Flying Spaceship Avatar

	Flash Game Design

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If you frequent a forum or two, you'll probably have an avatar. I'm going to show you how to create your own flying spaceship avatar.

First you're going to create the spaceship in Photoshop and then load it into Image ready to be animated. You can create it all in Image Ready if you like.

Step 1.

Create a new document with dimensions of 75x75 pixels and then fill the background with black. Create a layer set (a), in which you will create all the layers for this image. To start off we're going to create the bottom section of the spaceship. Select the Gradient Tool (b) from the tool bar and then the Reflected Gradient (c) from the menu at the top of Photoshop. Select a light grey for the foreground and dark for the background.

a)		b)			c)

	Step 2.
	Since we're creating an avatar, and certain parts are going to be created pixel by pixel, you'll need to zoom in to around 600%. Create a new layer and, using the Rectangular Marquee Tool, make a selection similar to the one in the image below. .

	Step 3.
	Drag the Gradient Tool from the middle of the selection towards the right.

	Step 4.
	Your gradient should have a light grey middle that gradually becomes darker towards each side. Now we need to distort the shape of the gradient so go to Edit > Transform > Distort.

	Step 5.
	Drag each bottom hand corner inwards like in the image below, and then press enter to confirm the distortion.

	Step 6.
	Create a new layer and make a rectangular selection, above the gradient, spanning about 1 pixel further than it on each side. Fill the selection with a dark grey.

	Step 7.
	Make another new layer and rectangular selection, but this time make it about as thick the previous two combined. Fill this selection with a light grey

	Step 8.
	Again, we want to distort this shape (Edit > Transform > Distort), making it in line with the slope of the sections below it.

	Step 9.
	Create a new layer, with the same light grey as the previous, and then create another grey rectangle, but this time we will leave it the way it is. .

	Step 10.
	Using another layer, above all the others, create two thin black rectangles as shown below.

	Step 11.
	Select the Pencil Tool and in the top menu, make sure brush is set to 1.

Step 12.

Join the thing lines up as shown in the images below.

	Step 13.
	Now, we're going to use the thin border, we just create, as outline of the ship's window. Create a thin selection in the middle with the Rectangular Marquee Tool and then press delete.

	Step 14.
	Do the same on each side, so that there are 6 gaps.

	Step 15.
	Now use the Pencil Tool again to join up the lines. You should now have borders for 4 windows.

	Step 16.
	Next, selection aqua as your color and use the Pencil tool create you window. Use a darker blue to make a pattern as shown below.

	Step 17.
	Make the same patter across all the window frames.



	Flying Spaceship Avatar - Part 2 Flying Spaceship Avatar - Part 3