Here is a simple video tutorial describing how you can get animating using traditional methods in FLASH
What I mean by traditional methods is a frame by frame approach to animation, no tweening or complexe rendering, just as
used in old walt disney and tex avery cartooons. (whereby you have to draw each 24 frames of each second of animation)

There will be no use of tweening or any other functionality of Flash for this demonstration, just good old drawing using a tablet and instead of using transparent sheet to preview each step of our drawing we will be using the onion skin tool (see image below) to move form one image to the next.

Tips:

* Use the F6 key to insert a new keyframe / or right click (insert new keyframe)

*use the back space key to delete each frame as you go creating the next one.

*make sure the onion skin button is on so you can view the previous frame

Check the video tutorial , it describe how to select your brush and adjust it , and a step by step progression from one keyframe to the next using the onion skin to preview the previous drawing.

For this demonstration I am using a WACOM Intuos 4 S Graphics Tablet Graphic tablet

If you are starting out with Flash or simply want to learn new tricks, check out the FLASH CHEAT book serie, there are tons of really useful techniques and templates,
I have found these tutorials particularly clear and easy to learn,
- How to export your flash for broadcast
- Learn how to make your own Flash desktop application
- create some 3d effects
- Learn how to publish your flash product for the iphone

How to Create a Cartoon character from a drawing to  Flash

The following step by step tutorial describes how to create a vector based cartoon character in flash from a hand drawn concept.

your cartoon character once created will be ready to be animated in flash or after effects for a web or broadcast animation project.

For this tutorial you will need

-  Pen and paper, wacom tablet , demo of Flash CS3,  scanner

• Step 1:

start with pen and paper to create your character.

• Step 2:

Scan artwork / hand drawn character.

• Step 3:

Open flash / create a new scene (eg:800X800) and import scanned image onto the timeline

file/import/import to stage

(if necessary convert your scanned file .tiff into a .jpeg)

• Step 4:

Lock the layer containing your drawing and mouse right click the layer to turn it into a guide.

Now create a new layer to start drawing !

• Step 5:

Look into your tool panel and choose how to draw your character, there are several ways to do this and obtain different line style , you can use your wacom tablet and draw free hand using the brush (click the brush tool to adjust settings)

In this example we are going to use the bezier tool (the one that looks like a fountain pen). if you click over the bottom right corner of this tool you will notice a drop down menu including 4 selectable options:

• open tool
  
• add anchor
  
• delete anchor
  
• convert anchor

• Step 6:

Go around the head with the pen tool, left click to insert anchors in corners or delete anchors using back arrow key.

Check out shortcuts shown next to the tools (in brackets) .

Now using the free tool, adjust the lines over artwork tracing .

• Step 7:

Repeat the same tracing principles for each items of your character,

Make sure that you create a new layer for each elements of the composition ( head, ears, eyes, mouth etc..)

if you hide the layer used as a guide you should see how is the compositon coming together.

• Step 8:

Once all your outlining is done , you can start the coloring of your character , closed up shape can be filled up using the bucket.

if you run into trouble filling up shape because there they aren’t fully closed use the gap size tool , this could help.

Step 9:

open the color tab and experiment with gradient to give volume to your shapes.

In the color tab Select type:linear

you can add as many key as needed in your color grading.

Control the angle/spread of the gradient using the toolbox gradient tool (3rd from top, see below)

• Step 10:

Draw the eyes (only the white no pupils at this stage) select your eye layer and click F8 / click ok to convert into symbol. the eyes will be nested within a symbol as it will contain the pupils, the eyelids and the various eye states (open closed etc..)

As before within the eye symbol, create a new layer for each item (eyelid, pupil etc)

• Step 11:

Draw the Eye brow , press F8 /click OK to convert into a symbol.

Draw the Mouth , press F8 /click OK to convert into a symbol.

( once the shape are color filled you can add / clear the black outline around the drawing if needed )

• Step 12:

Now bring the finishing touch using the wacom pen and tablet, add details , shade etc..

• Step 13:

Zoom out to see the whole picture and amend your drawing if necessary.

• Step 14:

Et voila ! from your original pencil drawing you now have a vector version in color and broken down to symbols.

Ready for the next step of flash animation.

the next tutorial will show how to move onto the next step, hopefully using Flash CS4 (some really cool animation tools are coming with the new version…)

I will show how to animate using

• IK and inverse kinematics
• nested symbols containing the various state (mouth phonemes , eye states, eye brow position etc..)
• and much more..

FlashArtist.

How to Create a custom flv player

Welcome to FlashArtist.org 10 steps tutorial on how to make your very own flv player in flash CS3,

Step 1 :

Open :
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Flash CS3\en\Configuration\FLVPlayback Skins\FLA\ActionScript 2.0\

Step 2:

Select one of the ready made player template, for this tutorial we will be using

ClearExternalPlaySeekMute.fla

Step 3:

Edit / modify the Play button etc.. convert each graphic into your own.

Step 4:

Once all the graphic are converted save the .Fla and export the swf file in this folder .
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Flash CS3\en\Configuration\FLVPlayback Skins\ActionScript 2.0

I have named my custom player MyCustomPlayer.swf

Step 5:

Create a new fla to insert your video

Step 6:

Select video from hard drive

Step 7:

Select encoding quality

Step 8:

Select now your custom player skin MyCustomPlayer.swf

Step 9:

That’s it ! your video now use your very own custom made flv player.

Step 10:

You can now publish and see you custom player in action!