My avs and banners...

[Selena_Akariko]

maj.com Gallery (http://www.maj.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=120447)

Well, I had a period when I loved making av and sig sets... So, here they are.

Avs are mostly 64x64 except for some with smaller width, sigs are either 250x70 or 250x100. In case you're wondering why such sizes, I made them for another forum, so...

Well, I hope you'll like them... :greenie:

If anybody likes my style or something, you can ask me, I'll make you a set fitting the standards of this forum.

:save: Selena

[James Leopold]

I'm not sure if it's my kruddy laptop, but your link doesn't seem to work.

[Polaris]

Nope Mr. Davies it's not just you I can't watch the link too! You should put as a photobucket link ;)

EDIT: Oh wait here's the correct link she put two http instead of one ^^"

maj.com Gallery (http://www.maj.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=120447)

They're not bad but for sigs they're kinda small! ^^" tehy're good for a beginner though:D

[Selena_Akariko]

Whoops :greenie: Thanks for telling, I fixed the link :)

Yeah, I know sigs are small, but they were made for a forum with a "max sig image size = 250x100" rule, so small sigs like these fit quite well.

[James Leopold]

yes, they are very nice

[XandrewX]

Those sigs are great..doesn't look like a beginner to me though..but the text are all same style..should try different ones.But your great

[Selena_Akariko]

Thank you, James :)


Those sigs are great..doesn't look like a beginner to me though..but the text are all same style..should try different ones.But your great

Well, text is basically the name of the set... Nobody ever asked me to make some actual text in my sigs.

And about style, well... Isn't it a good thing to have found your own style?

:save: Selena

[Kanshisha]

I love the way you added the chinese text! well done

[Selena_Akariko]

It's not Chinese, it's Japanese.

Thank you ^^

:save: Selena

[Selena_Akariko]

Well, I decided to update this thread, since I have been making new sigs. (different style, and bigger too ^^)

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/eoff_sig.jpg

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/yazoo_sig.jpg

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/kadaj_sig.png

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/nl_sig1.jpg

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/nl_sig2.jpg

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/garnet_sig.jpg

I also have made one more av-and-sig set, I think, but that one's for a friend, so I'm not posting it here ^^

Comments welcome :)

:save: Selena

P.S. Also, I have a sig for Sigmakers' Challenge, so I'm not posting that one here, either. ^^

[Kanshisha]

-.-" jap? , anyway, nice sigs, like the backgrounds!

[Selena_Akariko]

Thanks, Squall Leonheart :)

Another sig:

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/yuna_sig.jpg

:save: Selena

P.S. Or maybe I should stop putting up sigs that I'm using at the moment? ^^

[Ramza Beoulve]

No! Please don't stop, you're sigs are beautiful n.n, and putting your actual sigs serves to keep them for later n.n

[Serapy]

They are good for your level of graphic designing. Keep practicing more and you will be much better :D

[XandrewX]

Yeah it's really good.You're very good.

[Selena_Akariko]

Here's a new one:

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/zidane-garnet_sig.jpg

:save: Selena

[Selena_Akariko]

Yet another FF IX sig

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/zidane-garnet_sig2.jpg

Oh, by the way, the lyrics in last 3 sigs are from songs by Helloween: "Sun for the World", "The Dark Ride" and "Fallen to Pieces"

:save: Selena

[Selena_Akariko]

Jeez, nobody's posting :( Anyway, to contribute my participation in Eizon, a sig with my charachter! :)

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/selena_sig.jpg

:save: Selena

[Zeldy]

They're really nice, you have potential. How long have you been using photoshop?

I really like your current one, the last one you posted. It looks all cold and icy, the character used fits in well.

[Selena_Akariko]

They're really nice, you have potential. How long have you been using photoshop?

I really like your current one, the last one you posted. It looks all cold and icy, the character used fits in well.

Cold... And icy? I didn't mean it to seem so... I thought of the sky or something... MAybe my monitor is getting the colors wrong?

And how long I have been using Photoshop... To be honest, I don't remember. There are times when I work with it almost every day, times when I forget about it for months... So, I don't know :rolleyes2 But I learned how to use it about 2 or 3 years ago, then didn't use it until I began making my first sets with it.

:save: Selena

[XandrewX]

More like it looks pure..anyway it's an impressive sig.Nice one.

[Selena_Akariko]

More like it looks pure..anyway it's an impressive sig.Nice one.
Now that's more like I wanted it to be :)

Thank you :)

:save: Selena

[Kanshisha]

Unique.. i know i haven't been commenting often but.. well, it's good i decides to comment now because this sig looks great! keep it up

[Selena_Akariko]

Unique.. i know i haven't been commenting often but.. well, it's good i decides to comment now because this sig looks great! keep it up
:) Thank you very much :)

What's so unique about it, by the way?

:save: Selena

[Kanshisha]

the use of the corner border i suppose.. and the flow of the pic blend

[Selena_Akariko]

A new one:

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/garnet_sig2.jpg

:save: Selena

[Ramza Beoulve]

It's beautiful selena, excellent work :).

[Selena_Akariko]

It's beautiful selena, excellent work :).
Thank you, Ramza :) This is my best sig so far, I think, not counting my previous one.

:save: Selena

[Selena_Akariko]

A new one:

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/sun_sig2.jpg

:save: Selena

[Ramza Beoulve]

I like it :), it just needs a little more shadow in all the text to make contrast :). Excellent work Selena, and a good song too hehe :).

[Selena_Akariko]

*reply to Ramza's comment in the Rate the Set thread*
My, my, Ramza, you're flattering me :greenie:
I'm glad you like it :)

*back to this topic*

Thank you :)

Well, I tried shadow on the whole text, but it kinda ruined the orange of it, so I had to make a separate layer and put shadow only on the white. Maybe I indeed needed a bit more, but it seems fine as it is to me. And shadow against a black background = no effect.

Btw, you said that the songs in my sigs are good. Do you happen to know them?

Thank you very much for your comments, they make me want to do more :)

:save: Selena

[Ramza Beoulve]

*reply to Ramza's comment in the Rate the Set thread*
My, my, Ramza, you're flattering me :greenie:
I'm glad you like it :)

*back to this topic*

:save: SelenaYou're welcome :)

You could maybe use another color for the shadow, it works sometimes :). About the songs, I know most of them and I really like them :).

About the comments, you're welcome :). Every sigmaker grows step by step, and you're achieving great levels. I know you can get more and more quality ;).

[Selena_Akariko]

*reply to Ramza's comment in the Rate the Set thread*
My, my, Ramza, you're flattering me :greenie:
I'm glad you like it :)

*back to this topic*

:save: SelenaYou're welcome :)

You could maybe use another color for the shadow, it works sometimes :). About the songs, I know most of them and I really like them :).

About the comments, you're welcome :). Every sigmaker grows step by step, and you're achieving great levels. I know you can get more and more quality ;).

Works sometimes, but not this time...

Thank you yet again for your compliments on my works :)

:save: Selena

[Polaris]

Hmmmmm I think text is the main problem! Not the fonts or colour but the space :( Like you just read text and the banner as image is put aside :( Try to make perhaps many banners but with just two sentences or just one and work more on the image ;)

[Selena_Akariko]

Hmmmmm I think text is the main problem! Not the fonts or colour but the space :( Like you just read text and the banner as image is put aside :( Try to make perhaps many banners but with just two sentences or just one and work more on the image ;)
Well, that's what happens when you're working with song lyrics. You want to incert a complete part of the song, and ripping just a line or two just, well... Feels wrong.

Besides, I see my text as a part of my sig-making style. You probably noticed that I try to vary the fonts, the text style and so on. It's hard to make text read-able against the most of the backgrounds. I experiment with different outlines in order to make it readable and fitting the background.

Perhaps the image itself indeed gets little work, but most of the ones I use don't need any work at all (except for the screenshots, maybe). But if the image misses something, I add it, like with the second Garnet sig. But the images I use are usually wallpapers made by other people, so few of them actually need to be changed in any way.

I'll try to follow your advice when I do my next work, though...

Thanks for the comment.

:save: Selena

[Timster]

when it comes to songs and their lyrics, i think it's better to do wallpapers... then you can use more text, and still have plenty of room for the picture...

in sigs, well it's alot harder, because as you said selena you don't just want to rip one or two sentences out because it basically rips the feeling apart as well, but what it does when you put too much text in a sig, is that the sig fades away... the one your using now has probably the maximum amount of text before it overshadows the picture, at least with your current text-styles... with mostly using outlines that is...

i think you should try changing the syle of the text (not the font i mean but like the placement and stuff like that, different things you know) to find ways you can fit the text in without overshadowing the rest... some tips could be; changing opacity, blending the text in with the sigs in different ways, different sizes of words, try different placements of words, and maybe some other efffects besides outlines... i can't think of more right now but i'm sure there's plenty you could try... you can check other sigs as well to get some inspiration and own ideas...

otherwise your current sig is great... really well done and a nice feeling to it... and the text is also ok, not too much :)

the sun one... i think that it has too much text in it... i'm not saying the text itself is bad but it REALLY overshadows the sig...

hope you appreciate the advice :)

[Ramza Beoulve]

Well, about the topic of the font... You could try one named "BitDustTwo" It works pretty well when you want to use lyrics, and it can be readable even in text of 8 points. Also, you could ad just the sentence of more revelance to you in the sig, the one that makes you feel more pleased. As you can see, each of us has good abilities in their own style, but we learn of each, doesn't it? I like the sun one, I love it, but imagine it with two sentences and an effect like in polaris' sigs or a border like in mine's, you have potential, I can see it in your signatures, and I know you're evolving with your works, your current one being a fact of that statement, don't you think? :).

What I would suggest is that you ask some of us for some tutorial in different styles. Doing that, you will be doing greater sigs, what do you think?

[Timster]

yeeeah very well said ramza :)

being a good sigmaker isn't about just knowing you one style and being the best at it... it's about being able to do different things as well as your own... of course you can have a favourite style that you lika more and are better at...

but at least you should've tried deifferent ones before you decide to go with just one, who knows you might even find another one which you like even more...

so take ramzas advice into consideration... you don't ecven have to use tutorials, just get some tips and try for yourself...

[Selena_Akariko]

Well, you guys have a point...

Ramza, could you give me a link to where I can download that font?

Timster, I tried experimenting with different text styles before, and came to a conclusion that outlines and shadows are the best effects.
All I have tried is in that gallery, not only in that folder, but scattered all around it.
And now that I look at it, the sun sig indeed has too much text :( And yet again, it's the greatness of this song's fault :rolleyes2

Well, I'll take the advice and tips given to me, and maybe try some of them. I'm not as experienced Photoshop user as I might seem, so...

Still, thank you both :)

:save: Selena

[Selena_Akariko]

New style sig! Inspired by Timster's works :)

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/dream_sig2.jpg

Comments, please :)

:save: Selena

[Ramza Beoulve]

Good work Selena, maybe the font used in "to a" or the style could be different. A tip would be that you try to not put text over a character, but over all, it is a great work Selena :).

By the way, here is the font (http://www.dafont.com/bitdust-two.font), I hope you like it :).

[Selena_Akariko]

Good work Selena, maybe the font used in "to a" or the style could be different. A tip would be that you try to not put text over a character, but over all, it is a great work Selena :).

By the way, here is the font (http://www.dafont.com/bitdust-two.font), I hope you like it :).
Well, that pic was too little to move the charachter away :rolleyes2 And the word Fly looked good only in that spot.

Thank you :)

:save: Selena

[Ramza Beoulve]

Good work Selena, maybe the font used in "to a" or the style could be different. A tip would be that you try to not put text over a character, but over all, it is a great work Selena :).

By the way, here is the font (http://www.dafont.com/bitdust-two.font), I hope you like it :).
Well, that pic was too little to move the charachter away :rolleyes2 And the word Fly looked good only in that spot.

Thank you :)

:save: SelenaThe Fly is excellent, also the position of the image, only the "Dream" text needs a reposition n.n, everything is great Selena :). Oh, and you're welcome :).

[Selena_Akariko]

A new one:

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/fall_sky_sig.jpg

Your comments, please :)

:save: Selena

[Selena_Akariko]

Well, having no comments speaks for itself...

Anyway, a new one:

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/heaven_sig2.png

:save: Selena

[Polaris]

You should try changing the colours on the images. I don't know if it's the image but the wings seem too white :( Maybe a contrast would be nice. Text is kinda forced, it doesn't match maybe a different font, a one more worked and curly would be nice!

[Selena_Akariko]

The wings on the image originally were too white... I tried to change it a bit with adding a gradient overlay. Contrast isn't possible, because there are no feather patterns on the wings or anything...

I agree about the font, though... But I'll wait for some other comments before re-making it.

Thanks!

:save: Selena

[Aerith's Knight]

wow selena.. your really good at this..

[Polaris]

Hm there are some images that should be left appart you know! If you see that the image won't make a good banner don't make the banner! That's the first thing people learn about graphic design! There are some images that I love but I don't use them because I know they'd make awful banners!

And you should add some brushes. Because your banners are just the original image, a border and text. ^^

Good Luck ;)

[Lawr]

This one looks nice. Add some more effects and stuff and you'll make it look even better. Maybe touch up on the font too.

And for the one previous to this one, I like the font and just add some more to it. Keep up the good work! :kaoyatta:

[Selena_Akariko]

No, this one is actually a combination of two...

Well, maybe not my best one, but this is my first time on trying this kind of editing, so yeah...

Well, here are the images, anyway. Maybe I could have made something better out of them, I don't know...

I'll wait for some more comments, from other people. Then I'll try again.

:save: Selena

Edit: Thanks, Sagensyg ^^ Just noticed your post.

[Aerith's Knight]

i like the left one.. you could make a great sig from that
..

your sigs are always so bright.. its awsome =)

[Ramza Beoulve]

The first one is great indeed, I would only make some contrast for the wings, but depends on how do you want your sig :). For the wings, inside them you could add effects to fill them up, but it needs to be a great one. About your two last sigs (sorry for not comment about them n.nU), well, the first one is just beautiful, and the second one, another font would work better :).

About the thing that polaris said about the effects... It actually depends in the image. Some images work with effects, others no. You can actually do great sigs without effects, but it depends in the sig of course :). Well, anyway, good luck ;).

[Selena_Akariko]

Aerith's Knight: Well, I think they are so bright due to the fact that all monitors in this house are LC, and they mess the colors a bit, so they might look brighter on other monitors ^^

All the other people: Well, I'll try to re-make the heaven sig soon. Hopefully it'll turn out better ^^

Thanks, people! :)

:save: Selena

[Aerith's Knight]

i just looked over your old ones.. you actually make FF9 sigs.. you never see people do that.. keep it up :)

which one is the heaven one?

ow and.. great job Selena :p

and you shouldnt make that left pic any less bright, because it really looks good now.

[Selena_Akariko]

Thanks for your comment, Aerith's Knight :)

I didn't re-make the Heaven sig yet, but here's a new one, featuring a new border and very little text for me 0_o

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/go_away_sig2.jpg

Comments welcome.

:save: Selena

[Aerith's Knight]

not a very polite one :), but i like it and the blur is a great touch to it

[Polaris]

Hm blur images are quite bad... maybe you should have the image layer and then blur the image on a different layer and then slowly take the opacity! That'd look nicer!

[Ramza Beoulve]

maybe you should have the image layer and then blur the image on a different layer and then slowly take the opacity! That'd look nicer!That's the best way to work with blur, because that gives you a % to work with. Also, if the image turns nearly monochromatic with the blur, more contrast and less shine works excellent :).

[Lawr]

Hm blur images are quite bad... maybe you should have the image layer and then blur the image on a different layer and then slowly take the opacity! That'd look nicer!

Well said...

The Sig is nice, just a little blurred and maybe a darker mood, because when I think "Go away..." I think of something dark and secretive. :tongue:

[Kanshisha]

Nice! lol, the message in the text is really great! ^.- i liek the borders ^^

[Megami]

I think you could definately improve the text

[Selena_Akariko]

Well, here's a new sig, after a long while... It was meant for the Sigmakers' Challenge, but Polaris said it doesn't fit.

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/ro_sig.jpg

Comments are welcome :)

:save: Selena

[Polaris]

Yeah :( Unfortunately I changed rules so people could improve! :( Design is not just paste two images, it's a long process to work images and you can add brushes or not! But the truth is each people have their own style that's correct, but also what you make in PS anyone can make in Paint! I think you should improve the blending, follow some tutorials ^^ or ask someone to teach you design! Owen Macwere taught me and I'm teaching Sir Edeon X!

^^ Good luck

[Ramza Beoulve]

It's great Selena, but I agree with Polaris about improve your style, because you can find a lot of way to blend your sig with everything around it. The only thing I don't agree with Polaris is about the Paint comment. I think that was unnecessarily rough.

Anyways Selena, I know you can do great sigs, just believe in yourself :), you can do it.

[Polaris]

Hm I just said the truth! You should follow some tutorials, they're a great help and might help you to find your real style! :) I'm gonna say smth that don't interpert as rude but as a truth: if you'd go to foruns of design you'd get really really harsh critics! You're lucky that at eoff we love creative people! Even I think eoff have great designers and you can also be one, just try brushes and tutorials! There are awsomne tutorials at DeviantArt and some are not really hard to follow! I myself followed one PS tutorial in GIMP!

With time and if you're willing to accept different things, you can get good! I spent a lot of times hearing harsh critics most of them even made me want to gaive up! Even Owen recieved bad critics! We all do! So someone had to be the first and give the harsh critic! Think this way: it's just for my own good! ;) Because it is! When people give you harsh critics, it's for u to become good, the best!

So list theses thinsg before you make another sig:
- Search for other works
- Search for tutorials
- Download some brushes

After that you'll be on a good way!

[James Leopold]

Tutorials are the best way to go when starting off. They show you quick and easy ways on how to start doing well blended sigs. Then you just experiment with different aspects and before you know it, you're a master!

To follow the old cliche: Practice makes perfect

[Ramza Beoulve]

Hm I just said the truth! You should follow some tutorials, they're a great help and might help you to find your real style! :) I'm gonna say smth that don't interpert as rude but as a truth: if you'd go to foruns of design you'd get really really harsh critics! You're lucky that at eoff we love creative people! Even I think eoff have great designers and you can also be one, just try brushes and tutorials! There are awsomne tutorials at DeviantArt and some are not really hard to follow! I myself followed one PS tutorial in GIMP!

With time and if you're willing to accept different things, you can get good! I spent a lot of times hearing harsh critics most of them even made me want to gaive up! Even Owen recieved bad critics! We all do! So someone had to be the first and give the harsh critic! Think this way: it's just for my own good! ;) Because it is! When people give you harsh critics, it's for u to become good, the best!

So list theses thinsg before you make another sig:
- Search for other works
- Search for tutorials
- Download some brushes

After that you'll be on a good way!You didn't need that much "!" either :D, but yeah, just do that list, but don't do it before, do it WHILE you are doing a sig, because others works help with ideas for your own. About the tutorials, just search in design forums for them, or ask us for our speciality and how to reach them, what do you think?

And yeah, there's nothing more true than James quote: "Practice makes perfection"

[Megami]

Ok now it's my turn to give my opinion ^^

Yes, what Polaris said about people being harsh with no reason in most design forums is true.
That's what I like here in Eoff, people like creative people and new things, not just the same style.

So that's where I don't agree with "tutorials", I mean, don't follow them. You can have a look at them, to learn some tecnhiques, I just don«t agree with people tending to follow the same style. over and over...

I am counting on you to bring here new and creative things.

As for the "technical " part, yes, you have to work on blending ; light ; text . But I am sure you can do it.


good luck :love:

[Timster]

i agree with what's been said... i think that there is nothing WRONG with your style but there are definitely some things you should work on when it comes to the "technical" bit as megami said...

sure i'm all for people finding their own styles but i also want people to at least be open to and try new things... and not just insist on doing the same thing all the time... in the end it gets boring...

my advice would be: you have your style already... now try to perfect it by improving your skills in the technical part...

that's all... and btw i reeeeally think you can do better than the last one... just saying...

[Selena_Akariko]

Just a new sig I made for myself:

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/spirit_sig.jpg

:save: Selena

[Timster]

Wooow i REAALLY like it... it's your best so far i think...

and you really nailed the text... it's excellent... and the blending is great as well... and of course the entire sig has a great feeling to it...

4 stars out of 5 :):):):) keep it up!

[Ramza Beoulve]

A beautiful sig indeed, good work n.n, sadly, the last words gets lost in that image. Aside of that, the sig is lovely and great Selena :)

[Selena_Akariko]

I just wanna say, the picture was originally that way, only the text and the border are mine... Text is from a song.

[Ramza Beoulve]

I just wanna say, the picture was originally that way, only the text and the border are mine... Text is from a song.I supposed that. Don't worry about it, sometimes, the images are great by themselves, and with just some modifications it can be a great sig. Just continue your practice, ok? n.n

[Timster]

I just wanna say, the picture was originally that way, only the text and the border are mine... Text is from a song.I supposed that. Don't worry about it, sometimes, the images are great by themselves, and with just some modifications it can be a great sig. Just continue your practice, ok? n.n


actually i thought the opposite... that you'd blended it yourself... not that it really matters that much... just maybe next sig you can try to blend yourself instead? it's harder of course but just think of how many things you can do... in the beginning i was VERY lousy at it and even afraid to try... now almost EVERYTHING i make is blended, unfortunately i cover all the hard work up with brushes which i'm trying to learn not to do... and people would never guess that i've blended many renders and images myself... just think of all the possibilities!

[Aerith's Knight]

i liked the old one better :(.. this one is still awsome.. but i liked the old one so much :p

[Selena_Akariko]

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/water_sig.jpg

Comments, please

:save: Selena

[Aerith's Knight]

oh lol, i didnt realize thats a real pic of water :D

very nice, the font looks a bit strange to me, but my opinion doesnt really matter :p

[Polaris]

Avoid mixing real pictures (aka photographs) with anime or 3d images. It must be a great master to do that (it's so hard I think I saw that just once) and most time it just don't fit, you get the clear idea what you did you joined the two images. Sometimes what I try to do is make the photograph looking like it was also drawn! So like that you don't know what I transformed or what was the original. :) Also when it comes about water and crystal try to make a soft outline on the character in white, it'll get an idea of "pure".

[Ramza Beoulve]

Avoid mixing real pictures (aka photographs) with anime or 3d images. It must be a great master to do that (it's so hard I think I saw that just once) and most time it just don't fit, you get the clear idea what you did you joined the two images. Sometimes what I try to do is make the photograph looking like it was also drawn! So like that you don't know what I transformed or what was the original. :) Also when it comes about water and crystal try to make a soft outline on the character in white, it'll get an idea of "pure".That's actually my opinion this time. Work with real pictures only with real people or something that looks really real. Right now we doesn't have that much or tecnology for creating 3D images that look really real (one year or two, maybe), but anyways, it's a good aproach with a good concept, but with the wrong images. Good luck :).

[Timster]

yeah i agree with the others and also i didn't think the text fit in well with the sig... it looked alright but didn't fit in...

[Selena_Akariko]

Thanks for comments, people. This one was actually just a random try to do something new and see how it looks. I'll keep what you said in mind when (and if) I make a new one...

:save: Selena

[Kanshisha]

i like how you used real pics as bg's for your latest sigs, nice work of blending it with the pic.

[Polaris]

I have an idea, why don't you make photomanipulations? :)
It's quite easy and you can use different pictures and no effects! That'd be good

[Selena_Akariko]

I have an idea, why don't you make photomanipulations? :)
It's quite easy and you can use different pictures and no effects! That'd be good
Well, I might try it, but the pics I have are mostly scenery, and I need people or something to make good things :rolleyes2 Thanks for the idea, though :)

:save: Selena

[Polaris]

Well photomanipualtiosn is all about mixing lasncapes with real people! Check Deviantart and stock images they have tons over there! :) IT's more simple than it looks :)

[Selena_Akariko]

Well, here's a new one. I saw the background image while browsing the internet, and couldn't resist the urge to make something out of it. Now, here's my depressing sig:

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/love_hurts_sig.jpg

Love hurts...

Comments welcome.

:save: Selena

[Polaris]

omg is that a brush around the image?? I think nect level is to change colours in Photoshop :) Play around with colours and you'll keep developing! :)

[Timster]

I'm soooo sorry for this but I don't think it's good at all... :(

first of all the red borderish thing is really out of place, and it's not that good and doesn't even go all the way to the right or all the way down (not that it really has to but the right is just empty and it's not like there is a concept that would make it fit like for example White_Dove who leaves empty spaces at sides, at least there is a conept there because she fills them with at least a solid color and doesn't just leave the image as it is)
second it's really messy, the image, and you can't really see the person, mostly the trees and the house in the back... it's not that good and it doesn't even look blended at all...
third the text NEEDS effects, and the white doesn't fit just like that, perhaps if you blended more it could work with the white but certainly not just like that...
and also in the bottom right kind of area there's something blue which clashes veeery much with the rest...

you've done better sigs... and although I get that there might be alot of feeling involved in making this one I don't think that it shows at all, because the way the sig is made it doesn't even look like you cared about it, more like something you just threw together as if it was just something meaningless...

I really think that if you want to continue and get better you should ask for advice, I don't use PS but you can still ask for advice about things in progress or you can ask others, I'm sure they'd help out and give you some tips and advice if you just asked...

I know this sounds really harsh and believe me when I say it's nothing personal at all, I'm just telling you what I think, you might disagree all you want but at least that was my opinions, it's better to give advice than to lie and only say stuff people want to hear...

I'm sorry...:(

[Selena_Akariko]

Don't worry, Timster. I know I don't make sigs too well... You all told me my style was too simple, i.e. anime pictures+text, so I tried photo+anime+text. No good. Now I tried photo+photo+text+brushy border. Yes, now that I looked at it again, I realize that my purely-emotion sig is totally crap compared to the original photos... My only excuse is that Deviantart was glitching, so I couldn't open the whole picture of the person or get another one, so I had to use the small preview one...

Maybe I was right... See, Polaris?

That's it. From now on I'll open Photoshop or any other drawing program only to make a sig for my friends or for myself. No more showing off my poor graphic skills...

Besides, sigs made for friends are always better-looking... Check Elpizo's profile and look at his sig. It was done by me.

:save: Selena

[Polaris]

I think it's great you used brushes it's a great development! Everytime we start a new style it's not our best but we have to keep trying :) Check my banners when i started using brush! i used brush over Tom Chaplin's head!! At leats you didn't make that :) I believe if you keep going and practising you'll be quite better and people won't even believe in your previous work.

I took more than a year to make smth good and even now I am really criticized by other people. I find better that you are improving and tryin to work on pictures. I don't think your previous work was better because it was no work at all! You just pasted images and added text now you used a brush. It's awsome!!!

Don't be affraid to try new things!

You used Ps default brushes but if you go here Browsing Textures on deviantART (http://browse.deviantart.com/resources/textures/?order=9&alltime=yes) these are great things to start a bg instead of real images! JUST if you wanna try smth new! ;) Among them look for smth it's you! You might see a texture and say 'oh wow I love that' and use that for a sig!

I think that however next level would be change colours. And I have a secret. Designers now appreciate smth simple than smth with lots of effects. If you grab a picture and change some colours I think people will find it great :)

[Ramza Beoulve]

First of all, are you ok Selena? There's something that's happening to you or something we can help?

I also think it isn't your best sig, but something tells me that you aren't really ok emotionally, I'm right? Sometimes emotions helps us in doing sigs, but when they are really strong they damage us more thant they can help.

[Timster]

you misunderstand me... I know I was being very harsh but that's no reason to give up... just ASK and you'll get better... when I started out everything I made was PUUUUURE CRAP... but then I started looking around for tutorials that showed how to do different thing (I couldn't follow them all the way though, it felt like I was copying someone but that's just how I am...) and I got looooooooooads of help from Polaris, if it wasn't for her I'd never improve this much... and when I got better I introduced my friends to GIMP too and we started helping eachother...

sure we all have our setbacks... but you shouldn't just quit, especially when there are people supporting you... I'm sure both Polaris and me and other sigmakers are happy to help you get better (ramza maybe, he's a GREAT sigmaker...)... and we really know that you can get better

[Sir Edeon X]

First of all, it's hard to change style. I understand how you feel, cuz I keep changing mine. And it seems good to us, when we do something new. It really does, then someone says it sucks. You just can't stop here... you just can't stop when you didn't even started. Now it's the time when you get to do a new one, just to show that you really know how to do it and that you really are keeping your style. And then... there it is. You make a better one. And then you understand what other people said about the previous one. And this is how it works.

I know Timster was trying to help you. As Polaris did. And you know that what he said was right. But now you used a brush! And that's one big step, and you'll understand that when you see what brushes can do for you.

So, advices? I have three:
1) Do what Timster said. Exchange ideas, look for tuts, talk to people, ask for help. This will widden every single aspect of your sig making process. And people here in EOFF are so giving and supporting, trust me.
2) Do what Polaris said, our sig goddess whose style keeps changing and I always tell her her sigs look like crap :D . And believe in her, cuz she has got much experience in sig making. Look for things you like, intertwine them in your sigs, make them about you and what you want to transmit. In the end, look at it. Does it really transmit it? If not, DELETE and start over... like i do most of the times :eep:
3) My advice: Go on. Cuz you'll get better, as I did, as Polaris did, as everyone did. Cuz we did not born making sig. ;) . Want to know one of the most useful brushes? A sparkle one. To make your sigs sparkly :D

So, I hope you go on. And I think I speak for everyone in this forum.

[Selena_Akariko]

http://www.maj.com/gallery/keshi-shai/pics/Kerry/diarydesign/fairy_sig.jpg

[Polaris]

Love the detail on her clothes ;) But make some smaller so if anyone likes it they can use it :)

[Selena_Akariko]

Well, this one is max EoFF size.

[Polaris]

Yes but if people will use the max size there will be no size if they want to add some sentences! ^^ try to make 425*125 or 350*150. When we use smth bigger it's easy to make mistakes ;) Like people will notice is too empty or lack of effects. :D

[Ramza Beoulve]

Maybe it's just my belief, but sometimes a lack of effects it's better.

Anyways, the sig is great, excellent work in the girl cloth's. Maybe here isn't quite accepted because of the size, but in other places it would be pretty cool. Don't hesitate to practice with different sizes because of just one forum or one person. Experiment everything you can find in photoshop, and you'll find great things in the way :). Good luck.

[Megami]

Hello :) First of all, I don't think you should give up. All of us here have done bad sigs and better sigs. I have used PS for quite some time now and even though I have the excuse of the practise (I don't have time to practise that much) , many people still criticze my sigs.
Because the reality is..you can't just please all the world.

But there are some general things that can help you to reach a level of harmony between colors and visual of the sig.

Right now my advice is: just keep trying, your work will get better evry day and you'll know what are your mistakes and what you're doing wrong or not.

[Timster]

this one is much better :) you picked a nice stock, the border is WAAAY better than before, the detail on the clothes look great (although you accidentally painted over some of her hand;)), AND the text looks alot better with an effect (in this case the outlines in different colors)

it's really a big improvement, or maybe not even that... the other one was probably just that you had a bad day or something... since you've made great sigs before...(like your current)

hmm to make this one better i'd suggest making it a liiiiiiiiittle bit smaller... because people generally don't like sigs that are big... (even if they are within restrictions), second maybe erase stuff that don't have anything with the sig to do, for example the powerline; this can probably be done by using a tool called the "Heal" tool (PS users can correct me if i'm wrong, i'm not exactly familiar with PS terms...)... anyway you should check that out... if the heal tool doesn't work you can try the clone tool, you just select a point of origin which will be "cloned" and then when you use the brush it will copy from the point of origin, so you can just select somewhere on the sky as a point of origin and clone over the powerline...