How To Make An 8-Bit Twitter Avatar

Thursday, 13 January 2011 08:59

How To Make An 8-Bit Twitter Avatar

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It’s a great story, inspired by an 8-bitted Dribbble post by UK artist and designer Harry Harrison, San Francisco designers Addison Kowalski, Amadeus Demarzi and Courtney Guertin took the idea to the next level by 8 bit-ing their Twitter

avatars, which inevitably went viral among the tech set, finally consuming MG Siegler and myself in a blaze of pixelated fury about a day ago.

@Percival
Sean Percival

I'm not valley enough to know these 8bit avatar guys so I just made my own. Wouldn't trust them to get the hair right anywho.

about 15 hours ago via Twitter for iPhoneRetweetReply

While Addison, Kowalski and Demarzi are actually planning to launch an EightBit social gaming app based on the characters soon, we just thought they looked cool in and of themselves as avatars.

@andrewpbrett
Andy Brett

warning: I am quietly judging all of you based on your decision to 8-bit your avatar. except for @alexia.

42 minutes ago via webRetweetReply

Kowalski has made the above “How-To”video incase you’re interested in making your own. Overcome by mad 80s nostalgia I tried it out earlier, to much success.

Here’s the breakdown(You need Photoshop):

1. Open Photoshop.

2.Press Command + K for “Preferences.”

3. Select “Guides, Grids and Slices” and enter “Every 50 pixels” for “Gridline” and “5″ for “Subdivisions.”

4. Create a new document 100 px by 100 px.

5. Use “Option + Delete” to fill in the background.

6. Use the Shape tool to make a 4 X 4 square for a face.

7. Use the same tool to draw in hair, neck shading, etc.

8. Click on “Filter,” “Add Noise” and set noise to 1%, “Gaussian” and “Monochromatic.”

9. Use the Burn tool and artistic license for the rest.