How to Create a Boondocks Avatar

There are countless avatar Web sites on the Internet, but most of them only offer pre-made images. Moreover, finding avatars from specific shows or comics, such as Aaron McGruder's popular series "The Boondocks," can be a chore. If make your own custom Boondocks avatar to represent yourself online, you can get exactly what you want without having the compromise.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Internet connection
• Image-editing software (i.e. Photoshop, GIMP)

Instructions

Creating a Boondocks avatar

1. Determine the requirements for avatars on the site you will be using. You will usually be limited in file type, file size, and image size. For the sake of our example, let's say that you need a JPEG image that is 50x50 pixels in size, and 20k or smaller.

2. Download the Boondocks picture that you want to use, either from the comic strip or the animated series. Remember that your avatar will be relatively small, so you'll probably be best off choosing a picture for specific characters rather than an entire scene. For our example, we will be assuming that you are using a color picture of Huey from the animated series.

3. Open up your image-editing software, and open the picture that you just downloaded.

4. Crop the image. Cropping consists of cutting out the portion of the image that you will not be using. As we are making a 50x50 avatar, you may be removing a large portion of the original image. This process will vary depending on what program you are using, but in Adobe Photoshop it is done by selecting the "Crop" tool, drawing a box around the portion you want to save, and double-clicking inside the square.

5. Check the size of your picture in pixels. In Adobe Photoshop, this can be done by clicking "Image Size..." under the "Image" menu. If your program does not have an option for checking size, simply save the document to your desktop and check its properties, where pixel size will be listed. You will need to adjust the image size so that it fits the 50x50 specifications. This can be a process of trial and error, as further cropping can cut out more of the image than you'd like, and readjusting the image size (Which is also in the "Image Size" screen) can leave the image grainy and distorted. Adjust the settings until they look right to you.

6. If you want text on your avatar, add it now using your image editing software's typing tool.

7. Save your image in the correct format. For our example, this is the JPEG format. Check the file size to make sure it is under 20k. If it is over 20k, you may have to save the image at a lower resolution or with less colors until it is the correct size.

Tips & Warnings

• Often, a more simple and recognizable avatar is preferable to a complicated, overly-detailed one.