Lesson 3 - Avatars & Signatures

**Diamat** · May 17, 2012, 06:41 PM

Original 1

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My Avatar 1

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Original 2 (from previous lesson)

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My Avatar 2

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Original 3

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My Signature 1

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Original 4

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My Signature 2

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**Goofy** · May 18, 2012, 02:23 AM

@Willowran: Very good, I think that's quite much better than the first one! The colours are nice, but I think you could still improve it by - one more time - adding a black, thin border. A good alternative, however, could be adding a white one-pixel border, then leave one-pixel empty space and then add another white one-pixel border.

@Legio: Nice.

Originally Posted by NobleNick

Been trying to do the Sig and think I need a mini-lesson in object handling.

What I want: Selection from old layer copied (or moved) into another layer.

What I do:
1.) Make sure all files involved are xxx.psd.
2.) Make sure layer with desired image is active (sometimes I am in an entirely different file/pic).
3.) Copy (or cut) a portion of the layer's image using the rectangular select tool.
4.) Make another layer active (or create it) and paste the selection into the target layer.

What I get: A "Floating Paste" layer which will not go away and no option active to delete it. My selection sometimes appears to go into the target layer and sometimes not. If the operation was a cut and paste, sometimes I can not seem to get the original to disappear without deleting the entire original layer. Sometimes a "Transformation" layer also appears if I move a selected portion of the image. Even though I pay attention to which layers are active, and copiously use the "Select --> None" command, and reselct stuff, to make sure I am not performing operations on unintentional objects; I can not seem to delete "old stuff" without blowing away the entire layer it is on.

I have been trying for hours to do a simple operation: Move a Martian avatar from my "Scratch" Layer to my "Martian" layer, and move a catapult from the "Martian" layer (where I accidently copied it from another picture) to the "Scratch" layer, so I can work on it.

I know this sounds lame, but: Mouse-click-by-mouse-click, how do you select and move a portion of an image from one layer to another layer (or move it to a different position on the same layer), and erase it from its origination location?

EDIT: Finding work arounds: If I save, close and re-open the file the floating layer disappears. But... this can't be how it's supposed to be, can it?

My sincere apologies for this.

Well, you can solve the problem the way Willowran mentioned. I don't do it that way, however.

When you paste a layer (or object) in GIMP it always becomes a "floating selection". Because it's "floating" it won't be saved with the other layers if you save the image. Now, apart from the method Willowran mentioned there are practically two ways to deal with floating selections. The one I usually use is that I create a new layer and keep it selected. Then I'll paste the new layer, right-click on it in the layer menu and click "Anchor Layer". This will merge the pasted layer and the empty layer. The merged layer will also have the name of the empty layer.

The second method is very simple as well. Copy-paste the object or layer you want and then press "Ctrl + Shift + N" to make it a new, non-floating layer. The layer will have the name "Pasted Layer" just like the floating layer has, but actually apart from tutorials I don't usually care about layer naming so that is not a problem - I won't change it anyways.

I thought layer-pasting is so simple that I don't need to teach it, and I actually forgot it, but I think I could add a mention of it to either this or the previous lesson.

Originally Posted by The Norseman

I cant find the destaturate tool in the toolbox

only the one that looks like it...

As I, Legio and King William the Conqueror already mentioned, it can be found in "Colors > Saturation". So you have to open the drop menu, or alternatively adjust your Toolbox preferences the way I described earlier.

Originally Posted by King William the Conqueror

it is in the tool menu. Professor Goofy has edited his toolbox

Exactly, and I recommend that all the students do that as well.

@Diamat: Excellent work, especially on the last signature - I like the cyan effect. On the first sig I think you could move the Saxon flag a bit closer the corner of the image, or decrease its opacity a little, so that (at least some of) the soldiers on the right could be seen properly.

@Kameraden: The new signature is fantastic!

@NobleNick: Very impressive work on your first signature! Although I think the spaceship trail is fine as it is in the first one, especially because the catapult obviously "pops up" from the picture. However, you should open the original PSD/XCF file and make a better crop of the image - now the shadows are cut off (that happens very easily - see my signature for example

). To do that, however, I guess you have to decrease the image size a little as well.

Also I think you should inform me when you update your work (adding the new stuff to the original post is a good idea though) - this time I was lucky to notice your work. If you don't want to mess up the lesson thread you can do that by sending me a Visitor Message for example, as some of you have already done.

**Maximinus Thrax** · May 18, 2012, 06:35 AM

Avatars - original photos

Avatars

Signatures - original pics

Signatures

**NobleNick** · May 18, 2012, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by Goofy

...Well, you can solve the problem the way Willowran mentioned. I don't do it that way, however.

When you paste a layer (or object) in GIMP it always becomes a "floating selection". Because it's "floating" it won't be saved with the other layers if you save the image. Now, apart from the method Willowran mentioned there are practically two ways to deal with floating selections. The one I usually use is that I create a new layer and keep it selected. Then I'll paste the new layer, right-click on it in the layer menu and click "Anchor Layer". This will merge the pasted layer and the empty layer. The merged layer will also have the name of the empty layer.

The second method is very simple as well. Copy-paste the object or layer you want and then press "Ctrl + Shift + N" to make it a new, non-floating layer. The layer will have the name "Pasted Layer" just like the floating layer has, but actually apart from tutorials I don't usually care about layer naming so that is not a problem - I won't change it anyways.

Thank you for that! I can't visualize how your first method works, but when I get back to my workstation I'll give it a try. The second seems very simple. Hopefully I'll soon have three methods to shoo this problem away.

I thought layer-pasting is so simple that I don't need to teach it, and I actually forgot it, but I think I could add a mention of it to either this or the previous lesson.

Don't underestimate the depths from which your student can emerge, especially if that student happens to be me.

@NobleNick: Very impressive work on your first signature! Although I think the spaceship trail is fine as it is in the first one, especially because the catapult obviously "pops up" from the picture. However, you should open the original PSD/XCF file and make a better crop of the image - now the shadows are cut off (that happens very easily - see my signature for example

). To do that, however, I guess you have to decrease the image size a little as well.

Ah, I see that, now. The martian and catapult didn't look as "popping off the page" as I would have liked; but I didn't know why. I think you nailed it. Maybe that and darkening the drop shadow a wee bit more? The martian and cata are about the max 175 high. I could bring it down to 150. There is wasted space at the bottom of the box, so I could crop it about 25 pixels to keep everything in proportion. That would also make the text more centered.

In light of the scary amount of time I poured into this (going on 10 hours, now), I was thinking of doing a very simple sig as my second project. But I think with about the same amount of effort I can create an improved version of my first sig. I hope you will still count that as two sigs.

Also I think you should inform me when you update your work (adding the new stuff to the original post is a good idea though) - this time I was lucky to notice your work. If you don't want to mess up the lesson thread you can do that by sending me a Visitor Message for example, as some of you have already done.

Will do.

Glad you caught the update so quickly. I was going to post something short in thread, pointing back to the original post, once I got everything done. Sending you a PM gives you a chance to give a little more real time feedback. Maybe will do both...

@Kameradan ---> Agreed with Goofy. +rep

Kameradan's Updated Sig

**Goofy** · May 18, 2012, 12:43 PM

@Maximinus Thrax: Excellent work! I love the first avatar and the second signature, they're very good! Keep it up!

Originally Posted by NobleNick

Don't underestimate your the depths to which your student can sink if that student happens to be me.

Haha, I'll have to remember that next time.

Originally Posted by NobleNick

Ah, I see that, now. The martian and catapult didn't look as "popping off the page" as I would have liked; but I didn't know why.

Perhaps you should play with shadows a little to increase the "3D" effect. Also you could use a layer mask together with a gradient to slowly fade out the shadow as it gets "closer" the centre of the image. That can be quite difficult to do, though, but you could try if you understand what I mean - now you should at least be technically able to do that.

Originally Posted by NobleNick

In light of the scary amount of time I poured into this, I was going to do a completely different (and very simple) sig as my second project. But I think with about the same amount of effort I can create an improved version of my first sig. I hope you will still count that as two sigs.

Yeah, my apologies - the fault is at least partially mine.

I can consider it an another signature if it's different/improved enough - you have probably used twice as long time than most of the students for this, so I'd be unfair if I didn't count that as two. Just make sure you'll keep making signatures every now and then after this lesson as well so I'm fine with this.

Originally Posted by NobleNick

Glad you caught the update so quickly. I was going to post something short in thread, pointing back to the original post, once I got everything done. Sending you a PM gives you a chance to give a little more real time feedback. Maybe will do both...

Visitor Message, Private Message and ordinary post are all fine.

What I forgot to say is that you should, in my opinion, add a thin border or a bold shadow (duplicated drop shadow layer perhaps) behind the text - that could really improve the text. On the next lesson, however, we'll study creating graphical text so that will enable you to improve your work even further in future.

**Willowran** · May 19, 2012, 07:39 AM

hmmm... i considered a border. Indeed, if you look closely, you can see a faded deep-red border on the bottom half of the sig, going up the sides too. however, i then earased the border from along the top, as it faded too far into the pic, and detracted from overall appearence.

A white border may clash too much with the image, but i could always add a more discernable black border, if the prof (still) suggests it?

edit: hmm... it seems to be an issue with TWC. You cannot see the border so well here, mainly along the bottom... However, if you look at the image directly from photoshop (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/825/siggyd.png/) it becomes easier to see.

**The Norseman** · May 19, 2012, 10:38 AM

set the new layer to Overlay mode (opacity still 100 %) and then create a one-pixel border on its own layer:

Didnt really get that... When you say set it to Overlay mode do you mean pressing the green arrow below the layers like we did in the last lessons or what? And Im not sure how to create a one pixel border...

**Goofy** · May 19, 2012, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by Willowran

hmmm... i considered a border. Indeed, if you look closely, you can see a faded deep-red border on the bottom half of the sig, going up the sides too. however, i then earased the border from along the top, as it faded too far into the pic, and detracted from overall appearence.

A white border may clash too much with the image, but i could always add a more discernable black border, if the prof (still) suggests it?

edit: hmm... it seems to be an issue with TWC. You cannot see the border so well here, mainly along the bottom... However, if you look at the image directly from photoshop (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/825/siggyd.png/) it becomes easier to see.

I'd suggest a one-pixel black border.

Originally Posted by The Norseman

Didnt really get that... When you say set it to Overlay mode do you mean pressing the green arrow below the layers like we did in the last lessons or what?

In the Layer menu, at the top, you can see the text "Mode: Normal". Click on "Normal" and select "Overlay" in the drop menu.

Originally Posted by The Norseman

And Im not sure how to create a one pixel border...

I created one on the lesson.

You can do that simply with the Pencil Tool by setting its scale ("size" in GIMP 2.8) to minimum. Alternatively you could press Ctrl + A to select all and then click "Edit > Stroke Selection" and set the "Line width" value to 2 pixels.

**Willowran** · May 19, 2012, 10:52 AM

siggy + a (2 pixel, as i couldn't even see the one pixel) black border added in:

how's this?

hey, goofy? in the first post, you said that signatures are 550/175, but it keeps cutting out the bottom of mine. the one below (that is my current siggy) has been resised to be 4-something by 150, and it is still cutting off the bottom. what's up with that, do you know?

**The Norseman** · May 19, 2012, 11:13 AM

Ok thanks a lot! Is this acceptable?

**Goofy** · May 19, 2012, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by Willowran

siggy + a (2 pixel, as i couldn't even see the one pixel) black border added in:

A one-pixel border can't be seen in GIMP because of the image/layer outline, but when you save the image it should be visible (except in the dark parts of the image border).

Originally Posted by Willowran

hey, goofy? in the first post, you said that signatures are 550/175, but it keeps cutting out the bottom of mine. the one below (that is my current siggy) has been resised to be 4-something by 150, and it is still cutting off the bottom. what's up with that, do you know?

There are two empty lines in your signature - delete them and it'll show all fine.

@The Norseman: Very good, just add that border. It'll be that important final touch for your signature.

**Willowran** · May 19, 2012, 12:25 PM

yep, that was it. thanks, proffessor goofy.

i also edited out the black line in the center eye created by the edge of the two background images

single-pixel border:

**The Norseman** · May 19, 2012, 04:01 PM

Im almost at the last step but I cant get the text White!! Ive changed it like you did in step 8!

EDIT: NVM I figured it out! But it looked really bad so I removed it, is that ok? This was the final result:

**Påsan** · May 19, 2012, 06:49 PM

Sorry about being late. Its just that I feel bad about devoting a lot of time to projects on TWC when I should be studying for exams. But I found some time tonight so here is my work:

Avatars: