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Signature Guide
Difficulty: Beginner |
| Category: FPSB > Art | Author(s): |
I’ve found that many people would like to create their own custom avatar and signature images but don’t know how to get started. So, I decided to write this guide to help them.
* The Guide *
So you’d like to make your very own custom signature images, but you don’t know where to start?
Don’t worry; everyone starts out like that! The important thing is that you don’t let the challenges you’ll face along the way intimidate you, rather embrace them and turn them into fun experiences (this is a great motto for life also). Okay, let’s get started…
* The Software *
I like to think that creating stunning signature images is an art; it’s like taking a bunch of magazine clippings and arranging them into an expressive collage.
All artists use some kind of tool – some use paint, others use language – we’ll be using an image-editing application. There are many image-editing applications out there and it doesn’t really matter which one you use. However, applications with layer support works best. Personally, I use a combination of IrfanView and Adobe Photoshop CS2. I’ll be using Photoshop for all the tutorials, but I’m sure you’ll be able to apply the techniques in any other image-editing application.
Here’s a list of good image-editing applications:
~ IrfanView
~ Adobe Photoshop CS2
~ Paint Shop Pro X
~ Gimp
Once you have your image-editing application installed and launched, the most important thing is get comfy with its user-interface. Applications such as Photoshop are designed to be as user-friendly and intuitive as possible – so don’t be unsettled by all the buttons and dialogs; they all make sense if you look at them logically.
* The First Steps *
When I first launched Photoshop I had no idea how to use the application, so I dived into the manual. At first, the manual seemed vast and intimidating – after a while though, it just seemed really boring! I ditched it. Still not quite at home with the application – I decided to scout the net for tutorials that taught you something cool (unlike the manual). Here’s a list of all the sites I used to frequently visit at that time:
http://www.b-man.dk/
http://www.eyesondesign.net/
http://www.good-tutorials.com/
http://www.pixel2life.com/
http://www.thewebmachine.com/
http://www.spoono.com/
http://www.idigitalemotion.com/
http://www.gfxschool.com/
http://www.tutorialoutpost.com/
http://www.biorust.com/
http://www.purephotoshop.com/
http://www.tutorialized.com/
http://www.shiver7.com/
It’s a good idea to follow the tutorials at the above-mentioned sites until you’re comfy with the interface before moving on, as the tutorials that follow assume you’ve at least used the application a few times. Also, reading the manual isn’t a terrible idea... ;)
* The Renders *
Most signature images feature a character or object in the foreground and abstract brushwork in the background. The foreground elements are commonly referred to as Renders or Cutouts (because they’ve usually got a transparent background). Here’s a short rendering/cutout tutorial:
You can either render images yourself or you can download images already cutout by other people. Here’s a list of good render packs:
[LINK]
Furthermore, you can also signup at the GameRenders.com forums to download renders individually – check out the premium section, some lovely cuts in there.
* The Signatures *
There are a number of different techniques and styles people use to create signatures – I’ll start off with something simple and then move on to more advance stuff. Make some coffee and pull up a comfy chair…
* The Speech *
Firstly, don’t let people discourage you but listen to constructive criticism and don’t be arrogant. Secondly, It doesn’t matter what technique or style you use – it’s the end result that matters and whether you’re having fun – so, experiment!
* The Farewell *
I hope you had as much fun reading this guide as I did writing it!
Cheers,
SkullHozer. |
| Added: 2 years ago | Tags: signature, guide |
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