STEP 1: getting photoshop
i highly recommend photoshop CS2 because thats what i am using while writing this tut
the easiest legal way to get photoshop CS2 would be the trial version
the trial download is available here
if you cant run an installation, dip your computer in melted chocolate and donate it to orphans
its not useful if you cant use it
STEP 2: learning the interface
if you have used gimp, when you open photoshop for the first time you will realize a few things about it
- it is similar, but cleaner than gimp
- the windows are not independent free floating windows, it is recognized as only one window by your computer
- it is more organized, but still somewhat intimidating to learn
it will look similar to this
for convenience, i will refer to the windows inside photoshop as panels
A. Tool Options
when you select a tool from the tool panel, any extra options pertaining to the tool will appear here
B. Tool Panel
i will explain all these in detail, but not right now
C. Work Panel
where your pixels are displayed, ctrl+N to open one
(file>new)
D. Layers Panel
VERY IMPORTANT FOR SIGS
if this panel is not open when you start photoshop, go window>layers
or hit f7
E. Tool Tabs
the only one of these that is really important is the brush tab
i will go VERY in depth on this tab later, for now just know where it is
F. History Panel
speaks for itself, its so you can C wut U did thar (and undo it if you so choose)
G. navigator and color panel
USELESS
SHIT
go ahead and close them. you will most likely never need to use them
TOOL PANEL
i will go tool by tool and explain what they are used for
i obviously cant give you every piece of info, so you can figure most of it out yourself
i will put a checkmark next to it if it is useful
NOTE: some tools have more tools underneath them, right click and hold to see them
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√ Marquee Tool
used for making rectangular selections
hold shift to keep it a square
tools underneath: Elliptical Marquee Tool, single row select, single column select
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√√ Move Tool
click and drag to move every thing selected
by default it will select everything on one layer
hold shift to move straight along the X or Y axis
no tools under
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√ polygonal lasso tool
self explanatory
take it out and give it a spin
used for selections (duh)
tools underneath: lasso tool, magnetic lasso tool
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√ magic wand tool
selects all pixels of the same color
tolerance can be adjusted for more precision
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XX crop tool
i dont know why the hell you would use this when you already have the option of image>crop or image>trim
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X slice tool
used for website design, dont ask how to use it
its not important unless you intend to make layouts with photoshop
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healing brush tool
a good tool, but not exactly useful
it transfers a texture from a defined point on your picture to another point
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√√ brush tool
if you need an explanation, then go ahead and eat your keyboard you dumbfuck
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Clone stamp tool
transfers pixels from a defined point to another point
only occasionally useful,
it helps with editing renders
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history brush
in the history panel, select a certain step and brush with the history brush
it will return the places you brushed back to the point you specified, while leaving the rest untouched_
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√√ eraser tool
epic win
so easy, even a caveman could do it
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√ gradient tool
drag it across the canvas,
it will create a fade from your foreground to your background color
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√√ smudge tool (sharpen tool shown in pic)
for smudging
duh
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√ dodge tool
the dodge tool lightens the shade of the pixels you color over
(the burn tool makes it darker)
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X direct selection tool
used for selecting points on a vector mask, for advanced users only
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√ text tool
how you R maek words come on picture?
with this tool
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√ Pentool
mighty mighty pentool...
i wont give you an explanation, but heres something that will.
http://noise-less.deviantart.com/art/Pe ... l-62394026
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shape tool
vector mask shapes... somewhat similar to the pentool
try them out yourself, once you understand the pentool fully
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XX Note tool
you make notes
on your art
omg so fun
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Eyedropper tool
used for selecting colors
easier method:
take out your brush tool, hold alt and click where you want to sample color from
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√ hand tool
moves your canvas around if you're zoomed in
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√√ zoom tool
zooms your view
max zoom:1600%
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√√√ color selector
where else would we get our colors?
hit "d" to return foreground to black and background to white
hit "x" to switch between foreground and background
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quick mask mode
go into quick mask mode, paint with a brush
exit quick mask mode and wherever you painted will be selected
works with filters and such too
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window mode
changes how your window looks
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edit in imageready
only for those with imageready
not useful otherwise
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LAYERS PANEL
A. new adjustment layer
these are very useful in creating sigs, i will explain these in GREAT detail in the sig section
B. new layer
creates a new layer
shortcut ctrl+shift+N
C. Layer Mode
one of the most important things on this panel
just a run through of the most useful ones
darken: the lighter colors of this layer will be darkened or completely invisible
multiply: more profound version of darken
linear burn: darkest setting
lighten: opposite of darken ^_^
screen: more powerful version of lighten
linear dodge: take a wild guess >_>
overlay: the whites and darks are made semi-transparent
light colors become lighter
dark become darker
its like lighten + darken on a mid level opacity
soft light: same as overlay, but very slight
PERFECT for lighting, its probably the best setting for slight changes and good lighting
D. layer opacity
at 0% everything is see through
at 100% everything is opaque
need i elaborate?
.:END OF PART ONE:.
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k, now i feel like more of myself
now we know how to do stuff, lets start doing stuff!
you are probably here to learn how to make sigs anyway, and the 3 hours of work getting the upper half ready are wasted -.-
(please read it, it was a lotta work)
okay, lets start with a basic BASIC robot sig
FIRST
find a render, planetrenders.net has nice ones
get a good robot render
transformers work best, comic robots work awful
once you have your render, save it to your computer
in photoshop do two things
1. file>open and select the render you saved to your computer
2. open a document
please use a small size -.-
340x90 is my current bitch, but feel free to get your own
FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT SUCKS ASS, DONT GO BIGGER THAN 400x120!!
and that is pushing it too >_>
okay, back in the renders work panel use the command ctrl+a to select all of the render
then ctrl+X to cut it
close the empty window, its no good to us now
switch back to the sig workspace
paste in your render, and position it so that it looks cool
make sure it covers the entire background, and try not to get any face parts visible
paste in your render again and place him so that his face is in the window
use Ctrl+T to go into transform mode
...:::!!IMPORTANT!!:::...
to properly resize a render, go into transform mode and DRAG THE CORNER
WHILE YOU ARE DRAGGING THE CORNER HOLD SHIFT!!!
this makes it so that your render doesn't get all lopsided
a poorly placed render is a SINNN
this is how i like to place renders
divide the sig into Fiourths
place it in one of the middle fourths and have the extraneous parts of the render in the other middle fourth
here are three good examples
hopefully you understood all that
anyway, here is the sig after you placed your render the second time
notice how the render looks too much like the background?
make a new layer and set the mode to soft light
opacity to about 40%
now get a white fuzzy brush and outline the render with white
this is what it will look like
you can see the render MUCH better
next you need to look at your render carefully
where is the light coming from?
his face is lightest, so the light is coming from the left
create another new layer, leave the mode on normal, opacity you can mess with later
take a LARGE soft brush, about 300-400 pixels
make ONE spot in white
turn the opacity of the layer down until it looks like this
ok, now we hav 1337 sig, but now we need to let the peoples know who made it
remember not to use gay text
something like this fails
this is not great, but it somewhat matches the sig
THIS IS GOOD
i like to make the first letter of my name a larger font on a different layer so i can move it around
i forgot the name of this text, sorry
anyway, add some squares or circles on another layer and lower the opacity
you might as well erase (VERY LITTLE) of the original text layer, to blend it a bit better
NOW WE HAVE VERY LEET SIG
IT NEEDS BORDER11!!!
okay, with the command ctrl+a select the outside edge of the sig
now create a new layer
then go edit>stroke
choose black as your color and make sure "inside" is checked
leave the rest as normal, and hit okay
then we have leet sig
but how can we make this even more leet?
find out later, when i update next
