Avatar Tutorial
This tutorial will show you how to make a simple avatar for forums and such. I'm using Photoshop Elements 3.0 for this tutorial, and I haven't used any other version or used GIMP.
Step 1
First you need to open a new document and make the size 100x100, which is the normal size for an avatar. You should have already picked out a Pokémon(or anything else)image you want to use. I will be using Ken Sugimori's Squirtle drawing.
Now you might want to pick a base color for the background of the avatar(I have chosen Blue)and fill the background layer with that color. Now paste your image on the avatar base and you will notice it made a new layer for the image. This is important if you are going to add more color and effect to your background later. Of course you may merge the layers when you are finished. Now it should look something like this:
Step 2
Now we are going to add some effects to the background to make it look nicer. I'm going to add some streaks through the image background in a crosshatch style. Of course you may do the background as you please, but I'm going to do it my way for now. Now the image will look like this after some dodge tool crosshatching:
Step 3
Now I am going to use a filter to style it a bit more. I'm going to go with the Glass Filter(Filter>Distort>Glass). This looks the most like water if you play with the size of the strokes and such. Now it should look like this:
Step 4
We have finished the background and now we can add some filers to Squirtle, but you have to choose carefully or you might end up with a very awkward image. I used the Plastic Wrap filter(Filter>Artistic>Plastic Wrap) because it looks the most like water. Make sure your on the layer with just the Squirtle image! Now it should end up like this:
Step 5
This is the last step, and the only step that is completely optional - Text. Most avatar's I have seen have some sort of a name on them, so thats how I make mine. You may add the Pokémon's name or maybe a alias of yours. Doesn't matter, really. I'm just going to add "Squirtle" to my image and I'll be done. After text, you should get something like this:
And that's it! Hope you have found this tutorial helpful in some way. This avatar is also free to use and is in the Free Avatars section. Please read the rules there before using this avatar.
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