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In order to create a customizable plushie, you will need a couple of things:

- Art software capable of handling transparency and layers.
Lots of people use Photoshop 7 or CS. Some people here have mentioned JASC Paint Shop Pro, although I have no experience with it. I use Photoshop Elements. There is also a list of free and shareware programs in the Art forum, and I'm sure at least some of them can do this. The examples shown in this guide all show Photoshop Elements, so don't be surprised if your program looks different.
- Something to draw with.
Wacom tablets are my personal preference. However, you can get away with drawing things on paper and scanning them in, or drawing with a mouse. It's just a matter of what you're best at.


First, you will need a base for your plushie. The easiest way to get a plushie base is to use a doll base available on the internet, assuming that the creator allows it and you give proper credit. If you already have a base to use, skip to the next section to start creating items for it.

Ideally, however, your plushie should be something you drew yourself. This section will give you some pointers on creating a plushie base.

I'm not going to get into too much detail on the mechanics of drawing, as there are plenty of how-to-draw tutorials, already. However, there are some things I've found useful:

- For both the base and items, it is a good idea to draw them at 2-4x the intended size, then scale them down. This will make drawing details easier, and will make the finished product look less pixelly.
- If using line art, keep the line art and the colors in separate layers.
- Do not be afraid to load up on layers! When drawing my own plushies, I usually a lineart layer, a base color layer, a shadow layer and a highlight layer. Someone with a more complicated coloring style could easily have more. Separating the colors into their own layers makes it easier to edit one without ruining the others.
- For both bases and items, if you're planning to make more than one color, it is useful to keep a "raw" version of the art. Layers separated, un-resized. This will make it easier to make new colors.


If you're drawing your base from scratch, here are some things to consider when designing it:
- What kind of customization do you have in mind? Make sure the plushie's body leaves enough room for what you want to do, and the pose doesn't cover up anything important. For example, if you were planning on making bracelets for your plushie, make sure it has arms long enough to wear them, and at least one arm is visible.
- Size is a factor, as most Gaia users want something they can put in their signature. Be sure to leave room.
- If you're planning to have certs or personalizations, leave room for them, too.


Example
As an example, I will walk through the creation of a simple, solid-color base. This is not the only way to do it, of course. It is simply the way I do it, offered as an example of the process. You will most likely have to experiment to find the methods that work best for you.

1.


Start with your line art. How do you get line art? Well, you draw it, that's about it. There isn't really much of a shortcut. You could draw it directly into the software using a tablet or mouse, or draw it on paper, then scan it and ink it digitally. If you need help creating your line art, check the Art forum.

Note that the background is transparent. It is important to keep the transparency in order to avoid covering up other items.

2.


Create a new layer behind the line layer. Fill it with a solid color. What color doesn't particularly matter at this point.
If you were doing a more complicated color pattern, such as stripes, you would create a new layer for the stripes, between the base color layer and the line layer.

3.


Create a layer between the line and color layers. This is your shadow layer. The shadows can be created by drawing in a darker color, or by drawing them in black and setting the layer opacity to 40-50%. You can have multiple shadow layers, using the same technique. Highlight layers can be created the same way, using a lighter color or white set to 40-50% opacity. For solid bases, there isn't much difference, but for more complicated patterns, the second approach is less trouble. I like cell-shading, so the shadows are done in that style. However, it is also possible to softer edges and gradients, if you prefer.
There isn't much of a shortcut to drawing the shadows/highlights, either. If you based your plushie on something in real-life, you can use that as a model for where to put the shadows. Otherwise, you'll just have to use your own judgement. If you need help with shading, check the Art forum.

4.

You know have your raw form. To make different colored bases, all you need to do is recolor the color layer(s) and merge the layers together.

The bases pictured here are all a single layer. However, if you wanted to get more complicated, you could separate parts into different layers. For example, I could make the cat's front arm its own layer that sat on top on the rest of the body. This would make fitting items that go around or under the arm easier.

Now that you have everything ready, it's time to set up your shop thread. Go to the minishops forum and decide where to put it, then create your thread. Try to give it a title that describes just what you sell. For example, "Mikey's Anthill- Stuffed Ant Plushies!", rather than "Mikey's Shop".

It's a good idea to reserve the entire first page (15 posts) right away. You might not think you'll need that much space, but it's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. Besides, you never know when you'll want to expand.

Exactly how you organize your shop is up to you, but there are certain things you'll definitely need:

- A description of exactly what your shop offers, preferably with examples of completed products.
Specificity is your friend here. Be sure you outline just what is customizable and what isn't.

- Examples of all available bases and items.
Make sure your examples are watermarked. If a certain base or item comes in several colors, you don't necessary have to show the whole thing in every color, just enough to give your buyers an idea of what it will look like. Giving them unique names or numbers will make it easier to order and prevent misunderstandings. "Angel wings, type 2" is a lot harder to mix up than "The yellow wings, third from the left on the fourth row". Prices should be clearly specified. It may be the case that some items are not compatible with each other, or with certain bases. These cases should also be clearly specified.

Here is an example of what I mean:


As you can see, the price is specified (nice and large, in the hopes that the n00bs will read it). The item is incompatible with one of the bases and this is specified (in red, again in the hopes that n00bs will read it). It shows how the item looks on the plushie, and shows the available colors. The colors are all given names, so the buyer knows just what to ask for. You don't have to organize your examples exactly like this, obviously, but it should give you an idea of what you need.

- Store rules and ordering instructions.
There will always be n00bs who don't read, and there isn't much you can do about them. However, clearly stated rules and instructions will do a lot to avoid misunderstandings and miscommunications between you and your non-n00b buyers. Using an order form that outlines just what information you need from a buyer also helps. Don't be afraid of coming off like a control freak or a rule nazi. Remember, specific = good, ambiguous = bad. Clearly outline what you expect of your buyers and what they can expect from you.

Exactly what rules you have is up to you, but here are some things to consider:
- Are buyers allowed to alter your images? If so, what are they allowed to do?
- Are they allowed to resell them or give them to someone else?
- Can they buy a plushie for someone else?
- How do you want to recieve orders? PMed to you? To a mule? Posted in the thread?
- How should buyers ask questions? Through PM or post?
- Is there a limit to what a buyer can order?
- Do you accept custom orders?
- Where should they send the trade for payment?
- Do you require the trade to be labelled?
- How will the buyers recieve their orders? Will it be by PM? Posted in the thread?
- Are there any circumstances that would cause you to reject an order?
- Are there any circumstances that would cause you to ban a user from the shop?

Some stores also have sections for things like affiliate links, white/black lists, customer/owner lists, Frequently-asked questions, etc.

Once you have everything in place, your store is ready to open. Bump it up to the first page and enjoy!

(reserved)

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