Making Emotes: The Tutorial Master List

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 blunaowl: 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 SophieHoulden: 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.