Teaching myself Photoshop (Large Images)

Vladimir Marenus · 08-07-2008, 05:31 PM

Step right up! Prepare your eyes for something truly horrible! The dreaded....

PHOTOSHOP CS3 NEWBIE!

*ahem*

Anyway, I'm hoping to take what has started out as virtual vomit (and is currently virtual vomit with recognizable chunks) and eventually teach myself to photoshop as a hobby. These comics are not meant to be good, recognizable, or anything at all positive. Nor do I have a dedicated schedule for them... Just putting them up here for general critique, and because no one reads my blog, and I'd like someone to see them, even if they're little more than trash. Not much of anything going on yet, so don't ding me for lack of plot just yet.

First comic, done about 4 weeks ago and upon opening PS for the first time:

Second comic, done 2 weeks ago and upon reading a tutorial on how to make a 'warp' (since I can't seem to find the Chrono Trigger portal sprite):

Third Comic, done 3 days ago and upon... deciding to do a third comic. It's supposed to have a chaotic feel to it, but I think I overdid. (Kudos to those who realize that I don't have to put the word 'it' at the end of that sentence).

TopHatAssassin · 08-07-2008, 06:24 PM

It's not so much an issue in the third one, but I would highly suggest you check your text. It's all mashed in the balloons and kind of unpleasant to read, being stuck all the way at the edges. It just needs some formatting, maybe try centering it?

Otherwise, nicely done overall. I really like the boxes in the third one, pretty fancy.

Vladimir Marenus · 08-07-2008, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TopHatAssassin

It's not so much an issue in the third one, but I would highly suggest you check your text. It's all mashed in the balloons and kind of unpleasant to read, being stuck all the way at the edges. It just needs some formatting, maybe try centering it?

Otherwise, nicely done overall. I really like the boxes in the third one, pretty fancy.

Thanks for the comment!

About the text: Yeah, I realized that... I was using Photoshop's built-in text-conformer-thingy. For the third one, I was manually writing the text and then forming the boxes around it. That was quite easily the most time-consuming part of it. :P I'm also happy with my choice of font, finally.

TDK · 08-08-2008, 11:52 AM

You seem to have improved fast (First comic I've seen novices do better with paint...Easily.), but I'm hesitant to think you've learned much more than a few tricks.

The third comic, though, seems pretty good...About a little less than Captain SNES in quality, perhaps.

I'd suggest you make the sprites bigger, in all the comics.

And as a general hint for making comics? Author insertion, or even reference to it, is incredibly annoying, especially having the character insult you and such. Its really stupid and pretentious.

Its like the worst way to break the fourth wall.

(But that's all just my opinion.)

Fifthfiend · 08-08-2008, 01:08 PM

I would point out the many and obviously terrible things in your comics but you seem yourself to already be aware of them so there's no point harping on it.

You do seem to be improving so hey, keep it up.

Mirai Gen · 08-08-2008, 01:37 PM

How the hell did you avoid doing that Photoshop distortion thing when you resized the sprites?

Meister · 08-08-2008, 01:39 PM

Resample Image: Nearest Neighbor.

Mirai Gen · 08-08-2008, 01:55 PM

Any way to do that with Free Transform?

Meister · 08-08-2008, 02:05 PM

Now that would be sexy. Not that I know of, though. But on most spritesheets the dimensions are so small you can get any size you want by resizing in whole increments anyway.

Pro tip for sprite comics: use Paint Shop Pro instead. Dead serious. Photoshop's a good program but PSP is far better for sprite comics - resizing is easier, editing is easier, even recoloring is easier. Pro pro tip: assemble comic in PSP, add text and speech bubbles in Photoshop.

Mirai Gen · 08-08-2008, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Now that would be sexy.

I knooooow! Damn it why does Adobe have to make everything so difficult.

I'll look into Paintshop Pro. Couldn't hurt.

08-07-2008, 05:31 PM	#1
Vladimir Marenus Grasshopper of Photoshop Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 31	Teaching myself Photoshop (Large Images) Step right up! Prepare your eyes for something truly horrible! The dreaded.... PHOTOSHOP CS3 NEWBIE! ahem Anyway, I'm hoping to take what has started out as virtual vomit (and is currently virtual vomit with recognizable chunks) and eventually teach myself to photoshop as a hobby. These comics are not meant to be good, recognizable, or anything at all positive. Nor do I have a dedicated schedule for them... Just putting them up here for general critique, and because no one reads my blog, and I'd like someone to see them, even if they're little more than trash. Not much of anything going on yet, so don't ding me for lack of plot just yet. First comic, done about 4 weeks ago and upon opening PS for the first time: Second comic, done 2 weeks ago and upon reading a tutorial on how to make a 'warp' (since I can't seem to find the Chrono Trigger portal sprite): Third Comic, done 3 days ago and upon... deciding to do a third comic. It's supposed to have a chaotic feel to it, but I think I overdid. (Kudos to those who realize that I don't have to put the word 'it' at the end of that sentence).

08-07-2008, 06:24 PM	#2
TopHatAssassin Like a millionaire Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 637	It's not so much an issue in the third one, but I would highly suggest you check your text. It's all mashed in the balloons and kind of unpleasant to read, being stuck all the way at the edges. It just needs some formatting, maybe try centering it? Otherwise, nicely done overall. I really like the boxes in the third one, pretty fancy. __________________ Aye, num nums indeed.

08-08-2008, 01:08 PM	#5
Fifthfiend for all seasons Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 19,409	I would point out the many and obviously terrible things in your comics but you seem yourself to already be aware of them so there's no point harping on it. You do seem to be improving so hey, keep it up. __________________ check out my buttspresso

08-08-2008, 01:37 PM	#6
Mirai Gen We are Geth. Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 14,032	How the hell did you avoid doing that Photoshop distortion thing when you resized the sprites? __________________

08-08-2008, 01:55 PM	#8
Mirai Gen We are Geth. Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 14,032	Any way to do that with Free Transform? __________________

08-08-2008, 11:52 AM	#4
TDK Sent to the cornfield Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Reality Posts: 2,914	You seem to have improved fast (First comic I've seen novices do better with paint...Easily.), but I'm hesitant to think you've learned much more than a few tricks. The third comic, though, seems pretty good...About a little less than Captain SNES in quality, perhaps. I'd suggest you make the sprites bigger, in all the comics. And as a general hint for making comics? Author insertion, or even reference to it, is incredibly annoying, especially having the character insult you and such. Its really stupid and pretentious. Its like the worst way to break the fourth wall. (But that's all just my opinion.)

08-08-2008, 01:39 PM	#7
Meister Pure joy Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Germany Posts: 10,689	Resample Image: Nearest Neighbor.

08-08-2008, 02:05 PM	#9
Meister Pure joy Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Germany Posts: 10,689	Now that would be sexy. Not that I know of, though. But on most spritesheets the dimensions are so small you can get any size you want by resizing in whole increments anyway. Pro tip for sprite comics: use Paint Shop Pro instead. Dead serious. Photoshop's a good program but PSP is far better for sprite comics - resizing is easier, editing is easier, even recoloring is easier. Pro pro tip: assemble comic in PSP, add text and speech bubbles in Photoshop.