:: Jak's first abstract ::

[jak722]

Well I managed to get a hold of a copy of Photoshop from a friend and using a tutorial I found, I managed to whip up a piece after much trial and error.

 

 

 

 

 

Hopefully I would get better at this. :oops:

 

 

 

So yeah, my first abstract sig:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, um can anyone give me a tip on how to reduce file sizes?

 

 

 

This one is a horrible 123 Kb in size...

 

 

 

Comments? :|

[beesafree]

123 kb isn't big at all... i rather like that, it's a little bright, but overall i like it...i think you could of got or made a better border...

[jak722]

Its like here in tip.it, I can't use anything over 30kb...

 

 

 

And I don't know how to make borders yet on PS though, so I just made a 1 pixel thick line on the edge. :-k

 

 

 

Thanks for the comments. :)

[H_789789]

:D thats a pretty good job for your first try.

 

Heres a good border tut.

 

1.Creater new layer

 

2.Ctrl+a

 

3. Edit->Stroke

 

4.1px black

 

5. Edir->Stroke

 

6.Depending on how big the sig is range from 5-20px *white*

 

7.Double click on the layer

 

8.Change it from normal to overlay

 

9.Click stroke move it to 1 px and set the colour to black

 

Should be something around the lines of that i'm a bit tired lol and i can't remember everything too well but yeh GL and have fun :

[jak722]

:D thats a pretty good job for your first try.

 

 

 

Heres a good border tut.

 

 

 

1.Creater new layer

 

 

 

2.Ctrl+a

 

 

 

3. Edit->Stroke

 

 

 

4.1px black

 

 

 

5. Edir->Stroke

 

 

 

6.Depending on how big the sig is range from 5-20px *white*

 

 

 

7.Double click on the layer

 

 

 

8.Change it from normal to overlay

 

 

 

9.Click stroke move it to 1 px and set the colour to black

 

 

 

Should be something around the lines of that i'm a bit tired lol and i can't remember everything too well but yeh GL and have fun :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey the border worked! :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the tip! :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^Err the rest sucks though...^ :oops:

[Nadril]

Generaly stick to a 1-3px black boarder jak, usualy I find anything else looks tacky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyways, the first one:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Good ballance on it. You know how to draw the user's attention to the character (I like how the sword design brings you up to look at it.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- It seems a bit over saturated for my tastes. Try and desaturate it a bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- You have most of the general ideas worked out. I'd perhaps in the future try and not go such a bright shade of red though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Text, text needs work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eh.. Don't like this one as much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- It seems a bit... off. The right has a ton of detail in it and is much brighter leaving the left side just unoticed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- It also shares the same problem as the first, really saturated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Other than that, mostly same stuff as the first. I don't like the boarder also.

[jak722]

Points noted. I'll try to keep these in mind next time. :-k

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But, can you suggest something about my filesize problem?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twice, the picture always end up over 100 Kb... Its kinda useless for most forums... :(

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh and thanks for the tips! :D

[Nadril]

Go to Save for web under File. Chose .JPG and then you can set the quality level. It will tell you the size the file will be in the bottom left corner. :)

[remoteman]

I was just about to post that lol nadril. Nice work Jak, very good for your first, amazing compared to someones. I prefer the first one although you need to improve in the text department. Grab some nice fonts and place the text on one of the C4D's edges, or replace the glowing part of the sword, that would be very cool.

[cadburys_egg]

Very good for a first abstract, Jak. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just a few things;

 

 

 

• [*:3iveuimv] The font is fine, the text placement could be better. Perhaps put it along one of the shards?
   
   
   
  [*:3iveuimv] The render just looks feathered or low opacity. You need to do a bit more to get a better blend. (See end of post for quick tut on how I do it)
   
   
   
  [*:3iveuimv] To lower kb size, go to File -> Save for web... then you should see a little circle with an arrow in it under the Save/Cancel buttons. Set the desired kb and then click ok.
   
   
   
  [*:3iveuimv] As Nad said, i'd recommend to stick with 1px black borders. Unless you go with cinematic type borders (1px all around, but ~5px on top and bottom).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quick blending tut;

 

 

 

• [*:3iveuimv] Duplicate the render 2 times so you have 3.
   
   
   
  [*:3iveuimv] On the bottom layer render, do a gaussion blur of it about 3~6 px.
   
   
   
  [*:3iveuimv] On the middle layer render, do a feather of about 3~5px. Set to ~75% opacity.
   
   
   
  [*:3iveuimv] On the top layer render, do a feather of about 6~8px (should be +2px than the middle render) and set to hard light on 35% opacity.

 

 

 

Finished product:

 

 

 

• 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All this does is soften the edges of the render and intensify the colours slightly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still, keep up the good work Jak. My offer from a while ago still stands. ;)

[pomar1]

only one thing... its too cool to this forums :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9.9/10, -0.1 becouse background is not so good.

[jak722]

I lose a bit of quality when I try to save it below 30kb, but at least they're usable. :-k

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh and I recently grab a big bunch of fonts so i'll try unique ones later. :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And Cad, I can't thank you enough for that tut. :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now about that offer... I'll hold on to that for a while. Might come in handy in the future. :wink:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PS, thanks Po. O:)