape by moving your cursor to the left. This is what mine looks like now:

Click on the Node tool, then right click on the shoe area. We'll place some new nodes so we can make this ellipse look something like a shoe. Remember, this is for a bird so it does not have to look like designer wear! This is what mine looks like, but yours does not have to be the same.

Right click on shoe area, click on Quit Node Edit. Layer Palette, right click on layer, click on convert to raster layer.

Layer Palette, hide the bottom two layers - a blank layer and the body. Go to Layers, Merge All Visible. Then, in your Layer Palette, unhide the bottom two layers and drag the leg under the body layer.

OK, let's start to bring this bird to life! Click on the body layer. Get your Selection Tool, set to Rectangle using the following settings:

Draw a rectangle around the body, then hold your cursor over the center and click. You should now see marching ants around the body. Click on your Foreground box and select the solid tool/paint brush. You may use any color you choose for the body. I've used #7796A8 for mine. Now get your Flood Fill tool and fill the body. Change your Foreground color to black, select your Airbrush Tool, and use the following settings:

Give it a few sprays wherever you like. This is what I have now. But, we need to tone that down a bit so go to Effects|Blur|Soften.

Next we need to add some depth, go to Effects, Inner Bevel and use the following settings:

NOTE: If you want to make more of these and have the same bevel, then you may want to save the settings. If so, click on Save As and then you will need to enter a name. For mine I named it bjw_chickenbody.

Before you deselect, we need to do some cleanup. Go to Selections, Modify, Contract and set the number of pixels to 2. Then go to Selections, Invert, and hit delete. That will remove the white from the edges and leave you with a nice cleanly plucked bird! :o)

Don't deselect just yet! Now we need to add another Layer and then a cutout. Go to Effects|3D Effects|Cutout and apply the following settings:

Phew! Now you can deselect.

Now we need to do something about those legs! I've used the plaid shown, but you may use anything you like. First, once on the merged leg layer, use your Selection Tool rectangle and draw around the leg. Then click on the center of the leg to get the ants marching around the leg. Now, with your plaid in the forground box, Flood Fill the leg.

And now lets give it some shape by using an inner bevel. These are the settings that I used, and I have saved them as bjw_chickenleg:

Deselect. Layer Palette, make sure the merged leg layer is highlighted. Right click on it, click on Duplicate. Then go to Image, Mirror and you will now have your other leg. At this point you may want to move them around. Perhaps have one a little shorter than the other by moving it up, etc. Or maybe you want to use your Deformation Tool to have one kicking off to the side as I've done. This is what I now have:

Now it's time for the HEAD! Add a layer, grab your Preset Shapes Tool, Ellipse, with the settings below, and Foreground Null and Background white:

Place the head so it covers the 'dip' in the top of the heart, like I've done here:

Click on your Node Edit tool, and then right click in the middle of the head. Now you can place some more nodes around the circle so you can make some little tufts of feathers. This is what mine looked like, and then I made a few more adjustments later. You can do whatever you want to your little birdie! This will just give you an idea of where you might want to place some tufts:

When you are satisfied, then go to Layer Palette and convert the head layer to a raster layer. Get your Selection Tool, set at Rectangle as we did before, and make a rectangle around the head. Then click on the center of the head to get the marching ants.

Change your Foreground color to the body color and Flood Fill. Then change the Foreground to Black, and get the Spray can, same settings as before, and spray around the chicken head. Next go to Effects|Blur|Soften. And then go to Effects|3D Effects|Inner Bevel and apply the same settings you did for the body. Finally, go to Selections|Modify| Contract|and set at 2 pixels. Then to Selections|Invert, and hit your delete key. Add a Layer, Effects|3D Effects|Cutout and apply the same settings as for the body, then deselect. Your chicken may now look something like this:

Next, if you want to give your bird a tail, get your Preset Selection Tool, select the Teardrop shape, and use the same settings as before. Then, with your Foreground set to Null and your Background set to White, draw out a tail area. Flood fill this with your body color, apply the black spray paint, and the same bevel. You'll also need to go through the same Selection routine in order to get rid of that white border around the tail area. Then in your Layers Palette, drag the tail area below the head. This is what mine looks like at the moment:

Take your Selection Tool, Rectangle - same settings as before, and draw around the tail section; click on the center to get the ants marching. Add a Layer, go to Effects|3D Effects|Cutout, using the same settings as for the body section.

Time to give our bird a face! Let's give him some eyes! Add a layer for each eye so you can move them around. I use the eyes I've made using June's Fiber Eye Tutorial: www.junescubbyhole.com. You may make your own or use the ones that I've included in the zip file. And for the beak, I've also followed June's Beak Tutorial, also found at www.junescubbyhole.com. Once again, you may make your own or use the one I've included in the zip file. Here's how mine looks with a face:

OK! We're just about done, but I thought mine needed a little more to really make him dressed. After all, he did put on his plaid socks, so why not add a plaid tie! I used the tie included in the PSP7 preset selections. Get your Preset Selection Tool, Foreground null and Background set to your plaid; and the preset selection tool set to the tie with the following settings:

And now we have one happy little Dressed Bird! I believe I may have added an inner bevel to that tie but don't have settings for you. If you want to do the same, you can see if there's a preset there that you like, or just fool around with the settings until you get something that you like! Here's what mine looks like:

Here is my finished Dressed Country Bird. If you would like to make the Easy Country Frame, you can find my tutorial for that by clicking on my tutorial link at the end of the page.

I had two people test my tutorial for me and I want you to see what they've done with my tutorial. My good friend Monica tested the tutorial first. Here's her wonderful Dressed Country Bird:

Thanks, Mon! He's really a cutie! You can visit Mon's web page here:

June, the wonderful creator of the eyes and beak tutorials, also tested my tutorial for me. June created a whole family of Dressed Country Birds!

Thank you, June, for creating such darling birds! And many thanks as well for writing your tutorials on the eyes and beak. They are terrific! Once again, please stop by June's site to see her fun tutorials: