Q: The decorating process can be messy, so make sure you protect your table or other painting surface by spreading out newspaper. Gesso is a primer used to prepare surfaces for acrylic paint. It dries hard and white, both covering up the brown of the cardboard or any ink on the cardboard and providing a smooth surface for the even application of paint.  Gesso can be purchased in any craft or art supply store. Using a clean brush, apply the gesso in an even coat to the entire surface of the house. Use long, parallel strokes to ensure an even coating. Let the gesso dry completely before painting the house. When the gesso has dried, you’ll have a white surface on which you can sketch any details you might want to include on your house. Using your ruler, sketch out flowers, eaves, or anything else you want to paint on your house. If you don't want to cut out windows in an earlier step, you can draw and paint them instead. Use a small brush on the smaller house so you can control the detail, or else you might end up with a smudgy door or windows. For the playhouse, you can use a larger brush.  Paint the exterior walls first, being careful not to let the paint bleed over the lines you’ve sketched for your doors and windows. Paint the background first, then add the details. Clean the brush with fresh water when switching between colors. If you have to apply one color over another — a black doorknob on a red door, for example — let the bottom layer of paint dry completely before applying the second color. Apply the paint in thin layers, so it doesn’t drip down. Even if you have newspaper under the house, the dripping will leave an uneven texture on the surface of the house. Leave the house in the sun, if possible, to speed up the drying process. After an hour or two, lightly brush your finger along the paint surface to see if any comes off on your skin. If not, you’re ready to apply a second layer of paint to cover up the gesso underneath. Once your second layer of paint has dried, you’re finished.
A: Lay out newspaper. Coat the house in a layer of gesso. Sketch details in pencil. Paint the house. Let the paint dry before applying a second layer.

Q: To do stop motion animation at home, you will need several basic home supplies such as:  A laptop or computer that can process video data. A webcam that is detached from your laptop or computer. A flat, stable surface like a desk. Masking tape. Basic animation software. To create the stop motion animation, you will need to capture each frame of the animation so they create a complete animation when you edit them together. To do this, you will draw one frame of the animation, capture it, and then change the animation a little bit, and then capture the next frame. You will do this until you have animated the entire movie. You can use your storyboards as a guide for each animation you will be drawing.  Start by attaching a sheet of paper to the table with masking tape all the way around the paper. This will ensure that you place all the sheets of paper in exactly the same position so the animation appears smooth and fluid. Place the webcam on another surface so it is looking down on the paper. Tape the webcam to a surface so it is at the perfect angle. Try taping the webcam to the side of the desk lamp and then positioning the desk lamp so it shines right on the paper. This will ensure your light source and the webcam are always facing the paper. Plug the webcam into your computer so the captured images are uploaded to the animation program on your computer. Once you have set up your home movie studio, you can begin to draw and capture your movie. Draw your first picture and capture four identical frames so you have enough video during the editing process. As well, adding extra time at the beginning of the animation will make it look smoother when you play it back and edit it.  Add to the existing drawing and capture two more frames. Continue to add to the drawing and capture two frames of every change. If you need to start a new scene or make a big change to the drawing, you can start the drawing on a new sheet of paper. Place the new sheet on top of the first piece of paper and trace around any elements in the first sheet of paper that you are going to use in your next frame. Then, remove the first piece of paper and replace it with the new piece of paper. Continue to add to the drawing or add a new drawing, capturing each change in two frames, until you have completed the movie. Once you have put together a rough version of your cartoon film, you should watch it from start to finish. Take notes as you watch it, marking down any scenes that feel too long or unnecessary to the story. You should also make sure there is continuity in every scene of the film, where all the props used are consistent from shot to shot.  You may need to reshoot certain shots or scenes by re drawing them or taking an existing drawing and changing it. You should always shoot two frames of your edited drawings so you have enough footage to add into the final draft of the movie.
A:
Gather your supplies. Set up a home movie studio. Draw and capture each scene of the movie. Edit the cartoon movie to make a final cut.