How to Make Icon Dolls
Icon dolls are cute tiny cartoon-like images that can easily be created by anyone with an image-editing program and the patience to make them. Most icon dolls are made with doll makers these days, but they can also be made from bases. Once the doll has been created, it can be used as an icon for forums, chat programs and more.
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Instructions
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Make Icon Dolls with a Doll Maker
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There are many doll makers on the Internet. Most are simple drag-and-drop programs. Find one you like. DollzMania is a good place to start your search (see link in Resources).
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Select the body parts, clothing and accessories that you want and put them together by moving each piece into position until you have a doll you like.
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To save the doll, press the "Print Screen" key on your keyboard (it is usually located in the top row on the right side, near the F-keys). Open an image-editing program like Paint, Photoshop or Paintshop Pro and select "Paste" from the "Edit" menu. An image of what your screen was displaying when you pressed "Print Screen" will appear and you can crop it to the size you want and save it.
Make Icon Dolls with a Base
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Doll bases are the pixel drawings of (usually) naked people that doll creators draw clothing, hair and accessories onto to make the doll. Bases can be found already made on a base maker's site or you can make one from parts on a doll maker. A good selection of bases can be found at Yume Studio (see link in Resources). Make sure to follow all the rules of use posted by the base maker. Save the base you want.
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Open the base you want to use in an image-editing program like Paint, Photoshop or Paintshop Pro. Immediately save the doll with a different name so that you can save as you make changes without losing the original base.
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Paint clothing, hair and accessories onto the doll however you want. It helps to zoom in close while working. Any colors can be used and you can shade as much or as little as you like. Many prep dolls have a fairly flat look, so typically you can use a dark color to outline and a lighter shade to fill in the shape. If you want more shading, select a range of shades of the color you want and play with filling in the shape with them in different ways until it looks the way you want it to. Save the doll when you are finished.
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Tips & Warnings
If you post any doll you make online, always link back to the doll maker where you made it or the website where you got the base.
Looking at dolls other people have made can be helpful for learning where to shade and what shapes work, but be careful not to copy another doll creator's style exactly.
Dolling forums are filled with experienced doll creators who are willing to give advice, help with a work-in-progress and share exclusive content like special bases.
