Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to a brand spankin' new edition of your favorite emoticon newsletter: Chance to Shine!

Today, we're going to be looking at some new features for the article, including the results of the Stamp Challenge I've hosted over the last two weeks, as well as some more resources for those in need of help, guidance or ideas in this abundant part of the deviantART community.

Without further ado, let's kick things off!

Issue #4, I choose you!


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Support and Stamps

I'm glad there were a few people that were interested in creating stamps for the newsletter, and below I will list each of the stamps I received. I will announce the winner of my personal choice down in the featured section, so if that's the only thing you're here for, hurry up and scroll down! Just promise that you'll come back up again afterwards.

Ready? Ok, good.

If you want to make a stamp of your own, please feel free to do so. I will always appreciate support, and I'll add any new stamps I receive to the list here in the article, so you'll get your share of exposure as well if you participate!

~STAMPS~





_{Like was stated above, if you want to make a stamp yourself, go right ahead! Just make sure to send me a link to the stamp via a comment, a note, or even over MSN.}


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Featured Emoticonists

Onwards from that, we'll move right to the featured emoticonists of this month, starting off with the winner of my personal choice in the Stamp Challenge:


After much consideration, and a close call between a few of the stamps, the final choice for best stamp in the challenge is...

*drum roll*

Chance to shine 2 by ~hsn2555



It's mainly the 80's/90's game show feeling I get from watching this one that sells it for me. You know, like that kind of show where there's a girl on one side of a screen, and three guys on the other, each answering questions the girl asks. In the end, she gets to choose who to date based on their answers alone, rather than their look.

It's a bit silly, but I really like the idea it gives me, so this was ultimately the best choice in my opinion.


<sub>Which brings us to the first featured artist of the issue:

1)</sub> - ~hsn2555

This lad from Saudi Arabia has been a deviant for roughly 3 years now and makes some killer digital art on the side of his splendid emoticons. Just goes to show you to never overlook an emoticonists other abilities as well.


- :survival:

One of his earlier emotes, but one of his best. The weapon is made to perfection, the effects look great, and the addition of the lighting on the emoticon when it shoots is priceless. Definitely a good choice for your anti-zombie emoticon needs.


- Shake My hand - april's fool

A quick and simple emoticon, yet with a splendid theme. Everyone knows of this situation, where someone pulls their hand away at the last second, right when you're about to shake it. The frustration is obvious in the pranked emoticon.


- Don't mess with the emote

I'd say this one looks like a continuation of the :survival: emote at first, but then it proves that it's much more than so. An amazing display of effects and an awesome show of emoticon slaughtering. If you try to mess with that blue emoticon after having seen this, you need to get your head checked.



₂₎ - =X-wing9

A deviant for about a year now X-wing, or Lucas, is a Deviant of Many Talents from Brazil. He's a pixel artist to be reckoned with.


- OMG GODZILLA

Here's something interesting, boys and girls. X-wing was really ahead of the curve with the whole giant emoticon theme, as is obvious from this emoticon. Simple, static and hilarious. And really, really good.


- What... the hell? XD

Even though the tittle might not explain this emoticon too well, the idea itself is really neat. Part of =Sinister-Starfeesh's Rock the World project, the base itself was supplied for the artist, and X used it very neatly. The speed of the dropped cannonball, or whatever it may be, is very obvious, and it looks great.


- :madtyper:

An excellent spin on the emote. I know I've personally wanted to act like this a few times, and I'm sure most people have. When the rage just gets too much, resort to this emote, instead of killing your real keyboard or laptop.



₃₎ - =Plaguemotes

A fairly new emoticonist in the community, this guy from the U S of A has been a deviant for about 4 months now but has already provided quite a number of submissions.


- :eyyy:

Starting off with a static emote, this emote makes it really easy for me to imagine Fonzy uttering his typical catchphrase. Let's just hope Plaguemotes isn't jumping the shark with this one.


- :startledbytextalert::startle:

Now that title was a mouthful! None the less, here's a very, very quick (_{almost too quick}) representation of getting scared by your cellphones text message tone. And, yes, this has happened to me a couple of times as well.


- :noes: revamp

This is a simple revamp of the emote. Nothing spectacular one might think, but I think it looks splendid. The shading absolutely shines off the emote, and the eyes are perfectly off center. A very good revamp.


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Tutorials and Guides

Here's the second of the new sections to be added to the article. Here, I will methodically list a great deal of emoticon oriented tutorials for those that might be interested in learning the tools of the trade, or perhaps just expanding their current knowledge.

I hope you can find something useful in here.


~Static Emoticons and Basic Shading~

- Emote Tutorial by ~darkmoon3636
- Emoticon Tutorial : bases by ~darkmoon3636
- How to: Shade emoticons by =arrioch
- Emoticon Tutorial Part 1 by ~Jtcgh
- dbest's Emoticon Tutorial by =dbestarchitect
- Emoticon Tutorial 4 Paint by ~Spaarghy
- Emoticon Tutorial by =12hc12
- Emoticon Tutorial 2 - Static by ~Dumnezeu
- Emoticon Tutorial by *Jamaal10
- Complete Emoticon Guide part 1 by me - =LeoLeonardo


~Animation and Full Guides~

- Emoticon tutorial by ~dutchie17
- Emoticon Tutorial Part 2 by ~Jtcgh
- Emote tutorial: Walking by `CookiemagiK
- EmoticonTutorial 2 - Animation by ~Dumnezeu
- Azundo's Emoticon Tutorial by ~Azundo
- Complete Emoticon Guide part 2 by me - =LeoLeonardo


~~Specialized Tutorials~

- Big Emoticon tutorial by =krissi001
- Gunshot tutorial by =bad-blood
- Explosion Tutorial 2 by =bad-blood


I think that will have to suffice for the moment, if you want to suggest any other tutorials to be added, give me a shout!


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Artists Open For Requests

The following is a list of emoticonists, and a few other artists, that are open for requests. If you have a great idea, and want to see someone put it into action, give one of the following a shout!

If anyone on the list wants to be removed or anything similar to that, or if someone wants to be added, just let me know and I'll make changes to the list as soon as possible!















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With that, we close of another issue of this continuing series. I hope you had a great time reading! Until next time...

Take care,

-Fredrik "Leo" Gustafsson, your Emoticon Pope