How can I create my own "Dude"?

JollyJack has a hamster, and he is so simple, yet Helga empowers him and the expressions on that character are absolutely awesome.

I would like to create my own, but I don't know how, what can it be? What does it need to be? What does it need to portray?

in before someone goes all furry on this

You need to create yourself. My Avatar is Nikolai. (Below)

Just come up with several concepts that suit you.

#I want something shmaller and more expressive

Dreadstunlock wrote:#I want something shmaller and more expressive

If you want it to be an animal, (people will hate me for "going furry on this") it could be called a Fursona, or furry persona.

If you want it to be expressive, you should look up animating techniques. They often talk a lot about the face and how it is very important to be able to use it to express feelings.

Well sometimes I can draw Nikolai in a very simple version that shows a goofy exprestion. For example, my first comic strip. (NOTE: you can see that on my DA gallery)

in after someone goes all furry on this

Not to be the tight guy, but I feel obligated to point out that this probably belongs on the Artwork board.

Anywho..

*ahem*

The start of anything and everything is the idea. From what I can grasp, you want a dude, an avatar, an icon, etc. That's awesome. I've always thought they support and express character and personality.

You asked what can it be. Answer is anything you want it to be. Whatever you feel expresses what you want to get across. Seriously anything. Don't limit yourself to living things or creatures. Seriously, it's all up to you, just choose yourself. Have some imagination.

The way I see it, and I could be completely wrong, when you ask "what does it need to be", that implies that you're setting a perimeter, or border on the possibilities, as if you're trying to please someone other than yourself through it. In my opinion, that's the wrong way to go about it. It doesn't necessarily need to be anything, just make it whatever you want it to be. It doesn't even have to express you directly, but whatever you want to convey.

Same goes for what it is to portray. Whatever you want it to. It sounds like you want it to portray yourself. That's just fine, and easier than you think.

Now as far as creation goes, again, back on the subject of starting with an idea, when you get it in your head, you can either make it yourself (draw, paint, digitalize, sculpt?, etc.) or you can have someone who you trust to do an interpretation of it for you, such as an artist you like, or a friend who's good at drawing, or whatever, just don't expect it to always come free.

In response to Nikolai's image, you said you want something smaller and more expressive.

Truth be told, the level of expression falls somewhere between what the artist conveys, and how the viewer or person looking at it receives it. Hell, I've seen more expression in emoticons than I've seen in some "fine art" pieces and of course vice-versa. It's all a matter of what you make of it.

For now, I think what you want to do is get an image in your head of what you want your dude to be/look like/convey/etc. and have someone help you get your mental image down on paper to start.

Frist: That's just my 2 cents on it.. er.. more like 9 cents.

I agree with Frist with having someone help you portray yourself. Heck, Triskelli helped me Develop Nikolai.
My Account name on here used to be "$0R@".
After a while I wanted an Avatar as well. I drew up a bunch of concepts and picked out features of them and Developed My Avatar. The name of him came later (through a lot of thought from Triskelli). Nikola Tesla Is my Engineering Idol. Through him, I developed my name now. =) Nikolai. Later I found out that the Root of that name "Nik" or "Niko" Means 'People of Victory', Which suits my character in many ways.

So, The two points Im leading up to is...
1. Yes, Help from a friend is a very good thing to do
2. Actually name the Avatar around the character, (not create a character around a Name)


(added) Not to mention how much HavenTownSend helped me with Character production.