11 replies to this topic

[Dark Archon]

Hi there,

You want to start making graphics, but you don't know what to do? Or maybe you do know what to do but you are not sure if others will like/accept your work? Or maybe you know it around, but you just want to get some refreshers?

Maybe you want to buy something with graphics, but don't know how to go about doing it?

Well then this post should help you out

[What is tolerated on a graphics forum and what isn't]

[How do I get started]

[How do I host my images]

[How do I display them on the forum]

[Things to do before opening a 'graphics shop']

[Tips]

[Do not be an ass]

[PM me via FORUM if you think anything should be added... do NOT post here]

[Dark Archon]

[What is tolerated on a graphics forum and what isn't]

If you are an artist:

The first thing I want to point out is the difference between these so called 'text slapped' images, and 'creating art'.

'Text slapping' as we call it is mostly just taking an image and throwing text on it, you may crop it, you may even change the color of the image or parts of the image. In this there is really no work/alteration done to the image. This is just not accepted. Why? 'Text slapping' is using someone else's work, without alteration. This is 'Copyright infringement' and illegal. Any artist or aspiring artist worth their weight in salt won't stand for this. How would you feel if someone else took a piece you worked on and tossed a name on it and called it theirs. This is why it isn't tolerated.

'Creating art'. You can use backgrounds others make, you can use images/renders others made. I am not asking you to draw it all up by hand, color it and then edit it. That just takes alot of time. Though by all means you can do that if you want to.

Also any form of 'ripping', taking someone else's work and calling it your own, or editing a name on it and selling it as your own is not going to be taken lightly.

Anything that is in this post that is not going to be taken 'lightly' basically means it will make you lose all your rep on these boards/game.

If you are a buyer:

Do not open a 'contest' if you intend to close it, or not pay out the user. Don't use any images until they are paid for. Do not ask for an avy from someone's shop before you find their prices. When you do purchase an avy it would be nice to include an [avatar made by 'user'] in your bio, though this is not necessary.

[Dark Archon]

[How do I get started]

If you are an artist:

The first thing you want is a program to do your image editing in.

The 2 major image editing programs used on the web are GIMP and Adobe PhotoShop.

GIMP [Price]LINK[/url]]]
Adobe PhotoShop [Price]LINK[/url]]]
* Can be cheaper if you get a student discount.

If you want to try other software you can look at this site: [LINK]

Now that you have a program you have to learn how to use it!

http://planetrenders.net/ [A site full of renders**]
http://planetrenders.net/forums/ [The PlanetRenders forums, full of amazing tutorials that will teach you how to use your program, mainly PhotoShop and GIMP tutorials. Aside from those tutorials you can request images to get rendered, find packs of stocks/c4ds/fractals**]
http://gimptalk.com/ [A great place for GIMP tutorials and to talk to other users who use gimp]
http://gimpology.com/ [Another resource site for GIMP users]
http://fc02.devianta... ... Gogeta.png [This teaches you how you want to make your sigs look, what is good and what is bad... and for avatars, any artist with a mediocre skill level will be able to apply the knowledge in this tut to avatars as well]
EDITED IN: http://fc01.devianta... ... _kitty.png [Since the above guide by CoolGogeta seems to have been removed, I am using this in place of it. NOTE: The text use in the mario sig would be good if he didn't split it into two areas, don't do that. Also, I would recommend against warping text as he did in his abstract sig. In the text section, do not do what he did and place a bit of text on one end of the sig, instead place it by the focal, usually in the default horizontal, left->right orientation...]

**
When using text, always try to use clean simple fonts. Arial works well, other san-serif's work pretty good too. Do not look for complicated grungy fonts, they take away from the actual art done in the tag or avatar. Also, do not make the text huge and overwhelming, you want the text to just be there as a simple identifier if even there at all. When placing the text usually place it close to the focal, as in these works:



[Escape the Fate! tag made by akghicjfh]

**
Renders - A image of a character/c4d/fractal/... without the background part, usually in a *.png file with a transparent background.
Stock - A image with a background, usually good stocks are wallpaper sized.
C4d - A cinema 4 d generated art image. Can also be made in programs like 3dsMax, these have a 3d effect to them.
Fractal - A fractal is a geometric object which is
rough or irregular on all scales of length, and therefore appears
to be 'broken up' in a radical way. In most cases, a fractal can be
generated by a repeating pattern constructed by a recursive or
iterative process.

You can better tell what c4ds and fractals are after looking at them.

If you are an buyer:

Take a look around for some shop threads or some gallery threads. Look for a price and some samples. After you find work that you really like and can afford, find out how the shop owner prefers to be messaged. Then message them that way with your request. Alert them to the fact that you have seen their work, you like it, and you can pay them. Then tell them what you want. Most artists like very brief descriptions, as it allows them to put more of their own creativity/thought/work into it. Usually, an artist, me for example, might only want a character name from a game, a type of image, ex warrior, or a show/game/anime name to work from. Then have patience, image work shouldn't take under 30 minutes. And we all have lives outside of FS too.

[Dark Archon]

[How do I host my images]

In order to host your images you have to find a web server.

You can either get a web server of your own. Buy hosting online. Or look for free web hosting.

There are free web hosts for any file. And there are also free image hosting sites for just images.

Some free image hosting sites are:

http://tinypic.com/ [Registration]
http://imageshack.us/ [Registration]
http://photobucket.com/ [Registration]

NOTE: If you are using someone else's work, ex a forum sig or want to display someone else's image, from their server; then link it from their server. If you really feel the need to upload it to your own server, ask the user first, or you may get flamed for ripping.

[Dark Archon]

[How do I display them on the forum]

In order to display an image on a web forum, it must first be uploaded to a web server, see above post.

Then after you upload it, get the "DIRECT LINK" to the image. This will start with an http:// or an https:// and most likely end in a *.jpg or a *.png

Surround this link in an image tag:

[img]http://server.com/image.png[/img]

Example:

[img]http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/d4rkarchon/catdance_xD.gif[/img]

Will produce:

[Dark Archon]

[Things to do before opening a 'graphics shop']

Familiarize yourself with the program you chose to use.

Check out some of the tutorials ahead.

Make sure you are comfortable with your work.

Make sure you have an image/web host.

IMPORTANT: Host a minumum of 5 images that you made after you gotten ahold of your program. Then post those in your 'Shop thread' as samples. Samples are needed to let the buyer know if they like your work/style.

And lastly, just make sure you know what is allowed here and what isn't.

Also, any bumps to your thread in under 12 hours from the last post can get your thread locked. Be aware of the forum rules as well as common graphics board policies.

[Dark Archon]

[Tips]

Coloring...

First you wanna find a good color scheme/harmony...

You can use a site like this to get that down at first...
http://kuler.adobe.com/ It is a pretty neat tool... Just go to the 'Create' section... choose a rule and move the slider til you find something you like...

Eventually you will know your harmonies in your head and can just picture the wheel...

Now when you go to color your image... try finding an existing harmony from the image... and using that... if you want to re color it I recommend using a soft brush to recolor it...

Then what you want to do is use your new color schemes as gradient maps on the image... and set these to a blending option such as soft light / overlay / vivid light / (sometimes even luminosity / screen / multiply)...

NOTE: To make a gradient map in adobe photoshop go to layer > new adjustment layer > gradient map... or in the layers palette, click on the icon for adjustment layers, and select gradient map...
To do the same in GIMP, make a new layer... and paste or apply the whole image here, now desaturate this layer.... layers > colors > desaturate... after that, set your foreground color to the 'darker' of the 2 colors you want to use in your gradient map... and your background color to the 'lighter' of the 2 colors in your gradient map... now you are almost ready to make your gradient map... go to filters > colors > map > gradient map... and voila, here is your gradient map...

The goal here is to saturate the colors that are already there a bit... and to do so I find the best results are with many maps used at low capacities... each change should be just barely noticeable... not overpowering...

In the end the colors will look more rich then they did before... but not over saturated... now you have an image with a good use of color manip...

Here is a basic tag which only has color enchancement...


And here is the *.psd for it...
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=24SZ0F0P

Just digest it layer by layer... even change the layer modes back to normal and back again to see what the coloring layers looked like...

I don't use GIMP, but I have seen GIMP tuts where they mention making gradient maps and photofilters and I have seen people who use GIMP saying that they are doable there too...

The file format is also a *.psd, but from what I get GIMP can open those too...

Depth...

For fairly good easy depth follow this rule:

Objects that are close are more sharp, and objects which are far away are more blurry... to create a simple bit of depth apply your image once, sharpen it, then erase all but the focal... now apply your image again, but this time use a gaussian blur of low radius (0.1 - 0.3) and erase over the focal... I find using a soft brush to erase the bg and focal in both of these layers helps...

Lighting...

Good lighting in tags shows that you know where lighting is coming from...

The 3 big aspects to lighting is a good light source, and good light flow...

Wherever there is light, there is a source for it... say if you look in the sky there will be the sun or the moon, in your room most likely a light...

So now when you are making your tag, you can make a very easy light source by selecting a soft brush and brushing white or a very light color there... to follow this same method you can make a radical gradient of a light color and the same color... but an opacity of 0 on one side of the gradient...

Another way to make good lighting, at least in photoshop, is to apply image on a new layer, then go add in a lighting effects filter... filters > render > lighting effects... omni and spotlight are too great ways to add in a light source... but don't set the lighting effects layer on 100% opacity... I tend to use 30% opacity myself... and sometimes 2 layers...

Also there are plugins you can get for photoshop if you use that which add wonderful lighting effects... I'm sure there are script-fu's you can get for gimp which do the same thing... I don't know if gimp has photoshop's lighting effects though... I do know though that there is a plugin for gimp which will let you use photoshop filters in gimp...

The next thing about lighting is that it is consistent throughout the image... if your lightsource is on the middle of the image, then the ends of the image should be darker, and any object that hits the light should be followed by a darker shadow area... If your light source comes from the left then have all light that you add in from stocks or c4ds or w.e match that... if all the light in your image is shining down, don't include one blotch of light shining up...

Also most stocks/renders have a light scheme already, follow that scheme when applying your lighting techniques to the image...

[Dark Archon]

[Do not be an ass]

Lastly, don't be an ass to someone.

If someone has just started out and they are new, how do they know right from wrong. Just send them this way or to any other resources, try to make your post friendly, and remember, you were probably in their position at some point.

If someone else has pointed them in the right direction, or asked that they show samples, there is no need to do it again.

Just show your current graphical neighbors and newbies some curtsey.

[Dark Archon]

Lastly, please do NOT post in this thread... PM me instead.

And mods. Don't lock this, I may need to delete/repost stuff to add new stuff. Also, if you decide you want to sticky this, please just edit this post of the first post, as if I ever have to add a section, then I need to be able to delete and repost all sections after to keep it in order.

kthxbai xD

[Dark Archon]

Also, to avoid making another thread, (and this goes to everyone, not just *newbies*)...

If you know how to work with IRC, then feel free to join #planetrenders...

The server info is:

Server: irc.synirc.net
Channel: #planetrenders

For those of you able to use a link'd version, go to:
irc://irc.synirc.net/PlanetRenders

This used to be an official PlanetRenders irc chat channel, however due to low activity levels, it was removed. However there are still people there. The active list of people there usually includes me, brishu, briggzy, and jimmyjoe.
You are welcome to come in and ask for any graphic information, or just chat. Usually though, we just make fun of brishu.

Also, please do not respond after this message in case if I want to add something before this, and move all the posts from this one up down one to insert it there. Cheers :mrgreen:

[hussey]

i have learnt quite a bit of info on avi

[Sahardy]

i have learnt quite a bit of info on avi

 

thanks for the info . its good

 

 

thanks for the info

 

 

rocking avi s 

 

 

thanks for the info

 

 

thx ..xd

 

Are you seriously trying to raise your post count?