Etha
09-30-2007, 11:32 PM
Well I wouldn't say it's *so* advanced. I mean, anyone could do it =] Made it for a friend at school who saw one of my sigs and went "wooa, teach me how to do that!" so I showed him how to download Gimp and made this for him =]
Note that I'm no pro, and there are prolly shorter ways to do this, but this is how I do it.
Start with this (http://www.iphotoshop.org/renders/index.php?action=showpic&cat=10&pic=12031) render.
*OPTIONAL*
I don't particularly like the color so here's what I'm going to do. Copy the render and desaturate the copy. Copy the desaturated copy and invert the new copy. Set the top layer's blend mode to dodge.
Now apply the guassian blur filter at around 2 to 5, or until you get a your desired effect. Now combine the top two layers. Afterwards, I decided to make the dark a little darker. I went into curves and applied the following:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut3.png
Now I set the combined layers to Luminance(Legacy). This is the end result:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut4.png
If you like it this way you can most certainly keep it this way but I wanted some color! So under the top layer (above the original) I made a new raster layer. I colored on the raster layer with a soft brush set to normal the colors I wanted.
So when I colored on the raster I was more just coloring over the original but since the above is set to luminance it shows. So when only viewing the raster I see this:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut5.png
And when all the layers are turned on it looks like this:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut6.png
(Note: when coloring, have all the layers turned on but make sure that your raster layer is selected. And a tip for coloring is to use a big brush on an open space and a smaller softer brush to color in the details[so as not to 'go outside the lines'])
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now I have an image I can and want to work with! I merged all the layers together and opened a new image (400X150).
So, I've resized my render, flipped it and positioned it to my satisfaction.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut7.png
Now is when I decide what kind of background I want. I'm going to try and accomplish a background that looks scetchy, with a lot of contrast. Contrast adds drama, and well, she has a gun =] Enough drama to match for me!
So a technique I've picked up is to take the colors straight from the render itself. I accomplish this by copying my render, selecting the bottom one, and smudging it. I recommend not using a circle or a square, and something with a little more shape and volume to it. I chose various abstract brushes.
So now you can select the original render and turn off the top layer so you can see what you're doing on this one. Make sure your brush step value is around 20 to 30 and start =]
This is what I have now:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut8.png
Wow not so flattering is it? We'll fix this with a few filters. I scrolled through my effect browser and found a few I like. One is a straw filter and the second is a fur filter.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut9.png
(lol, this straw one is labled "Straw Wall - Too much beer" XD)
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut10.png
This is what I get:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut11.png
Intervention! This is when I get up, make myself some lemonade and eat a cookie =]
Okay back to sig making!
I've now gone back to my bottom layer and filled it with white. (you should have a bottom raster, if you don't, make one, then fill it =]
Now it looks half done!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut12.png
I make a new raster over my background and under my render, and take a quite large, soft, black brush and stamp it on the bottom right corner. I lower the layer transparency to 75.
Next I am going to add an abstract render over all of the other layers.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut14.png
I set the layer mode to screen and kept visability at 100. I erased areas around the face and arm as well.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut15.png
I now am going to take another render and lay it on top of the other layers. I've set this layer mode to overlay.
Go back to the blur layer and copy it, then bring that copy up one so it is just over the black dot layer. Mirror the layer. Apply the wind filter at 100 percent for both right and left directions.
The result:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut17.png
Now with this new copy selected grab your eraser and pick a brush. Erase bits and pieces of it to satisfaction. I chose a variation of stars and bubble shapes.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut18.png
We're almost done!! Stand up and take a stretch, maybe fill your glass up with more lemonade, I dunno reward yourself!
This is my clean up stage. It's where I merge almost all of the layers and start to add my text and borders! Ohh I'm excited! But first, I want to darken my girl a bit. She seems a little bright to me. So I'm going to grab her layer and go back up to curves.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut19.png Ahh much better =]
Next I flatten the image (merge all the layers). I'm going to add a certain kind of effect that's optional.
*OPTIONAL*
I'm going to copy my image and desaturate it. Then I'm going to take a large soft brush and erase through the center, not all, but a majority of the center.
Next I'm going to make a new raster and fill it completely with black, setting the opacity to 50. I'm going to do the same erase job as I did before on this one. Not all is erased, just the center, or the focus point. Now I'm going to merge it all together and apply a noise filter.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut20.png
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next, add your text, borders, and you're done!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut21done.png
Note that I'm no pro, and there are prolly shorter ways to do this, but this is how I do it.
Start with this (http://www.iphotoshop.org/renders/index.php?action=showpic&cat=10&pic=12031) render.
*OPTIONAL*
I don't particularly like the color so here's what I'm going to do. Copy the render and desaturate the copy. Copy the desaturated copy and invert the new copy. Set the top layer's blend mode to dodge.
Now apply the guassian blur filter at around 2 to 5, or until you get a your desired effect. Now combine the top two layers. Afterwards, I decided to make the dark a little darker. I went into curves and applied the following:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut3.png
Now I set the combined layers to Luminance(Legacy). This is the end result:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut4.png
If you like it this way you can most certainly keep it this way but I wanted some color! So under the top layer (above the original) I made a new raster layer. I colored on the raster layer with a soft brush set to normal the colors I wanted.
So when I colored on the raster I was more just coloring over the original but since the above is set to luminance it shows. So when only viewing the raster I see this:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut5.png
And when all the layers are turned on it looks like this:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut6.png
(Note: when coloring, have all the layers turned on but make sure that your raster layer is selected. And a tip for coloring is to use a big brush on an open space and a smaller softer brush to color in the details[so as not to 'go outside the lines'])
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now I have an image I can and want to work with! I merged all the layers together and opened a new image (400X150).
So, I've resized my render, flipped it and positioned it to my satisfaction.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut7.png
Now is when I decide what kind of background I want. I'm going to try and accomplish a background that looks scetchy, with a lot of contrast. Contrast adds drama, and well, she has a gun =] Enough drama to match for me!
So a technique I've picked up is to take the colors straight from the render itself. I accomplish this by copying my render, selecting the bottom one, and smudging it. I recommend not using a circle or a square, and something with a little more shape and volume to it. I chose various abstract brushes.
So now you can select the original render and turn off the top layer so you can see what you're doing on this one. Make sure your brush step value is around 20 to 30 and start =]
This is what I have now:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut8.png
Wow not so flattering is it? We'll fix this with a few filters. I scrolled through my effect browser and found a few I like. One is a straw filter and the second is a fur filter.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut9.png
(lol, this straw one is labled "Straw Wall - Too much beer" XD)
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut10.png
This is what I get:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut11.png
Intervention! This is when I get up, make myself some lemonade and eat a cookie =]
Okay back to sig making!
I've now gone back to my bottom layer and filled it with white. (you should have a bottom raster, if you don't, make one, then fill it =]
Now it looks half done!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut12.png
I make a new raster over my background and under my render, and take a quite large, soft, black brush and stamp it on the bottom right corner. I lower the layer transparency to 75.
Next I am going to add an abstract render over all of the other layers.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut14.png
I set the layer mode to screen and kept visability at 100. I erased areas around the face and arm as well.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut15.png
I now am going to take another render and lay it on top of the other layers. I've set this layer mode to overlay.
Go back to the blur layer and copy it, then bring that copy up one so it is just over the black dot layer. Mirror the layer. Apply the wind filter at 100 percent for both right and left directions.
The result:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut17.png
Now with this new copy selected grab your eraser and pick a brush. Erase bits and pieces of it to satisfaction. I chose a variation of stars and bubble shapes.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut18.png
We're almost done!! Stand up and take a stretch, maybe fill your glass up with more lemonade, I dunno reward yourself!
This is my clean up stage. It's where I merge almost all of the layers and start to add my text and borders! Ohh I'm excited! But first, I want to darken my girl a bit. She seems a little bright to me. So I'm going to grab her layer and go back up to curves.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut19.png Ahh much better =]
Next I flatten the image (merge all the layers). I'm going to add a certain kind of effect that's optional.
*OPTIONAL*
I'm going to copy my image and desaturate it. Then I'm going to take a large soft brush and erase through the center, not all, but a majority of the center.
Next I'm going to make a new raster and fill it completely with black, setting the opacity to 50. I'm going to do the same erase job as I did before on this one. Not all is erased, just the center, or the focus point. Now I'm going to merge it all together and apply a noise filter.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut20.png
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next, add your text, borders, and you're done!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Goldfishgal/tut21done.png