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fun_like_thatIs anyone else having the WORST TIME EVER viewing people's entries? I don't know what the fuck is up. ... Huh. I just cleared my cache. Problem solved. That's only been FIVE HOURS of frustration. Clearly, I IZ SMRAT.
I've been sick with the flu since Monday night and I've gone to a few classes and whatnot but every time I went to make a post or something I just kind of flopped around and said fuck it. But there is something I've been noticing that's irritated the snot right out of me. (Mmm, great mental image, eh?)
So say someone makes a tutorial. They lay EVERYTHING out on the table for you, layer by layer. Some people make tutorials for certain elements of an icon or graphic but leave their initial colouring a secret because they don't want people copying it or because it's so basic you should be able to figure it out on your own. And that's cool.
Some people don't care, though, and do the WHOLE icon tutorial from base to saving for you, including the number settings for things like selective colouring or contrast or whatever (which is something else I'll take issue with, but that's next). How to make the icon from start to finish is SERIOUSLY ALL THERE. The icon is really nice and the tutorial is idiot proof.
And then someone says, "OMG! Great tut! PSD plz?"
*facepalm*
The .psd, for the people who don't know, is the raw photoshop file with all the layers that make up a particular icon. It's a lot bigger than the saved, compressed .png or .jpg file (although, in my experience, .png is the best format to save your icons in if they're not animated because it keeps them small and the compression quality loss low) so a lot of people don't keep them but some people do for whatever reasons (I do cause I'm a nerd) and it's great when you're trying to re-create an icon for a tutorial.
But when someone gives you STEP-BY-STEP instructions to a tutorial that is seriously IDIOT PROOF and then you ask for the .psd so you can plug it into your photoshop and make cookie-cutter icons by pressing a single button? That's fucking lazy, man. That's low and lazy. I can't think of any other reason why someone would need the .psd file. If anyone knows of another, please tell me so I can understand.
I think a lot of people want the .psd because when someone has a lot of selective colouring layers and there's a lot of fiddling with the colour levels and trying to get the numbers EXACTLY like they are in the tutorial people don't want to do it. They want to press the button and presto! Magic colouring.
But know what? It's not. Not even close.
When I make a tutorial I more often then not use selective colouring. I like it, love it even. I enjoy using it because I like being able to fiddle with the colouring without using gradient maps or textures or whatever that won't enhance JUST the reds or JUST the yellows or whatever. That's why I use it. At first everyone used it to make their reds neon pink and their blues like electric jello and it was a mess. But now a lot of people use it in a more subdued, responsible way. Maybe it's still lazy, maybe it's not a true artistic tool, I dunno. I like it. But when I make a tutorial that has selective colouring I will NEVER give out the exact numbers I used. NEVER.
The thing with those numbers is that they work on ONE image cropped a certain way. ONE. Those numbers will never look the exact same on another image ever unless you tinker with them. So unless you want to use the exact same image with the exact same crop and the exact same numbers, get the exact same icon and be called an icon thief or something- WHAT'S THE POINT? And why on earth would you DO that? It's one thing to see someone's icons you like and be inspired by their cropping or their colouring or something and aim to incorporate some of their style while making it your own (tricky but possible) but it's quiet another to want to rip off every single element of someone else's icon.
Selective colouring is a great tool but it's not something you can apply to every single icon with the same results. It's not a blanket cure for a poor quality image. Sometimes an icon just doesn't work. Sometimes you actually have to EXPERIMENT with your icons. Sometimes you get into ruts and nothing works and sometimes everything works.
Tutorials should inspire you to try something new, teach you something you didn't know before, show you a new way of doing something. It shouldn't tell you to do something in a certain way on every single icon so you can make 300 icons that look exactly the same.
Some of the best tutorials I've ever seen are ones that teach me a different way I was already doing something, or trying to. This one by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
letsey_x is amazing. And entries like this at weapons_icons are a gold mine. Looking through tutorials on wallpapers or banners are really awesome because they usually incorporate colouring, textures and sometimes multiple images or maniping. If you're looking for maniping tuts lostt1 did a quick and dirty one here and nemo_88 did a couple awesome ones here and here.
When you're just starting out tutorials are great for learning the basics; it's how I learned because the PSP "help" wasn't helpful at all. But there comes a certain point when you stop being led around your programme by the hand and start experimenting and making your own tutorials. A lot of the time the icons you're drawn to the most probably aren't complex, dozen-layer feats. With a little experimentation it's easy to come up with a variation like it or something even better. Just give it a go!
And now I've finished my slightly ranty-rant. I haven't posted something like this in awhile. I think it's time for a nap. Also, this might be my new favourite icon. *hides*
I've been sick with the flu since Monday night and I've gone to a few classes and whatnot but every time I went to make a post or something I just kind of flopped around and said fuck it. But there is something I've been noticing that's irritated the snot right out of me. (Mmm, great mental image, eh?)
So say someone makes a tutorial. They lay EVERYTHING out on the table for you, layer by layer. Some people make tutorials for certain elements of an icon or graphic but leave their initial colouring a secret because they don't want people copying it or because it's so basic you should be able to figure it out on your own. And that's cool.
Some people don't care, though, and do the WHOLE icon tutorial from base to saving for you, including the number settings for things like selective colouring or contrast or whatever (which is something else I'll take issue with, but that's next). How to make the icon from start to finish is SERIOUSLY ALL THERE. The icon is really nice and the tutorial is idiot proof.
And then someone says, "OMG! Great tut! PSD plz?"
*facepalm*
The .psd, for the people who don't know, is the raw photoshop file with all the layers that make up a particular icon. It's a lot bigger than the saved, compressed .png or .jpg file (although, in my experience, .png is the best format to save your icons in if they're not animated because it keeps them small and the compression quality loss low) so a lot of people don't keep them but some people do for whatever reasons (I do cause I'm a nerd) and it's great when you're trying to re-create an icon for a tutorial.
But when someone gives you STEP-BY-STEP instructions to a tutorial that is seriously IDIOT PROOF and then you ask for the .psd so you can plug it into your photoshop and make cookie-cutter icons by pressing a single button? That's fucking lazy, man. That's low and lazy. I can't think of any other reason why someone would need the .psd file. If anyone knows of another, please tell me so I can understand.
I think a lot of people want the .psd because when someone has a lot of selective colouring layers and there's a lot of fiddling with the colour levels and trying to get the numbers EXACTLY like they are in the tutorial people don't want to do it. They want to press the button and presto! Magic colouring.
But know what? It's not. Not even close.
When I make a tutorial I more often then not use selective colouring. I like it, love it even. I enjoy using it because I like being able to fiddle with the colouring without using gradient maps or textures or whatever that won't enhance JUST the reds or JUST the yellows or whatever. That's why I use it. At first everyone used it to make their reds neon pink and their blues like electric jello and it was a mess. But now a lot of people use it in a more subdued, responsible way. Maybe it's still lazy, maybe it's not a true artistic tool, I dunno. I like it. But when I make a tutorial that has selective colouring I will NEVER give out the exact numbers I used. NEVER.
The thing with those numbers is that they work on ONE image cropped a certain way. ONE. Those numbers will never look the exact same on another image ever unless you tinker with them. So unless you want to use the exact same image with the exact same crop and the exact same numbers, get the exact same icon and be called an icon thief or something- WHAT'S THE POINT? And why on earth would you DO that? It's one thing to see someone's icons you like and be inspired by their cropping or their colouring or something and aim to incorporate some of their style while making it your own (tricky but possible) but it's quiet another to want to rip off every single element of someone else's icon.
Selective colouring is a great tool but it's not something you can apply to every single icon with the same results. It's not a blanket cure for a poor quality image. Sometimes an icon just doesn't work. Sometimes you actually have to EXPERIMENT with your icons. Sometimes you get into ruts and nothing works and sometimes everything works.
Tutorials should inspire you to try something new, teach you something you didn't know before, show you a new way of doing something. It shouldn't tell you to do something in a certain way on every single icon so you can make 300 icons that look exactly the same.
Some of the best tutorials I've ever seen are ones that teach me a different way I was already doing something, or trying to. This one by
letsey_x is amazing. And entries like this at weapons_icons are a gold mine. Looking through tutorials on wallpapers or banners are really awesome because they usually incorporate colouring, textures and sometimes multiple images or maniping. If you're looking for maniping tuts lostt1 did a quick and dirty one here and nemo_88 did a couple awesome ones here and here. When you're just starting out tutorials are great for learning the basics; it's how I learned because the PSP "help" wasn't helpful at all. But there comes a certain point when you stop being led around your programme by the hand and start experimenting and making your own tutorials. A lot of the time the icons you're drawn to the most probably aren't complex, dozen-layer feats. With a little experimentation it's easy to come up with a variation like it or something even better. Just give it a go!
And now I've finished my slightly ranty-rant. I haven't posted something like this in awhile. I think it's time for a nap. Also, this might be my new favourite icon. *hides*
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-08 11:41 pm (UTC)I have given out my .psd file once. (For that first manip tutorial.) Since it wasn't about coloring or textures, I figured no one could use that tut to, as you said, make cookie-cutted arts. I wouldn't give out a .psd file if I was explaining coloring, cropping etc. And I completely agree with the point you're making here.
The thing with those numbers is that they work on ONE image cropped a certain way. ONE.
Exactly. If I give out my numbers, it's only to let the reader know roughly what colors to adjust and how. I don't mean for anyone to use those exact numbers.
And thanks for pimping my tuts. I'm not sure they're useful as tuts as much as they are a complete step-by-step on how I made those manips, but hey, I tried. Thanks for reccing those other tuts, I'll check them out. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-11 07:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-12 07:47 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-08 11:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-09 12:02 am (UTC)here iz how 2 taek this:
& maek this icon:
i no ur not as gud as me, but u will git their!!!1111!
#1. taek random piktur
#2. crop so its PERFECTLY centered!!11!!
#3. slap teh 1st 5 random gradient maps u can find on it
#4. select the pencil & use BRITE GREEEN!!1!
#5. rite "i am a plum!"
#6. use teh stroke affect so ppl can SEE ur a plum. remember to use red & set it 2 7 pixels in caes ppl izn't blinde yet
#7. put "xoxo, me" on it so ppl will no u luv them. remember to use COMIC SANS cuz its teh bestest font evr. REMEMBER TO PUT BIG RED STROKES AROUND ALL UR TEXT!!!!!111!!11!1one!1!
#8. saev it as a low quality jpeg bcuz u dont wanna be makin ppls ljs load slow w/ big iconses!
#9. dont be copyin my iconses or i will hunt u down! xoxo, me
#10. psd file avelable if u request it!!11!!!1!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-09 03:09 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-10 09:59 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-09 09:33 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-09 01:18 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-11 07:18 pm (UTC)