We have moved to http://neondragonart.com/mb/

[NeonDragon]

The NeonDragonArt.com forums have a set of fairly unique little puppet avatars. There are many avatars to choose from, but if you wish to create your own unique puppets, or create more puppets for all users to share, here is the information you will need to do so.

[size=18][b]The Rules![/b][/size]
First off, there's a certain set of rules that must be used when making the puppets.

[b]1. [/b]They're all... puppets. This means no legs, button eyes, and a simplified structure.

[b]2.[/b] All puppets have the same basic proportions.

[b]3.[/b] Human puppets and puppets without horns, large ears, or hair, should beexactly 112 pixels [i]high[/i]. Puppets with things that make them a bit taller (such as horns, halos, ears, big hair) will usually be 118 pixels high. The reason for this is that it roughly makes all puppets have the same head and body size. This keeps you from ending up with a super gigantic puppet that could eat the rest of them.

[b]4.[/b] The background color of the puppets MUST be the same grey as the forum. The bases provided have this grey, but if you create your own base, please make sure the background color is #313131.

[b]5.[/b] Do not run graphics off the edge of the image. If you need to extend your canvas to the left or the right a little, that's fine, but try to keep it so that the puppet is in the center, with grey all around it. This keeps the avatars from having awkward cut-offs that make them... um... un-puppet-esque?

Sound good? Good!

[NeonDragon]

[size=18][b]Request a Puppet[/b][/size]

If you have no artistic inclinations or are lacking a program to make your own puppet, many of the fine folks here on the forum have offered up their skills in creating custom avatars for others. Getting an avatar made is a privilage, and a favor from one user to another. These folks make the puppets out of the kindness of their heart, so when you ask for an avatar, please remember to be corteous and say thank you!

[b][url=http://neondragonart.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1387]The Free Forum Puppeteers[/url][/b]

[NeonDragon]

[size=18][b]Making Your Own Avatars[/b][/size]

Before you begin creating your own avatar, please read the rules at the beginning of the post carefully. The rules aren't meant to stifle your creativity, mearly give all the puppets a family sort of feel.

To create your puppets, you can work from scratch, or modify a base to suit your purposes. Some good programs to do this in are Adobe Photoshop, Open Canvas, and Paint Shop Pro. Other programs can be used, but they may not have layers, a tool which will make your job a lot easier.

[size=18][b]Puppet Tutorial[/b][/size]

There are many ways to customize your own avatars. E-chan has provided a wonderful tutorial on making avatars using the puppet bases here at the site showing her method.

[b][url=http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/35441858/]E-chan's Puppet Tutorial[/url][/b]

[NeonDragon]

[size=18][b]Puppet Bases[/b][/size]

Here are some templates that you can work off of to help create your unique puppets. You can customize these almost beyond recognition, and they are very useful for giving you the correct set of puppet proportions used on the site. They also come with the correct background color.

These bases are much bigger then the finished puppets will be. This is so that it is easier for you to color and add details. When you are finished, please shrink them down to 112-118 pixels high, as per the rules.

The puppet bases are currently being redone to be cleaner, and not lopsided like the old bases where. More bases will be added as soon as possible.

[size=18][b]Human Bases[/b][/size]
[b][url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/human_lines.jpg] Blank Human[/url]
[url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/human_lilac.jpg] Shaded Lilac Human[/url]
[url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/human_peach.jpg] Shaded Peach Human[/url]
[url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/human_tan.jpg] Shaded Tan Human[/url]
[url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/human_cinnimon.jpg] Shaded Cinnamon Human[/url][/b]

[size=18][b]Elf Bases[/b][/size]
[b][url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/elf_blank.jpg] Blank Elf[/url]
[url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/elf_blue.jpg] Shaded Blue Elf[/url]
[url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/elf_peach.jpg] Shaded Peach Elf[/url]
[url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/elf_gold.jpg] Shaded Gold Elf[/url]
[url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/elf_cinnimon.jpg] Shaded Cinnamon Elf[/url][/b]

[size=18][b]Dragon Bases[/b][/size]
[b] [url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/dragon_blank.jpg] Blank Dragon[/url]
[url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/dragon_green.jpg] Shaded Green Dragon[/url]
[url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/dragon_red.jpg] Shaded Red Dragon[/url]
[url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/dragon_black.jpg] Shaded Black Dragon[/url]
[url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/dragon_blue.jpg] Shaded Blue Dragon[/url][/b]

[size=18][b]Angel Bases[/b][/size]
[b] [url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/angel_blank.jpg] Blank Angel[/url]
[url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/angel_peach.jpg] Shaded Peach / White Wing Angel[/url]
[url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/angel_black.jpg] Shaded Peach / Black Wing Angel[/url]
[url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/angel_brown.jpg] Shaded Brown / White Wing Angel[/url]
[url=http://neondragonart.com/puppets/angel_blue.jpg] Shaded Blue / Black Wing Angel[/url] [/b]

[i]*more bases coming soon*[/i]

[CrowbarTK_Hullo]

I've made a muscled human template: http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/ctk_hullo/musclepuppettemplate.jpg
[color=white]
If anyone else has made a template they'd like to share, or has questions about puppet making, post 'em here. Requests for making and uploading puppets go in their appropriate threads (linked to in above posts).[/color]