- Joined
- Dec 16, 2009
- Messages
- 221
Here is a little tutorial I've made that should help those of you who are just getting into it.
I've been doing digital designing/Sigs for the past 5 years off and on. I've learned a lot over the years, but the most important thing to keep in mind is that the more you practice the better you will become.
Okay Lets Begin!
Step 1:
Create a new file. In terms of size I prefer to use somewhere around 300 for the width and 130 for the height. Make sure that you have the measurements set to pixels.
See images below:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/Image-1.jpg
this results in:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/image-2.jpg
Step 2:
The next step is to find what type of render you want to use.
A render is an image of a person/place/item/ or anything that has been cut out into a file called a .png.
Some places to find good renders are,
www.gamerenders.com
http://planetrenders.net/
Simply find the render you want and save the image to your My Pictures folder.
For this tutorial I'm going to use this render from an Assassins Creed 2 wallpaper:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/image-3.jpg
Step 3:
Once you have your render selected downsize it so that it can fit into your sig and drag it into it.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/image-4.jpg
Try to place the render near the center.
Step 4:
Colours! How to select colours?! Well the best way to do that is by using the Eyedrop Tool.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/Untitled-4.jpg
Once you have the eyedrop tool selected make sure you have your primary colour selected as well which you also can see in the link above.
You are going to want to select a light colour for one and a darker one for the second. To get these colours take them directly from the render using the eyedrop tool.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/Untitled-3.jpg
as you can see, I used two shades of brown.
Now Select your gradient tool by right clicking on the paint bucket on your tool bar and select gradient tool.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/Untitled-2.jpg
Now select the first layer or "Layer 1" which should be below the layer where your render is. If you don't have a layer below the render simply create a new layer and place it below the layer with the render.
Now use the gradient tool and drag the mouse across the sig. it should result in something like this,
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/Untitled-5.jpg
Step 5:
Now that you have some colour and a render on there you are going to want to create some detail and depth to the sig.
To do this select the layer with your render and duplicate it a few times. To do this select the layer, right click it and click on "duplicate layer". Duplicated it twice, so you should have three layers of the render. Now click on the "Eye" symbol beside the top two layers with the render on them. This will make them invisible.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/Untitled-6.jpg
Now select the bottom layer with the render on it(should be layer 2)and offset it a little bit to the right or left.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/Untitled-7.jpg
Now select the smudge tool.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/Untitled-8.jpg
Now use the smudge tool and play around with the settings a little and start brushing over the render. You should get something like,
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/Untitled-9.jpg
Now set this layer to "Color Dodge"
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/10.jpg
Should have an effect like,
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/11.jpg
.
Step 6:
Repeat step 5 but with the layer above the one you just worked on. But this time move the render to the opposite side as the one below it.
When you finish this it should look like,
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/12.jpg
It's starting to look like something now isn't it?
Step 7:
Now the task is to add some depth.
In terms of this sig I'm going to use some splatter brushes and smudge them just like i did to the renders.
To find some good brushes go to:
http://www.deviantart.com/#catpath=resources/applications/psbrushes&order=9&q=photoshop+brushes
great site for digital art resources.
Once you have a set of brushes you like select black and white to be your primary and secondary colours.
Create a layer above your top render layer and select a brush thats black and brush a few times around the render.
Should get something like:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/13.jpg
Now create a new layer above that one and use a different brush and make its colour white and brush around the render once again. Set this layer with the white brushing to overlay, the same way you changed a previous layer to CColour Dodge.
Repeat this a few times, alternating black and white layers. By doing this you will create some depth.
Mine turned out like:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/14.jpg
Step 8:
Now do a little bit of stylized brushing like so:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/15.jpg
Step 9:
Adding Text.
Just find a nice spot to place the text. Don;t make it to big, don't make it to flashy. Make it fit the theme.
Step 10:
Do a little cleaning up.
Make a new layer, click the "image tab" on the top menu beside "edit" and scroll down to "Apply Image". This makes a copy of overy single layer of work you've done and compacts it into one layer on top of all the work you've done. Then go to "Filter" which is also on the top menu bar and and select Sharpen, then press Sharpen again. This makes the sig crisp and clean looking.
Here is my result
I've been doing digital designing/Sigs for the past 5 years off and on. I've learned a lot over the years, but the most important thing to keep in mind is that the more you practice the better you will become.
Okay Lets Begin!
Step 1:
Create a new file. In terms of size I prefer to use somewhere around 300 for the width and 130 for the height. Make sure that you have the measurements set to pixels.
See images below:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/Image-1.jpg
this results in:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/image-2.jpg
Step 2:
The next step is to find what type of render you want to use.
A render is an image of a person/place/item/ or anything that has been cut out into a file called a .png.
Some places to find good renders are,
www.gamerenders.com
http://planetrenders.net/
Simply find the render you want and save the image to your My Pictures folder.
For this tutorial I'm going to use this render from an Assassins Creed 2 wallpaper:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/image-3.jpg
Step 3:
Once you have your render selected downsize it so that it can fit into your sig and drag it into it.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/image-4.jpg
Try to place the render near the center.
Step 4:
Colours! How to select colours?! Well the best way to do that is by using the Eyedrop Tool.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/Untitled-4.jpg
Once you have the eyedrop tool selected make sure you have your primary colour selected as well which you also can see in the link above.
You are going to want to select a light colour for one and a darker one for the second. To get these colours take them directly from the render using the eyedrop tool.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/Untitled-3.jpg
as you can see, I used two shades of brown.
Now Select your gradient tool by right clicking on the paint bucket on your tool bar and select gradient tool.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/Untitled-2.jpg
Now select the first layer or "Layer 1" which should be below the layer where your render is. If you don't have a layer below the render simply create a new layer and place it below the layer with the render.
Now use the gradient tool and drag the mouse across the sig. it should result in something like this,
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/Untitled-5.jpg
Step 5:
Now that you have some colour and a render on there you are going to want to create some detail and depth to the sig.
To do this select the layer with your render and duplicate it a few times. To do this select the layer, right click it and click on "duplicate layer". Duplicated it twice, so you should have three layers of the render. Now click on the "Eye" symbol beside the top two layers with the render on them. This will make them invisible.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/Untitled-6.jpg
Now select the bottom layer with the render on it(should be layer 2)and offset it a little bit to the right or left.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/Untitled-7.jpg
Now select the smudge tool.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/Untitled-8.jpg
Now use the smudge tool and play around with the settings a little and start brushing over the render. You should get something like,
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/Untitled-9.jpg
Now set this layer to "Color Dodge"
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/10.jpg
Should have an effect like,
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/11.jpg
.
Step 6:
Repeat step 5 but with the layer above the one you just worked on. But this time move the render to the opposite side as the one below it.
When you finish this it should look like,
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/12.jpg
It's starting to look like something now isn't it?
Step 7:
Now the task is to add some depth.
In terms of this sig I'm going to use some splatter brushes and smudge them just like i did to the renders.
To find some good brushes go to:
http://www.deviantart.com/#catpath=resources/applications/psbrushes&order=9&q=photoshop+brushes
great site for digital art resources.
Once you have a set of brushes you like select black and white to be your primary and secondary colours.
Create a layer above your top render layer and select a brush thats black and brush a few times around the render.
Should get something like:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/13.jpg
Now create a new layer above that one and use a different brush and make its colour white and brush around the render once again. Set this layer with the white brushing to overlay, the same way you changed a previous layer to CColour Dodge.
Repeat this a few times, alternating black and white layers. By doing this you will create some depth.
Mine turned out like:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/14.jpg
Step 8:
Now do a little bit of stylized brushing like so:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/IanMc/15.jpg
Step 9:
Adding Text.
Just find a nice spot to place the text. Don;t make it to big, don't make it to flashy. Make it fit the theme.
Step 10:
Do a little cleaning up.
Make a new layer, click the "image tab" on the top menu beside "edit" and scroll down to "Apply Image". This makes a copy of overy single layer of work you've done and compacts it into one layer on top of all the work you've done. Then go to "Filter" which is also on the top menu bar and and select Sharpen, then press Sharpen again. This makes the sig crisp and clean looking.
Here is my result
