I realized we didn´t have any general discussion thread about making graphics/fanart. I don´t know if there´s much interest here for a thread like this but if anyone have any questions about how to do something, have made a tutorial they want to share or just want to talk about something graphics-related then they can do that here. I also thought that people could post wallpapers/signatures/icons or whatever it may be that they have done so they can get some real constructive criticism about it. I usually don´t give much feedback in peoples wallpaper threads simply because it´s really hard to know if someone actually want an honest opinion about what they have done or if they just wanna hear that it´s awesome and superfantastic. Personally i have to say that the best and most useful comment i have ever gotten on any of my stuff was when Demonic pointed out that my use of text was really boring and crappy looking (well, i guess he didn´t really put it that way but that´s what he meant (and he was right)). So if anyone have some stuff that they want an honest opinion about i promise that at least i will give one. I´m not going to be mean or anything, i will simply point out what i think is good about it and what could have been better.

Go Nuts!
I am always looking for ways to improve.

unlike your stuff I try to have the model stand out instead of blend in. Different style, but I bet you can come up with something to tutor me about

I'm always looking for criticism, as long as it's not stuff like "you suck!" lol. I have feelings too, ya know

On the flip side, I can by kind of an ass when commenting on other artwork, so I usually follow the "it's better to say nothing at all" rule. I do what I can to help others, but I feel the same way, thinking that some people just wanna hear the good stuff.

I'll post some stuff here that ya'll can constructively tear apart all you want . And if you see anything in my walls that make you wonder "How'd he do that?", feel free to ask. I keep all of my PSD's so I can do tuts pretty easily.

Spinnr. Your font selection always rocks and you use good, bold colors to compliment the models. My only thing to say would be something that we all work on constantly, and that's to just spend a little more time on your cutouts. I have actually stopped using erasers (except to do fine touches) and have gone to using the line tool in PS. It takes time, but after some practice, you can almost always get near perfect cutouts. I am also now using Demonic's "hair trick" to paint back in some of the hair... though that doesn't always work with the curly haired models lol. Perfect hair is the absolute hardest thing for me

Thanks zoddy. I usually use a quickmask for cutouts never the erase tool. I agree my cutouts could be better, but I am improving and learning the true meaning of patience cause it take so effin long. I think most people have troubles here when starting out. (not that I'm starting out, I'm just impatient

The texts usually fit because like I have said my specialty is text logos.

as far as the "How'd you do that" reactions. You could never create enough tutorials for me. I love your work and could never spot anything to critique and would love to have your talent.

Really? That's the quickmask? I tried it once with horrible results, so kudos to you for making such a sloppy tool (or just a tool that I have no patience to effectively learn) work so well! I used to just erase the models out of their backgrounds... which was hell with hair and any time there was a long, straight leg or arm. My hand isn't that steady. The line tool is awesome (or is it called the point tool? It's the one that looks like an old ink pen lol), though can sometimes look TOO crisp, which is when I go back in with a 50% eraser and get things to blend into the background a bit more.

Thank you so much for the compliments.

Pen tool.

I am pretty decent with the pen tool, but I like the quickmask tool because with keyboard shortcuts it is simple to go from a hard brush to a soft one without having to do much work on it.

keyboard shortcuts rule!

Haha! Sorry, I was a tad inebriated when I wrote that last post. Yes, the pen tool. Shortcuts are cool, but I really only use them for undo, redo, redo filter... stuff like that. I probably should pay attention to those more often.

Some feedback on Spinnr´s walls: I think the text looks really good on all of them and the filtered images in the background also works well. On some of them i think they actually would look even better if you just had the background and didn´t put a cutout on top of it, sometimes it tends to look like the cutout is just kind of thrown on there as an afterthought and it doesn´t really add anything to the wall (here i´m mostly thinking about the Bella Bellini and the pink Brandi wall). I like the composition on the Violet Erotica blend a lot and with some stylized colouring it could have been really awesome, as it is now it´s alright but the (abscence of) colour make it a bit dull looking.

I have noticed that stylized colouring doesn´t seem to be something that many that makes walls of models is into (or maybe they just don´t know how to use it) which i find quite strange as it´s usually the first thing people experiment with when they start making fanart.

Originally Posted by patrick s

which i find quite strange as it´s usually the first thing people experiment with when they start making fanart.

You know, you are right, I do remember one of the first things I ever messed with was the coloring and all. I think I never use it because I can never get the effect I am shooting for

thanks for the tips I will try to mess with that sometime

I don't really go for perfection, usually I'm just doing something to make myself laugh. If I take my time & remember to save all my changes as I often forget to do, I can do an ok job of erasing around the edges of the image I'm cutting out.

But one thing that annoys me is often I end up with tiny little spots left elsewhere in the background farther away from the image that I failed to get with the eraser tools at the image's regular size in Photoshop CS3. I end up magnifying the size of the image to see the little spots & searching all around the background to remove them manually. Seems like there should be a much faster way of doing that part. Is there a better way to get rid of those? Or a better way to select closer to the image I cut out rather than the - - - square selection tool? Usually I just make a large box around the image, free transform it, then paste it onto the background I want it on. I used to use Paintshop and still don't know a lot of the Photoshop tools.

Golden I use quickmask as I stated earlier. that almost always quarantees you don't leave stray pixels or anything.

the quickmask feature isn't for everyone, and if you don't start out learning it I don't recommend it


you could try ctrl+clicking the layer icon in the layers pallette and then with the marquis tool (keyboard shortcut "M") alt + defining the stray marks and then copying the layer

Golden: Use the lasso tool and draw a quick line close around your subject, instead of using the box selection. This will make the same type of selection, but will be much more accurate and will eliminate the stray pixels that you are having trouble with

Does anyone wanna give some constructive critisism on some of my wallpapers?

Originally Posted by patrick s

Does anyone wanna give some constructive critisism on some of my wallpapers?

I do have one gripe.





I need a killer diddy wall in a certain resolution.. how can I get that taken care of?




1360X768 (I know it's a retarded size

Originally Posted by patrick s

Does anyone wanna give some constructive critisism on some of my wallpapers?

I guess not.

Originally Posted by patrick s

Does anyone wanna give some constructive critisism on some of my wallpapers?

1. Criticism is spelled wrong.
2. I like how many of them are blended with the background, but not on a couple. Like the Peachez wall there its like she's barely even in it, maybe too blended in. And I don't like ones that don't show the face of the person in it clearly, it may as well be anyone.

Otherwise though.

patrick, as I stated in your thread, I think your style on the walls and such is completely awesome for sure. I really can't think of much actual criticism. I'd like to see some other styles because I think you could execute them really well. But at the same point, you have a nice little niche going there with the dark horroresque wallpapers, as I think I called them on the other thread.

But yeah, if I had to say something, I'd love to see you try your hand at some brighter "happier" (it makes sense in my head...) ones that are just totally different than these. Overall though, awesome work. And as Spinnr1 said, though not specifically that size, I think people would benefit from a whole buncha different sizes. I know that can be a pain though sometimes, from my personal experience.

(is it constructive criticism if there's no, um, criticism? haha)