how do you construct your avatars?

[sec0nd serve]

hey everyone!

earlier today, while i was making myself a new avatar in the dress-up, i started to wonder about how other Gaians make their avatars.
for me, tektek isn't a part of the process. i am comfortable enough with my invo to know whever everything is, and i like just playing around with the items.
maybe the process would go by faster with tektek, but i really don't enjoy using that site as much as just doing it in real-time.

so i guess my question(s) are simple:

• how do you create your avatars, do you use tektek in any way?
  
• what do you like to start with; shoes, shirts, mods?
  
• do you enjoy creating avatars on this site? or are you here for other reasons?
  
• do you go for themes, matching colors, both?

[icetears]

I start usually with one or two items I want to build an avatar around. If I need help, I throw my inventory into tektek and see if it has any suggestions by color. For Example, this avatar was created with me wanting to use this hat and leg mod...even though they're different shades of pink. I also knew I wanted some checkmate blue in there.

[sec0nd serve]

icetears

I start usually with one or two items I want to build an avatar around. If I need help, I throw my inventory into tektek and see if it has any suggestions by color. For Example, this avatar was created with me wanting to use this hat and leg mod...even though they're different shades of pink. I also knew I wanted some checkmate blue in there.

yea, i find myself doing that sometimes as well.
especially when i find an item combo that looks really great together!

i think your avatar turned out great by the way!

[Sianserais]

There's usually a theme involved - for example, I'm still using my "snowbunny warrior" avi from the winter event. Then, like icetears, I choose one or two items that jump out at me (or were recent purchases), and go from there (in this case, it was the boots and arm-mod). If I get stuck, I'll pull up tektek to consider other items. Thankfully, it sometimes reminds me of poses I've forgotten I already owned.

[Chocobo Princess]

I usually choose an item or two or the two main colors to begin. Today, I wanted to use the partial Antique Shop recolor item, so I started with that jacket and built on from there. It ended up not matching the graffitied wall header at all, but I didn't think I could match that for all 7 days. sweatdrop

I'm not sure whether my avatars count as Themed or Story, maybe some of each.

I do not use tektek to create avatar outfits, but now that there's an Inventory Search, I often use it to find finishing details.

[AtrosM]

I do use invo tektek, because a lot of the time I forget what I have or part of which item a certain pose was. But no I don't construct the whole avy in tektek is just for support.

About the creation, sometimes it is because I want to use a certain item, but most of the time I just have a theme in mind and go from there. And unlike most people who begin with items for the actual avatar I like to start with a background and build the character depending of it. This whole avy exists because the Nighttime Swampland's Circe background does.

Doing avatars is practically the whole reason I am here xD I joined because I liked them and stay because I still like them

[marysueshelley]

Usually my avatars come about when I'm trying to use a specific pose from an item. This time, it was Subtle Bianca's skirt. I'd been looking for nice tops to pair with it, and just happened to try Chronomantique Jester with it. It all went from there.

Even purchased this top hat for it when I realized I didn't have a hat that worked well with what I ended up with.

One day, I'd like to make the skirt from Compass of Seithr into a focal point for an avatar. Problem is, hardly anything works with it, and corsets/leotards tend to layer over it.

[Whip]

I have a few ways.

If it's my base look (demonic succubus) I'll find a new item, or an item I like, and base my look around that. I try to match tones and patterns, as well as broad colour matching... but theme outweighs colour all the time.

If it's a cosplay, sometimes an item will come out that would work with a particular character, and so I'll build the avi around that. Sometimes I'll want to make a character, and will search tektek and the MP for the right items. If they don't exist yet, I'll keep waiting until they do exist and then wear that avatar. As new items come that work, I'll tweak it.

I am often reluctant to cosplay, though. everyone has the items ~they~ think work best, and if I disagree and use something else, I cop some pretty negative criticism. If I'm entering the arena, I expect critique, but not stuff like "OMG THIS IS WRONG! ITS BAD!" type thing. So I'm careful.

The thing I aim for in cosplay is aesthetically pleasing. I don't just use the item that is most correct to the character, because sometimes that makes the avatar itself look ugly, in an unpleasing pose, shape or clashing textures. I hate that. The artist/designer who created that character put thought into how it is presented, so I aim to make it look visually pleasing too, even if it means using a 'less than perfect' shirt, hairstyle, handheld item etc.

I do not think it is a good idea to always go for complete accuracy, not when it makes the cosplay avi look visually unappealing. So I don't, unless the perfect match looks amazing with the rest of the avatar and makes it look good. Which I find is much to the chagrin of some perfectionists who have no eye for style and only wish to use what's closest in their opinion.

[Whip]

icetears

I start usually with one or two items I want to build an avatar around. If I need help, I throw my inventory into tektek and see if it has any suggestions by color. For Example, this avatar was created with me wanting to use this hat and leg mod...even though they're different shades of pink. I also knew I wanted some checkmate blue in there.

Though, the pink in the skirt and hat match, and the pink in the shoes and neck ruff match... so I think it's done really well! Slight variations make avis look more interesting, and can sometimes help tie colors together.

I'm not a stickler for matching, so I love to use multiple similar-but-not-perfect shades and will aim for it if I can manage it.

I'm much more concerned with shape and texture... texture especially. If things are texturally way off or poorly clashing, I can't wear it and I'll feel I've made a really ugly avi.

This avi, for example, was born from the corset and the arms having similar texture. I love the legs with it, even if the corset is actually clipping into them... I'd use something else but the leg shape works for me.

[meredy inspirit]

For some reason, I don't like using tektek. Though it's much easier in terms of searching items because it's organized by colors and stuff, it's not constantly updated. With Gaia releasing one to many items in a day so I don't expect it to be immediately updated. x-x
Thus, I'm using the ''All Gaia'' option in the dressing room to do my avatars, I usually go with color schemes and started with the top, bottom and the hair and so on.
Yup, I'm mostly here because of the avatars. This site is one of the most pretty pixel game that I came across ever since TinierMe's closure.

[Obitual]

Usually I'll base it around 2-3 items for color or theme, and I'll build off of it there. I mostly go for color. Still new at it though

[NocturnFox]

It's quite simple, I pick item or color or style depending on my mood
then I start scrambling around as I throw item unto my avi and see what works
maybe even figure it out the direction I want to go while working on it
the main point is the end result please my eyes whether in color or theme or whatever and satisfying.

I do like to create avatar, but it's just side fun for me to display my avatar as my gaia self.
my main reason is because back when I joined, I had nothing else to do and wish for a place to hangout and meet people.
I am not fond of facebook, twitter or tumblr, so I am sticking around gaia.

[Fiorii]

I usually decide 'I want to use this item/s on this avatar' and see what comes up. My current avatar was made with Purrsaison and Sharpshooting Gale Sniper in mind. For me, colours are determined by whatever items I'm building it around. I like to think of whatever item I choose first to be the foundation of the rest of the avatar. Sometimes during the process the item foundation changes, or I add a different item that sets the tone for other colours.

However I'm already working on my next avatar because that's what I do when I'm bored. The difference with my next avatar is that I wanted to see whether it was worth getting Sandman's Blame, so my avatar was built around the blues I currently own that could work with it. And now to start buying go fusion charms to make a sandman's blame so I can become the avatar I just made in dressup. Also: Cherubic Guardian (hat) + Rose Saga (mark of destiny) looks awesome together.

I find tektek nice for messing around on, but with so many items coming out on gaia daily, they haven't really got everything so I find it annoying when I'm trying to experiment to see if an item is worth purchase. Plus gaia's new look up items in the change your avatar it can just be easier to play round on the site. That said, tektek is good for messing around with colours I don't own.

[Beast Henshin]

1)Start with staple items: Including Frozen Warlord body, Azrael's ears and some form of horns.
2) Focus on exposing my junk/body

That's typical style anyway :9

[Addium]

How do you create your avatars, do you use tektek in any way?
I don't use tektek much unless for item searching for my item lists in my journal.

What do you like to start with; shoes, shirts, mods?
I like to start with a pre-made base in order to make dressing up faster.
An example of a base would be this:



I'll use that base and then start adding items to it like this.



The base is saved in my outfits slots so I can always click on that whenever I want to change clothes.

Do you enjoy creating avatars on this site? Or are you here for other reasons?
I love creating avatars. I like how there is a large variety of items that you can use.
If only they weren't so expensive these days!

Do you go for themes, matching colors, both?
It depends on my mood of the day. I do like to match at times or dress up in themes.
I also like to create silly avatars whenever I'm bored.