Tutorials, Tips and Tricks!

PurgeandFire

zxcvmkgdfg
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8 Simple Step Blast Effect:

Step 1 - Create a new Photoshop Document.

Step 2 - Make your primary color whatever you want and your secondary color "White". I used #c1f6ff for my primary color.

Step 3 - Go to Filter | Render | Clouds

Step 4 - Add 3.96 gaussian noise

Step 5 - Go to Filter | Pixelate | Mezzotint

Step 6 - Select Short Lines

Step 7 - Go to Filter | Blur | Radial Blur

Step 8 - Set the blur method to Zoom, the quality to Best, and the meter part to 100.

Now you should have a nice effect like this:
blastov9.jpg


Note that I wanted mine to be really bright. If you want yours to be darker or have more contrast, have black as a primary color then repeat the steps. Then just simply change the color balance (CTRL+B) or Hue/Saturation (CTRL+U).

=========

I hope this helps!
 

PurgeandFire

zxcvmkgdfg
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How to make Custom Brushes

Step 1 - Open Adobe Photoshop CS2

Step 2 - Create a new document, whatever size you want.

Step 3 - Create the image you want as a brush or open the image you want...

c4drenderzc3.jpg

Caption: The C4D render I used for this image. Abstract renders make great brushes.

Step 4 - Use the polygonal lasso/lasso/magic wand tool and make a selection around your image. It doesn't have to be exact, it just needs to be around it. Make sure you don't cut off any parts

Want to avoid this step? If you are making a whole new brush from scratch, create a new layer and erase the background so that it becomes a transparent background. Next, click the eye for the background layer so that it becomes invisible. Create your image. Then it is perfect and do the steps below!

If you are pasting an image for your render, it is easy. If it isn't a .png, then you have to do it the slower way shown above. If it is a .png, when you place it (File | Place), it should automatically create a new layer that has an erased background. Just simply click the eye on the background layer and you're done!

Step 5 - Click "EDIT | Define Brush Preset"...
editdefinebrushpresetnj8.jpg

Caption: Go to "EDIT | Define Brush Preset" as shown above.

Step 6 - Name it.

Then you're done! :)

Download the awesome brush here:
C4D Abstract Brush

--------

How to import Brushes

- Step 1 - Download the brush

- Step 2 - Move the brush to the Photoshop brush folder
(The folder is most likely "Adobe | Photoshop | Presets | Brushes")

- Step 3 - Open Photoshop

- Step 4 - Click the brush tool

- Step 5 - Click the little arrow icon on the side then click "Load Brushes"

- Step 6 - Select the brush

- Step 7 - Scroll all the way down in the brush area

- Step 8 - Select your brush and enjoy! ;)
 

PurgeandFire

zxcvmkgdfg
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How to make nice lighting

Introduction:

In this tutorial, you will learn how to make nice lighting to your sigs/images.

Steps:

Step 1 - Open Adobe Photoshop CS2

Step 2 - Get your image:
sonictp9.jpg


Step 3 - *Optional depending on type* If your image is bright, it will make your image look really saturated. To get rid of this, click CTRL + U and make the image darker by using the lightness meter and tone it down a bit so that the light has a better effect.

Step 4 - Create a new layer, 100% opacity and keep the default name or just name it "Light". (SHIFT+CTRL+N)

Step 5 - Now, brush onto the canvas in the area where you want the light to come from. Make it a color not white (unless white is the desired color), but real similar too your sig/image colors.
sonicwithbrushxc5.jpg


Step 6 - Grab the Smudge tool and smudge around the edges until you cover the areas you want to lighten. Strength 69% and whatever brush/brush size you want. Here is mine so far:
sonicsmudgedct0.jpg


Step 7 - Right click the layer, press "Blending Options" and then set the blending mode (where it says "Normal" in the selection bar) and set the blending mode to "Overlay".

sonictp9.jpg

BEFORE
sonicoverlaydh2.jpg

AFTER

Step 8 - Now it is too bright... Go to the blending options again and modify the opacity to be lower, unless yours is nice and perfect the way you want it.
Here is mine after the opacity options:

sonicoverlaydh2.jpg

BEFORE
sonicperfectjq3.jpg

AFTER

--------

Now you're done! Let's see our progress:
sonictp9.jpg

BEFORE
sonicperfectjq3.jpg

AFTER

--------

Do not RIP!

Here are some other results using this technique:
illidanph8.jpg

lighthalowp8.jpg


===========

Q&A:

- What are the bad parts of this?
A: You can notice some of the smudging where it suddenly gets cut off and goes to the other light. But if you lower the opacity, it will be less noticable.

- Where did you learn this technique?
A: I made it up. I was just playing around with my "Light Halo" sig and I discovered it and I loved it from then on.

---

I hope this helps! :D
 

Demi666

New Member
Reaction score
127
its a very nice technique but the sonic sig really sucked^^

loved the halo one <3
 

PurgeandFire

zxcvmkgdfg
Reaction score
509
The image site I uploaded the examples to is gone, sorry! So none of the examples will show.

Grayscaling

Grayscaling makes the image only black, white, and variations of those colors such as gray.

Grayscaling is easy, and there are practically three main ways to do them.

Saturation Way:
  • Step 1 - Create a new layer by going to "Layer | New | Layer" or by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+N
  • Now, with your new layer selected, go to "Image | Apply Image", leave the fields alone and click "OK".
  • Now, click (CTRL+U) and set the saturation all the way down. Now you're done!

BEFORE:
25524_Gunman.jpg

AFTER:
33296_Gunman+Grayscale+Bad.jpg


Good, eh?

Gradient Mapping Way:

  • Step 1 - Create a new layer by going to "Layer | New | Layer" or by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+N
  • Now, with your new layer selected, go to "Image | Apply Image", leave the fields alone and click "OK".
  • Now, go to "Image | Adjustments | Gradient Map". Then make it like these options.
    55523_Gradient+Options.jpg

Now you're done!
BEFORE:
25524_Gunman.jpg

AFTER:
10705_Gunman+Grayscale+Good.jpg


Desaturation Way:

  • Step 1 - Create a new layer then go to "Image | Apply Image"
  • Step 2 - Now go to "Image | Adjustments | Desaturate" then your done! :p

    BEFORE:
    25524_Gunman.jpg

    AFTER:
    33296_Gunman+Grayscale+Bad.jpg

Final Touch-ups *OPTIONAL*:

If you want to make final touchups, you can go to "Image | Adjustments | Brightness and Contrast".. Here is what I produced after the touchups:
BEFORE:
10705_Gunman+Grayscale+Good.jpg

AFTER:
76643_Gunman+Contrast.jpg


---

I hope this helps! :D
 

PurgeandFire

zxcvmkgdfg
Reaction score
509
Displacing - Using other Sigs to make your sig's background

Introduction:

In this small tutorial, you will learn how to use the "Displace" tool. I'm not too fond of using Displace, but it can be great for effects. This effect is used to make effects in a certain area on your sig. It is usually best to do it from the start of your sig or it can get whacky.

What you Need:
  • Adobe Photoshop (Not sure which versions have displacing)
  • The PSD of the file you would like to displace.
    I will use the .psd of my Gunman sig:
    gunmantn3.jpg

    Note that it is usually best to use a sig without text or the text might appear on the sig but not too noticeable.

Procedure:

  • Step 1 - First, create a new blank sig that is whatever size you want. I will use 360x150.
  • Step 2 - Fill in the canvas of the sig with black.
  • Step 3 - Grab a white airbrush size ~44 with 0% hardness, and 100% opacity and flow. Then brush a bit on the canvas leaving some negative space left and have the main point where your render will be.
    displacewhiteairbrushedab4.jpg
  • Step 4 - Go to "Filter | Distort | Displace", select your .psd, and have these as the fields.
    displacedisplaceoptionsku9.jpg
  • Step 5 - You should now have a result like this:
    displacedisplacedresultko2.jpg

Epilogue:

  • Step 6 - Now, let's finish up this sig! Press CTRL+U, and set it to these options:
    displacehuexx5.jpg
  • Step 7 - Now, lets edit the color balance. Press CTRL+B and set it to these options:
    displacecolorbalancenz3.jpg

    Progress:
    So far, it should be something like this:
    displacedisplacedresultyv5.jpg
  • Step 8 - Now place your render wherever you want. Make sure that it isn't too big or small so that they can see the effects bursting out.
    displacerenderhx9.jpg
  • Step 9 - Now add some touch-ups with the hue, color balance, and contrast etc. to have your final result!
    displacefinalvp4.jpg

Final Words:

Displacing can be very nice to your sigs and it can make it look real nice. Some material might haven't been explained, but if you want to learn more, experiment with the fields. The scaling, is just the scaling on to the actual colored part on step 3.

I don't use this technique too much, I learned it from a paid tutorial. The only one I made using this technique was the one above and this one, an outcome from the tutorial, but I added some stuff as well:
venomtutoutcomexq7.jpg


---

I hope this helps! :D
 

undeadorcjerk

The Ulitimate TheHelper.net Lurker
Reaction score
223
How to create a fireball in GIMP

Welcome to my little tutorial for The GIMP. In this tutorial you will learn how to:

create a fireball.

1) First we open a new image and fill it with black.

picture1.jpg


2) Next you want to get out a paint brush, with the color white, at 50% opacity.

picture2.jpg


3) Then we want to brush out the basic outline of the fireball. And for this tutorial we

will just make a small area. This will be the core, where the white hot intensity will

be.

picture3.jpg


4) Now we start at the beginning of the fireball and make a small tail.

picture4.jpg


5) Next do the same thing, but this time, increase the size of the ball and the tail.

picture5.jpg


for this tutorial we will not get into particals.

6) Now we go to Filters>Blur> Gaussian Blur. Then set both Horizontal and Vertical to

30.0

picture6.jpg


You should get relitively close to this.

example1.jpg


7) Next we need to take out the smudge tool, with a size 19 fuzzy brush.

picture7.jpg


smudge out as though wind were pushing against the fireball like this

NOTE: I inverted the colors so you could see the smudge better.

picture8.jpg


8) Now we color. Go to Layers> Colors> Color Balance. Select these settings.

---------------------------------------
Shadows:
Red: 100
Green:-100
Blue: -100
---------------------------------------
Midtones:
Red: 100
Green:100
Blue: -100
---------------------------------------
Highlights:
Red: 100
Green:100
Blue: -100

Hit ok and VIOLA, one ready to toast your enemy fireball.

picture9.jpg


Here are some results when you mess with the colors.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t271/un...il/example2.jpg

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t271/un...il/example3.jpg
 

w/e

Boaroceraptorasaurus-Rex
Reaction score
274
Purge, stop asking for rep. I'm getting sick of it. Also, make your tuts in a readable font.
 

BANANAMAN

Resident Star Battle Expert.
Reaction score
150
Does rendering with the polygon lasso tool annoy you?

then read on

Easy rendering

1. open Photoshop 7 or higher

2. Load an image you wish to render.

3.Create a new layer and select the paint bucket tool. Fill the new layer with a Selected color (make sure your image doesn't have the same color) and set the opacity to at least 53%
pic1.jpg


4.Select the eraser tool and erase sections of the layer above the image you wish to cut out (in this case the mothership)
Pic2.jpg

5.then when you get the desired image you want select the layer above the image and put it back to 100% opacity.

6.Then Go to Select>all then edit>copy merge and press CTRL+V at the layer window. Then select the first 2 layers and delete them.

7. Select the magic eraser tool and click on the one colored background of the image (in this case its the pink part of the new layer)

And Viola You have your render!!
 

PurgeandFire

zxcvmkgdfg
Reaction score
509
VIP - Members of The Helper!

Sadly none of these display, at least for me. :( I might get around to reuploading them if I still have them on my comp. My work has been destroyed. D:

~Purge's Tutorial Wall - 9 tuts so far!

You guys are my main peeps, so you guys get the VIP seats. You get to see my tutorials early! It took an extremely long time to make them, and it to an extremely long time to host them, so here they are! This is part of a tutorial pack I'm going to release, it is still in the making. That's why I'm saving up GR credits so I can buy FR .psds and FR tutorials.

Sizes are width by height

Click on the tag, and it automatically takes you to the tutorial!

Here ya go:

Abstracted - Twisted

Size: 500x10632px
File Size: 1568.91 KB (1606568 bytes)


Afro Samurai Tutorial

Size: 500x6457px
File Size: 1,896.58KB

Wolverine - Blood Magic

Size: 500x12000px
File Size: 3463.25 KB (3546363 bytes)

B U N N Y ~ C R E E D

Size: 500x6733px
File Size: 1462.88 KB (1497986 bytes)

Captain America

Size: 500x9068px
File Size: 3769.43 KB (3859899 bytes)

~Guitarist~

Size: 500x9566px
File Size: 2351.09 KB (2407518 bytes)

Man With Hat

Size: 500x12000px
File Size: 2,915.80KB

Samurai

Size: 450x8362px
File Size: 2603.35 KB (2665828 bytes)

Venom

Size: 500x8165px
File Size: 1966.41 KB (2013608 bytes)


I hope this helps! :D

I'll continuously add more as I make tutorials!
 
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