Create a DeviantArt style emoticon

If the images don't show up, just refresh the page or click the thumbs. They're there =]

Difficulty: Intermediate

- Open up a new file of 30 by 30 pixels with a transparent background.

- Create a new layer and name it 'emoti_base' (name it what you like really, but this is the layer on which the base will be drawn).

- Zoom in to 1600%

- Select the pencil tool with the size of 1px and draw out the base as shown in the screenshot below (I'm using #6e6e6e for the colour):



- Now select the 'Magic Wand' and untick 'Anti-alias' at the top of your screen

- Next, select the 'Gradient Tool' (linear gradient) and use the settings as shown in the screenshot below:



The colours I used here are #b5da36 (darker green) and #d2f59f (lighter green). Dont forget to slide the 'Colour stop' on the bottom right side to a location of 65%.

- All you need to do now is to draw a diagonal line from the bottom-right corner of the selection to the top-left corner of the selection, leaving you with the following result:



Now that you got the base done, it's time to give the little fella some eyes and a mouth.

-Create a new layer and name it 'eyes'

- Open up the 'Colour picker' and choose #585656 for the colour of the eyes

- Select the 'Pencil' (1px) and draw out the eyes as shown below:





Next thing this little green guy needs is a mouth, so create a new layer (name it 'smirk' or whatever) and draw out the mouth as showwn below:



If you're satisfied with the result already you could crop and save the image now - but what's so typical about the deviantart emotes is that they come with a pair of hands - so next up...the hands:

- Create a new layer and name it 'left hand'

- Select the pencil again (1px) with #6f6f6f for the colour and draw out the hand:



- Select the 'Magic Wand' again, with 'Anti-alias' turned off and click inside the hand.

- Now we need to add a gradient so select the 'Gradient Tool' with the same settings as used for the base of the emoticon and draw a diagonal line from the bottom-right corner of the selection to the top-left corner of the selection.



- Duplicate the layer and name it 'right hand'

- Move it to the other side of the base, or position the hands any way you like - and you're done!

Final result:



Note:
This is ofcourse a very basic expression I used, but experiment and you'll be able to come up with any emoticon you want.


I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.