Several people have commented that they'd like to make emotes but aren't sure where to start. The following tutorials should help you get started and then some.

Static Emotes:

Paint

• Emoticon Tutorial 4 Paint by Spaarghy: how to create a hand-shaded static emote using MS Paint.

Paint.NET

• Emoticon Tutorial Part 1 by Jtcgh: how to create a hand-shaded static emote using the free software, Paint.NET

Adobe Photoshop

• Ultimate Emote Tutorial - P1 by eStunt: how to create a static emote using the gradient tool for shading.


• Reflective Emoticon Tutorial by ~emoticons: how to create a static using the airbrush tool for shading.


• Azundo's Emote Person Tutorial by ~Azundo: how to create a static emote using different colored layers and the gradient tool for shading, complete with description of all the tools that come in handy making emotes.


• How to make a emoticon by ~aiwebs2005: how to create a static emote using the gradient tool for shading, complete with detailed pixel count diagrams.


• Emoticon Tut by ~Ravmaster: how to create a static emote using gradients, complete with a section on creating some of the more commonly-used expressions


• Emoticon Tutorial 1: The Base by ~fl00fy: how to create a static emote using hand shading.


• How to make Emoticons Pt. 1 by `conorschild: how to make a static emote using hand shading and conor's sense of humor.


• Emote Tutorial Part 1 by *ChaosEmeraldHunter: how to make a static emote using hand shading in Imageready.


• Complete Emoticon Guide part 1 by =LeoLeonardo: how to make a static emote using both gradients and hand shading (and some good background music).


• Emoticon Tutorial - The Basics by =Spaarghy: how to make your basic static emote using hand shading.

Corel (formerly Jasc) PaintShopPro

• ++Emoticon Tutorial 1++ by ~aneikitsune how to create a static emote using the dodge tool for shading.

Adobe (formerly Macromedia) Fireworks

• How to make+colour an Emoticon by ~clairebearer: detailed instructions on making static emotes using hand-coloring and using gradients.


• Emote Tutorial 1 by *Zikes: step by step instructions on making a static emote using gradients.

Once you've got the hang of the basics, you can move on to animation.

Animated Emotes:

Paint.NET

• Emoticon Tutorial Part 2 by Jtcgh: how to create an animated emote using the free software Paint.NET and Unfreez for animation.

Adobe Photoshop/ImageReady

• Azundo's Emoticon Tutorial by ~Azundo: how to animate an emote in Imageready once you've made the static emote in Photoshop.


• Animated emoticon_ImageReady by ~aiwebs2005:the follow-up to ~aiwebs2005's tutorial, explaining how to animate an emote.


• Emote Tutorial Part 2 by *ChaosEmeraldHunter: the follow-up to her static emote tutorial, explaining how to animate emotes in Imageready.


• Animated Emoticons Tutorial by ~KeReN-R:how to create an animated blinking emote from beginning to end.


• Blinking.Emot.Tutorial by ~synaesthesia: how to create an animated blinking and smiling emote from beginning to end.


• emoticon tutorial by *dutchie17: how to create an animated blinking emote from beginning to end using gradients for shading.


• Emoticon Tutorial 2: Animation by ~fl00fy: the follow-up to !floofy's static emote tutorial, explaining how to animate an emote.


• Complete Emoticon Guide part 2 by =LeoLeonardo: how to make an animated emote using both gradients and hand shading (and some good background music).

Adobe (formerly Macromedia) Fireworks

• Emote Tutorial 2 by *Zikes: the follow-up to Zikes' first emote tutorial, explaining how to animate the emote.


• Animated Emotes In Fireworks by =brokenboulevard: how to animate an emote.

Ulead Gif Animator

• Emote Tutorial by =darkmoon3636: a Flash presentation on how to hand-shade and animate emoticons.

GIMP

• Basic dA Emote tute for GIMP by =MissLittlewood: how to create an animated blinking emote from beginning to end using the blend tool for shading.


• More Advanced Emotes for GIMP by =popcorn-pops: a follow-up to =MissLittlewood's tutorial explaining how to animate a waving emote using the gradient tool.

Next up, focus on improving your shading techniques.

Advanced Shading and Coloring:

• Emoticon Tutorial : bases by =darkmoon3636: a detailed instructional on 3 different styles of hand shading.


• Emote Tutorial 3: Color Shifts by *Zikes: how to change the color of an emote over the course of several frames using Macromedia Fireworks.


• How to: Shade emoticons by =arrioch: learn how arrioch creates his unique shading look using Adobe Photoshop.


• Wing - Tutorial by `koffeeben: a handy little guide to making emoticon wings which can also be helpful for general shading and highlighting.


• Solve the White Pixel Problem by *BobSmith006: correct the annoying stray white pixels anti-aliasing causes using Fireworks and ImageReady.


• emote shading tutorial by =GirlFlash: Combine gradients, hand-pixeling and semi-transparency for glossy shading in Fireworks.

Advanced Effects:

• A Guide to Pixel Particle Effects - Pt 1: Explosions by =sereneworx: a detailed and versatile description of how to make an explosion that works in several contexts.


• Explosion Tutorial by =bad-blood: click the download link to learn how to make an explosive mushroom cloud.


• Hadoken Tutorial by =bad-blood: click the download link to learn how to make light balls shoot from an emote's hands.

And there you have it. deviantART is like Emote University, I swear. If anyone knows of a tutorial I haven't included on the list, please drop me a line and I'll add it toot sweet.