What are graphics?

Graphics, usually referred as "GFX", are images created with the use of software , such as gimp or Photoshop. You can't become a professional in a few months; it 'll at least take three years. Getting critique from experienced gfxers is the b est way to improve, instead of getting mad over what they say, learn from it and implement it. Soul-Boards isn't the best place to get good GFX critique, you sh ould try this or this. Those two are very good critique websites, once you post a tag you'll learn what's wrong with it and you'll be able to fix it. I'll be ex plaining concepts in GFX from here on, and you'll be able to find resources to m ake graphics at the bottom. Understanding your tools The first thing you should do is understand most of your software's tools and ho w and when to use them. I'll be explaining tools of Photoshop only, but I hear g imp is similar to Photoshop, so you might not have a problem. I'll explain some basic tools in photoshop: The burn tool is useful for darkening parts of your image, and should be used wi th the mode set to shadows with strength of 32%. Use a soft brush of 15-10 px. The dodge tool is a tool used to add lighting in your graphic, basically making a part lighter. I suggest testing different modes with this one, but putting the strength on to 32% as well. Use a soft brush of 15-10 px. The blur tool is used to blur things that distract the viewer from your focal po int. Use this with strength of 30 and a soft brush of 15-10 px. The sharpen tool is used to sharpen things in your image to help add depth to it , use it with strength set to 30 and with a soft brush of 15-10 px. The gradient tool is used to add gradients obviously, I suggest using the defaul t settings for it, and remember when you're adding one, add it diagonally. The shape tool is obviously used to make shapes. Understanding Concepts/Terms Here I'll explain concepts necessary to grasp in order to make good graphics. If you still don't understand, PM me or post in the thread. I'll also explain some terms used to make it easier for you to live in the graphic community. C4Ds These are objects made in 3D software; they aid in graphics a lot. There are a l ot of types as well, effects, solid, etc,. I usually set effect ones to screen. Focal Point Your focal point; the point you want your viewer to focus their eyes on. For exa mple vegeta in a tag, you want people to look at him so he's the focal point. Monotone This means you have only one color in your signature, and this is usually bad. F or example, I make a tag out of a red fox with red c4ds and red stocks, it'll tu rn out monotone and won't look very good. Note that with b/w sigs, this isn't th e case; they look nice in black and white.

Stocks Stocks are used to add effects in a graphic; you can find some places to get the m at the resource section of the thread. I usually set them to screen, lighten o r soft light. Flow Flow is a bit difficult to understand, so don't worry if you don't get it at fir st. Think of flow as waves in an ocean, each wave leads you to a certain island. That right there is flow, so flow in graphics means that the elements you put i n your signature leads to your focal point. Depth Depth is making your focal point easier to see. Imagine vegeta(yes I make lots o f references of him, xD) standing in a valley full of flying rocks. We want to s ee vegeta but because of the rocks, he's hard to see. We'll blur the rocks a bit , sharpen edges of him and even burn a little edge to make him stand out more. Concept This term means what you signature is based on. For example I take a forest stoc k and add a fire stock and etc. My concept is that I'm making a burning forest. FX This term means the effects used in your graphic, C4DS, stocks, etc,. Composition This term means the placement of your elements in your signature. For example, I place a c4d behind sasuke then I put a lighting bolt in front of him. The Key The key to GFX is to basically experiment; try new things and go out of your way , or a way a tutorial would suggest. Try new things, test out new tools, try out new concepts. Remember to follow tutorials if you are starting gfx and don't us e brushes to build your backgrounds, ever.