FAQs: I want to make icons. Do you have any advice?
I've gotten variations on this question enough times now that I think I should just write one post about it. =P
Q: I'm interested in making my own icons, but I don't know where to start. Do you have any advice?
Of course!
Tutorials!
First, I want to say that I've been making icons for almost ten years. However, I didn't actually get any good at it until about two years ago when I started using tutorials. My favorite places to go for said tutorials are icon_tutorial and Icons. If you're not already familiar with the program you intend to use, I suggest trying out some tutorials. I had never used a graphics program before I started icon-making, so tutorials are what REALLY helped me get familiar and figure out what I could do to create certain effects and coloring. Also, I have a couple tutorials in my own memories that are fairly easy, if you want to give them a try. Before you start a tutorial, though, you should skim through it first. If you're using Paint Shop Pro, you don't want to get halfway through and then realize that the tutorial uses a lot of Selective Coloring (which is only available to Photoshop users). You shouldn't have too many issues with that, though. Most people will tell you what program they recommend using for their tutorials, and some also try to make their tutorials translatable for all programs.
Graphic Editing Programs!
As far as what programs to use, that's up to you. I use a mixture of Adobe Photoshop CS4, Jasc Paint Shop Pro 8, and Jasc Animation Shop 3. The biggest issue with these programs is that they're expensive. I'm sure hacks are available, since there are hacks for EVERYTHING anymore, but don't go around asking for them (especially not here) or you might get in trouble. Remember: hacking a copyrighted program is illegal and you don't want the wrong person to catch you using one. So if you want a free and legal program, try Gimp. I've never really used it, but I know people who do and they love it (and their icons turn out beautifully). You can find a free download of it pretty much anywhere (try download.com or gimp.org/downloads). You can also get free trials of Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro, if you're really interested in trying them. A Photoshop CS5 free trial can be found here and a trial of Paint Shop Pro X3 trial can be found here (just click the tab that says "free trial"). Personally, I prefer Paint Shop Pro when it was Jasc, rather than Corel. If you want to try other versions of either of these programs (I can't seem to find them on the official websites), try download.com.
Fonts!
When it comes to fonts, try not to just use what came with your computer. Generic fonts tend to make your icon look generic (and amateur-ish) as well. The biggest one to stay away from is Comic Sans (in my opinion). If you want new fonts, you can go through my resources and find some. My absolute favorite place to get them, though, is DaFont. They're free and the website is safe. If anyone wants a tutorial on how to install a new font, let me know and I'll write one. If you want any suggestions for new fonts (or if you see a font that I've used here), just ask! I usually have a pretty good idea of which fonts I've used.
Bases!
I have many useful things in my resources, so I really suggest you go through them. When you first start out, making your own bases can be a pain (or at least it was for me). So feel free to go through my memories and use my bases to practice making your own icons. Just be sure to credit me either in the post or in a resource page. There are also resource pages for bases by other people, so you can look through those, as well.
If you want to make your own, though, remember that cropping is key. Test different ways to crop an image. If you find a picture of a duck (just for an example), you don't have to put said duck in the center of the icon. You can crop so just his head is poking up at the bottom or so you can only see his feet. My favorite crops are with the subject on the side of the icon. Play around and pick the one you think looks best. And keep in mind that if you wouldn't use this icon on your journal, other people probably won't either. So make your icon something you like.
Hosts!
So where are you supposed to put your images once you're ready to show them off? Ideally, you would have your own server where you can just plop them into an FTP and be done. Unfortunately, not everyone has the money for that. So if you want a free server, I recommend Photobucket, hands down. I've been using them for about ten years or so and I've always been very happy with the service I get. I did stray for a while when a friend told me I should rent space from Fotki.
Now, if you're willing to pay for them, Fotki can be great (though they updated the layout about a year ago and made it very difficult to do certain things). However, their free service is absolutely terrible. Generally, if you see a graphic on my site that is missing, it's because Fotki let it disappear into cyber-space. That happens more often than it should. I have lost dozens of images because Fotki can't seem to keep them all uploaded. And every time I email them to complain, they fix everything and then say, "I don't know what you're talking about. Your images are right there." And then they disappear again. Very irritating. Which is why I've been switching back to Photobucket.
Even if you do have the money to put into a host, I would recommend just buying extra space on Photobucket. Because if you buy Fotki space and then, a couple years later, find that you don't want to pay for it anymore and decide to switch your account to their free service, your images will start disappearing. Photobucket is way more reliable. (If you have any free server recommendations, let me know!)
Resources!
I've found that having a list of your resources is much easier than trying to credit everyone in the post. For one thing, it's a great way to have an organized list of who you get what from. So if you really like a certain user's work, you can always go back. And if you keep finding more and more people you like, you can just go in and do a quick edit. It also helps other people. If I like a certain texture you used, I can go to the resource page for your textures and try to find it. I've noticed that a lot of users just do a massive resource post every once in a while, with everything mixed together and that seems to work, too. But I like to have a different page for a different type of resource (like a page for bases, a page for textures, etc.). That way, I don't have to click on multiple resource dumps to try and find what I'm looking for. If I want new brushes, I can just go to my brushes page rather than sift through all of the textures and screencaps just trying to find a user who makes brushes. I hope that makes sense. o_O In the end, do what's easiest for you...but organize it in a way that if someone comes to you saying, "You used something I made and I'd really like credit for it" you can either show them that you did give them credit somewhere or you can quickly add it in if you didn't.
That's all I can think to say for the moment, but I'll edit this post as I see necessary. And if you ever have any questions, feel free to ask me. I'll help you as much as I can. ^_^