Graphics School: .:BreD's Photoshop Homeroom:.

[BreD]

Hi, and welcome to my

This is part of the Graphics School.
Here I will be teaching you Design/Program class. That means I will be teaching you about the tools you don't understand or don't know about and I will also help you to make different kinds of graphics, mainly signatures. (I won't physically help, I will advice you.)
If you have any normal questions like "Where can i get c4d's? What are c4d's? Where can i get good brushes? Where can i get renders? Where can i get sprites?" or any other questions like that, don't hesitate to ask... as for the moment i am going to presume you know, unless you ask.
I will give out different assignments, i will give a new assignment when one person has finished the previous one, but it may not be instant because I have to think of new assignments. After you've finished assignments I will give you critique and advice on how to improve the signature you made. Take your time doing them, i don't want them rushed.
If you are joining the class late, that's ok! You will be able to follow previous assignments that I have posted, but if you do join the class late I expect you to start from the start.

Current Students
- Star Poochyena
- Kurogane
- DarkkChildd
- Gerri Shin
- Chikara³


First Assignment is:
I'd like you all to make a new signature to the best of your ability, I'd like you to flow in mind whilst making it.
Flow is the direction of your signature, the direction should guide your eyes to the focal of the signature, the focal being the main thing in your signature being a render/picture most of the time. (remember text is part of the signature, not the main thing.. try to blend it in...)
If your thinking "wtf" about what i asked you to do... just make a signature to your best standard and i'll help you improve.

Second Assignment is:
To read what i have to say about your signature then edit it to improve it.

Third Assignment is:
To make a signature just using Clipping masks and Smudging... see this and this for help.

Fourth Assignment is:
Is just like the second assignment, read what i have to say about your signature and i'll help you improve it.


Post assignments when you've finished them.
​

 

[Wish]

Just to let you know that I'm still active and I will be making a signature soon.

 

[Twinx]

All right! This is neat... Count me in!
mm is there a deadline for this assignment?

 

[BreD]

@Kurogane
Cool thanks, i'm looking forward to seeing your assignment.

@DarkkChildd
Ok, i'll add you to the list. And no there is no deadline... but the longer you take the further ahead your class mates will get. Just keep that in mind.

 

[Gerri Shin]

Am I allowed to join even though I'm not new to photoshop?

 

[BreD]

Ofcource! You will get the chance to improve yourself (hopefully) and learn new things... i'll add you to the list aswell.

EDIT:
Remember the assignment is for a new signature not a previously made one.

 

[Chikara]

If I can still, I'd like to join ^-^

I obviously need some help~

 

[BreD]

Lol, you Kurogane flocked in some posts didn't you :D
Ok, sure Chikara³ there's always room for more.
I'll add you to the list ^^

 

[Wish]

Lol, you Kurogane flocked in some posts didn't you :D

I'm Always glad to help. ^.^

 

[BreD]

If you have any normal questions like "Where can i get c4d's? What are c4d's? Where can i get good brushes? Where can i get renders? Where can i get sprites?" or any other questions like that, don't hesitate to ask... as for the moment i am going to presume you know, unless you ask.

I edited that into the first post, just so you know...
And i put you all into the list.

 

[Gerri Shin]

ok I'm done with the first assignment, (I work fast and today I needed something to do)

still working on the slices to add links in the middle since I don't know CSS

Edit: in response to Bred

no offence or anything, but I believe my talent lies more in the design and graphics area rather tan Sig making, as shown^. I'm better at makng psudo_Vista/Leopard windows than I am at making blended sigs.

 

[BreD]

That's more of a profile summary than i banner / signature :S
That's great for a profile sig thing, but i was thinking more of a normal sig if you know what i mean?
I'd preffer it if you made more of a image sig than a text sig.

Ok i need to go bed now, it's 11.20 over here.
seeya

 

[Wish]

I hope you get this before you leave.

I made this right quick.

 

[Chikara]

Mine:

I tried going for what I usually go for so that way you can actually tell me what I need improvement on~

 

[Sanctuary]

Hay, just posting to say I shall be active and try to do the assignment as soon as possible. I'm not feeling well and I should most reasonably not be on the computer, but.. I came on anyway. XD

I may finish the assignment late, don't wait for me and go ahead. :3

 

[BreD]

I hope you don't take my critisism wrongly, but ohwell ^^
Read what i wrote for you, but also read what i wrote for you class mates as there are some tips that can be used in most sigs.

Edit: in response to Bred

no offence or anything, but I believe my talent lies more in the design and graphics area rather tan Sig making, as shown^. I'm better at makng psudo_Vista/Leopard windows than I am at making blended sigs.

That's ok your here to improve your skills, so you should get better at signature making. The background colour would be a better if it was taken from the render... try using a gradient map to make like that, remember to change the gradient maps layer setting to something like overlay.
The background is going the wrong direction, the render is going this way / and the background is going \ that way if you know what you mean, look at my sig, it looks like it's going \ that way.
Try smudging with a rough grungy kind of brush in this direction /
Also at the moment it kinda looks like you've used 3 layers, background, render, text, try adding more layers to add to the depth of the sig, with brushing, smudging and clipping masks. Add a lightsource above the render with a big soft brush about 300px or lower, only have the light partialy in the signature though. I'm not a fan of big text eiter, it looks best if it's smaller and fits in well... but it's hard to pull of in some signatures.
C4D's look great when smudged nicely.

I hope you get this before you leave.

I made this right quick.

That's great ^^ Although if it/she/he is the center of attension, surely the render should be moved to middle, i like the colours and what i think is c4d's blended into the background. If it was my sig, i would lower the opacity to the text, but i often get told my texts are to hard to see... but that's because i think the the render and the background are more important than the text. Maybe add some clipping masks of the render in there, but not to obviously. Well done i think this one is better than your current signature ^^

Mine:

I tried going for what I usually go for so that way you can actually tell me what I need improvement on~

Ok, well if it was my sig, i would make the text smaller and kind of place it above the sword/katana so it looks like the text is resting on the sword / katana. Try adding a light source behind the render to bring attension to it. Another nice way to bring attension to the render is to blurr the less important parts of the sig, like the edges or get a big soft brush and brush a dark colour around the edges... But blurring would be better for you type of signature. Try adding a gradient map on overlay to help with the blending, chose to of the main colours from the render for the gradient map. Clipping masks are handy in lots of sigs, so you should give it a go. I'm not such a big fan of slection boarders, unless the colours go well try using a normal boarder because getting in a habbit of doing the same thing is bad.


Good job on the first assignment, second assignment is to...

Try and edit you sigs to my suggestions or if you don't understand ask and i will explain.
(if you want me to specify any of that ask me and i will)
Sorry for bad spelling in places i'm in a rush because i'm going the gym now.

 

[Wish]

That's great ^^ Although if it/she/he is the center of attension, surely the render should be moved to middle, i like the colours and what i think is c4d's blended into the background. If it was my sig, i would lower the opacity to the text, but i often get told my texts are to hard to see... but that's because i think the the render and the background are more important than the text. Maybe add some clipping masks of the render in there, but not to obviously. Well done i think this one is better than your current signature ^^

This is the only part I don't understand.

 

[Chikara]

This is the only part I don't understand.

Same, but I know what a clipping mask is. You mean make it of the render?

 

[BreD]

Yes i do Chikara.
And Kurogane... i made this to help you.

 

[Chikara]

...Flddlesticks...

BreD, I'm gonna have to drop out, unfortunately. We have different kinda of photoshop, so you giving me help would be kinda hard ^^'

No offense to you, your graphics are awesome, I just don't think you can help me too much...