Beginner First Sig Attempt- GIMP

DeletedUser

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This was my first try to make a sig using Gimp, which I got today. I had not clue how to use it except for some basic ideas from photoshop, which I learned to use a very long time ago. I am definitely a beginner, and would appreciate any tips, critiques, guides, etc that anybody else could show me.

firstsigt.png


I used thomas' guide on the glowing render thingy and used a few fractals from Greentunic.

I will be updating this thread every time I make a new piece and I will post it below for others to critique.
 
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DeletedUser

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And one question: I used dafont to load some new fonts onto my mac, but they would not load into Gimp. They already are inside the font book, but I cannot see them in the folder of fonts that Gimp offers. The folder already has some of my old fonts that I downloaded a while ago, but does not include new ones I download. How can I get new fonts in gimp?
 

DeletedUser

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I like it alot good job :) I'm actually quite interested how you got the background. Was it a stock or made by you? Also I'm not sure what others think but the flame is a little bright.

If you want to get some fonts onto gimp you go to c:/documents and settings/user/Gimp.2.6/fonts then copy the font file into there and violla. *note* You must restart gimp before the fonts appear.

-Durm.
 
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DeletedUser

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The actual background is hard to make out. It was a stock background, which looked like a gray wall with some outward little specks on it. Like a rocky wall, ish? I put some fractals over that with reduced opacity and then I took the render of the knight and sharpened the main part of it. There are like 5 layers overall, maybe.
 

DeletedUser

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Thanks. Looks like my rep made you double green dots!!! Yay.

:)
 

DeletedUser

Guest
durmanush123 said:
I like it alot good job :) I'm actually quite interested how you got the background. Was it a stock or made by you? Also I'm not sure what others think but the flame is a little bright.

If you want to get some fonts onto gimp you go to c:/documents and settings/user/Gimp.2.6/fonts then copy the font file into there and violla. *note* You must restart gimp before the fonts appear.

-Durm.
Click to expand...

Is this for macs or PCs?
 

DeletedUser

Guest
Ah pc's I will get you a mac one sorry. Also thanks for rep.

-Durm.
 

DeletedUser

Guest
Install them to the Macs Fonts folder and then add your mac's font directory in Gimp's font search paths : File -> Preferences -> Folders -> Fonts (unfold the little triangle to see this item).


Enjoy,

-Durm.
 

DeletedUser

Guest
It worked, mate, thanks a ton

Here is my sig with a new font:

firstsigversion2.png
 

DeletedUser

Guest
Good mate try reducing it's opacity abit and maybe blending it into the background see how that looks.

-Durm.
 

DeletedUser

Guest
Nice, except a signature has to have one focal point, two or three make it hard to see as you're looking all around the tag.
 

DeletedUser

Guest
picture.php


I agree, all images need to have a hierarchy of information. The subject is always first. Secondary and tertiary elements are later. When you look at am image it should be very clear to you who the subject is. If you cannot tell, then give more prominence to the subject of the image.

As well, I have redone your graphic with different text. I just redid the text over the ones that you have in your image. I did this only to highlight that when trying to attach an image to a name (Branding) then the name is actually more important than the image. Our brain works the other way around when viewing information. First we see the guy on the bottom of this graphic and then we read the name above it due to a desire to understand and give greater meaning to what we are looking at. In this regard the text that you have is barely visible. So, to the viewer, there is a great disconnect between the image and the text that is placed with it. The text of your image is as important, if not more important, than the image graphics itself.
 
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DeletedUser

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Thanks for the advice, Phaedo and Thomas, I'll keep that in mind for my graphics later on.
 

DeletedUser

Guest
I made this sig for an alliance I was once in, it no longer exists now. Made this before the advice on focal points, it is a bit messy.

scaled.php
 

DeletedUser

Guest
Don't get me wrong I think your doing a hell of a job. Your doing great! You are well on your way, no doubt about that. I think you have certainly reached the level where if you just read some basics of advertising design and two dimensional design then you could well be on your way. Here is a list of the things that you are doing very well at.

You are designing with depth and focal points. You are considering the foreground, mid-ground, and the background of the image in every design that you do. This is good.

As well, you are trying to add depth to your images. Learning about leading the eye and vanishing points would be good. Notice how in the Legion of Purity sig image you included a burst of light in the background with particle explosion. Good job. As you know it creates a feeling of greater depth in the image and further separates to the mind the foreground mid-ground and background.

Another great thing that you are doing is that you are using colors within your image to select from to create a full palate of colors to use from. Your trying to make your text a color that coordinates with the images you have chosen to use. Bravo, very good. Just have to remember to keep a level of legibility to the text. you should also try to use some different fonts. The kind of fonts that you are using do not make very defined headlines because they are bold, non serif fonts. The letters are very blocked and therefore difficult to read. I would recommend using a more elegant type of font for a headline choice.
 
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