Okay, so I'm well aware that posting your first work is typically the fastest way to look like you have zero talent, but I've been tinkering for a while. My background story: Moving to an all-Linux platform means that I have to find programs that can fully replace what I'm accustomed to using in Windows on a daily basis, and as a teenager, using Photoshop 7/CS was a constant. I'm an okay PS signature maker in that regard, and I've made a handful of signatures dating back from '05 to this past February.

 

 

 

Keep this in mind: I have made signatures before. But, I'm trying something totally different and new with The GIMP, the closest thing to PS you'll ever find in Linux-land. For what it's worth, it's a powerful tool, and some users here are probably very handily acquainted with it.

 

 

 

[hide=Large Image, could be called a "portfolio" of sorts][/hide]

 

 

 

So, if you've seen those images under that hide tag, it won't take long to realize I'm trying to get to that caliber of signatures in the GIMP, and I present to you all my first such work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Admittedly it's rough around the edges, but I appreciate all C/C. You learn just as much from people that hate your work as you do from people that love it.

Lesson One: Do not save as .JPG ;)

 

 

 

Otherwise, your signatures are looking good, maybe try experimenting with different styles and themes to broaden your skills?

Lesson One: Do not save as .JPG

 

 

 

Lesson Two: It's a .GIF you [developmentally delayed]. (not to mention JPG is not always bad).

Lesson One: Do not save as .JPG

 

 

 

Lesson Two: It's a .GIF you [developmentally delayed]. (not to mention JPG is not always bad).

 

 

 

Look under his hide tag, they are all .JPG and poor quality.

 

I'd appreciate it if you didn't flame me, thanks.

Lesson One: Do not save as .JPG

 

 

 

Lesson Two: It's a .GIF you [developmentally delayed]. (not to mention JPG is not always bad).

 

 

 

Look under his hide tag, they are all .JPG and poor quality.

 

I'd appreciate it if you didn't flame me, thanks.

 

 

 

He's not flaming... he is being blunt not to mention thoes were old ones and by the new one being a .gif we assume that he knows that you can't make sigs as low quality JPG.

 

 

 

Ok back to the sig, its a little plain. I think the gimp users here are me, shiny, and jason. Not sure... I know ouchy is PDN.

 

 

 

Saving high jpg in gimp:

 

File->Save as->"File Name.JPG"->Save->When it pulls up the box put the quality to 100->Then your good I think.

Lesson One: Do not save as .JPG

 

 

 

Lesson Two: It's a .GIF you [developmentally delayed]. (not to mention JPG is not always bad).

 

 

 

Look under his hide tag, they are all .JPG and poor quality.

 

I'd appreciate it if you didn't flame me, thanks.

 

 

 

He's not flaming... he is being blunt not to mention thoes were old ones and by the new one being a .gif we assume that he knows that you can't make sigs as low quality JPG.

 

 

 

Ok back to the sig, its a little plain. I think the gimp users here are me, shiny, and jason. Not sure... I know ouchy is PDN.

 

 

 

Saving high jpg in gimp:

 

File->Save as->"File Name.JPG"->Save->When it pulls up the box put the quality to 100->Then your good I think.

 

Hey me too! and Armybuilder (i think)

 

But i havent touched GIMPS for a while :?

 

It looks quite good, better than mine:

 

If I made those kind of sigs back when I first started out, I would be very proud of myself. You're on the right track and it won't be long until you advance further.

 

I can't remember what it's called, but those block things you got on a lot of sigs are overused, try to keep it to a minimum. :P

 

I use Gimp too.

I use GIMP also :thumbup: (But I haven't been on it in awhile).

 

 

 

As for the sig itself, it's no bad for a first time in GIMP : However, it's fairly plain. You should try to spice it up a bit and use a nice render next time that allows for such effects. Also, generally I learned you shouldn't have a centered focal (But it seems like you know that from your previous sigs).

 

 

 

Also, I know that you're trying to match the sigs that you've made in the hide tag, but a couple of things I've learned recently.....

 

1)No Borders on sigs such as that and your previous ones (limits your flow and feel of the sig (I think that's why)) (Even though I use them still sometimes :oops: )

 

2)No text in corners in sigs such as that (It distracts from the main focal and doesn't add anything to the sig).

 

 

 

Not sure if that applies to yours or if you would be willing to use things such as that, but I just thought to throw that out there.

 

 

 

Anyway, keep it up :thumbsup:

You have great potential, but please, don't over-use the mosaic effect then sharpen effect, it really brings down your signatures. You need much more in the way of effects, lighting, and genreally just more sophistication in your pieces.

I use GIMP too, haha. *laughs*

 

 

 

First and foremost, read up on the basic tools of the trade and the basic things you need to take note of, like flow, depth, colour, composition, effects, rule of thirds, etc etc. There is a lot of things you need to take note of, both generally as art basics, and specifically to signatures.

 

 

 

Look through pieces done by a huge variety of sig makers and see how they place their renders in a particular fashion, chose a particular colour, etc etc. Looking at other pieces of work will inspire you to be creative with your own work.

 

 

 

Reading through tutorials is important not just to broaden your skills as a sig maker, but also to improve your familiarity with your choice of program (GIMP). Learn the effect of as many filters as possible, learn what you will use the most. Learn how to use brushes and paths and perspective tools. The more and better you know your tools, the better the outcome will be (normally).

 

 

 

Secondly, be willing to learn and absorb what you learn. Try not to always follow tutorials word for word, but throw your own style into it. A tutorial is for teaching you how the artist reached the outcome, not for you to replicate it (normally). Learn the different skills used demonstrated in tutorials, like C4D placement, smudging, flow, lighting, etc etc, and utilise that to your advantage and add that to your pool of skills.

 

 

 

Useful places for resources include GIMPTalk and deviantArt.

 

 

 

I guess you have done signatures before, but if you want to approach it more seriously with one of the most top of the line raster editors, it will be worth the investment to spend time reading tutorials and getting to know the program better. Keep your mind open!

 

 

 

However, most importantly, have fun!

This is kinda offtopic, but how do you get those cool backgrounds on your previous sigs? I mean the kinda tiled squares, I really like that.

Thanks for all the comments so far!

 

 

 

First - yes, all of those signatures under the hide tag are .JPG, but I did so to save your bandwidth. If I had left them in their PNG-24 form, then they'd probably take up 5-6MB. Second, I am well aware that saving files in .JPG wrecks quality, but I'm at an impasse with that - I don't know how to save signatures as PNG-8 format (I think that's 256 colors + transparency), and I don't know what size it will be until I look at it in my file system. I was able to always make signatures < 40KB; trying to keep it that way.

 

 

 

Second, I respect that it's plain. I have a handful of renders I'd like to get to use, but I haven't had the time to do it, with me setting the GIMP up the way I like it and everything. Hopefully, either later tonight or tomorrow I'll be able to post said signature + render.

 

 

 

Third, I'm well aware that the mosaic/scanlines are overused. I only tinkered with mosaic effects last year, and I liked what I saw, but I usually added my own flare to it (subtle flare).

 

 

 

@gbpackers31: I don't like using text in my sigs that often, I think I only did it on my last four. I only added what would follow the theme of the signature (Bleach; "Nothing Can Be Explained", The Verve; "Bittersweet Symphony", and two things that I thought suited the character's attitude). You're absolutely right in the respect that the text in the corners do detract from the central focus, but the center was kinda crowded anyway... :? No worries. I'll be improving that as I go along, hopefully.

 

 

 

@Laxaria: Thanks for the tips, I'll be looking at DA and GIMPTalk a little more closely.

 

 

 

@Skully_Sc: I did that effect for your sig, remember? :D Anyway, I can't really recall it now, but it involved pixelating a larger form of the render, sharpening it, and blending it in with the signature to give it a decent look.

It's really not that hard to get work of that calibur in GIMP.

 

The effects and things there are all available in GIMP.

 

You're already halfway there with the scanlines and the border.

It's been a while, but I've decided to come back to show everyone here the work that I've managed to do, with practice and reading up on some tutorials. Getting my hands dirty with the program helped a lot, too - a lot of the things I'm used to are easier to find now.

 

 

 

Anyway, the newest work is my current sig now. Give me some C/C on that, since that's the second ever GIMP sig I've done.

The filters are horrible, especially the pixel blur one. They really flatten your piece. The whole thing is over contrasted, and the scanlines look pretty horrid.