Aleister's Learning Curve

[Aleister Black]

Attenzione! This thread is meant to show my work, illustratingmy learning curve in making signatures, starting about a few months ago and leading up to this point in time.




First off, let me make clear I still have not left the stages of complete and utter infancy where it concerns graphic art. I simply do not have the time to dedicate to properly learning all the fine nuances Photoshop has to offer. Yet, one cannot work with Photoshop for long without picking up at least one or two things, and even though I'm still far from even medium skilled, I still feel that I have progressed a lot since I started.

(EDIT: I would like to note that some of these sigs are not at their intended size. Some of them are way bigger, as I like to work on larger cavasses and only reduce the size when I have finalised the product. )



I mean, on probably cannt get much worse than my first attempt at a signature. In my defense, this was a 'sketch' so to speak, but it's still a sorry excuse for a sig.




Then I moved on, but whatever happened to borders and readable text we shall never know.




A slightly better signature, but the text is dodgy and it misses a focal point.




The signature I made for myself for usage on the SEF forums. One ofmy better works, even if I do say so myself. The text is clear but bland, and I would have loved to have worked with transparancy.




A signature I created for the use on the SEF forums again, more specifically for the Aristocracy RP that Kendra set up. I'm still proud of it, even though my numerous attempts at transparancy failed and was thus forced to 'cheat' and use the pipette tool... (EDIT: On this colour scheme the edges look a lot uglier.)




A very simple signature I created for someone earlier. Virtually everything was pre-created, so the only reason I put it here is because it is recent and I remember it. XD Pretty happy with how the text turned out, though.




My most recent effort. I had to follow pretty specific directions from the person who requested it, but even though it isn't really special (no fancy effects of any kind, really) I do think it turned out well. Especially when compared to the first sig I made, eh? :P





All in all, I still need lots of improvement, and any help, or push in the right direction shall be appreciated. I will probably update this thread as I go along, following my learning curve for anyone who is vaguely interested.

[Contra Fates]

I'm a bit biased, but...my favorite one is the Fiacre one. xD One of these days, I will bring back that RP!

Your graphics look great so far. ^^; I look forward to seeing your next ones!

[Neytiri]

You've been doing great so far! Keep up the good work ^.~

[Aleister Black]

Thanks. I'm looking to improve, and I was thinking maybe people could post some directions on here, or better yet, some sort of assignments for me to make sigs to. I would then make a signature based on those directions and post it here, and people would then give feedback and criticism that will eventually help me continuate my learning curve.

So if anyone has an idea (hints, tips and tricks are also very welcome!) don't hesitate to share and when I find the time I will try and make something.

[Aleister Black]

First off, I want to apologise if by posting directly after my own post I am breaking any rules. I could not find rules forbidding double-posting, and in this case I do it to update my learning curve, so it does serve a purpose.

If I AM breaking rules, I would gladly edit this into my previous post upon notification.



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I just made two signatures for people from another forum. A comment that goes for both projects is that there is no transparancy. (my PS doesn't let me save images with transparancy) I edited the signatures to fit better on this forum. On the forum they are supposed to be used, their background is white. Here, it is dark blue.



For the first one I had no instructions other than 'make me a sig?', so I was pretty much free to do what I liked. I had been toying around with an idea for some time, and this is what came out:



The ship is taken from a game screenshot I took myself.



The other project did have some instructions, though they were not very specific. 'Something with cats and/or Total War' (TW is a strategy game series). I had a few ideas but I knew it would be hard to find the right parts to make a whole. I did manage quite well, though not perfectly. Still, I think it does look pretty OK.



Again, the guys within the border (the battle scene) are on a screenshot taken by me from the game.

[Marshy]

You have some pretty good stuff here for just starting. I mean theres a lot needing improvement, but you are doing much better then i did when i first started.

I really like the map one. It was very creative and unique to any signature i've seen before. Very cool stuff. The only thing i don't like about some of these signatures is the size. Of course i realize you like working with a bigger size, its just those types of signatures never appeal to me much.

It's a good start, and i think you will soon get even better. Keep up the good work mate.

[Doaj]

I have a lot of the same things to say, so I won't. Just a few main comments. Firstly, you're improvement is obvious and fast. Excellent progress, indeed. Secondly, the size; I know there are some who like those, yourself being one of them, but if you'd like to start fulfilling requests or entering competitions, then you may want to start going small, or you may even be forced to work with small. It's good to have experience in most practices. I can't use C4Ds, for example, and while that hasn't yet mattered, it does prevent me from working in some styles, and I like my options to be open.
I'd also like to second that comment on the map banner. Easily your best piece, great job. Keep up the good work, and keep practicing. You may have stated it, but what program do you use?

[Sephiroth]

your improvements from your early work to current dramatically increased but just keep practicing use a few tuts
here is a link to a really good tut maker
http://www.deviantart.com/#order=9&q=tuts+are+dumb
very good and easy to follow tut's it will help you get familer with the Photoshop interface

[Aleister Black]

I'm using Photoshop CS3 Extended now, but I'm moving on to CS4 now. I'm going to have to get used to it again but I'm sure I'll manage. I also hope that using this new program will enable me to use transparancy for my pictures. If not I'm going to cry.

I usually work on a 1000*300 scale and when I'm done I decrease the size to 600*180 usually. Most of my later sigs have a finalised version of 600*180. I may try smaller styles at some point but I'm always afraid that little details will just fall away when they're so tiny. :\

[Aleister Black]

Finally made something again, after being inspired by my Sins&Virtues character. Tell me what you think and what I might change.

I tried to keep it minimal (which actually isn't what Greed should be like at all! :O ) and opted to not use a border but use my fake transparancy trick again (as I still can't save transparant pictures... -_- ).



EDIT: As an afterthought I might smudge the bottom and top part of the picture, the edges are too sharp. But I don't know how to make them less so without putting a border, which isn't really possible with this sig, unless I make an entire background.

[Sephiroth]

nicely done I really like the bullets shells behind the Greed Text
and what exactly do you mean by Fake Transparency ?

[Aleister Black]

Instead of saving it as a transparant picture (which my photoshop doesn't let me do) I colour the background the colour of the forum I use it on. :P Save the picture to your desktop to see what I mean.

[Sephiroth]

oh I get it if I look close enough there is a slight deference in the forum background and your background that is a neat trick you got there

[Aleister Black]

Yup, I think there was a slight discolouration when I converted to jpeg. But it usually works perfectly until I want to use it on another forum

Any suggesions for how to improve it, anyone?

[Doaj]

I'm actually pretty fond of it myself. I agree that there should be a better way to cut it off on the top and bottom, but I think it might look fine once you put it into your signature. Unfortunate that your PS doesn't let you use transparency. You did an excellent job, nonetheless- I couldn't tell until you said what you'd done and I gave it a second look. Nice to know I've inspired you, by the way.

[Fuyumine]

Oh, wow, you're actually a lot better than you think, dude. Not sure what kind of advice I can give you considering your design style, since it appears to look more like ad art than just your typical internet forum art and such. Either way, your stuff is damn good.

[Sephiroth]

What version of Photoshop do you have since the new ones like CS3 CS4 should have transparency

[Aleister Black]

@Doaj: Thanks, I'm going to try and make a few sigs for the other Virtues/Sins as well. People won't have to use them of course, but it'll keep me busy I've been trying to find a good stock (stock is like the important focal-point of a picture, amirite?) for the past half-hour, no luck so far

@Fuyumine: Thanks Yeah, I think what sets my style kind of apart is that I try not to work with borders... the only problem being that some images will seem a bit cut off like my last one does. I'm still not sure how to solve it and it's annoying me :P

@Sephiroth: Well, I'm using a not-really0legal version of PS cs3 - a portable version. (no install, work directly from the .exe). Perhaps some parts were left out to save disk space, or maybe I just have a bugged version. In any case it gives me a 'disk error' or something when I try to save in transparancy. And getting the program legally? For 1500 dollars? I don't think so. :P

[Sephiroth]

my CS4 version is illegal and I can work with Transparency.

your photoshop is the portable version yea that one they take out all the good stuff so your just left with the basic's *sigh* not really good for sig's if I where you I would get the cracked version of CS4 if you want I can help you out if you PM me since I'm not aloud to post download links xD

[Aleister Black]

OK, after some work I managed to find a stock that would kinda suit the idea I had. C&C for Gluttony would be appreciated, most of all by the player of course

I'm planning to make more Sins&Virtues signatures as I get more ideas and if I feel creative. Don't feel obliged to use them ANYWHERE though. I'm mostly doing it for myself. Again, C&C would be appreciated, I need it to be able to improve.

Oh yeah; same problem as the previous one: cut off top and bopttom for stock image. Still need to find a solution for that without using a frame.