Curse

William of Orange · Mar 12, 2005, 01:41 AM // 01:41

I've been trying to get a hang of using Photoshop CS, and having ImageReady CS helps a ton too, since I can just merge pictures together with that and then edit as I like in Photoshop. This is the first actually decent picture I've done so far, right now I'm just trying to make pictures that William the Silent and myself can use for whatever reason.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y24...amofOrange.jpg

Cutting that Ranger out wasn't hard at all, but erasing all of the old background pixels from the darker background he was on sucked big time. I hope it turned out alright, and I'd like some feedback on any styles/layers/etc. I can add to it to enhance its aesthetics.

William of Orange · Mar 12, 2005, 03:07 AM // 03:07

And then just because I was bored. I'd be out and about, but I have college placement testing tomorrow at 8, so I need to stay home and get to bed early, meaning I have nothing to do. So this is the result...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y24...MonkDragon.jpg

Let me know if you put that on your desktop

Weezer_Blue · Mar 12, 2005, 05:33 AM // 05:33

haha. i like the second one. and the first one is good except that you can tell that the ranger you pasted into that picture was not in that type of environment. he was either sneaking around the wilds or at the tombs or some other bright desert-like area. you can tell because he looks lighter as if light is reflecting off him.

William of Orange · Mar 12, 2005, 12:40 PM // 12:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weezer_Blue

haha. i like the second one. and the first one is good except that you can tell that the ranger you pasted into that picture was not in that type of environment. he was either sneaking around the wilds or at the tombs or some other bright desert-like area. you can tell because he looks lighter as if light is reflecting off him.

Yeah, I actually had realized that too after I had posted it here, so it's a good thing that I was lucky enough to save it as a PSD format so that my layers will still be intact. I'll have to play around with lighting then I suppose. Would using Global Lighting do the trick?

Vanquisher · Mar 12, 2005, 02:01 PM // 14:01

I like the artwork, but in reality, it's not yours. You're just adding text to already existing backgrounds.

Try to experiment and make your own backgrounds. I don't mean to have a go or anything, but I also dislike the cheap text effects you've used on the silver text in the first one.

Keep trying though. You only improve with practise.

Devil's Dictionary · Mar 12, 2005, 03:11 PM // 15:11

Here is are instructions to make a simple "lighting" background. Doing it, however, you might understand more about layers:

NOTE: You have to work in RGB mode. If you are in Grayscale, go to Image > Mode > RGB
1- Start with a white background and make sure you have the default colours. If not, press D.
2- Filter > Render > Clouds
3- Filter > Render > Difference Clouds
4- Image > Ajustments > Levels
5- Drag the arrow a little to the left and press OK
6- Add a new layer on top, fill it with black and hide it.
7- Create a new layer on top
8- Go to channels, CTRL+Click on Red, Green or Blue
9- Go back to Layers, show the black layer and make sure you are working on the upper, empty layer.
10- Right-click, 'select inverse', select the desired colour in the palette and CTRL+Backspace
11- Create a new layer and fill the selection with white
12- Go to Select > Modify > Contract and contract by X pixels, select inverse and delete

You should get something like this:

William of Orange · Mar 12, 2005, 08:21 PM // 20:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanquisher

I like the artwork, but in reality, it's not yours. You're just adding text to already existing backgrounds.

Try to experiment and make your own backgrounds. I don't mean to have a go or anything, but I also dislike the cheap text effects you've used on the silver text in the first one.

Keep trying though. You only improve with practise.

I'm just trying to get a feel for how I need to do things in Photoshop, so I can't really do anything spectacular on my own yet. I've been playing around with some of the styles and such in the program, and I've been thinking of little projects that I want to work on. Hopefully I can make my own little pictures, Guild Wars-related or not, fairly soon (month or so?)

William of Orange · Mar 13, 2005, 12:51 AM // 00:51

Would anybody happen to know if there would be a place to find this 3D render...

http://www.guildwars.com/images/JPG/...er-004-lrg.jpg

with the background already chopped away? I know I've seen a couple places where there were some characters already on blank backgrounds, but that was a few days ago and I can't seem to find the link for it again.

Devil's Dictionary · Mar 13, 2005, 01:02 AM // 01:02

Just delete it yourself. Use either Lasso/magnetic lasso/pen/magic wand. Although the Magic Wand usually is unstable, I think you can successfuly apply it here.

William of Orange · Mar 13, 2005, 01:21 AM // 01:21

I'll give it another go, I tried Magic Wand before I posted but it didn't work so well. Magnetic lasso worked fairly well, but I had some trouble getting it to stick to the points I wanted it to, so I have to go through it again and try to work it out.

March Hare · Mar 13, 2005, 04:29 AM // 04:29

You migh tbe better to do a selection by color (under the "selection" heading) then adding back in the parts that you don't want to erase.

William of Orange · Mar 14, 2005, 05:32 AM // 05:32

I'm still working on it, and I'm kind of stuck on where I want to go, but is this any sort of improvement at all? I'm sticking with the idea of trying to make cool backgrounds and stuff for Guild Wars, and I at least think that the idea behind this is good...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y24...01/Flames4.jpg
Edit: Fixed up the Guild Wars sign in the center, added both an Outer and Inner glow filter to the woman, adds a lot more definition to her than my rough copy did. I don't feel like I'm done though....

Thoughts?

March Hare · Mar 14, 2005, 06:06 AM // 06:06

If you want it to stand out a bit more try adding a outer glow.

EDIT - to the figure I've guess you edited now

William of Orange · Mar 14, 2005, 06:10 AM // 06:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by March Hare

If you want it to stand out a bit more try adding a outer glow

Ha, beat you to the punch on that one

I just finished upload my new picture and editing that post when you posted that, so it had been done already

March Hare · Mar 14, 2005, 06:11 AM // 06:11

Yeah, i just looked at it - very nice

Nova · Mar 14, 2005, 06:52 AM // 06:52

The first one looks great! You did a good ob with putting the Ranger there. Even if it was very hard. And the latest one, with the Guild Wars Chick in the blue fire, thatis awesome. Thats someonething up my ally. Good job. (I wish I had Photoshop or somehting like it

)

Devil's Dictionary · Mar 14, 2005, 07:06 PM // 19:06

How much of it is yours?

William of Orange · Mar 14, 2005, 10:10 PM // 22:10

*NOTE: I have since altered the picture a little bit, so the picture that is posted above will have a slightly different look to it.*

Quote:

Originally Posted by DEATH AT THE DOOR

How much of it is yours?

Most of you should recognize that the woman in the picture is from one of the 3D renders that Arena.net had made; it took some doing trying to get her off the original background and then replacing the hair which the Magic Eraser had taken out, since some of the hair and the background color were similar and it took all of those similar sections out. Changed the opacity of her layer (65%), tinkered with the settings on the Outer Glow and the Inner Glow, *edit: filtered her with Plastic Wrap,* and centered her.

I Googled for the background image, and then inverted it so it went from the orange flames to blue ones, so there wasn't much to that one. The Guild Wars sign is from the main Guild Wars sight, taken off of its background, cleaned up the remaining background from around the letters using an eraser from anywhere between 1-3 pixels, and placed it on. I had planned on putting the picture though a filter and changing the apperance of the title, but I ended up just leaving it as is, at least for now. *I have since done this; "Guild Wars" text is now under a Gradient Overlay, Difference, Radial, 10% Size, using Blue to try and make it softer on the eyes against the overall blue.*

And if you think about it, of how ever many images that people make, how much of it is really their own? Of all of the backgrounds I've seen (and I have seen a lot when I've been looking the internet for screenshots and such), almost nobody has done a picture from scratch. Most of them are similar to the first one I posted; some assorted "Official Screenshot," an image of an in-game character or one from the backgrounds of the Guild Wars offical wallpapers, and the Guild Wars title.

I would create my own background, but I'm still playing around with changing up layers and everything to come to the desired effect. Once I have more free time to just sit around and start on my own project, I will. But for now, I'll do what I can as I continue to become accustomed to the program and its features.

Devil's Dictionary · Mar 14, 2005, 11:23 PM // 23:23

I do see improvement, however do not justify with "other people do blah-blah-blah". The good backgrounds are made from scratch.
Apart from that, you're doing fine. There is a huge difference from your first picture and this one. Keep working

.

William of Orange · Mar 15, 2005, 01:39 AM // 01:39

It took me forever to go through this, but I just figured out tonight that you need to have the tool set on the Marque one in order to be able to do "Select Inverse." Feel free to call me retarded for that move...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y24.../Lightning.jpg

I'm also working on changing around the Blue Flame one, so far it's mixed reactions on it. Some people like the blue; one guy said it looked like it was ethereal and he liked it. Others at another forum say it's too much blue, and I can definitely agree to that. I'll see what I can do; I may just keep the woman but change the background entirely...