1 This is how the layers look in the Photoshop file. Many of the images have transparent backgrounds. Transparency is one of the many features preserved when importing.

2 In Flash, go to File > Import and navigate to your PSD file. The PSD Importer wizard will launch automatically. Besides having a convenient thumbnail preview of each layer, you can also select or deselect which ones get imported. Other options include maintaining editable layer styles, conversion to movie clips, compression and how layers are distributed in the timeline (layers or frames).

3 Flash also offers a PSD Importer preference panel that allows you to set your own defaults for each option. Just go to Edit > Preferences and click on the PSD File Importer category in the left column.

4 You may prefer to convert your images to symbols after importing. Keep your library organized by using symbol names the same as the names of your images.

5 Edit the center point of each symbol using the Free Transform tool .

6 The shoulder should rotate where it meets the torso, and the forearm should rotate at the elbow.

7 The image of President Bush is easily found by doing an image search on the Web. Assets like the hands can be shot with your own camera and edited in Photoshop.

8 Reuse the arm assets for the legs by copying and pasting them to new layers. Then scale and stretch the copied version and align it to your character as the thigh and calf.

9 The pelvis area was created with a shape and a bitmap fill from one of the imported bitmap images. Use the Gradient Transform tool to scale it to show only the blue fabric.

10 In frame 1, pose your character based on your initial sketch. You can choose to have your sketch to the side or directly underneath your symbols. Whichever way you prefer, the main objective is to position your character in this same gesture. In your second keyframes, pose your character in its final state using your sketch as a guide. You can’t flip your symbols horizontally or you will ruin the motion tween.