You can import images into Animate.
To import an image with transparency (see-through parts) you must save the file as a PNG in Photoshop or search for images with transparency in Google.
To insert an image into your project, locate the file, and choose File > Import to Stage or Import to Library.
Importing to the Stage will add an image to both the Stage and Library, importing to the Library will add a file to the Library only. Note that an image imported to the stage will appear on the first available keyframe.
When you import an image and add it to the Stage, you will find that you cannot draw on it or erase sections. This is because the original image is a bitmap or raster file.
Animate uses vector images. In order to work with a bitmap, you will have to “break it apart.”
Select the image and go to Modify > Break Apart. You might need to do it multiple times.
Once you've done this, you’ll then be able to erase and draw on parts of the image.
To Convert a Bitmap (image from the web) to a Vector file (something you can shape tween)
Highlight the imported bitmap image and choose Modify > Bitmap > Trace Bitmap and adjust the following settings:
Color Threshold: 100
Minimum Area: 1 pixel
Corner Threshold: Normal
Curve Fit: Very Tight
You could try experimenting with the settings and enter different values for the categories to see the different results.
By pressing OK, Animate will convert the selection into a vector image, highlighting it with a “grey dot” pattern.