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Style 1: Quick and Simple
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1. Open the file of the image that you want to work with.
2. Select the magnifying glass (zoom tool) and click on the image until it is a comfortable size. I would recommend something around 400% - but it varies per picture. ;)
3. Copy the image - either by using the menu or by using the keyboard command (Ctrl + C). Paste the result as another layer twice (press Ctrl + L two times).
4. You should end up with two new raster layers, though there should be no changes in appearence of the actual picture. For the purpose of this tutorial, I am going to rename this top layer "Soft Fur" and the bottom one "Hard Fur." You can name them anything you wish :)
5. Lets work on the top-most layer. Make sure that before you move on that the "Soft Fur" is selected from in the menu on the right!
6. Now, select the smudge brush  from the left bar (in PSP9, I believe that its something of the 9th button down).
7. Like the paintbrush tool and the eraser (both of which will be used later), you are going to need to adjust the Preset to "Fuzz soft." For this picture, I am going to use size 22 - though you may need to adjust this number a little depending on the width/height of the picture you are working with. In any case, make it large enough so that you can edit a large patch of fur at one time and small enough so that you arn't mutating the petz into an ugly blotch!
8. This is the fun part :) Simply take the brush and make strokes by clicking on the image. In doing so, "pull" the fur in whisps. Do this to the whole picture. You will wind up with a big, blurry, blob... which is what we want for now!
For this step, there are many techniques.
One method is to make a series of smaller strokes.
Another is to create a long, continuous one...
Play around a bit... the smudge brush is a beautiful tool!
8a. It has been brought to my attention a number of times that the image, at this point, looks realistic enough to finalize. ((*points to self* Whoops - didn't catch that the first time)) If you would like to do so, the process is very easy. Simply make little eye-glints if desired, then export / save only the layer titled "Soft Fur." A sample of this can be seen at the bottom of the tutorial with the finished product.
9. To put in the extra little bit of fuzz (for that extra flurfy look) in the picture, select the layer titled "Hard Fur." Make sure that the "Soft Fur" layer is invisible by clicking on the eye if you have not already done so (The image should appear normal again).
10. At the very top of the screen (just below the blue bar), there should be a master menu with sub-menus such as "File" and "Edit." Find the heading titled "Effects" and click on it. From the subs, choose "Texture Effects" (it's near the bottom), and from the next menu - pick "Fur..."
11. You should get a popup box like the one seen above. Adjust the settings so that Blur and Legnth both equal four, Density is 77, and there is no transparency. Press "O.K." and watch as your image is *magically* transformed into a beautiful mess of... pasta! No worries, though - we'll change that soon!
12. Turn the "Soft Fur" layer on by unclicking the Eye Ball Icon. Simple, no :P
13. Adjust the transparency by adjusting the gray bar next to it. For CherryWood, I would slide the bar to somewhere around 48, but you can adjust that number to fit your image.
14. Notice how there seems to still be a great deal of confusion in the photo at this stage. It's time to do a little cleanup! Select the eraser tool (in PSP9, it is about the 11th button down on the same menu that the brush and zoom tool came from). Just like with the paintbrush setting, the eraser has presets of its own. Find the one called "Fuzz Soft" and alter the size to about a 22 (or any reasonable size relative to the particular picture -- though it should be smaller than the petz' face).
15. The "Hard Fur" layer should still be selected -- Run your tool over your petz' face, paying particular attention to clearing the eyes, nose, and general area thereof -- yet maintaining caution not to smooth TOO MUCH of the head...
16. From this point onwards, it becomes a game of personal preference more than anything else. All the advice I can give is to play around with the eraser tool and the different presets. Your goal: To clean up as much of the pasta as you deem nessesary to create your wonderfuly fuzzy companion. My first choice is to use a light / small setting of the various marble templates -- working to smooth out the paws and over cluttered areas of the main body. However, as a word of warning, it can be quite easy to go overboard... So watch what you're doing!
17. Saving the final product can render itself an interesting challange. If you want transparency, exporting the picture is the best way to do it. Make note of certain edges - they might require a little tempering with. In any case, don't forget to add those eye sparkles (if desired)! The final product of this tutorial is displayed below:
Final From Step 8a
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Final From Step 17
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