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Old 12-11-2006, 22:25   #1
QueenBee QueenBee is offline
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Cool Avatar Tutorial

wojo134 kindly asked me if I could create a tutorial on how I made my current avatar (this one), so I thought "Of course!" and decided to put it here also, so that anyone can be inspired to do something like this or similar.

Note: There is a problem; I wasn't sure exactly what settings I use so the outcome turned out a bit different, I'm really sorry for that. Also, I might have messed up along the way, really badly, in that case, I'm sorry.

Program used: Adobe Photoshop CS2.
Difficulty: Moderate? You should know what layers are and the basics of dealing with Photoshop, but I tried to make the tutorial as detailed as possible.

Okay, let's start!

Step 1: Find your picture! I chose this awesome picture of Tatu. You can choose any picture you like, duh. Just keep in mind that the outcome will be different for different pictures depending on the colors.

Step 2: Crop, re-size, etc. to fit in a 100 x 100 pixel image. I usually make a new image of that size, then I drag the photo into the little square, and later re-size it. But it's really up to you. I hope you know how to do this, lol. Otherwise just ask! This is what it should look like. You can of course decide to just have Yulia's face, or whatever.

Step 3: I duplicate this layer twice by going to Layer > Duplicate Layer. For some reason it didn't allow me to take a screenshot of this. If you can't see your layers palette, go to Window > Layers.

Step 4: I choose the first duplicate and change the layer style to Screen 100%.

Step 5: I then choose the second duplicate and change the layer style to Soft Light 100%.

Are you with me so far? That's not too bad, is it?

Step 6: I go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Selective Color. I type in these settings.

Reds
Cyan -100
Magenta +10
Yellow +60

Then, without closing the window, I choose Yellows from the scroll-down menu. I marked this in red so that it would be easier to get what I mean. I then proceed to type in these settings (as shown in the pic).

Yellows (this is what we just changed to, get it?)
Cyan +100
Magenta -10
Yellow -30

I click on the scroll-down menu again and choose neutrals this time. Like the picture tells us, I chose these settings:

Neutrals
Cyan +85
Magenta -10
Yellow -60

Yay, we are so awesome, aren't we?
This is what the avatar looks like so far. Nice, but not nice enough!

Step 7: Now it's time to create a new layer. If you look at your layer palette, this is what it should look like. I also drew a smiley and a pointer on where you should click to create a new layer. I'm so nice.

Awesome, now we have a new layer. You can name these layers stuff, but mine is just called Layer 2.

Step 8: Now it's time to whip out the Paint Bucket! I circled it in with red so you know which one it is.

Step 9: This might be tricky, because I made it look tricky. In real life, it's easy-peasy. After choosing the paint bucket, I double click on the colored-in square. A window then pops up. Yes, this is the window on the picture. What we do then, is, we type in the code for the color, in the little box. As you can see, it is 2497e1.

Step 10: Fill in the layer with the paint bucket tool after selecting this color. Just click anywhere on the photo, making sure that your new layer is selected (It should be.)

Ouch, this is what our avatar looks like now! Not too good. I mean, you can't even see our girls. Just a whole lot of blue.

Step 11: BUT! We change this. And this is how. I go to my layers palette, make sure that the blue layer is selected, and change the settings to Soft light, 50%.

I admire my almost-finished avatar. We've come a long way now. I make some tea and put on some lipbalm.

Step 12: I create yet another layer.

And with the same technique, I fill it in. This time I fill it in with the color e1aca9. As you can see, I have also changed the layer settings to Multiply, 50%. You should know how to fill it in etc., because I just taught you how! And I hope you were paying attention.

Now it should look something like this. Now that is just too hot for the universe.

But it will get even hotter!

Step 13: Again, a new layer. I fill it in with cfc4e1 and change the layer style to Color Burn, 50%.

Okay, almost done! Time to flatten the image! This is how we do it...

Step 14: In our layers palette, there is a tiny button. This is the button. Once you press that, you get a menu. From this menu, choose "Flatten image". I couldn't get a screenshot of this, because Photoshop doesn't like me.

Yay! Now our layers are packed together, and our image is ^~*CoMpLeTe*~^

This is what it looks like! BREATHTAKING. But it's a bit blurry!

Step 15: In order to Sharpen it, I go to Filter > Sharpen > Sharpen. Ouch, it's *too* sharp now, so let's move over to Edit > Fade Sharpen! I used these settings (20%).

TADAAA... our avatar is done!

If there is anything you don't understand, don't be afraid to ask! I'll try my best to help.
Have fun making those avatars!
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Old 12-11-2006, 22:32   #2
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Old 12-11-2006, 23:03   #3
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gooosh you're such a hot teacher, thank you
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Old 12-11-2006, 23:16   #4
QueenBee QueenBee is offline
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robbie, dzieki kochanie!

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Old 12-11-2006, 23:21   #5
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Old 16-11-2006, 00:44   #6
dradeel dradeel is offline
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Wow... that was nice. Things there I didn't know about

But just a question; couldn't you do all those things to the picture and have it finished in big size, and then cut/resize it after you've put on all the stuff? Or perhaps that wouldn't it leave any visible quality-wise improvement either way?

Anyways, thanks, and I will try that out. I only have Photoshop 6.0, but all the tools are there
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Old 16-11-2006, 01:09   #7
QueenBee QueenBee is offline
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Quote:
But just a question; couldn't you do all those things to the picture and have it finished in big size, and then cut/resize it after you've put on all the stuff? Or perhaps that wouldn't it leave any visible quality-wise improvement either way?
Sure you could I'm just used to having a base first and then playing around with it. Also, the bigger the picture is, the slower does my computer work lol.
If you were to add text or something to the avatar later, you should shrink it first, otherwise the text will turn out blurry if you re-size the picture *after* you've put the text there (just a tip ).
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Old 16-11-2006, 20:32   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by QueenBee
(just a tip ).
And a good tip as well. Thanks! I have still alot to learn.
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Old 16-11-2006, 20:39   #9
QueenBee QueenBee is offline
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dradeel, if you want help with anything, just ask! I'm by no means an expert but I love to help out whenever I can
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Old 16-11-2006, 23:04   #10
dradeel dradeel is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by QueenBee
dradeel, if you want help with anything, just ask! I'm by no means an expert but I love to help out whenever I can
Thanks a bunch. That's very kind of you. I'll keep that in mind!
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Old 16-11-2006, 23:12   #11
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how do u like add text etc onto avatars?
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Old 16-11-2006, 23:14   #12
QueenBee QueenBee is offline
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tainted_chick, I'll show you how, but I'm gonna have to do that tomorrow because I'm going to bed soon so I don't have time right now. Is that okay?

And what else besides text-adding would you like to know?
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Old 16-11-2006, 23:16   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by QueenBee
tainted_chick, I'll show you how, but I'm gonna have to do that tomorrow because I'm going to bed soon so I don't have time right now. Is that okay?

And what else besides text-adding would you like to know?
wahoo thanks Queenbee!!!!!! im gonan learn how to do cool avas

I swear theres other stuff i wanna know but i cant think right now
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Old 16-11-2006, 23:31   #14
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Quote:
I swear theres other stuff i wanna know but i cant think right now
Well, I can try to help when you remember I'm not sure if I *can*, but I'll try!
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Old 17-11-2006, 23:17   #15
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Okay, here it is, how to add text... I had to do this a bit quickly because I'm off to eat dinner. I thought I'd show you in greater details, some of the things you could do, but I don't have time.

Adding text to an avatar
First of all, I must say that the 04 fonts are very popular when making avatars. They are those that work best when small and sharp, which is why they're awesome for a small picture such as an avatar.

But of course, you can use any font you want... here are some font sites:
http://www.1001freefonts.com
http://www.acidfonts.com/
http://www.dafont.com/ - I use this quite a lot.
http://simplythebest.net/fonts/

Okay, so now that we have our font, let's begin!
I'll be using the 04 fonts, 04b08 to be exact.

I'll be using our previously made Tatu-avatar for this.

Now let's go to our tool palette and find the text tool... Ah! There it is. It's the one marked with a "T" if you're colorblind

If you look up, you will find a bunch of settings.

Here is what they mean:
- With this one, you choose what font you will use.
- With this one, you choose the size of your font.
- With this one, you can choose if your text will be smooth, sharp, strong, etc.
- With this, you choose whether your text will be aligned to the left, right, or in the middle. This does not mean what placement it will have on the picture! You can move the text around as much as you want.

This is how it changes the placement:
left - middle - right

- With this one, you can choose what color your text is.
- With this one, you can make your text wiggled and wavy etc.
- This one opens up a new window with most of these settings and also settings for how far apart the letters are and smaller details like that. Try it

As I said, I will be using a 04 font here, these are the settings I used:
Ta-daaaaaa

This is obviously VERY free to play around with! Just remember that if your text is too huge, it won't fit in the avatar. But that can be made pretty too. It's really up to you to make it look good.

I created a text-box by dragging with the mouse in the middle of the pic. I then just wrote "Tatu". Sorry, I didn't know what to write because my imagination sucks.

Eeewww.. ugly. Let's change that

Look at the layers palette, our text layer is there and marked with a "T"

Then click the little button! (Can you see it? )

Now, you'll see a menu with a whole bunch of different things like Drop Shadow, Stroke, etc. but if you click on "Blending options" you will get all of these effects and can choose from them. I suggest when you've gotten used to what these things do, you can just click on "Drop shadow" and go directly to the settings for drop shadow, instead of looking for it in the list. Yeah I know this seems very strange, but look at what happens when you press "Blending options!"

This is what happens! Now look to the left, those are a bunch of fun things to play around with. They can really change the look of the text.

I got to "Stroke" to put a border around our text. These are the settings I used. See, if we had chosen "Stroke" from the menu at first, we would wind up here instead of having to choose it from the list.

I press okay and now it looks like thiiiiis, w00t! But it's in the middle of the whole thing, bleh.

So I move it by using this tool and just dragging the text around...

...to the corner!

Yay, we have text now!
Obviously, this is just very simple... so it's up to you to use different fonts and settings. If you also switch around the layer options (that I showed in the previous tut), you can create something like this.

Hope you get what I mean.. now go make those avatars!
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Old 14-12-2006, 00:17   #16
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QueenBee, thank you for your efforts

I stumbled upon this today:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lifehacker
Create custom photos, avatars and art

Spell your name in alphabet soup. Turn your slogan into a neon sign. Give your loved one a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. These are just a few of the cool images you can cook up with ImageChef.

Unlike the somewhat crude signs generated by TXT 2 PIC, ImageChef churns out stylish custom images and animations. Just type the text you want into one of dozens of templates, then click Preview to see the results. You can save the image, post it to your blog (or MySpace), send it as an e-mail greeting, or even send it to your cell phone to use as wallpaper. You can also generate ImageChef icons to use in your favorite IM client. In a word: wow. Thanks, Lovedeep! — Rick Broida

ImageChef
Thanks to Lifehacker.
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Old 14-12-2006, 00:24   #17
QueenBee QueenBee is offline
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hullala, thanks, and also thank you for posting the link!

So awesome
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