How to Create Your Own Avatar for Free With No Download

Whether you find yourself addicted to online gaming, meeting virtual friends for chats or participating in message boards and forums, it may get boring to use the pre-set digital files programs offer up as avatars. Avatars, small graphic images used to represent yourself on the Internet, may be custom made to reflect your personality, interests and hobbies. With just a few clicks in the Paint program, included with your Microsoft Windows installation, you can design a personal avatar to use on the web without having to pay for any images or download a single program.

Things You'll Need

• Microsoft Paint

Instructions

1. Open Paint and click the “Images” menu at the top of the screen, then select “Attributes.” Avatars are small files, so set the width and height to be 2 inches by 2 inches, then click the “OK” button.

2. Click “View,” then choose “Zoom” and select “Large Size.” This only increases your workspace on the screen, not the actual avatar.

3. Click the “Fill” tool, which looks like a spilling paint can, then click a colored box from the “Color Picker” at the bottom of the screen. Click once inside the white box on the screen, which fills with color for the background of your avatar.

4. Click the “Paintbrush” tool, then select the medium circle brush head below it. Change paint colors to the color for the outline of your avatar. Draw the outline, such as your head, the shape of a cat, your favorite sports team logo or a flower.

5. Click the “Fill” tool, then click inside the shape you just drew to fill it with color.

6. Click the “Pencil” tool, then change paint colors and draw features of the avatar, such as your face, flower petals or a peace sign.

7. (Optional) Click the “Text” tool, which looks like a capital “A,” and click within the avatar. A toolbar opens up; select a font and size, then type your name or a favorite phrase.

8. (Optional) Click the “Spray Can,” which looks like a can of spray paint, then choose a color. Select a spray weight; the smaller the spray, the more concentrated the paint. Hover your mouse around your avatar, then click once and move to a new section—this adds bits of confetti and looks like glitter or graffiti.

9. Save the avatar by clicking “File,” then choosing “Save As.” Name the file and choose a destination for it on your computer.

Tips & Warnings

• Other software programs are available to help you create avatars. The Photoshop graphics package, available for purchase from Adobe, allows intricate, detailed work with photographs, filters and tools to render your avatars into cartoons, change colors and edit images.

• If you don’t like any of the colors available in the “Color Picker,” double-click any box in the "Color Picker," which opens up a color rainbow, where you can select your preferred hue.

References

• Microsoft: Using Paint