An avatar is your face on the Internet: on forums, on social networks, and in other services. If your avatar is unique and original, you will attract much more attention and respect from other online users. In this article, we will look at creating an original animated avatar in Photoshop.
Instructions
Step 1
Open Photoshop and create a new object. Set the size to 100 by 100 pixels. In the created object, open a new layer, and then, using the fill tool, paint over it with some color (for example, black).
Step 2
Right click on this layer and go to Blending options. You will see tabs for various effects and parameters. Select the Inner Shadow, set the blend mode to Multiply.
Step 3
Then open the Gradient Overlay tab in the same window and set the following values: opacity 100%, angle -76, scale 70%. Set the gradient of the shades you want. Apply the changes so that the adjusted gradient will fill the layer.
Step 4
Create another layer. Take a small decorative brush with any texture and contrasting color and paint any set of dots and stripes on the avatar. Set Blending mode overlay on the layer with the picture in relation to the rest of the layers.
Step 5
Then create a new layer and fill it with black with a Fill value of 0%.
Open the Blending options for this layer again and go to the Pattern Overlay tab. In the list of textures (pattern) select a texture in the form of oblique hatching on a transparent background.
Apply the changes, and then select the text tool and write any text on the avatar - your name, slogan, abbreviation, and so on.
Step 6
Open the Blending options again and open the Stroke tab. Set the outline size to 1 pixel, outline opacity - 50%, color - black. Open the gradient Overlay tab and set the gradient from gray to white with the parameters angle 90, opacity 100%, scale 100%, blend mode normal. Open the inner glow tab and set the outer glow on the layer to give your text the illusion of a glow.
Step 7
Create another layer. Take the polygonal lasso tool and select a freeform area at the top of the avatar. Use the gradient tool to fill this area with a white-transparent color transition to give the avatar the illusion of volume.
Step 8
Again create a new layer, fill it with some color, go to the Blending options and set the inner glow to the layer, then open the Stroke tab and set the parameters for the outline layer to 1 pixel, black, 100% opacity. Click OK - the frame will appear next to the avatar.
Step 9
Then grab the lasso tool again and select some area at the bottom of the avatar. Fill this area with white, then place there any texture you like. Go to Blending Options and set the selection to Inner Shadow.
Create a new layer and write on this area what you want - for example, your website address.
Step 10
Now it remains to make the avatar animated. From the File menu, click edit in ImageReady. ImageReady will open, in which you need to find the Animation panel and set several frames to the line (Duplicates current frame).
Step 11
Starting from the second frame, slightly modify the avatar image in each of them - gradually reduce the transparency of the glow or, on the contrary, increase it.
Step 12
Finally, save the finished avatar in.gif"
