Creating Custom Avatars in Aviary

By Meowza Katz on January 06, 2010 | 15 comments

Hey folks, have you ever wanted to see what you’d look like cartoonified?

Well, you’re just in luck! As we present to you a template for you to easily create your own custom avatars in Aviary in mere seconds, in a feature we like to call, “Creating Custom Avatars in Aviary in Mere Seconds.” (Creative name, eh?)



Begin by launching the template above.



If the screen looks confusing to you at first, don’t fret! I’m here to show you all you need to know in order to create your very own custom avatar in seconds!
Unless you are in actuality a baldy no-face, the avatar might not look anything like you to begin with.
The template is open for as much customization as you desire, or as little as you want if you aren’t the dawdling, extensive type.
Let’s begin by changing the color of your shirt!



To change colors of any of the elements in the picture, follow these simple steps.
1. Click the element you want to alter, in this example, the green of the shirt.
2. Click the Color box from the Fill menu on the bottom right of the workspace.
3. This will bring up the Color Picker, from where you can select your desired color.
4. Click “Ok” and your piece will be altered with your selected color!



Next, we can begin to fill in the facial features. Of course, you are free to draw in your own facial features using Raven’s powerful drawing tools.
Or you can use the provided facial features in the template.
Let’s begin with the eyes.
To set a style of eyes for your character,
1. Click the arrow next to the layer labeled “SELECT YOUR EYES” from the Layers menu to expand your options.
2. Toggle the visibility icon next to the various eye samples on and off to view them and select the eye you want to use.



As with the shirt color, you can alter the color of the avatar’s eyes the same way, by selecting the iris’ and setting the color using the Color Picker.



Additionally, you can move, resize, and rotate any element in the design as you see fit. To do so, select the square box on the right of your desired layer from the Layers menu.
This will create a bounding box around the selected element from which you can drag to move, or drag the corner handles to resize the area.



Continue this process to add in your desired eyebrows, nose, mouth, hair, and any accessories you deem fit. If you’re already versed in vector editing, feel free to customize It further by drawing in your own features!

When you are satisfied with your avatar, select File > Save As and follow the onscreen instructions to save your creation to Aviary in case you want to come back and edit your avatar later.

Then, you can save the image to your computer by selecting Export > Export Bitmap, to save your image as a .jpg on your computer (Note: Make sure to save your image with the “.jpg” file extension.)

Then upload your avatar to your profile in your favorite online community for all to see you in all your cartoonified glory!



So, go on and try making yourself! Or make your favorite character or celebrity!
Can you guess who these are?



Check out some of these user created avatars showcasing various levels of customization you can incorporate into your own design: