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How to create a Smiley.
Tutorial 1 - The basics.
Required applications & programs;
JASC's Animationshop 3/Microsoft Paint -
Or any other basic image making software that allows you to create transparent images.
I create my Smileys using JASC's Animationshop 3.
This tutorial will show you how I did it, though the basic principle can be applied using most other programs.
1. - Open Animationshop or your chosen program.
2. - Click File & select New.
3. - When you select New a small menu/pop up box will appear.
This is where we will set the basic elements & properties of the smiley.
Make sure the Canvas colour is set too Transparent & enter the size you want the canvas too be.
(I usually create a canvas of between 20 X 20 too 30 X 30 depending on the smiley I want too create.)
The usual smiley size is between 15 X 15 & 17 X 17, as we will be cropping the image down before we save 20 X 20 is fine & what I usually go for.
4. - Click OK once you have set the desired size & selected Transparent canvas.
5. - Zoom that puppy in so you can see clearly what you are doing.
Click the Magnify Icon (see Arrow 1 in the image below.)
Zoom in till you are happy you can see what you are doing, I usually go to about X 12. (Arrow 2 in image below.)
6. - Now, Click the Paintbrush Icon. (Arrow 3 in the above image.)
& set the paintbrush Size to 1, this will give you a single pixel sized paintbrush, perfect for what we are doing..
7. - Now we need too select the colour.
In the workspace you will see a section like this, this is where you define
what colours you will be using.
You can use 2 colours at once, one with the right mouse button & one with the left (Foreground & Background.)
Clicking on the Top of the two boxes you will be presented with the menu shown below.
Select Black for the Top box colour. (As we will make an outline in black first.)
Then once Black has been selected, click the bottom of the two boxes & select another colour that you want too fill your smiley in with, I choose yellow usually too start with as it's a good contrast.)
8. - Now with the Black brush selected we make a simple single pixel outline.
I have created a simple ball shape, you can make any shape smiley you want, but try & make sure it has symmetry as that makes life easier when adding features such as eyes & a mouth later.
9. - If you just want a simple smiley you can fill inside the outline with a single colour, just select the Flood Fill paint bucket Icon.
This one -->
Select the colour you wish too fill in with (Not the same colour you created the outline with!), then click inside the area you want too fill. You should end up with something that looks like the image below.
10. - Now the fun begins & the hard work starts.
This is where you create the Smiley, by adding a mouth, nose, eyes or whatever.
12. - When you have made your smiley, you need too save him/her/it/whatever!
Before we do this though, we will crop the canvas down, this is done so the overall size of the smiley is nice & neat & will not seem as though it is hovering should you want to use your Smileys on internet forums or in E-Mails.
Select the Crop tool as shown by the Arrow in the image above.
Then click at the far edge of your smiley inside the image canvas keep the mouse button held down & then move across the smiley so that you form a square around the smiley. you can leave a one or two pixel gap bordering the smiley if you so wish. Cropping the smiley down helps you keep the symmetry & gives you a nice neat overall smiley.
Now, onto the Saving...
Click File & then select Save As.
A menu/pop up box will appear.
Create a new folder & name it Smileys or whatever. (Arrow 1)
Give the smiley a name. (Arrow 2)
Save the smiley as a .gif file type. (Arrow 3)
Click Save & there ya go!
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