Phlum

In the beginning...

:bademoticon: Emoticons have a history older than the Internet itself. They originated in publications from the late 1800s, and they've appeared since then in a variety of forms. It wasn't until instant messaging came along that they revolutionised the way we communicate, and nowadays you can't go five minutes without seeing at least three 'tears of joy' emojis.

But you're not here to read an essay, right? You wanna know about the handmade emoticons produced by members of this very site.

An emoticon is essentially a piece of pixel art, generally 15 pixels in diameter. They can be static or animated, and are used to convey a variety of emotions - from joy to melancholy , from suspicion to elation ...and even some that we haven't deciphered yet.

Sometimes, they don't even represent specific emotions. Sometimes they're astronauts , sometimes they represent abstract concepts , sometimes they provide a little background music and often, they just want a hug!

Not only are emoticons specifically geared towards use in text (with some exceptions), but they're also extremely tiny by extension. It can be a real challenge making something look good when you're working with something literally smaller than a postage stamp. But even with this restriction, everyone has their own unique style, and emoticons can turn out quite diverse as a result.

One final point: anyone can make emoticons! Once you get the hang of it - and it doesn't take long - they can be knocked out in a matter of minutes. I hesitate to use the term 'emoticonist' as most, if not all, emoticonists are multi-disciplinary; this also means the community is as colourful and creative as they come.

^{Side note: 50x50 animated GIFs do not count as emoticons.}

Tools of the trade

 It's difficult to pin down a specific set of tools used to create emoticons; folk just tend to use whatever they have lying around. Any software that'll let you draw 1x1 pixels will work! Even so, here's a non-exhaustive list of programs I've seen used over the years.

GIMP: It's free and open-source, it's cross-platform, and it's great for emoting. It also offers rudimentary animation capabilities, but if you're serious about animating, it might be worth seeking out something more capable.

Photoshop: That old stalwart. Worth mentioning because you may already have a copy on your computer - and hey, apparently it's great for animation.

Aseprite: Specifically designed for pixel art, with simple palette manipulation and a comprehensive array of animation tools. This one's a personal favourite of mine.

Paint: Yes! It may be crude, even barbaric in comparison to other tools, but many emoticon creators swear by the simplicity of Paint. (Of course, they then have to use other tools for transparency and animation, so make of that what you will.  )

The Bigger Picture

Since such a wide range of software can be used for emoting, they must be pretty simple to make, right? Right!
Let's take a closer look at what makes up an emoticon. It really is as simple as making a sphere and then embellishing it, and since it's on such a small canvas, every pixel really can make a difference. Use of space is also a key ingredient in making emoticons, given how little you have to work with.

Gallery Sections

  If you've browsed the emoticon gallery, you may have noticed there are two different categories: Chat Friendly, and Visual Purpose. What does it all mean? Surely the whole purpose is visual in nature?

Chat friendlies are as they say on the tin: emoticons for use alongside text in, say, a chat box. Your standard fare.
These are some of my favourites.


Visual purpose means a piece of work that involves emoticons, but isn't really for use in chat. Avatars, stamps, banners, and huge sweeping pixel art pieces all fit in here - as long as they involve emotes, of course! Because of this, Visual Purpose emotes cannot be found in Add Media.