Avatar Creation Techniques

[+Tonsil]

Now, I don't exactly consider myself an expert on the subject, but there were some requests in the avatar help thread for a new topic on how people actually make avatars. What techniques do you use?

 

As for myself, I have found a program called Paint Shop Pro by Jasc to be the easiest to use, and yet powerful enough to do what I want. I also have Photoshop, but for creating little web graphics it has too much of a learning curve in my opinion. There's a book by Visual Insight called "Paint Shop Pro 6" (I think the new version is 8) that I used. It helped a lot in picking up what works and what doesn't.

 

If you do decide to use the program, you need to learn how to make / modify selections, and how to work with layers. Those 2 things are essential. I always give each component in an image its own layer, and wait until the end before 'flattening' the image down to a single layer as a copy. I keep a backup copy with all the layers as well, in case I want to change the background or grab one component for use in another image. I can post an example or two but I'd like to hear other folks thoughts first.

[Black Mage]

I use Adobe Photoshop 7.0 to do my avatars and sig bars along with everything else. As for my images, like most I just use stuff that I find online.

[+Joe Smith]

I just found a pic I liked and used it.

 

keep in mind that my avatar sucks

 

If anyone can make it a little better for a "How To" and post it that would be cool

 

Joe

[+Cache Viking]

I use Paint Shop Pro here. It is fairly simple to use and yet has lots of capabilities like many other programs but at a fraction of the price.

[+BigWhiteTruck]

The Gimp

 

It's easy to use, very powerful, and it's free.

[+Wander Lost]

I've been using Microsoft PictureIt! Publishing. It's not the greatest but it's what I have learned how to use. I think it does fine, especially for avatar sized images. I'm going to start looking at upgrading though as it does have it's limitations.

[Nozoki]

What are the maximum dimensions for an avatar? I know the site will resize them, but that sometimes distorts them. I'd rather have an av that won't get shrunk.

[+dunos]

I think the maximum size on the GC forums is 75x75.

 

I use a combination of Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, and Macromedia Fireworks when doing graphics stuff.

 

Dan

[+SwampGoat]

The Gimp

 

It's easy to use, very powerful, and it's free.

Downloaded it today and messed with it some. Improved my avatar (now the goat looks like it's coming out of the circle, and I set the b/g the same color as the forum b/g...first time I've ever gotten layers to work with me instead of me cussing at them like I have done the few times I have used PhotoShop.

 

It still ain't perfect (my avatar), but it is improved.

 

The Gimp definitely gets my vote!!

[kimmyroo]

The program I use is called Photo Impact XL. There are a lot of different techniques and things that it has. My favorite is the magic wand tool that lets you copy an image and paste it onto another one.

[The Hotdog]

where do you get the clip art ?

 

thanks.

[+Limax]

I used Claris works umpteen years ago to create my avatar. These days, I'd be more inclined to use something like The Gimp (mentioned above).

[Dino Hunters]

I still use my really old version of Micrografx 4.1 that I purchased 12-15 years ago. I think it ran on Win 3.11.

 

Anyways it is the easiest (maybe cause I'm used to it) vector graphics editor for me to use, and I create all the drawings I work with in vector (line art) mode.

 

This allows me to edit the image as needed in this state, and then last thing I do is import it into photo-shop which rasterizes the artwork into a bitmap, which I can save as a JPG for avatar purposes.

 

I don't know photoshop well, so I do no editing in there, just use it as a translator.

Edited February 4, 2005 by Dino Hunters