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Shadow's Graphics

M

Mitzi

L'Etat c'est moi
Your graphics aren't half-bad, but there's always room for improvement. I'd like to know, do you use GIMP or Photoshop? Also, though I can see you have a sense of consistency, I wish you could make it seem as if the render's apart of the background-ish. Not to be rude by any definition of the word, but the render seems to just sit on top of the background. Additionally, there seems to be a lot of extra space in your backgrounds. What I recommend is downloading an assortment of free brushes (you can get some off of dA) as well as free C4D renders (also from dA). With different brush patterns, you can smudge images differently, or create a more diverse pattern on your images. With C4D's you can add a bunch of cool effects to your image by putting the C4D on certain modes (i.e. overlay, lighten only, addition, etc). If needed, there are tutorials on how to use C4D's (you can probably find some on dA).
 
A

Astral Shadow

:o
Mitzi said:
Your graphics aren't half-bad, but there's always room for improvement. I'd like to know, do you use GIMP or Photoshop? Also, though I can see you have a sense of consistency, I wish you could make it seem as if the render's apart of the background-ish. Not to be rude by any definition of the word, but the render seems to just sit on top of the background. Additionally, there seems to be a lot of extra space in your backgrounds. What I recommend is downloading an assortment of free brushes (you can get some off of dA) as well as free C4D renders (also from dA). With different brush patterns, you can smudge images differently, or create a more diverse pattern on your images. With C4D's you can add a bunch of cool effects to your image by putting the C4D on certain modes (i.e. overlay, lighten only, addition, etc). If needed, there are tutorials on how to use C4D's (you can probably find some on dA).
Click to expand...
I use Photoshop Elements 10, don't like GIMP's layout/interface. I do that with almost any sig I make :L I don't like it when a render blends in too much into a background. Something like this is too much in my opinion and I try to avoid. I've tried blending renders more, (Wailer and Corpse Princess sigs) but that's really as much as I'd like to blend a render into the background without feeling like I went too far with it.

I think I might be good on brushes, have almost 1.25 gb of them(spent almost an entire day downloading and filtering through some). Never really paid attention to the empty space thing really. I have a ton of fractals(I usually make my own and just post them raw on DA) but most of them don't work well for blending into sigs(I've tried). But I will look up some free ones, just because they can add quite a bit to a background.

Thanks so much for the criticism c:

Edit:

lucina_zpsacbf3842.png


ike_zps8abe73ff.png


tornadusicarnate_zpse2953def.png


whirlipede_zps1ef9fc50.png


deoxysspeed_zps7c982b64.png


megagarchompatr_zps99cf428d.png


goomy_zps2e6f820a.png


vivillonsandstorm_zps8d2ee544.png


vivillonsun_zps991dbf31.png


vivillontundra_zps7d9127ae.png


vivillonocean_zpsef0728ce.png
 
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A

AnakBaé

Well-Known Member
Hey man. Gotta love your recent works.
About the text. Hate to follow the crowd but I agree with some of the users above regarding the fonts. Some of em are too stand out and took away all the attention. Maybe because you duplicated the text layer and set the one layer to overlay? Reducing the color/lighting intensity for your text might help.

In addition to that, try reduce the size/intensity of your text outlines. They're all too dark and bold and most of the time they don't blend with the theme of the banner. This might be cure for your problem with text.


About renders lighting, ever heard about "Curve" tool in PS? you should try that for your renders. It helps a LOT for your case (assuming you havent try it yet). You got great great great great superb backgrounds like this one, but it would be nicer if the render fits perfectly with it the BG, like this:

vivillonsandstorm_zps8d2ee544.png

^Easily my fav. The render blends nicely with the BG.

Good luck.
 
A

Astral Shadow

:o
AnakBaé said:
Hey man. Gotta love your recent works.
About the text. Hate to follow the crowd but I agree with some of the users above regarding the fonts. Some of em are too stand out and took away all the attention. Maybe because you duplicated the text layer and set the one layer to overlay? Reducing the color/lighting intensity for your text might help.

In addition to that, try reduce the size/intensity of your text outlines. They're all too dark and bold and most of the time they don't blend with the theme of the banner. This might be cure for your problem with text.


About renders lighting, ever heard about "Curve" tool in PS? you should try that for your renders. It helps a LOT for your case (assuming you havent try it yet). You got great great great great superb backgrounds like this one, but it would be nicer if the render fits perfectly with it the BG, like this:

vivillonsandstorm_zps8d2ee544.png

^Easily my fav. The render blends nicely with the BG.

Good luck.
Click to expand...
The program I use for text(Inkscape) doesn't put text on a separate layer automatically, and I never give text it's own layer anyways :L so not sure why it might look that way. The way I add the black outline for text is a filter called Black Outline in Inkscape, and I don't have control over it's intensity or how big it is. I've done text in Photoshop and it can look pixely, though I have control over the outline in there(pixely problem is why I use Inkscape for text).

Yeah I don't think I really gave curves a try, maybe once or something. I have .psd of almost every banner I've done, so I could go back and edit them but the problem is the sheer number of banners I've put out @.@

Edit: I need to find some curve tutorials or something, I'm having no more luck blending renders in with the background.

tharjaartwork_zps3fdac95a.png


megamawile_zps793c577c.png


dragalge_zps29519ea7.png


amyeternal_zpsf7c58576.png


armeeternal_zpsf947999e.png


duskbringer_zps025e457b.png


cacturne_zpsa016d488.png


asineternal_zpsc379ae45.png


edeleternal_zps34aee845.png


elesiseternal_zps64a9ba81.png


cloyster_zps1ec0df5d.png


jineternal_zps16992e2f.png


lasseternal_zps2ce6eded.png


klinklang_zps69cfe70a.png


pupitar_zpsbe4af789.png


All these were from before trying to use curves.
 
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A

Astral Shadow

:o
marieternal_zps63359ac2.png


nova_zpsc1222352.png


limeeternal_zps7d850fc3.png


rineternal_zps0ba88e6a.png


darkmatriarch_zps5ab6b35d.png


glaceonredux_zpsc05be7ad.png


arbiter_zpsaf459713.png


ronaneternal_zps14073a2d.png


siegharteternal_zps4661261d.png


vanquisher_zps10a358cd.png


veigas_zps4888f2a9.png


Only had some luck blending the render in with the background in the 3rd banner and the 2nd to last :L sigh.

preparetobecrushedorange_zps1b73eb6a.png



This was a request from earlier. Tried blending in the renders with the background(excuse the bad looking text, they wanted black with a red outline).

megavenusaurblend_zpsf2db0646.png


Used what I learned in the bigger banner and applied it to this older one I did. Mega Venusaur stood out way too much in the first version, so blended him here.

If this looks like it's going in the right direction, I think I'm going to redo all of my banners that I feel aren't adequate. And move my personal banners to a new account since I have so god damn many 8D

Text might be a little big on the Mega Venusaur banner but oh well.
 
J

Joth

Back from the Dead
Hey, do you do Team Poses?
 
A

Astral Shadow

:o
So. Project Rebirth is done. Since no one knows what that is, I'll explain.

I redid almost all of my 146 current banners. Yeah really.

The new ones are in the OP, and my 2nd post(post number #3).

Have to say, I'm proud of them all now. And soon I'll get to putting them on rotate in my sig.

Until next time :3
 
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