*BEFORE STARTING PLEASE READ*
-Please DO NOT flame me for using some brushes, like "only noobs use brushes" "takes no skill", etc. Aswell as the filter and other metods I use.
-DO enjoy this tutorial, as it should help people who can't make them.
-DO NOT spam this thread with things not related to this like "can someone plz make me a sig?", that's why I'm making this tutorial, for you to make your own signature.
-DO post your results after this, and post your suggestions to make my tutorial better.
Very well, shall we start?
I USED GIMP FOR THIS TUTORIAL, I DON'T NOR HAVE EVER USED PHOTOSHOP, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS TUTORIAL WILL HELP YOU FOR PS.
1: Download GIMP
From here:
http://gimp.org/
It's free and it's almost exactly as Photoshop.
2: Once you've downloaded, installed and executed GIMP, make a new document (File - New) and change the size settings.
NOTE: The limit size is 700 px width and 120 px height, don't make your document bigger than this.
Tip:I don't like large sized signatures as they tend to leave a lot of empty space, I usually use 500/550 width and 120 height.
3: We will be using layers for this tutorial, so press CTRL + L and make the window appear.
4: Make a new layer by clicking this button on the layers window.
And paste a render in the new layer.
I get my renders from here:
http://www.planetrenders.net/
Just register, you have to register to get full sized-transparent pictures, if not, we won't be able to work with it.
If your render is too big use the Scale tool and resize so it fits in your signature.
Until it looks somewhat like this:
5: After that make a new layer and move it UNDER your render layer.
Just click the arrow that's pointing down.
Then go to the upper part of the window and go to Filters - Render -
Clouds - Plasma
A window should pop - up, now, check a little box called Randomize and then set the "Turbulence" to 1.1.
Then, near the "Filters" section, go to Colors - Desaturate and set it to "Luminosity". If the picture goes black and white you're doing it right.
6: Now make a new layer above the Plasma layer. And pick the Bucket tool (SHIFT + B) and fill it with white. Change your main color to black again when done.
Next pick the Blend tool (Hotkey: L) and in its panel, click the bar that says "Mode" and set it to "Difference".
And begin draging it and releasing until you get something like this:
7: After that in the layers window there's something exactly as the bar we saw on the blend tool, now this time set the layer to "Overlay". And it will look something like this:
8: Download some good brushes from deviantart.com just type "GIMP brushes" in the search bar and look for the ones you like. (I will show you how to install them in GIMP later)
http://project-gimpbc.deviantart.com/
http://getfirefox.deviantart.com/
I like their brushes the most.
Make a new layer and (IF YOU WANT A LIGHTER SIGNATURE THIS IS OPTIONAL: Fill the background it with white), change color to black and then pick some of them and start brushing in that layer.
And Overlay it. Brush as many times as you want until you get a result you like.
BIG NOTE: EVERY NEW BRUSH ON A NEW LAYER, ALWAYS REMEMBER TO OVERLAY IT.
Until you get something like this:
Here comes the difficult part, so pay attention:
9: On the layers window click twice your render layer, and rename it to "Original Render" so you don't get confused. Press enter.
Duplicate your render layer twice by clicking in this button.
Move one layer BELOW the original render layer. And let the other one ABOVE the original render layer.
Select the layer BELOW the original render and once again go to Filters, but this time go to Filters - Blur - Gaussian Blur and set both X and Y to 20.
Something like a light should appear around it.
On the same layer go again to Filters and then go to Distort - Shift and set both to 10.
10: Go to the layer ABOVE the original render and once again go to Filters - Blur - Gaussian Blur and once again set them to 20.
Now go back to your ORIGINAL RENDER layer and right click on the stage, go to Layers - Transparency - ALPHA TO SELECTION
It is now selected. Once again right click and go to Select - Shrink and set it to 5 pixels.
Right click again and this time go to Select - Feather and change it to 10 pixels.
Almost done with this so don't give up! Then go back to the layer ABOVE your original render layer and right click to go to Edit - Clear. If you don't like how it looks Overlay that layer.
This is how it should look like:
11: Now make a new layer and move it above everything else using the arrows in the layer window. Duplicate twice. Or just make three layers. But all above everything else.
Go back to your original render layer and pick a color of your render with the color selection tool. (Hotkey: O)
Go to one of your new layers and with the Blend tool drag it to make the signature take color.
NOTE: Since we used the Blend tool with Difference as mode, change it to Normal before using it.
Overlay the layer.
Repeat this with different colors from your render until you like the result, make more layers if needed.
If you want the colors to get lighter, go to the layer where your color is and then go to Colors - Map - Gradient Map
Until you get something like this:
12: Make a new layer and move it down your 3 render layers, but above your brush and other background layers.
Now go to your original render layer and right click Edit - Copy, and go back to that layer.
Copy and paste the render on the new layer over and over until it completely block all of the background. Then go to Filters - Blur - Motion blur and set both to 24. If you want to you can Gaussian Blur it.
Overlay this layer.
13: Download an abstract C4D that you like. Also in here. And now open it and copy it. Make a new layer paste it and overlay it, if wanted move the bar that says "Opacity" until you like the result.
Almost done.
14: Make a new layer and move ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE. Select the pencil tool and change the brush to Circle (01).
Zoom in, click a corner of the signature, go to another corner (only up-down, down-up, left-right right-left, DON'T MOVE IT DIAGONALLY) press SHIFT and then click, a line should be drawn, repeat until you completely surround the signature.
Make another layer and change the color from black to white, and do the same thing again, but don't go through the black border, make it next to it.
Overlay the layer.
Add you name with the text tool and select whatever font you want.
Move it to a corner.
Finally save it as a .png or/and .xcf
(.xcf is the original GIMP extension, save it as .xcf and you will get to edit everything, layers, colors, etc. .png just saves the whole image)
And you're done! Scanlines and other things are optional, since I took like 2 hours writing this I'll edit this for installing the brushes, patterns, scanlines and fonts tomorrow.
NOTE: ALWAYS, FOREVER AND EVER REMEMBER TO OVERLAY THE SCANLINES LAYER AND SET IT TO 60 OPACITY IN LAYER'S WINDOW.
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Final note: If you're using scanlines, make sure the 2nd border wasn't affected, as overlaying it makes it combine with all the background. If it was, go to the border's layer, and right click go to Layers - Transparency - ADD ALPHA TO SELECTION and go to the scanlines layer with the border selected, grab the eraser tool and erase in that area.
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To install brushes, download the .zip files where your font, brush, or pattern is, when done, extract everything and open My PC, go to C: - Documents and Settings - "Owner" or the profile you have GIMP installed. And go to the GIMP folder, open it and select the folder you want to go, in this case if you want to install brushes go to that folder and just drag the files inside the brush/pattern/gradient folder.
If you can't see the brush, font or pattern and you have GIMP opened, save your document as .xcf and close GIMP, run it again and you should see them now
