Emojis help us express ourselves. Sometimes words aren’t enough, and these miniature graphics give the right nuance to our messages. Every year, the collection of emojis grows, with more little emotive faces and objects from which to choose. That said, there are still some gaps in the selection.
In fact, some of our most common emotions don’t yet have a corresponding emoji. Take the great debate around the “praying hands” emoji. Some users believe the symbol represents a high-five between two people instead of hands held together in prayer, and the evidence shows that it’s actually a kind of meditative gesture. Whatever the actual meaning, it inevitably points to a shortage of symbols. If the emoji represents prayer, what are we to do when we wish to express a high five?
The “Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil” monkey emojis present a similar case. In the absence of an emoji that clearly encapsulates an “oops” moment, many of us use the “See No Evil” monkey as a stand-in. With its hands over its eyes, this caricature looks just like it’s hiding its face in embarrassment.
Where there’s a problem, there’s an opportunity for a solution. If you can’t find the right emoji to express what you’re feeling, you can always make one. Not all apps will allow you to add custom emojis to your keyboard, but don’t let that stop you. You can download a third-party emoji keyboard software for Android, and you can always drop your creation into a chat as an image file. Finally, certain apps, like Slack, let you add custom emojis right to your workspace.
A Classic
The “smiley face” is one of the most popular old-school emojis. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make your own and get the tools to try out more advanced drawings later.
- Open the Picsart app and click on the purple plus sign at the bottom of the screen to start a new design.
2. Scroll down to Drawings and choose Pick Canvas.
3. Choose a square background of any size. In the end, you can resize your emoji using apps like Slack, or you can do so manually. Once you’ve selected your canvas, click on the purple arrow in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
Pro Tip: Emojis usually are 32 by 32 pixels. However, it can be tricky to design on such a small surface. This is why we recommend starting with an ample canvas and sizing down after the fact.
- To make a classic face emoji, start by putting a yellow circle on your canvas. First, select the color wheel from the menu at the bottom of the screen and choose the right hue. To start, we recommend the yellow tone that’s already in the pre-saved swatches below the wheel. Click on the check mark in the corner of the pop-up to lock in your choice.
5. Now, click on the Shape tool from the menu at the bottom of the screen and select the circle. Click on the check mark in the corner of the pop-up to move on to the next step.
6. The circle will not appear until you begin drawing it on your canvas. Place your finger anywhere in the space, and then drag outward until the circle appears. When you let go, you’ll then be able to resize and reposition your circle. Stretch it out to the borders of your canvas.
Pro Tip: If you click outside of the circle, you will lose the ability to edit it. So, if you accidentally tap the background before you finish resizing the circle, hit the undo arrow at the top of the screen to wipe away the circle you just made and start a new one.
- Select the Color tool from the menu at the bottom of the screen. Change the color to black and click on the check mark in the corner of the pop-up.
- Now, select the Brush tool and click on the settings icon. Here, ensure the opacity is at 100 and that the size is around 40. You will be able to see a preview of the line size and opacity in the space above the sliders. Click on the settings icon again to make the pop-up disappear.
9. Draw a face. It might take you a few tries to get the expression just right, but that’s where the back button comes in handy. You can add in more colors by using the process shown in step 8.
10. Once you’re satisfied with your drawing, click on the check mark in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. The app will ask whether you want to save and share or edit your image. Choose to edit.
11. Now, select Tools from the menu at the bottom of the screen. Then, select Shape Crop.
12. Select the circle cropping option. Use your fingers to stretch out the cropping circle until it’s fully covering your emoji face below. Then, click the arrow in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
13. On the Preview screen, you’ll see that your face cut-out has a border on it. It’s up to you whether or not to keep this, but if you wish to get rid of it, you can move the Size slider down to zero. Then, click Save in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
14. Your new emoji is ready for download. Click on the downward arrow above your canvas to export the image directly to your phone. Once downloaded, the arrow will morph into a check mark.
Pro Tip: When uploaded to an app or keyboard that allows custom emojis, the image will appear just like any other emoji in your library. If you send your image on a messaging service that doesn’t support custom graphics, a white background will show up underneath the emoji and the sizing will not automatically adjust. Therefore, it’s best to use custom emojis on apps that support them.
Totally You
In the following steps, we’ll explore how to make an emoji of yourself. This is a popular trend on certain messaging apps, and in just a few clicks, you can make a cut-out sticker of your face to share.
- Open the Picsart app on your mobile device. Click on the purple plus sign at the bottom of the screen to start a new design. Your photo library will appear at the top of the screen. Choose an expressive photo of your face.
2. On the editing screen, scroll to the right on the toolbar at the bottom of the screen and select the Cutout tool.
3. Use the ready-made option for a Face cutout.
4. The app makes a fairly accurate selection, but you can brush in any accidentally deleted material with the Restore function. When you’re satisfied with your selection, hit Save in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
Pro Tip: You can always preview your selection by clicking on this option from the menu at the bottom of the screen.
5. Your ultra-personalized emoji is ready for download. Click on the downward arrow above your canvas to export the image directly to your phone. Remember, only apps or keyboards that allow custom emojis will render this image correctly. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use it in other ways, like a sticker or a regular photo.
Create at the Speed of Culture
Picsart is a full ecosystem of free-to-use content, powerful tools, and creator inspiration. With a billion downloads and more than 150 million monthly active creators, Picsart isn’t just the world’s largest creative platform; we’re also the fastest growing. Picsart has collaborated with major artists and brands like BLACKPINK, the Jonas Brothers, Lizzo, Sanrio: Hello Kitty, I am a Voter, Bebe Rexha, Maroon 5, One Direction, Warner Bros. Entertainment, iHeartMedia, Condé Nast, and more. Download the app or start editing on web today to enhance your photos and videos with thousands of quick and easy editing tools, trendy filters, fun stickers, and brilliant backgrounds. Unleash your creativity and upgrade to Gold for premium perks!