Creating Avatar in GIMP (Illustrated)

This is a tutorial on how to create your own avatar in easy way using GIMP. I've used GIMP because it is available to all and is free to download. To download GIMP, click here.

Just follow the steps below:

First, select a picture you want to be your avatar. Any picture would do but the pictures with sizes 100x100 pixels is much better.

For this tutorial, I'll use this picture.

Open your GIMP program. Then, at the menu bar, click File then New. This window will appear.

On the "Width" box, type 100, then do the same to the "height". That is the default size of an avatar. Then click "Advanced Options", then at the "Fill With" dropdown option, select "Transparency". You should come out with this window.

At the menu bar of that window, Click "FIle", then "Open as Layer" and look for the picture or render that you have chosen. Resize your render if it is too big. You can resize it by going to the "Layers, Channels, Paths, Undo" window and right click the picture. Then select "Scale Layer" then at the "Width" box type 100 them click "Scale". The "Height will automatically resize.

By using the "Move" tool. You can move the picture to wherever it suits you.

Step 4

After resizing your avatar, you can add some borders in it using the "Brush" tool. There are many kinds of border brushes, you can select and download it here. To learn how to install brushes in GIMP, visit this blog.

For this tutorial, here is what I made:

You're nearly done. The last touch for your avatar is to put some text in it. This is optional but its suggested. Just to put some information to the viewer. To do this. Go to the "Add text" tool in The GIMP toolbox, it can be distinguised as a button with letter T or A on it. Chose the fontface and color and click to the picture where you want the text to be, you can also move the text by using the "Move" tool. After that, anchor the text in place by going to the "Layers, Channels..." window and right click the text layer, then select "Merge Down".

You can also merge the picture to the background to anchor it. Then save your work. Be sure to put some file extension in it like .gif, .png, or .jpg.

Now you can use your avatar in any forums, profile pictures, and the like.

Here is what I have come up with mine:

For the advanced avatar I've made: Click Here

If you've got questions, just post it in the comments. I would be glad to help.