Get Started! (An Introduction to GFX - Graphic Studio)

Goggwell · July 24, 2014

Hi everyone!

This is the GFX - Graphic Studio section of iOSGods, where users view and/or create images and other GFX related concepts.

So basically, GFX means Graphic Effects, which is where the name Graphic Studio derived from. And here it is us artists who create things that help the forum, or sometimes just to make cool things.

Given the fact that this section is abundant with tutorials and whatnot, here are some images that I have created for the GFX section to give you guys an idea of what this section is about:

SO as you can see, we create very interesting pictures.

Normally, these pictures would be used for your signature (appears below your post), your avatar (your profile picture) or your header image (appears behind your avatar in a post), but they can be used in a post or thread as well.

NOW TIME FOR THE REST OF THE INTRODUCTION:

- To Get Started

- Some Tools

- Some Resources

- Other Generalizations

TO GET STARTED -

This is the GFX - Graphic Studio section, so there are bound to be plenty of tutorials and threads to check out in order to help you get started.

Just look at some pictures and gain inspiration, which is what most of us do, including myself.

If you want to get started, you would first of all need some tools.

SOME TOOLS -

Now, the most obvious tool we could all come up with is Photoshop. The newer the better, but I myself stick with Adobe Photoshop CS4/5/6 because I am used to them.

Photoshop is paid, however. But if you want to get it for free, just search up a Torrent Download for it.

A free alternative is GIMP, but I do not have much experience on that software, but if you would like to give it go, I will happily create some tutorials for GIMP!

Another tool that I normally use is Cinema 4D, a program that allows you to create 4D images. For professional artists, they use this software to create C4D renders (a type of picture that enhances a creation on Photoshop). I rarely use it, but it is fun nonetheless.

There is also Adobe After Effects, but that is for creating animated pictures and videos. If you guys want, I will create a tutorial on it.

Some sub-tools that you do not have to get but could be fun to use are:

- TOPAZ LAB (preferably the Topaz Clean plugin)

- Any picture re-sizer (to re-size your original picture, but Photoshop can do this as well)

SOME RESOURCES -

Now, here are some things to get before you start creating some masterpieces of your own:

RENDERS AND C4D RENDERS

Just search these on Google. I recommend the site DeviantArt. They are good at what they do. Some potential searches would be 'Fractals DeviantArt', 'Renders', 'HD Renders', 'C4D Effect Renders', and so on.

FRACTALS

Again search these on Google. These enhance your picture indefinitely with their unique tone of brightness and/or depth.

FONTS AND BRUSHES

Search them. For fonts, I recommend the site Dafont, as they are extremely plentiful in fonts. And for brushes, DeviantArt or Brusheezy will work just as well.

To install Fonts, just double-click the Font file and press Install, or place the Font file in the FONT folder of the Control Panel.

To install Brushes, go to Photoshop, Brushes, Preset Manager, Load and find your brush in the location you placed it at.

Some PSD files (Photoshop Files where I have created some images) -

DUE TO SOME MEDIAFIRE MALFUNCTIONS, I WAS ONLY ABLE TO UPLOAD 1 PSD, SO HERE YOU GO --> http://www.mediafire.com/download/apw7lgwxapccw9v/JAYCE.psd

NOTE: These are for educational purposes, so please do not copy any of my pictures, because I have them filed under copyright law and RIP regulations, although you may copy my style.

OTHER GENERALIZATIONS -

Well, just some helpful tips:

- When using C4D renders, be careful of how you use them. When it comes to Bubbles, a simple Color Dodge or Linear Dodge blend would do the trick. Others you may keep the same.

- Increase depth by blurring out non-main pictures that are in the front of your main focal point. My suggestion would be the Gaussian Blur.

- Borders are also helpful as they can create the desired effect for your picture. A simple top-bottom border or an all-sided border can make a huge difference.

- Smudging a picture or creating a picture with smudge can benefit efficiently.

- Adjustment Layers are key to a good picture. Gradient Maps are Number 1 on my list, as they help to bring the photo together.

Well, thank you for your time. I hope you enjoyed reading this introduction!

If this thread ever gets pinned, I would like to make a shout-out to the main man DiDA for devoting time and effort into creating this website and maintaining order.

Hope you enjoyed this!