Ever Wanted Your Own Custom Cartoon Avatar?

Avatars — those little photo icons on every social network and comment form these days — can be rather difficult to pick out. You need a decent shot of yourself, one that's recognizable even when it's just a tiny thumbnail, but one that still conveys your personality. Not fun.

So why not get your picture turned into a cartoonish avatar? That's exactly what Jaume Estruch, a freelance designer I've met through App.net, is now offering for 5€. Just send him a picture of yourself — even one you've shot on your phone's front-facing camera — and he'll turn it into a custom drawn avatar. Here's some examples of his original work from App.net accounts, including my own demo avatar he drew for me.

You'll just send off your picture, including any color requests or extra things you want included (say, a hat), and within 7 days you'll get a 500x500png photo to use online as you like. It's a neat idea for a graphics design service, and since he drew my avatar for free as one of his original demos, I wanted to spread the word about his service.

So, if you've always wanted your own custom drawn avatar, go check out Jaume's service at http://www.jaumeestruch.com/avatares/. Enjoy!

Thoughts? @reply me on Twitter.