Post by urbancinderella on Jul 13, 2007 4:30:37 GMT
Interview with =darkmoon3636deviantART - Digital
Administered by Ryan.
Alright, let's start with the basics.
Name: Emily Miller
Age: 17
Sex: Female
Occupation: none
Website: My deviantART page
Hobbies?
Hmm, your standard nerdy teen hobbies: Videogames, reading, spending hours upon hours on the internet, drawing, doing homework (sad hobby, isn't it?).
Favorite Site(s) to Visit:
Well, I have to say deviantart, I've been a member for a good three and a half years. I know it sounds a bit cliche, but it's like a second home to me. There's aspects I love, and probably even more that I hate, but it's been entertaining me in one way or another all this time, so there must be something that makes me always go back.
Any guilty pleasures we should know about?
Hmm...have to think on that one. Probably staying up until four in the morning drawing, even when I have something important to get up for the next day. Videogames too, though usually I know when to quit, or the game does anyways - losing to the same boss several times in a row makes it easier to put down the controller. Not much into food, but I'll eat a bag of Funyuns once in a while, even though I don't think there's anything unhealthier.
Lastly, any juicy tidbits about yourself for our readers to enjoy?
Hmmm, well I can admit that I seriously enjoy cartoons and books meant for small children, and that even now I immensely enjoy games like Pokémon. Not just for the sake of nostalgia, either.
Now, onto your work. It's quite obvious you are an established emoticon designer. What influenced you or inspired you to develop a knack for creating emoticons and smilies?
Well, I joined deviantART when I was 14 or so, and this was the first time I'd ever been on an online community. Someone sent me an animator program, and I was making (rather crappy) avatars for a while. Then someone asked for a certain emoticon on the forums, so I went ahead and made one. From then on I started taking requests, even though at first my skill was rather lacking. Back then there were very few, active "emoticonists" on the site, unlike now.
I like that - "emoticonists." It has a nice ring to it.
Yeah, that's the word deviantART supplied in the little description menu on userpages. "Joined such and such date, lives in this or that country, is an ______." Most people fill that in with anime artist or photographer, but they actually have quite a selection.
When you're thinking of where to go with a new emoticon, what helps you decide? Do you pull on past experiences with friends, or just things you feel are funny, etc.?
Usually I think of the ideas at a separate time. I jot down ideas as they come, in my notebook or palm pilot. Very rarely have I ever sat down and thought of an idea spontaneously, then started making an icon from it. Inspiration comes from free association a lot of the time. I'll be on the bus or in the middle of a boring class, and ideas will just come to me while I'm thinking of random things. This doesn't only apply to emoticons though, almost all creative ideas come to me naturally, but the only problem is, if I ever do need an idea quickly, I can't think of anything.
Is there something you must have near you when you make emoticons? I know people who must have a half empty can of Caffeine Free Diet Coke just to do two math problems for homework, for example.
Not in particular. I'm stranger about the time of day than my surroundings. I only like working on emoticons at night, when I'm at a creative peak. I'm kind of a night person, so I go into severe lulls during the day, and get easily frustrated at the process.
Completely understandable. Speaking of getting easily frustrated, any tips for those who are new to making emoticons or would like to start making them?
When I started, there wasn't much for me to go by, so I really had to figure things out myself to get where I am. I believe this is why a lot of mine were lacking in quality for a year or more. Luckily this genre has grown lately so people interested can find tutorials and people to model after. People can jump right in and quickly develop their own style after learning the technical skills of using animation programs. I suggest for everyone interested to look at ^livius's master list of tutorials, there's one for most of the major animation programs, as well as ones for those interested in making static (non-animated) icons. I also suggest that anyone interested look at pixelart sites. A big part of emoticons (for me, at least) is pixelart, so understanding the special aspects specific to this type of art is important if you want to distinguish yourself.
Alright, any last, random thoughts in your head right now that you'd like to tell to the world?
Just want to share my opinion on why this category is so great. Emoticons are vital in this age of communication, when people are starting to send information through text. Every day I see miscommunication occur when people don't convey the tone of their writing well. Body language and facial expressions are lost, but emoticons work to bring it back, and I've also noticed just how amazingly specific they're becoming. One site has a "
" emoticon different from another, and the regulars interpret it much differently and use it in different situations. This why I like seeing new artists attempt to make emoticons, because their personal style creates a slightly different feeling than the next artist, and the growing repertoire of visual expression grows. I could expand on this tangent for paragraphs, but I think you can understand what I'm getting at here. Thank you very much, darkmoon, for helping us bring more information about emoticonists and their work to the members' attention.
I was more than happy to answer your questions.
That'll be good for when we're talking over the world while everyone else is sleeping. 
