[Official Narutomania Graphics Help Thread]

[~acadia]

Ask anything in this thread relating to the execution of graphics. It will be answered to the best of my, or anyone elses, ability. I'm making this thread in order to promote the improvement in the skill of newcomers and veterans alike.

All Questions will be answered, no matter how mundane or basic. Please be specific!

All questions and answers will be put onto the first post for future reference and put under a spoiler tag.

Tutorials so far:

Question:

Originally Posted by mehMeT

Hey! i got a question. i'am not sure what it's called in english, but in norwegian it's called "Raster" (example on the photo) so i just wondered if you guys had any clues on how to make them easy as posible. The only way i thoutgh was to make them once and save them as a brush or a pattren. But then i thoutgh i need driffrent colors on them each time i use it... so, you got any ides on what i'am talking about? (sry my english suck)..

I want to use it on the background of my sig because it makes a nice contrast and my background is quite empty got an example down there, and just to say, i'am new at this XD

Answer(s):

Originally Posted by Avalantis

Dear mr. Mehmet.

OMG, what you call raster is called halftone. You have a special filter for it in photoshop but it doesn't quite do the same trick. What YOU want will be the following.

In your document, go to Image > Mode > Grayscale. A dialog might pop-up asking to discard the color information. Choose yes.

Now run a big Gaussian Blur Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur of around 30 or 40.


Go to Image > Mode > Bitmap. Under Method, choose Halftone Screen.



In the next dialog box, set the Frequency to around 8 or 10 and the Shape to Round.



You should now get an effect like this:



Set the Image Mode back to Grayscale Image > Mode > Grayscale. Apply a slight Guassian blur of around 1-pixel to smooth out the rough edges.



Now bring up the Levels Dialog Ctrl + L and drag the sliders closer to each other to sharpen the pattern a bit.

Of course you don't have to do the blur thing. If you have a non solid shape it works directly. Test around with it some. I quickly converted my drawing with these, but it isn't really suited for it:

f.l.t.r: original, halftone screen method, filter

I copied the tutorial from: Halftone Mania | Photoshop Lab
Read it to see more methods of halftone!!

also we have: Photoshop Tip - Create A Halftone Effect | PhotoshopSupport.com but it's less informative.

Also if you want to change the colour of your halftone, you can do so by converting the mode back to RGB and then via blending options (rightclick layer > layer options) and give it a colour overlay. Play around with the blending modes (the toggle menu in the colour overlay menu).

Oh yeah, and you rep by clicking the balance image under the member info and avatar on the left (it has a dot that is either grey or green, e balance and a warning sign). You can chose to rep negatively (bad) or positively (good).

Originally Posted by ~acadia

Ok, i think youre talking about a technique called toning. It's what mangakas use to shade their drawings (its a sticky sheet of transparency with small dots to simulate a darker shade of grey). So i made a quick pattern tutorial, i think itll apply to what you want it to do:


First, make a 4 by 4 inch canvas that has 100 px per inch. Then, enable the rulers:
View>Rulers
Make sure that option is checked. Also, enable Snap to Guides:
View>Snap to>Guides
Ok, now put your cursor on the rulers and create a guide every for every one inch on the canvas, so you have 4 equal distance lines. Do that for both the horizontal and teh vertical to create a grid, shown below:


Then, get the marquee selection tool and select the eliptical function. Hold shift and alt, click in the center of the grid and drag out to the first large square like below. Fill it in black:


Drag the selection to the corner, and it will snap to the guides making a perfect 1/4 circle:


Repeat this for each corner:


Ok, now define the pattern:
Edit>Define Pattern


Now, just apply that pattern to whatever you need, erase what you dont want and youre done! (youll have to reduce the percentage of size quite a bit to make it look like what the mangaka (manga artists) use, but it looks alright.)

I hope this helps!

Question:

Originally Posted by Shia

All right, all right. If you didn't take me seriously:

What should I do to improve other than requests?

Answer (this can apply to anyone who wants to learn, not just shia):

Originally Posted by ~acadia

Requests are a great way to force yourself to practice, but you wont get better unless you WANT to practice and get better. Personally, what i did to improve, was to copy other people styles, try out their tutorials, and just all around mess with the program. Look at some of .cent's stuff (i have YET to be able to duplicate his stuff) and some of DD's stuff (easy copy, great outcome). Theyre great to learn from. If you want, i could upload some .psd's for you and you can look through a few different ones.

Best way to learn ANYTHING is to study. I know that sounds bad, but it works. Ive looked at Fenox's, simon's, and even cent's psd's and ive learned tons. Just ask around, im sure people would be willing to help you out.

Also, check out the [Tutorials] thread. It's pretty all-encompassing when it comes to techniques.

Oh, and dont be afraid to post stuff up in the lounge and get some c-n-c. It's enlightening, you learn alot about what colors work, what typography looks good, and how your effects look.

Question:

Originally Posted by R.J.N.

Hello
Im quite new to PS and experimenting things.. I have 2 easy? questions.
How do you crop/cut an character from an existing background?
How do you add that character/images to an other background?

I hope you guys can help this noob out xD thanks in advance.

Answer:

Originally Posted by epiK

there are several different options for doing that.

try this around the specific character, which you want to cut
when you got it selected you can press CTRL+C to copy it
after that go on the new canvas and press CTRL+V, which is the hotkey for paste.

Question:

Originally Posted by happydust

ive downloaded a few brush packs but they only work if i open them up from the downloaded icon on my desktop. is their anyway i can add it to my brush sets in adobe w/o cluttering my desktop with brush sets

Answer:

Originally Posted by Avalantis

Save your brushpacks (unzipped) in the folder of Photoshop > Presets > Brushes and then open Photoshop:

Question:

Originally Posted by zxcc

um im not sure if this is alrdy post or not im sry if it is.

im just wondering how would u get the background out of a pic and just have the anime charater alone in Photoshop?

Answer:

Originally Posted by DarkDays

http://img90.exs.cx/img90/7381/set_tutorial.jpg

you can also use the pen tool the same way as the poly lasso

Question:

Originally Posted by IsaaCrys

Do you guys know those small little tags... something like this?





[taken from Lowyat.NET(Powered by Invision Power Board) ]


Guys.. can you see the curved line in the middle of the tags? Do you know how to do it? Please teach me.. ^^

Answer:

Originally Posted by DarkDays

There are a lot of ways, but easiest would be by either using the elliptical marquee or pen tool.

If you use the marquee, drag a large circle from outside the canvas, fill it white and reduce opacity/fill or do a gradient on it.

If you use the pen tool, make a curvy line as you desire. You can have it as a shape layer (white) then change opacity/style/whatever or a path, then select the path, and do the same.

I guess another way would be with a gradient fill: SweDesignz - Aqua Menu

this too: Tutorial Factory - Producing Tutorials

But I'm sure with the ones u posted, it was a marquee.

There are a lot of tutorials out there for it. Look for "gloss", "glass" or "aqua" or whatever sounds shiny. You'll probably find some on deviantart too.

Actually, there's a tutorial on how to make the exact ones u posted.. but I dunno wut they're called anymore =\ If you do, just google it + "tutorial" and u'll get plenty of results.

[narupals101]

i have a Q
how do u make a sig???

[Century Slayer]

That's mad vague, hahahaha.

Be more specific.

[Atem]

Originally Posted by narupals101

i have a Q
how do u make a sig???

You would need Adobe Photoshop or another good graphics program but I would recommend Photoshop since it's the best and everyone uses it lol. You can buy the program or try finding the crack for it so you can have it for free. Then you can try reading some tutorials people made to get started or just ask us for help.

Hope that answers your question a bit.

[narupals101]

Originally Posted by Atem

You would need Adobe Photoshop or another good graphics program but I would recommend Photoshop since it's the best and everyone uses it lol. You can buy the program or try finding the crack for it so you can have it for free. Then you can try reading some tutorials people made to get started or just ask us for help.

Hope that answers your question a bit.

\umm i got picture project, irfanveiw, picturegear studio and sumtin else wud any of those work???

[~acadia]

Any program that works with colors on a limited canvas could, concievably, make a sig. What i would reccomend, would be to acquire photoshop (as it is the best program for what we do). Im gonna refer you to the tutorials thread (<--- click on that). Go to all of the links below the first section labeled "Full Tag Tutorials". They will give you a basic overview of the creation of a tag. For something more specific, such as how to use a brush effectively, how to use the pentool, ask here or refer to the tutoriasl lower in the thread.

Hope this helps =]

[narupals101]

Originally Posted by ~acadia

Any program that works with colors on a limited canvas could, concievably, make a sig. What i would reccomend, would be to acquire photoshop (as it is the best program for what we do). Im gonna refer you to the tutorials thread (<--- click on that). Go to all of the links below the first section labeled "Full Tag Tutorials". They will give you a basic overview of the creation of a tag. For something more specific, such as how to use a brush effectively, how to use the pentool, ask here or refer to the tutoriasl lower in the thread.

Hope this helps =]

lets jus say im not a nerd and i have a life lol jk
but lets say im really dumb a fail my classes and i have no idea whyt u just said except for cheee and monkey...

[~acadia]

Get Photoshop.

Go Here.

Read These:


Have fun!

[narupals101]

thanx
buddy
>.>

[simonarturo]

lol^

I have a question...

How can I get back into making GFX after a looong hiatus?
Specially since I am lazy and don't want to do anything

Please heeeeelp

[~acadia]

Make more of an effort than you are now? Try to come into graphics with a fun, new style? Have some sort of grand re-entry into graphics and get a whole lot of hype?

[simonarturo]

all of those options sound like work,sooooo nop...

Nah,i'll eventually do something, but since I have been going out on weekends now,and I usually did GFX on friday and saturday's night, i don't have that much time to open photoshop. Also, i haven't seen a stock that inspires me.

[~acadia]

Well then i guess youre out of luck, buddy =/

Sorry.

[simonarturo]

Nah, i'll just pull off an EE and say "i'm quitting".


I'll be back next week

[Century Slayer]

Simon kills me everytime, LOLOLOL.

[Atem]

Originally Posted by simonarturo

Nah, i'll just pull out an EE and say "i'm quitting".


I'll be back next week

LOL!
Hope your new stuff is gonna be as good as what you write in your posts.