Novice Simple Signature

[DeletedUser]

Hey guys! This is my first tutorial ever. Charl, I hope you don't mind me using the sig you requested as my example!

The file size is fairly large, give it a second to load. Let me know what you think, and reply with outcomes of your own!

 

[DeletedUser5088]

This is a great tutorial I'll be sure to use these techniques. Many thanks Phil.

 

[DeletedUser]

Thanks! Let me know if you want me to make another. I can try to showcase a particular topic/technique if you want.

PS dont forget to post your outcomes after following the tut!

 

[DeletedUser]

Really nice. Please do more!

 

[DeletedUser11958]

super work.....

i realize the right size is important, yet I seem to get a crisper and clearer pic when i work with oversize pics and re-size last. Small pics and effects don't always seem to work out well. It completely avoids the pixel problem I have seen in a few sigs.

 

[DeletedUser]

super work.....

i realize the right size is important, yet I seem to get a crisper and clearer pic when i work with oversize pics and re-size last. Small pics and effects don't always seem to work out well. It completely avoids the pixel problem I have seen in a few sigs.

This is a good point. If you keep your canvas large you can zoom in and get a good look at fine detail, and zooming out lets you see how it'll look on the forums. The main reason I don't do this is because I often use small portions of high resolution textures and stocks, and I'd rather shrink large images than enlarge small ones. Probably a bad habit, though...

 

[DeletedUser11958]

Here is one with all the elements in the tutorial except one. (the out of focus foreground). As far as flow goes, I probably messed it up on this one. Placing the wording and font was tough on this one, back to bad flow (lol) and overcrowding!

I think i looked at and obviously got two posts mixed up! o well

 

[DeletedUser5088]

This is what I came up with for a CoA using this tutorial

 

[DeletedUser11560]

Here is one with all the elements in the tutorial except one. (the out of focus foreground). As far as flow goes, I probably messed it up on this one. Placing the wording and font was tough on this one, back to bad flow (lol) and overcrowding!

Is the border effect from photobucket?

 

[DeletedUser]

Here is one with all the elements in the tutorial except one. (the out of focus foreground). As far as flow goes, I probably messed it up on this one. Placing the wording and font was tough on this one, back to bad flow (lol) and overcrowding!

I think i looked at and obviously got two posts mixed up! o well

Did you mix two of the stocks? That's sweet dude! The flow is pretty good too. I see it moving from lower right diagonally up and left.
Sometimes you have to make a call whether or not to include text -- sometimes the signature is better without.

This is what I came up with for a CoA using this tutorial

Nice!! Simple, elegant, focused.

Looking great you guys! Any topics/techniques you want me to show in my next tutorial?

 

[DeletedUser]

Yo, updated the tutorial. If you are using Photoshop, you may be able to work with adjustment layers. These beautiful creatures are much simpler to work with as they automatically update your gradient maps (or other adjustment types) depending on the layers below it. The old way of performing an Apply Image then gradient map only alters the pixels on that layer. If you were to make any changes to the layers below it, the gradient map would not change.

I am not aware of an equivalent feature for GIMP ):

 

[DeletedUser]

This looks interesting, I'm thinking of trying it out and see if I can manage to make something, have never done anything with GFX before...

 

[DeletedUser11958]

Is the border effect from photobucket?

yup .... its a photobucket frame. i have them in serif photoplus & webplus. Without the mouse for my laptop working exact detailing is frustrating at times, especially with all the layers! I also double check the pic size with it. You cannot be 2 or 3 pixels too large, a forum mod noticed one and i noticed another. There seems to be a minute difference in the uploaded size and on the computer.



opps... only in webplus or i can just make one. haha! i found it in photoplus, its batch work though!
i dont use the photo editor much these days. i found there are three ways to do everything i have too and now i can only remember how to do things the easy way! LOL! use it or loose it

i am gonna give this one another go and get right this time
with a wolf pic

 

[DeletedUser11958]

i ran into a few snags with this

1. i couldnt use any of your pics. they are undownloadable for some reason. i got the entire strip in miniature form.

its impossible to duplicate without the same pics for layers!
an honest effort and using only the photo editor

well here is the pic, and it has been over a year since using the photoeditor.
its as close to finished as i can get. i cant find a similar CD4

it was a stroll down memory lane. i may as well use it if i own it!

mmmmmm. how did this become a double post????

 

[DeletedUser]

This is what I came up with for a CoA using this tutorial

Nice Charl! Did you do this with GIMP? Looks like I am demoted back to GIMP so I will have to get used to it again

 

[DeletedUser5088]

Nice Charl! Did you do this with GIMP? Looks like I am demoted back to GIMP so I will have to get used to it again

Yea this was from Gimp There were a few things I couldn't do since no Ps

 

[DeletedUser]

i ran into a few snags with this

1. i couldnt use any of your pics. they are undownloadable for some reason. i got the entire strip in miniature form.

its impossible to duplicate without the same pics for layers!
an honest effort and using only the photo editor

well here is the pic, and it has been over a year since using the photoeditor.
its as close to finished as i can get. i cant find a similar CD4

The intent was not to duplicate what I made, but to use the same techniques to make your own signature. I like your result! I think it could use a little something to make it "pop" though, maybe another gradient map would do the trick. Don't forget the border!

If you want to borrow my .PSD file to see exactly what I did, PM me and I'll get it to you.

Yea this was from Gimp There were a few things I couldn't do since no Ps

What couldn't you do? I'll look for workarounds in GIMP. You should be able to use everything here except adjustment layers.

 

[DeletedUser11958]

OK... I cannot work on this pic any more. LOL

I have my own tutorials to follow in photoplus. I forgot how much it can do!

 

[DeletedUser5088]

What couldn't you do? I'll look for workarounds in GIMP. You should be able to use everything here except adjustment layers.

On Gimp i don't think you can change the % of the fill, and also there is no color dodge so I used regular dodge.
Gradient maps are also achieved on Gimp by instead going to "New from visible" -->colors-->maps-->gradient map (you can change the colors on the tool bar).

 

[DeletedUser]

On Gimp i don't think you can change the % of the fill, and also there is no color dodge so I used regular dodge.

You're right about both of these. Use Opacity instead of Fill%, they are essentially the same. Only difference between them is that in Photoshop, opacity affect the whole layer including effects, while fill does not affect effects/masks. Dodge or screen may be used in place of color dodge.

Gradient maps are also achieved on Gimp by instead going to "New from visible" -->colors-->maps-->gradient map (you can change the colors on the tool bar).

good catch, I'll fix that tonight.