Tutorials

Kao-ani or Face-mark Animations are Japanese smilies. They are not really difficult to make but some rules must be followed, in order to name them kao-ani.

Rules:
• The Kao-ani must float at least 1 time.
• You can give your creation hands, but it can't have legs.
• The size is 40x40 pixels, including hands and shadow.
• The animation should be saved as a transparent gif.

1. Save this template, please click on it:
   
2. Now all we need is animation program to create a face, like Animation Shop. You can download a free trial version.
3. After you've installed Animation Shop you can work on the kao by clicking File > Open > kao.gif. A window with the kao in it should open at this point.
4. You can use the magnifying glass to zoom in a bit.
5. Use the Brush with the Width set on 1 to pixel the eyes and mouth. You can make the image wink like this for instance:
   
6. Go to File > Save As. Select a folder, type a filename and click the 'Save' button. Now your kao is ready to be used on your website. Tadaaa:
7. To make more complicated animations it's easier if you can use a grid. I use Pro Motion for my pixels and animations, but you can also use a program like Paint Shop Pro.