How to make natural icons

Part 2

In the first part of this article we saw how even very rough images, when drawn large, can be used to create decent icons using the resize command of your paint program.

If you want to use a photograph as an icon be sure that the image is clearly something recognisable. And if you are making (for example) square icons make sure that your source image is square too.

Here is a normal square photograph:

Which, when reduced to 32 by 32 pixels, and 256 colors, is still completely recognisable as a smiling face:

So, programmers, GUI designers, WEB authors, do not despair, let the computer do what it is good at, and save your creative energies for other work!