Creating Your Own Smilies

I based my smiles on the default ones that come with WordPress, they're all over the web actually, they come with PHPBB as well.

1. First create a new document or an image you want to base your smiley on. I based mine on the default smiles but you can just create a new document and I'll guide you through making them from scratch.

I made a new document with the size of 15 x 15 pixels.

2. Get the Elliptical Marquee Tool.

Change your settings to similar as mine:

Click on the canvas to make your selection.

3. Create a new layer then fill your canvas with the gradient of your choice, I used a purple gradient of #e9c8ff to #64408c.

Now apply the following Bevel and Emboss.

4. Now add a border to your smiley.

First create a new layer, then select around the smiley face (hold ctrl then click the smiley face layer thumbnail.)

With a selection tool out, right-click the selection and go into Stroke...

Use similar settings to these:

Width: 1px
Color: #383838
Location: Inside

5. Now add in the facial features, for this I based mine on the default WordPress smiles, you can do the same.

Thanks for reading this tutorial, I hope you enjoyed it!