Easier said than done >.<"

[Vash360]

I was trying to create a signature on pixlr.com. Great site, but when I accidently pressed ctrl+mouse scroll down, the page went back and i lost all. Stupid shortcuts. <.<"

So I installed photoshop. "Something" has change since my last use of it (PS 5. Not CS5, the '99 version :D).

After an hour (i lie, is more than 1h) i created this:




Now I need some help.
First, because I have scientific rational mind, with 0- sense of art, and second, because I want to improve my photoshop skill (~50/525 atm).
Bigger problem I found is to make the text more smooth with the background, less distant.
Thanks in advance for some advices.

[DeadlyWanderer]

Looks great :)
The only thing I'd personally change is blurred googles. They are a bit too blurred.
Otherwise, it's awesome :D

[Geist0Z]

Try changing the blending options of the layer that contains the text. Drop the shadow if you want it to blend with the background. Text usually the most complicated bit, sometimes is one hell of a challenge to blend it with everything else.
The blur is too strong, doesn't give that feeling of depth of field, it looks like the lens that took the photo wasn't properly clean.
As the scientific rational mind with an extreme sense of art that I am, my opinion is that it is bad in general. Either way it is fine for a beginner, and let me tell you, it is way better than what 90% people come up with on their first attempts. (Don't get me wrong here, it isn't ugly, I feel no repulsion by looking at it [other than the excessive blur])

By the way, unless you just want Photoshop for simple photo manipulations, like erasing the odds off a photograph, I'd recommend you to acquire artistic sensitivity first. It doesn't matter how skilled you are with photoshop, if you don't have that artistic touch you wont come up with anything decent. And Hurr Durr Haw Doo I acquier art sensibluuu, siiir? Well: draw, paint, learn techniques, contemplate art.

I very much agree with your theory...

BUT...


I think you had a good idea, my opinion is:

• Learn the rule of thirds: The positioning of the elemnts is just as important as the elemnts themself. It will also make it seem less cluttered.
• Learn what colors compliment each other, when working with neutrals, you need a good focus point (goggles) which needs to stand out. Ie it needs a bit of flair to make a more of a focus point.
• Your text need a bit work, plain black doest cut it, unless you are going minilastic. Maybe a dark brown, with a rustic effect..

all in all id give you 6/10 which is pretty good for a beginner...

[Vash360]

Thanks to all for the advices.

Unfortunately the blur effect on the googles are not "mine", but was present on the original image.

The text isn't black, is the same colour of the googles lace, but is a dark brown and is difficult to see it.
Now i applied to the nikname some blending, like Draelond suggest, is quite better.

[Vash360]

This is my latest creation.

I start from my char login screen:


Then i cut it, transform in a stencil, added some rice paper effect and blood. Much blood.
Is a bit splatter, but i love this style.


Obviously was better for a rogue/warrior than a goblin hunter, but i can't play with melee classes, so....

[Dakarios]

Looks good though, mate ^^

[sintax]

nice wall xD that a goblin assasin D:!!

you should keep going on this, you will learn wonderfull things, when i started i looked like 324234 tutorials, with the time adding you "personal touch" is the key :P!

[BandyKewt]

The next step is to download many brushes and fonts to use to make your art look very fancy, try to avoid using renders from google and such, keep all the content in your image yours. Not because of copyright and such, but it just looks better because you can control how everything you put on your canvas looks, thus it all blends better.

If you're creating art from scratch, and you're not using a background image, i suggest you put a background of black or white (black for darker themed images, white for lighter themed images) to make it look better (or transparent if you don't even want a background.)

When you want a canvas background like you have on your signature (the parchment and whatnot) you should make a new layer and fill it with whatever color you want the 'paper' to be and use the "texturizer" filter in the filter gallery, and add your own discoloring and burns in the paper (you have to develop a feel for making it look right, a good tip is to avoid being excessive with your styling to the paper) You can use a background from google, but doing it yourself gives yourself more control, and it will fit the pixels-per-inch of the rest of your image, just giving it a more themed look. If you did this with your signature, the pixelation would be much less apparent. The stretched look of the background makes it really stand out and kind of doesn't sit well with the rest of the image.

When you use blending options, try not to use every single one. Just use a couple, or you risk getting excessive and tacky and that's when you run into issues of your object, usually text, not blending with the rest of your image.

The main thing is to do whatever you think looks good though. The tips i've provided give you more flexibility and theme, however if you don't like the style and wish to use an outside image - go for it!

I get paid to photoshop quite a bit, and these are things i've picked up over the years. Hope they help.

[BandyKewt]

Hey,

I just started using photoshop, you said you're getting paid for it? Does payment for projects usually require knowledge of a variety of other programs (i.e. illustrator, dreamweaver, etc.), or will photoshop work well?

The work i do involves photoshop and dreamweaver, though i started here initially with just photoshop. I get paid a regular salary for dreamweaver-based projects, and a per-job basis for photoshop-based projects.

It depends on the employer, but usually they'll be independent of eachother.

[Vash360]

Bump.


I found a tutorial for text effects, so i create a wallpaper with the nick of my alt fire mage (Nicholasmage).




banner version:



The font i used isn't the best for this effect, and some character are not clear.
But it takes too much time to finish to do it again. xD