My First Userbar!

[boogiepanda]

http://i688.photobucket.com/albums/vv242/boogiepanda/User%20Bars/IchigoYakuzaCO.png

What do you guys think? Please leaver constructive criticism.

[+dd. KRS25]

Good mate.
imo the scan lines need to go over the render, so it seems as if it is apart of the bar.
Secondly the scan lines need to be toned up, reduce the opacity heaps.
Thirdly, add some gloss to it.
Finally, white text with a 1px black stroke on it usually looks great.

Download my userbar template and maybe you can learn something from it :)

[boogiepanda]

I did and it helped alot. But I'm not sure if I should use gloss on a gradient background. And thanks for the quick reply.

[+dd. KRS25]

Yeh use it with everything imo, it makes it look more 3d and much better :)

[boogiepanda]

Here's the 2nd version

http://i40.tinypic.com/166hv6v.png

[+dd. KRS25]

Better!
Still i think the scanlines need to be reduced in transparency more.
And would love to see the gloss on it.
And if you have a stroke on the text, increase the opacity a bit more (not sure if it is a white outerglow or low opacity stroke on it atm?)

[boogiepanda]

It's not stroke as GIMP's stroke tool doesn't quite work. But to increase "opacity" I can just duplicate the glow a few more times. Also, may I ask how do you make gloss?

3rd Version.

http://i39.tinypic.com/2me20i0.png

[+dd. KRS25]

Oh sorry I didn't know you used GIMP. The increased glow looks much better imo.
Well for gloss there are two options- i prefer the first.

Make a new layer on top of everything and select half of the userbar (half vertically- not horizontally). Fill it with white and then reduce the opacity heaps.

Other option is to use the gradient tool, White > Transparent and do this on a new layer, starting with the strong white up the top. Then reduce the opacity heaps for this layer.

[boogiepanda]

You are sure to select half vertically?

[+dd. KRS25]

Yeh so on a scale like this:

_______________________
|
|
|
-half--------------------------
|
|
|
_

[boogiepanda]

Ohh right, I thought you meant select half vertically as in

_______________________________________
| |
| This bit |
| | or this bit
| |
| |
--------------------------------------------------------

Screw that diagram didn't work. Basically I thought you meant select half with a line straight down the middle.

[Bling]

I like the orange on the userbar :)

[LeGuillow]

Don't really look at userbars, but looks nice for your first one.