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Sig 'till you drop[Intermediate][Merry Xmas]


TopHATslash

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Hey everybody. As you may know, sig making which is based on a render or stock is getting very popular around this forum. Personally, I have been creating sigs using paint.net for roughly a year now. So sit back, relax and enjoy!

First off, for this tutorial you will need a render. These are just cut out people, vehicles, etc. You can either choose your render from your favorite render site, or you can use PlanetRenders or GameRenders. Both you have to register before your able to access the galleries, but it is highly recommended for future work.

Alright, now that you have your render, then go ahead and download Alpha Mask (from Illnab's plugin pack) and install it into paint.net. If you do not know how to install plugins, then view this guide.

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Now choose your canvas size. I will be using a 360x130, which is a rather tall sig in my opinion. The max for these type sigs are around 370 and max width is probably around 135. Don't go any higher then these sizes, but don't make it too small. Your canvas should definetly be a rectangle. Never use a square for signature when following this tutorial. It just won't come out right.

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1-

So paste in your render into your canvas. Make sure you don't center the focal. Centered focals will involve too much balancing of fx.

Now make a new layer and paste in your render. Move it so where it is twice the size of your previous render and then move your layer down. So now you have the big render behind your smaller sized one.

Then, on the bigger render layer, run oil painting at default settings. Then hit F4 so it repeats it. Your sig should look like this:

Step2.png

2-

Now make a new layer below your previous two layers and move the render around until you find a good position you like that covers your white background. Here is what I did:

Step3.png

3-

Alright, now that we have our background, lets start on fx.

First off, paste in your render into a layer below your first (normal) render but above your enlarged one. Don't resize muchand move it to follow the flow of your sig. Now run Ink Sketch (Effects-Artistic-Ink Sketch) at default settings. Then go to Effects-Alpha Mask and don't use a mask. Move this layer around and erase what you want so that it gives a good feel of flow and fx.

Step4.png

4-

Now on a new layer on the top of your sig.. paste in your render. Erase with a 55ish px eraser on the the parts above your focal. Repeat from part 3 that involved Ink Sketch and Alpha mask, but play with blending modes. Reflect is a good one if you play with opacity. Maybe try overlay too.

Step5.png

5-

Now paste in your render at your huge size. Don't resize. Move it over to the left or right.. (it doesn't matter because once you are done with one side, repeat the same thing on the other) but make sure you erase over your focal. Then run frosted glass (Effects-Destort-Frosted Glass) a a high max scatter then default. Then run oil painting at default settings. Now, set this layer blend mode to Color dodge. This will give some aweome lighting around. Remember, erase whatever you don't like.

Step6.png

6-

Repeat the above step but instead of setting the blend mode to Color Burn. Again, erase over the focal and what you don't like.

You may wish to duplicate these past two step's layers and move them around, etc. This just gives a good depth/lighting to your tag.

Step7.png

7-

So now you are done with your fx. If you are not happy then feel free to repeat any of the above steps. Make sure to keep a good light source and keep some flow. Don't worry too much about the flow, because in this sig it showcases the depth and lighting and fx, not really the flow.

So now save it. Save it as a .pdn only. This is so that you can go back and edit it when you want.. so whatever you do now can always be gone back upon and edited.

Duplicate your flattened image. Go to Effects-Blur-Unfocus. Run it at 1 px. Now erase over your render. Don't be scared to use a big 50 or 60px eraser. Try not to erase too much thats not your focal, but don't worry to much about it. Once you have erased what you wish, hit F4 so that you repeat the unfocus on your newly erased layer.

On your bottom, original layer.. run Effects-Photo-Sharpen at 1 px. Now hit F4.

Flatten

step9.png

Duplicate your new flattened image, and run

Now make numorous new layers and fill them with different colors. Try 3 darker colors and a bright color. Play with blend modes. Also, play a lot with opacity. MY favorite blend modes for color blending are overlay, color dodge at low opacity, multiply and addictive.

step10.png

Add some text and a simple border. Make sure niether distract from your actual sig.

Voila

Optional

Take your final sig. Duplicate it.

Set this layer to multiply.You may want to play with opacity.

Then flatten.

Duplicate.

Adjustments-Black and White

Flatten

Play with Adjustments-Brightness&Contrast

Future_Soldier_Tag_v2_BnW_by_Ecliptics.png

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I spent a good hour on this sig and a good two hours on this tutorial. All comments are appreciated. If you have any suggestions then post them.

If you make and post and outcome, I will put it into the box o' outcomes.

Hidden Content:
The Stranger

BornToFighttutstyle.png

petewolfbane

blackandwhitetag-1.jpg

Pipp92

halosigmu4.png

Kemaru

DarkSamusBlackandWhite.png

jjgunz

avengesig.png

Minoeman

ShatteredGalaxysig-3.png

Flow55

898_ut_tut_result_sig2.png

iKid

H3v2.png

jerkfight

PNG-41.png

[reason]Box o' Outcomes[/reason]

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Very interesting. I wouldn't have thought of chopping up the render to create a realistic background. *Ideas start to flow*

Great tutorial, well written. I will try it out soon.

"pyrochild, you're my favorite person ever. We should go snowboarding some time."~ 007 Nab. Ish.

PDN Gallery | I Made a Deviant Art!

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Will do.

(If it seems like we're post-stalking each other, it's because we lead the only active discussions on the forums at the moment :P )

"pyrochild, you're my favorite person ever. We should go snowboarding some time."~ 007 Nab. Ish.

PDN Gallery | I Made a Deviant Art!

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I like the "polaroid" look of the final before the optional part. :-) Nice work!

 

The Doctor: There was a goblin, or a trickster, or a warrior... A nameless, terrible thing, soaked in the blood of a billion galaxies. The most feared being in all the cosmos. And nothing could stop it, or hold it, or reason with it. One day it would just drop out of the sky and tear down your world.
Amy: But how did it end up in there?
The Doctor: You know fairy tales. A good wizard tricked it.
River Song: I hate good wizards in fairy tales; they always turn out to be him.

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@pete: whoa dude very nice. Gear is awesome.

@pipp92: Nice. Work on flow and try giving some hints of red maybe.

@kemaru: The edges are like that because you didn't erase around the edges, only on the top part. Try erasing all the way around your focal.

I love your 2nd one. Try giving some hints of blue or yellow. :)

Nice everybody. I'll add 'em to the box.

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