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12hc12 β€” Emoticon Tutorial

Published: 2008-08-21 01:59:42 +0000 UTC; Views: 57964; Favourites: 1303; Downloads: 1550
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Description Attention!
Considering the great amount of time since I have thought about emotes, never mind the neglect I've put on my emoting programs, I can no longer truly provide satisfactory advice for all you budding emoticonists. I still love to see a new emote now and then, and the comments on both my tutorials are very uplifting. However, the flood of questions must come to an end.
But, I won't just leave you in the dark. There are many resources out there in the deviantART community that can really help.
Be sure to check out #Emotication for other tutorials and a long list of resources for all aspects of emoticon creation. If you need a mentor, they have a program set up to give you the kind of help you need.
If you have a specific question about emoticons or emoticon creation (including animation), head over to #WeEmote . The group there are sure to have an answer for you, or at least point you in the right direction.

And of course, dA has a massive section on tutorials for some of the most popular programs (as well as general tutorials) that can be easily found in the Resources and Stock Images > Tutorials gallery.

If you comment or send me a note, please don't be offended if I direct you elsewhere. I really can't provide you with the help you deserve.

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Warning: File size is fairly gigantic.

Well, seeing as how I had a tutorial for GIMP emoticon animations, I figured I'd make an actual emoticon tutorial.
This is a beginners tutorial, and the likelihood of me teaching more complicated colouring styles, how to colour and how not to colour, and things like that is fairly minimal. Be happy with what you have, people.

(Oh, and this one has a prettier layout than the last one. )

The tutorial covers programs, outlines, two colouring styles, and hands. And again, this is just a simple tutorial. Build off and learn from it; I recommend any new emoticonist that REALLY feels comfortable with the above two colouring styles to try their own; make more complicated symbols and gradually make your way to something unique to yourself.

And if you make an emote with the help of this tutorial, don't be afraid to show and tell. :D I'd love to see 'em. ^__^

Thank you, thank you, thank you and thank you for the DD, =davebold370 and ^Hanratty-Stock !
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Comments: 832

kamylka13 In reply to ??? [2009-01-19 22:53:26 +0000 UTC]

And no need to worry

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12hc12 In reply to kamylka13 [2009-01-19 23:08:39 +0000 UTC]

!

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Never-Cry-Again In reply to ??? [2009-01-19 21:38:23 +0000 UTC]

this is a truly wonderful tutorial. i always wondered the basics of emoting, and this explains it. ^^ thank you!

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12hc12 In reply to Never-Cry-Again [2009-01-19 21:51:02 +0000 UTC]

I'm glad you learned from it. ^__^ Thank you!

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hitani In reply to ??? [2009-01-19 21:36:13 +0000 UTC]

thanks <3 really helpful fufufu~

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12hc12 In reply to hitani [2009-01-19 21:37:59 +0000 UTC]

Thank you! Glad I could be helpful. ;D

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tennyomelime In reply to ??? [2009-01-19 21:29:53 +0000 UTC]

Very nice. This shall come in handy.

Thanks for sharing!

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12hc12 In reply to tennyomelime [2009-01-19 21:38:17 +0000 UTC]

I certainly hope so! ^__^

Thanks for taking the time to comment! (:

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tennyomelime In reply to 12hc12 [2009-01-21 03:26:24 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome!

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12hc12 In reply to tennyomelime [2009-01-21 12:09:32 +0000 UTC]

COOKIE MONSTER.

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least-beast In reply to ??? [2009-01-19 21:08:02 +0000 UTC]

WELL I AM REALLY PROUD I'M ON THE FIRST PAGE OF THESE COMMENTS.

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tennyomelime In reply to least-beast [2009-01-19 21:29:09 +0000 UTC]

Not if the people viewing have it set to show oldest first!

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least-beast In reply to tennyomelime [2009-01-20 00:19:11 +0000 UTC]

In which case I'm on the last page.
Either way

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tennyomelime In reply to least-beast [2009-01-21 03:25:39 +0000 UTC]

lol Awww I didn't mean to make you fee bad.

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12hc12 In reply to least-beast [2009-01-19 21:26:57 +0000 UTC]

At the rate these replies are flooding in, that might not be true soon!

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theMelodramaticFool In reply to ??? [2009-01-19 21:02:27 +0000 UTC]

Great tutorial

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12hc12 In reply to theMelodramaticFool [2009-01-19 21:27:07 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

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theMelodramaticFool In reply to 12hc12 [2009-01-20 13:50:46 +0000 UTC]

you're welcome

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TallestYellow In reply to ??? [2009-01-19 20:59:18 +0000 UTC]

You're great! ^^
Congratulations on DD.
I'm trying to use my emote in MSN, I resized it to 19x19, but the backround is black, although in Paint.NET, it's transparent.

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12hc12 In reply to TallestYellow [2009-01-19 21:03:53 +0000 UTC]

Thank you! ^__^
I'm fairly sure that the black background is due to an improper file type. Make sure you've saved it as a .gif or a .png (for example, "Emoticon.gif" or "Emoticon.png"). Both file types should work properly with Paint.NET, and if one doesn't, the other will.

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TallestYellow In reply to 12hc12 [2009-01-19 21:10:42 +0000 UTC]

Alright, let me try PNG.
I tried saving it as a GIF in GIMP2, and it came out white...

Ah! Yup, PNG works. ^^ Help much appreciated, man!

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12hc12 In reply to TallestYellow [2009-01-19 21:28:20 +0000 UTC]

File types are always something to play around with if you don't get the results you thought you would. ;D

Glad I could be of help. (:

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CrazyFoxMoon In reply to ??? [2009-01-19 20:42:59 +0000 UTC]

Cool tutorial!!!

The emoticons I've made previously were done in a little program I have on my computer at home. The name of it totally escapes me right now.

Then I threw them together as animations using Microsoft's GIF animation software or Ulead GIF Animator.

Except for a few little blips here and there, I don't think my first emoticons were too horrible. I may go and clean them up a bit before I submit them as deviations. I may clean up the ones I've submitted, too.

Sorry for babbling. I'm a little on the tired side right now...

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12hc12 In reply to CrazyFoxMoon [2009-01-19 21:07:11 +0000 UTC]

Thank you. ^__^

Just goes to show how versatile emotes are; you can make them with just about any image program. (:

I don't mind the babbling. I often get the same way.

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CrazyFoxMoon In reply to 12hc12 [2009-01-20 04:45:11 +0000 UTC]

I was (and still am) a bit tired. I had to get up about 5 hours earlier than usual to work a completely different shift than normal. I tend to work 3 pm to 11 pm and had to work 7 am to 3pm. Second time in about a year that I've had to work the "A" shift. It's not my favorite shift to work.

But.... I'm probably going to try out your hints. But not tonight.

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12hc12 In reply to CrazyFoxMoon [2009-01-20 12:29:59 +0000 UTC]

Damn, that kind of sucks. :\ Just have to learn to live with stuff like that, though...

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CrazyFoxMoon In reply to 12hc12 [2009-01-22 05:39:33 +0000 UTC]

Yeah... and I have to do another "day" shift this week! 10 am to 6 pm on Friday. The only reason this is going on is that the usual "A" shift girl is slightly pregnant! She's due in about 5 weeks and the doctor had her take a week off after having false labor pains last week.

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12hc12 In reply to CrazyFoxMoon [2009-01-22 12:11:41 +0000 UTC]

How can you be "slightly" pregnant?

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CrazyFoxMoon In reply to 12hc12 [2009-01-23 01:26:26 +0000 UTC]

Just like someone being "slightly dead"!

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12hc12 In reply to CrazyFoxMoon [2009-01-23 02:31:35 +0000 UTC]

I see, I see... xD

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CrazyFoxMoon In reply to 12hc12 [2009-01-23 03:47:58 +0000 UTC]

Then the line from Princess Bride pops into my head...

Be nice to him. He's been mostly dead all day.

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12hc12 In reply to CrazyFoxMoon [2009-01-23 12:16:07 +0000 UTC]

xD I miss that movie.

INCONCEIVABLE.

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CrazyFoxMoon In reply to 12hc12 [2009-01-23 18:54:32 +0000 UTC]

Somehow I now think I'm going to have to get that on DVD....

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12hc12 In reply to CrazyFoxMoon [2009-01-23 19:54:20 +0000 UTC]

That would be rather awesome.

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CrazyFoxMoon In reply to 12hc12 [2009-01-23 20:25:01 +0000 UTC]

yeah....

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omgWTFitsJAWN In reply to ??? [2009-01-19 20:42:01 +0000 UTC]

I made one

Click on my name it should be the newest one uploaded.

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12hc12 In reply to omgWTFitsJAWN [2009-01-19 20:46:16 +0000 UTC]

Ah, he's very cute! And that's my kind of dance!
...or, the only kind of dance I can do!

Thanks for using my tutorial!

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omgWTFitsJAWN In reply to 12hc12 [2009-01-19 23:50:24 +0000 UTC]

Yea; your welcome

I'm gonna try and do a more complicated animation later. I was at school when I did that one.

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12hc12 In reply to omgWTFitsJAWN [2009-01-19 23:58:37 +0000 UTC]

Can't wait to see it!

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Justicex In reply to ??? [2009-01-19 20:38:16 +0000 UTC]

Wewt! More tutorials! Thank you! Will send link when I make one.

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12hc12 In reply to Justicex [2009-01-19 20:47:21 +0000 UTC]

I can't wait to see the results!

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eliarossana In reply to ??? [2009-01-19 19:57:43 +0000 UTC]

yeaah~
i made one ;D
but ._. i donΒ΄t know how put it here?

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12hc12 In reply to eliarossana [2009-01-19 20:51:11 +0000 UTC]

Assuming you've already saved it (as a .gif!), it's the same process as every other kind of deviation; though, I will admit, they stuck the Emote category in a strange place.
Simply upload it to Desktop & Customization > Icons > Emoticons and then the proper sub-category of emoticons: animated for animated emotes, static for non-animated emotes, and packs & large format for giant emotes, or for many emotes in a "pack".

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eliarossana In reply to 12hc12 [2009-01-19 20:59:34 +0000 UTC]

i want to thank you again because n.n my avatar and this i made it thanks to you
and thanks again :/ i donΒ΄t save my emoticon xD the good mode so i have to do it again :3 but thanks again ;D [link]

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12hc12 In reply to eliarossana [2009-01-19 21:30:18 +0000 UTC]

Well, I'm glad you got some good use out of it. (: Good to see some wonderful results, too!

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eliarossana In reply to 12hc12 [2009-01-19 21:36:58 +0000 UTC]

thaaaanks!!! really :3

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12hc12 In reply to eliarossana [2009-01-19 21:38:41 +0000 UTC]

No, no! Thank you for using it!

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ohhperttylights In reply to ??? [2009-01-19 19:57:16 +0000 UTC]

used [link]
^_^

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12hc12 In reply to ohhperttylights [2009-01-19 20:52:03 +0000 UTC]

Good to see you've got an adventurous start; I see you're moving on to animating! Good luck!

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ohhperttylights In reply to 12hc12 [2009-01-19 20:53:02 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!
what file do you save animates as?

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