[Ven's Tutorial Shack] - 8 Tutorials/Resource Items

[0.01] --- (Note) Creator/Notes:

Everything below was made and/or written by Venomai, unless specified. Hopefully this will help those who want to get interested in Computer Graphics (CG). :D If you guys find ANY spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, mistakes in one of the tutorials/resources etc.. Then please PM me. If you are having trouble with one of the guides, please post it here instead of PMing me.

[0.02] --- (Note) Special Thanks:

Thanks to anyone who helped :P I'll put up a more detailed list later.

[0.03] --- (Note) Finding your way around the shack:

Well, since I'm sure the mods here at tip.it wouldn't be pleased if I made a new topic for each new tutorial or resource item I've created, I've decided to simply merge them all into one post. Doing this will probably cause a bunch of confusion, so I've made a little table of contents for you. To use it, copy whatever is within the square brackets [ and ] (it will be in bold), and then press Ctrl + F. Paste it in, and click Find. You may need to click find a couple times to get to the correct section

Table of Contents:

--- Notes ---

[0.01] --- (Note) Creator/Notes

[0.02] --- (Note) Special Thanks

[0.03] --- (Note) Finding your way around the shack

--- Finished Tutorials ---

[0.1] --- Notes

[0.11] --- (Beginner) Guide to Adobe's Photoshop 7 or CS - Learning the Program

[0.12] --- (Beginner) MAXON's Cinema 4D Tutorial - Abstract

[0.13] --- (Advanced) Walkthrough: The Creation of "Equinus"

[0.14] --- (Beginner) Apophysis Fractal Flame Tutorial

[0.15] --- (Intermediate) Create your own Grunge Brushes in Photoshop 7/CS

--- Unfinished Tutorials ---

[0.2] --- Notes

[0.21] --- (Intermediate) 3D Studios Abstract Tutorial #1

--- Resources ---

[0.3] --- Notes

[0.31] --- (Resource Item) Links to tutorials, downloadable brushes, fonts, textures etc... - 500+ Links!

[0.32] --- (Low Poly Model) USP - Silenced - .3DS Mesh

--- Finished Tutorials ---

[0.1] --- Notes

Tutorials written by Venomai.

If you want to show me one of your end results, post it in this thread.

[0.11] --- (Beginner) Guide to Adobe's Photoshop 7 or CS - Learning the Program

End Result:

Requirements:

- You'll need to know how to download fonts (http://www.dafont.com/ has a guide in FAQs)

- You'll need Photoshop 7 or Photoshop CS, Photoshop 6 may also work.

First Step:

Go File > New. Change the size to 300x100 (I sometimes use 300x80) pixels. Make sure its at 72 pixels/inch and set it to "Transparent Background".

Getting Started:

-Maximize the document window, so itÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s easier to work with.

//TIP: If you ever want to un-maximize the window to work on another piece of work, press the F key till it un-maximizes. You can also cycle through documents with Ctrl + Tab or Ctrl + F6

-If its not at 100%, use the zoom buttons (ctrl + or ctrl -) to get it there, or use the Navigator (Window > Navigator)

-Press D on the keyboard to reset the colours. (X will swap colours, D will reset to defaults)

-Make sure its at Image > Mode > RGB Colour. (You shouldn't need to do this)

-Unlock the bottom layer. To do that, double click on it and press Enter on your keyboard. (You shouldn't need to do this, unless you start with a non-transparent background)

-Make sure ALL of the important pallets are open. To open a pallet, go Window > (pallet name). I use the following pallets; Character (for changing the Text settings - though i normally only open it when i'm using text), Layers (for deleting, creating and editing layers), Channels and Paths (More advanced stuff, i might describe it later), History (if you mess up, this is how you go back a few steps), Actions (Create and manage your actions), Tool Presets (Quick way to get the specific tools you love), Tools (has all the photoshop tools), Navigator (zoom in and change the area of sight), Info (shows info on selections and locations, i group it in with Navigator) and Brush (to change or edit your brush - I dock to pallet wall).

-AND MAKE SURE YOU save VERY OFTEN, theres no way to tell when your computer or photoshop might crash, and its a real pain to have to re-do the whole thing again from scratch. Remeber, Ctrl + S is the Save hotkey.

To save properly:

Go file > Save As and choose .PSD from the pulldown list if it isn't already chosen. Then call it something and save it where ever you want. You should have already done this.

Background:

Here are some basic guidelines to one of the many ways on how to create a background in photoshop.

This way is the "Filter" way. I don't like it, but its quick and does the job.

1. Press B on the keyboard or select the Paint Bucket/Gradient tool. If the paint bucket tool is there, right click it to select the Gradient tool.

2. Make the gradient settings like mine below:

3. Now, I want you to go CRAZY! Make a bunch, I mean a BUNCH of gradients randomly placed all over the place. Try to make them thick and juicy, not thin and choppy. To make the thick, just drag it further before letting go. If you make the gradient line too small, it will result in an ugly tnarrow line across your sig.

4. After you make a lot, it should look similar to mine. There is almost no possible way to have it exact, so just try your best:

Another good example would be something like this:

5. Now press Ctrl J to make a copy of your selected layer. This way, if you totally mess up you can always go back and re-start without needing to do the gradient thing all over again.

6. This is the cheap part, which requires very little skill. I say this though, and most people still have huge problems. Bare with me here, try to get it as similar as mine to make the best results.

Go Filter > Distort > Wave. Use these settings, or whatever looks best in the preview window.

Now press Randomize until you find a nice, smooth distort. I have made a site with a few examples, each one is different but as you can see they all push the image over alot (making it look cooler in the end. If you have very little of a change after using the filter, it won't look too good). As you can tell, lots of the settings are different. If you can't seem to find anything nice on your current settings (sometimes it takes a lot of Randomizing to find a nice one), then change them until you do. Here is the page

7. Now, immediately after filtering the picture, go Edit > Fade wave. If you do something in-between, back up before the filtering (using the History pallet that you opened earlier) and press Ctrl F (redo last filter) and then fade it.

8. From here you have to play it by hand. I normally use hard light for my mode, and 50% or so. Do whatever makes it look cool.

9. Now REPEAT steps 6 through 8. Make sure you have a different wave each time, or else it will look stupid. Fool around with the Fade settings too, and it will look great. If itÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s getting too dark, next time youÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢re fading the filter set it to colour dodge or something bright.

10. If you ever mess up so much that you canÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢t go back anymore, you always have a backup that you can use. If you decide to use a backup, make sure you copy it before fooling around with it, just incase you mess up again.

11. Don't only use wave, go wild. I've used quite a few filters, but my most used one is probably got to be wave.

Text:

Depending on the type of sig, you should have a certain font and text effects. If itÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s Grunge, you may want to "Burn" it into your background. If its techno, you will want a small bitmap font.

For this tutorial, we are making a techno sig, so you will need to download a pixel font. I use one called ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅVisitorÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬ÃâÃ

[ Sorry for double post, its too long ]

[0.21] --- (Intermediate) 3D Studios Abstract Tutorial #1

Abstracting with lofts

1. Open 3D Studios Max 6

2. File > Reset. This will reset camera positions, selected tools etc..

3. Go to the Create tab > Shapes > Line. Now create a squigly line and connect the edges. If you click and drag it will smoothen out the ends, and if you do that it will look much nicer.

4. Now, still in the Shapes tab, create a Circle. Make it reasonably small. Select your squigly line shape.

5. Now, go to the Create Tab > Geometry > Compound Objects (in the combo-box/dropdown box) > Loft.

6. With Loft selected, click Get Shape and then click on your circle. Your squigly line should turn into a 3-Dimensional object.

7. You can now delete your splines (your line and circle).

8. Now select your new shape and go to the Modify Tab. In the modifying section, look for the Deformations panel.

9. Select Scale and play around with the settings in the new window so that the shape gets thinner. To do this, open the Scale window and move the points downwards near the "0". Don't make it too thin, though. We want it visible.. We just don't want it huge. Also, don't try to make it perfectly even, if the points are not matching horizontally, all the better. It will give your object different sizes.

10. You may have some ugly lumps or sharp things in your object. No worries, this will be fixed soon! But first, (while still in the Modify tab) choose Bend from the list of modifiers. Fool around with settings, but DON'T overdo it. I used:

Angle: 3

Direction: 5

Bend Axis: Y

I also rotated the Gizmo's (Click the [+] sign to the left of "Bend" in the modifier stack)

11. Now apply a Relax modifier:

Relax Value: 1

Irritations: 2

12. Now you can apply a bunch of other modifiers if you want, such as another Bend, some Stretching, and possibly a Twist modifier. Whatever you do, don't overdo it!!

13. Duplicate this (right click > Clone. Choose Copy, not instance!) multiple times and rotate each one and change each ones settings slightly (like their X/Y/Z positions on some bend modifiers etc..). I also added a couple extra modifiers, one being Noise.

14. After a bunch of funky twisty things have been created, you can select them all (ctrl + A) and group them together (Group > Group). Now just apply a material to all of them and change camera (changing the FOV is also a good idea) around till you get a nice result. Render it, save it as a .TGA (pre-multiplied Alpha) and voila! Your done.

--- Resources ---

[0.3] --- Notes

3D Models, Links, Materials, Photoshop Actions, Photoshop Brushes etc.. Pretty much most downloadable things I've made.

[0.31] --- (Resource Item) Links (500+):

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/11694692/

The link above will bring you to a submission on DeviantART by the user aiSupplies. aiSupplies is ME, so don't be fooled. Its just an account where i store and host various resources. Enjoy the list, I'm not planning on putting up my old BBCode version because not only is it outdated, but I'll only put it up if you guys insist I put it in a seperate topic.

[0.32] --- (Low Poly Model) USP - Silenced - .3DS Mesh

http://www.deviantart.com/view/11863415/

Details in link above.

Don't bother downloading unless the program you use can import .3DS meshses - and Photoshop CANNOT do this.

:P starting to give tip.it tips on abstract lol, maybe you will get the trend abstract again :D

Well, right now most of what i have are abstracts (just because its a good way to teach somebody the basics of a program).. But i'll have other styles soon, specifically, Low Poly Modeling in 3dsmax.

where did you get 3dsm, my trial expired

wow, very nice tuts there man :P

btw, after i finish my landscape tut you can add it if you want. or add it right now as an unfinished one :)

Pixel

 

 

 

Kinda silly if you ask me, if you've got good enough talents to draw such nice shapes I don't see why people would waste it on pixel sigs when they could be doing some nice, smooth Digital Paintings. But alot of people seem to like them.

 

 

 

They are just images that are done with small brushes (usually 1 px Pencil tool) and create scenes, objects, people, buildings, etc...

just cause u dont like em doesnt mean u have to flame them and stick them down saying they are no gud :cry: very nice tut i guess its for photoshop 7 8)

ill pm a mod about stickying this :wink:

 

Pixel

 

 

 

Kinda silly if you ask me, if you've got good enough talents to draw such nice shapes I don't see why people would waste it on pixel sigs when they could be doing some nice, smooth Digital Paintings. But alot of people seem to like them.

 

 

 

They are just images that are done with small brushes (usually 1 px Pencil tool) and create scenes, objects, people, buildings, etc...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

just cause u dont like em doesnt mean u have to flame them and stick them down saying they are no gud :cry: very nice tut i guess its for photoshop 7 8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ill pm a mod about stickying this :wink:

Nice tutorials. Let us hope though that you didn't open a can of worms..

Haha Wyrm I should post my tutorials :P.

Nice tutorials. Let us hope though that you didn't open a can of worms..

Of course he did. You'll be seeing an increase of posts using these "tutorials".

I was thinking more an influx of crappy abstracts again..

That would be that other thread then.

I was thinking more an influx of crappy abstracts again..

oh no ven, the king of 5 min simple signatures is calling your stuff crap.

anyway, very nice, can tell you spent lots of time creating this topic and the comment gsw had was just plain rude.

 

I was thinking more an influx of crappy abstracts again..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

oh no ven, the king of 5 min simple signatures is calling your stuff crap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

anyway, very nice, can tell you spent lots of time creating this topic and the comment gsw had was just plain rude.

lol dont even talk about rudeness kng...

Oh, no kingkyle, I wasn't implying that Venomai's abstracts were crappy at all. I was saying that sometimes inexperienced or untalanted people take the tutorials and make things that aren't exactly good-looking.

Oh, no kingkyle, I wasn't implying that Venomai's abstracts were crappy at all. I was saying that sometimes inexperienced or untalanted people take the tutorials and make things that aren't exactly good-looking.

ah, well looked as if you were talking about HIS work.

i can see what you mean about that tho. :?

 

Oh, no kingkyle, I wasn't implying that Venomai's abstracts were crappy at all. I was saying that sometimes inexperienced or untalanted people take the tutorials and make things that aren't exactly good-looking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ah, well looked as if you were talking about HIS work.

 

 

 

i can see what you mean about that tho. :?

yea, you jumped to pretty quick conclusion withought even thuroughly reading his post and dissed wyrm, and u called him rude :lol: dont mean to flame but thats funny

 

 

Oh, no kingkyle, I wasn't implying that Venomai's abstracts were crappy at all. I was saying that sometimes inexperienced or untalanted people take the tutorials and make things that aren't exactly good-looking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ah, well looked as if you were talking about HIS work.

 

 

 

i can see what you mean about that tho. :?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

yea, you jumped to pretty quick conclusion withought even thuroughly reading his post and dissed wyrm, and u called him rude :lol: dont mean to flame but thats funny

your not flamming, your spamming, and thats all you have done in this topic.

and i guess im doing the same right now

:arrow: look a bird

back on topic, but wyrm is right :P

Please, if you guys want to spam or flame keep it out of my thread. If you want to have an argument, do it through Private Messaging. Thanks for the comments though ;)

Nadril, thanks for the offer but i think i'm going to keep all the resources or tutorials in this topic my own, instead of from other submitters, and if i add yours people may not notice you wrote it and still give me credit or something lol :P

just cause u dont like em doesnt mean u have to flame them and stick them down saying they are no gud

Thats not flame :| It was more of a compliment than anything...

very nice tut i guess its for photoshop 7

Ummm.. No... I've got tutorials based on many different programs.

:evil:

You are t3h suk Dave!

I own joo.

________________________just kidding...or am I? muwahahaha____________________________

Er..anyways.

Um, nice King Tut, but I now I get to slap you in the face.

*does so*

How dare you use my cheap 3 minute donated background on your tutorial without giving the almighty a word of thanks.

*cough*

Wow I'm tired.

Um, so yar...cute tutorials, King Tut. :wink:

:evil:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You are t3h suk Dave!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I own joo.

 

 

 

________________________just kidding...or am I? muwahahaha____________________________

 

 

 

Er..anyways.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Um, nice King Tut, but I now I get to slap you in the face.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*does so*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How dare you use my cheap 3 minute donated background on your tutorial without giving the almighty a word of thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*cough*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow I'm tired.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Um, so yar...cute tutorials, King Tut. :wink:

I knew that looked like your work. But I didn't want to say somthing. :P

omg you are god :shock:

i was wondering how to make fratual flames

Thanks for comments :D And shaw, i'll take that off if you want :lol:

I'm not a ripper *shifty eyes*.. :P