Instant's GFX Guide

Hi, My name is Instant-Itachi, more known as Instant. And this is my Guide to GFX. Enjoy!

If you see any Good Resources or anything Missing that should be added, PM me or Post

GFX Terms
Sig-Also Known As Signature

Gfx- Also Known As Graphics

Gfx-ers-Also Known As Graphic Designers

Render- A pre-cut image from a wallpaper or other image commonly used in signatures.

Stock- Any un-cut image. Such as photography or a wallpaper.

Sprite- A render of a pixilized character. Such as ASH from the gameboy pokemon or Ryu from the SNES Street Fighter. Can be any pixelized character.

Focal/Focal Point- The main part of the signature/LP that people see. Most of the time it's your stock or render.

Blending- How well the Render has been fitted/matched with the background. Also how the edges of the render flow into the background.

Flow- The overall direction of the sig.

Chaotic- Too much is going on in the Signature and it is very hard to make out.

Vomit- A bad sig rating

Brush- A downloaded brush from another site commonly used to make sigs. It is used as a tool to create backgrounds.

Brightness/Contrast- Change the settings of your brightness and contrast in your monitor......... notice the difference thats what its referring to. When its over contrasted it means that your contrast is way overboard and it has too much excessive dark spots/black or white light spots.

C4D- An abstract render made in a program called Cinema 4D, also commonly used in sigs.

Pack- A collection of stuff.

Font- A different style of text.

Pixel Stretch- A simple sig technique using 1px by "x[vertical wise" of an image and stretching it across the width of the sig.

Blurred- Blurring duh....you know when it gets fuzzy. It's used for adding depth.

Sharpen-This tool is used to bring up the contents of your focal, by changing the quality to a more "crisp" like view.

Foreground- The front part in a signature, usually blurry, to signify it is "too close" for the lens, or the focus is not on it.

Middleground- The part of a signature/photo where the focus is, where the crisp render is, and where the focal point should be.

Background- The back part of the signature, usually blurry, or made to emphasise the focal point.

Focal point- the first point that the eye draws to, or looks at, in any piece of art. This is strongly affected by placement, depth, and sharpness.

Composition- How well your piece is put together. Anyone can throw a bunch of stuff onto a canvas and call it good. Not everyone can put it together to form a nice piece.

Ripping-Another word for plagerism. Claiming something of your own when in fact it is not your's.

Photo Manipulation/ Manip- Creating something that's almost surreal. Adding things that wern't there to begin with. (Hard to explain, I tried >< )

Typography- Pretty much anything that has to do with text.

B&W- Black and White.

DP- Digital Painting. Using programs to digitally paint something.

Lighting/Light Source - The main source of luminance in the canvas. Lighting makes the art piece brighter. Sometimes there can be more than one light source, while other times there are none.

Effects - These are the parts of the signature that make it appealing and aesthetic, they are designed to aid in the flow of the sig while assisting the focal in looking good.

Sketch & Toon - These are C4Ds that mimic a drawing or a vector.

Mechanical - These are C4Ds that look mechanical or robot-like. They are not as helpful in flow as abstract freehand splines, but they are very intricate and detailed.

Effect Abstracts - These are C4Ds that are transparent with definitive colors and lighting. They are most often used to aid in the effects around the focal.

HQ/LQ- HQ stands for high quality and LQ stands for low quality.

Rights: If you are given "rights" to a resource or a piece itself, below are what you can do with these "rights". Not including full rights, you may not use a resource or piece to post anywhere else, edit it, or claim it as your own. All rights must have original owner's credit with them. When a .psd file is involved you may not use any layers of the .psd for your own projects. Only the original owner can give any type of "right" to you unless someone else has full rights.

WR/ Wearing Rights: When you are given a gift from another member, you may wear the piece in your signature or avatar space.

LR/ LRO/ Learning Rights- This is for a resource given by another member. You may look at it to see what they did to give you ideas of your own.

PR/ Posting Rights- This is also for resources. This means you can repost the resource on other sites.

FR/ Full Rights- You can do whatever you want except claim it as your own. You can edit, repost, take layers from a .psd file, sell it, whatever you feel like you want to do.

something about depth as well:
Blurring something away from the sig while sharpening the focal is an example of depth.

something about composition:
The fusion of lighting, depth and focal give the signature composition.

Other:

LP - Large Piece.
Vector
Pentooling

Raster: An image entirely of individual pixels in a grid format. Most signatures are raster images.

Vector: The use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygon(s), which are all based upon mathematical equations, to represent images in computer graphics. (Stolen from Wikipedia) To achieve a true vector, you must you a vector program such as Adobe Illustrator or Macromedia FreeHand. Photoshop does not produce true vectors. Most vector art is a compilation of shapes stacked on top of each other to form a whole.

Vexel: A word derived from "vector" and "pixel". It is an entirely raster based image that resembles vector style when at the correct zoom. When you zoom in, however, it will begin to look pixelated, just like any raster based image.

Pentooling: Using the pen tool, whether in photoshop or any other program that has one, to create lines, shapes, paths, etc. A pen tool uses vector formulas to encorporate lines, curves, and points into a path that can be filled with color to create a shape. The pen tool can also make curved lines, and gradients. Using the pen tool takes a little practice, but it's a lot more precise than brushing. The pen tool creates a nice, clean, solid shape.

Brushing: Using any of the brush tools in Photoshop to draw on a canvas, whether with a mouse, tablet, or some other method. Brushes are highly customizable, and can be used in a variety of ways. In comparison to the pen tool, brushing can add texture to a piece.

Expanding the definition of "Depth":
Depth is the illusion of distance within a composition. There are several ways to do this. The most common, and easiest ways to do this in a signature are; to blur the background and sharpen the focal point, making the background darker, and others. Overlapping elements on a canvas, closer items in front of items farther away can create depth as well. Negative space, if used correctly, can make the focal appear much farther back in the piece. Making something bigger or smaller can effect how "deep" into the canvas it is, a big tree is closer than a small volcano.

Photo Manipulation:
Taking a regular image and using editing techniques in order to create an illusion or deception. Like a regular picture would be some like some squeezing a sponge dry, Then the illusion of photo's drop nsted of water.

The Beginning
Alright, first off, you Need a Program. The Most common Programs used are Photoshop, and GIMP. Photoshop is very good and easier to navigate through stuff. But it is expensive. GIMP is free, and isn't as easy to navigate. You can get Photoshop Here and GIMP here Here.Ok now that you have your GFXing programm you could start to make some tags or other art works, but i would suggest to download resources. Resources are mostly things other gfxers(sometimes already professional gfxers have created) and you can use for your own works. The resources that will be important for you at the start will be brushes, fonts and renders.
Some Good Sites: DeviantART Renders-Graphiques and Dafont
How to Install Brushes and Fonts?
GIMP: When you downloaded brushes/fonts search the main folder of your gimp programm, open that fodler. In that folder you will see a subfolder of Gimp that is called Brushes and a subfodler that is called fonts. Now you just take the brushes/fonts you downloaded and paste the downloaded bruhes in the subfolder brushes and the fonts you downloaded you paste in the subfolder fonts. Now you are able to use this brushes/fonts in Gimp.
Photoshop: When you download Brushes, just go to Program Files, then click on Adobe, and go down to Photoshop [Insert your version here], then click on presets and In there is a Brushes folder, just drag the brushes there. For Fonts its a bit tricker, Usually the fonts file is hidden, so you usually just have to go to Control Panel and make a shortcut on your desktop, open it, and drag the fonts there.

Types of GFX
Typography: click
Grunge: click
Vector: click
Abstract: click
C4D: click
Smudge: click

Using C4Ds and ToolsNote: Some may not be on GIMP
C4D Usage: C4Ds are Usually used for Flow or to add Depth. An Average Sig using C4Ds is This But there are some GFXers who tend to do Pieces with Just C4D, which is Fine.
Pentool: Pentool is usually used for Shapes and Curves. More Expierienced GFXers like to use Pentool because they can shape it any way they want.
Move Tool: Move tool allows you to move the Layer you are currently selecting. (does not work if layer is empty)
Marquee Tool: Allows you select certain areas.
Lasso tool: Allows you to Select specific areas.
Crop Tool: Allows you to crop out Areas of a Piece.
Eyedropper Tool: Allows you to Select a Certain color just by clicking on it not trying to find it Manually.
Brush Tool: Allows you to brush of course.
Eraser Tool: Allows you to Erase.
Gradient Tool: allows you to make Gradient Maps or Overlays.
Blur Tool: Blurs out Any unwanted sections, can also be used to create depth.
Smudge Tool: Used many different ways, Blending, or just to make a Simple Smudge Piece.
Sharpen Tool: Sharpens the Image.
Dodge Tool: Makes Image Lighter.
Burn Tool: Makes Image Darker.
Type Tool: Puts Text on your Image
Path Selection Tool: Creates Paths for you.
Zoom Tool: allows you to Zoom in.

Rankings

Low Novice
Novice
High Novice

Someone who Just started, Who doesn't Execute the Basics well, but Has an Idea of what they are.

Low Moderate
Moderate
High Moderate

Someone who knows the basics but don't have some of them mastered just as yet, like composition. Work that show the appeal of having potential and know how to make something decent.

Low Intermediate
Intermediate
High Intermediate

Someone who understands and knows the basics but still have minor problems. They know how to make their work appeal as the advantage by making their work more complex.

Low Semi-Professional
Semi-Professional
High Semi-Professional

Someone who knows the basics and takes advantage of making their work unique with it's own variety of styles and complexity.

Low Professional
Professional

Someone that has a unique style and practically have their work in flawless execution and appeal.

Resources
Fonts
- Dafont
- 1001 Free Fonts
- UrbanFonts
- Font Freal
- Ddfont
- Dingbat Depot
- Type Now
- Simply The Best

Font Packs
- 1000 Fonts Pack
- Selected 56 Fonts

C4D Packs
- Biolumine scene by clyzm
- P-Series C4D Pack
- 3.2-use.pack
- a.Ang.C4D Pack
- losMac C4D Pack
- WireFrame Pack
- Effect C4D pack
- Pack 1
- Bubble Effect C4D Pack
- CGFX C4D Pack
- C4D Pack2
- Abstract C4D Pack
- Supreme Pack (New)
- Unique C4D Pack
- Tamilias C4D Pack
- C4D Pack3
- C4D Exclusive
- Abstract C4D Pack
- Monochrome C4Ds

Some Good C4D Deviants
- MrRobin
- RedFoxGFX
- Jdluxe

Renders/Stocks

- Renders-Graphiques
- Planetrenders
- Delta-Visions
- Photobucket
- Randomc

Renders/Stocks Packs
- 700 Stocks pack
- Marvel Renders Pack
- Massive render packs part 1
- Massive render packs part 2
- Massive render packs part 3
- Ownozz! Human stock
- Revolution recourse render pack

Brushes
- 150 brushes pack

- Blood Brush
- Vector Brush
- Stroke bursh
- Vector Grunge Brush
- Splatter Brush
- Cloud Smudge Brush
- Chilled smudge set
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GIMP Tutorials
Tutorials

AVATAR TUTORIALS

1
2
3
4

Novice Tutorials
------------------------
~ Rendering Tutorial - by : TheOrochimaruSama from Deviantart.
------------------------
~ Tutorial 1 - by : cheesyGFX from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial 2 - by : Xlyphia from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial 3 - by : Shiftz from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial 4 - by : Yoshigohn from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial 5 - by : Ryanx2 from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial 6 - by : Neier from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial 7 - by : jonaathan from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial 8 - by : Dduazo from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial 9 - by Chum162 from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial 10 - by Venesinine : from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial 11 - By Batz : from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial 12 - By DaConman : from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial 13 - By -KageBoy- : from Naruto-Boards.
~ Tutorial 14 - By -KageBoy- : from Naruto-Boards.
~ Tutorial 15 - By Princess_nick : from Naruto-Boards.

Moderate Tutorials

~ Tutorial A - by : CobraGFX from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial B - by : Iron-Allegiance from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial C - by : Misty82 from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial C - by : CobraGFX from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial D - by : hanzel2m from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial E - by : blakemoso from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial F - by : CobraGFX from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial G - by : DaBigE from Deviantart.

Advanced Tutorials

~ Tutorial ( 1 ) - Gimp.talk
~ Tutorial ( 2 ) - Gimp.talk
~ Tutorial ( 3 ) - Gimp.talk
~ Tutorial ( 4 ) - by : AwacsThunderhead from Deviantart.
~ Tutorial ( 5 )

quote:

_______________________________________________________________
LATEST TUTORIAL

OUTCOME 2 OUTCOME 3
________________________________________________________________

OUTCOME 2 OUTCOME 3

OUTCOME 2

OUTCOME 2

OUTCOME 2

OUTCOME 2

(The Gimp) Avatar Video Tutorial

(The Gimp) UserBar Video Tutorial

(The Gimp) Splatter Tag Video Tutorial