Liontamer's Open Discussion Graphics Thread

[shroom_v1]

I'm not too sure if anybody's taking requests on here but I thought I'd ask, if not it's no problem this is just an idea I've had. I'm in the process of pushing Paul Huntington (As Aristocrat) in SWF and I'd like to have him come out with the Blueblood Championship (It's a similar idea to The Million Dollar Belt). Cheers if anybody can do this for me

[Linsolv]

Finally came up with an idea for what to do with my Illustrator playing, and then I immediately got sidetracked. But it was for the good of the... uh... people who come here, I guess.

 

An SVG with every more-or-less metallic gradient I have access to! I decided on an SVG because it can be imported, to my knowledge, to all the different graphics programs (at least, Photoshop, GIMP, and the vector software I use). Plus I didn't know how to export to like, Photoshop brushes.

 

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YVJJF60A

 

NB: While most of them seem like they could eventually be useful, very, very few look ready for "off the shelf" use, at the moment. Since my use and, say, ReapeR's or FullMETAL's are VERY different, and for expediency, I didn't edit them to taste.

 

Also, I feel like I should say: Shroom, I would try it, but my belts really never come off looking especially expensive, and that sounds like it'd be a problem with your concept.

 

Incidentally, I decided to try taping this Illustrator playing around, and even try to spend some time thinking through what I'd say in the video and cutting it together properly. But it's still pretty early to say if it'll turn out any good. Still... extensive video editing is time consuming. I have spent the last 2 days editing the first little segment, which ended up only being 3 and a half minutes long.

[fullMETAL]

Another one for my NWA Domination Mod, the NWA-UK Title:

 

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Belts/Renders/NWAUK.jpghttp://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Belts/NWA-UKHeavyweight.jpg

[Linsolv]

I really am still doing stuff. Honest. It's just trying to adjust to Illustrator, while trying to decide what to do with my design (It's based, more or less, on the IWGP heavyweight belt. But I took some liberties with the design, mostly because the exact bits are tricky.) and taping anything important so I can have a better-made, more interesting, and Illustrator-oriented tutorial video is making me take forever.

 

Plus, I've been more busy lately even without the roadblocks I thought it'd be an incredible idea to put in front of myself.

 

EDIT: Started doing the research to really get the side plates down properly (I intend to make the names viewable in the zoomed version). Could someone who follows NJPW message me, to help with that? I can only get close enough reference photos for one side of the belt, and the names on those plates don't make sense to be in the order they are in, so I figure a big NJPW fan might be able to help.

[fullMETAL]

My newest renders/belts

Fire Pro Club Person Pack Tag Titles (1st and 2nd Gen)

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Belts/Renders/FPCPPTagTeam1st.jpghttp://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Belts/FPC-PPTagTeam1st.jpg

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Belts/Renders/FPCPPTagTeam2nd.jpghttp://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Belts/FPC-PPTagTeam2nd.jpg

 

Shin-Toukon Puroresu (based off NJPW/IWGP 2nd) for the NWA Domination Mod

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Belts/Renders/STPHeavyweight.jpghttp://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Belts/STPHeavyweight.jpg

[fullMETAL]

I'm attempting to make my own versions of the 10 Default belts that come with the game. Let me know what you think.

 

Here's 3 of them:

Original Belt 02

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Belts/Renders/Original02.jpghttp://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Belts/OriginalBelt02.jpg

 

Original Belt 08

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Belts/Renders/Original08.jpghttp://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Belts/OriginalBelt08.jpg

 

Original Belt 09

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Belts/Renders/Original09.jpghttp://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Belts/OriginalBelt09.jpg

 

The next few will be done when I get their source pics.

[fullMETAL]

Forgot to upload/post this older render when I made it:

 

IWGP 3rd Style WORLD Title

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Belts/Renders/IWGP3rd.jpg

[liontamer]

Some nice stuff here since I stepped away. I'm liking your textures a lot full metal, adds more realism. What program was that again? fireworks? Also one small tip/favor. Wondeirng If you alter the name between some of the large and small pics for each belt. Makes saving and archiving easier. Right now a few of them are rewriting over their counterparts.

 

I'm thinking it may be worth compiling a list of who uses what and adding it to the oringinal post so people know who to send specific questions to regarding a given program.

 

I haven't tried a belt in a while, may take a stab at one tonight or tomorrow, not sure. But I do hope to post some of the resources I'd talked about later today.

 

Keep up the good work

[fullMETAL]

I've been fixing the filenames more and more lately just to combat filename overwriting (a problem I have as well when getting other people's graphics more than occasionally).

 

Yup, Fireworks (I use Alien Skin: Chrome, so it's kinda cheating--but it still works). I could basically be considered the FW expert for belts here (ReapeR and Payne for PhotoShop, Linsolv for InkScape, etc.) unless someone else more experienced and well-versed wants to step up?

[Linsolv]

Oh, right. I should be getting back to that belt I've been working on for a freaking month, shouldn't I.

 

EDIT: Good news is, though, that it's almost to the stage where I can start putting "finishing touches" like gradients and textures on it! Just gotta finish the details on the side plates. Which could be done in the next hour, or could take another week, depending on how much Dragon Age I play in the next 2 hours.

 

EDIT 2: MOAR GOOD NEWS! I beat my "hour" prediction by 20 minutes.

 

Also, on the subject of filenames, I render the big one as "[belt name] Big.png" and the small one as "[belt name] Small.png".

[liontamer]

test (in progress, trying to post some resources)

ribbon

 

well, the server crashed. I'll see if I can get it up later. Format question: I have them saved as paintshop pro images which allow them to be in dfferent layers (two full belts included), but you have to dowload them to see them. Is there a format that prevents merging the layers, but still can be viewed on the forum?

[Linsolv]

As you can see, still pretty WIP:

 

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd359/Sootmouth/Belts/IWGPWIPBig-01.png

 

I'm trying to get the gradients right, which is sorta funny because it's without-a-doubt the hardest part of the things that are left.

 

(Well. There's also compiling and ordering a list of the champions. But that's easy. As you can see, I'm going for a really different look here than normal for me.)

[Linsolv]

I decided that damnit all, I deserved a separate post for my first belt in over a month.

 

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd359/Sootmouth/IWGP-AheadBig-01.pnghttp://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd359/Sootmouth/IWGP-AheadSmall-01.png

 

It's not perfect. There's a lot of stuff that, if I had my druthers, I'd improve. But it's certainly my best so far.

 

Original: (I used to other reference photos, a close up of the main plate and the right side, but this is the most complete image I've got.

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd359/Sootmouth/IWGP_Whole.jpg

[D16NJD16]

sounds right to me.

[liontamer]

I decided that damnit all, I deserved a separate post for my first belt in over a month.

 

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd359/Sootmouth/IWGP-AheadBig-01.pnghttp://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd359/Sootmouth/IWGP-AheadSmall-01.png

QUOTE]

 

Definitely your best and most detailed effort so far and probably better than most of my belts.

 

What I like...

- love the overall design

- the detail on the side plates

- the fact that the gold actually looks like it's a seperate layer than the silver. adds a lot to realism

- the belt strap

- I think I'm seeing some shadowing in there which I don't recall in your previous belts

 

What I think could improve it....

- more detail on the eagle (not a must, just my pref)

- less contrast in the gradients (the dark is too dark for me and is the main thing limiting realism. darkness in some parts also don't match between layers which looks odd

- making the rings between the plates gold.

- just because it looks a little bare, I might recommend throwing another one of the rings with the red on the inside at the bottom under the banner.

- if I can get my resources posted finally, might recommend using the sphere tube to make the little globes on the side plates look more 3d. Could try int in the middle one too, but I don't think it's necessary and may hurt the overall look.

- might play with the lighting on the IWGP lettering. the IW look to be part of the same layer as the globe where as the GP look above the globe like in the original.

 

One thing I'm not sure of....

The shape of the side of the main plate. On the one hand, when I look at just the main plate I love the shape. On the other hand when I look at the belt as a whole, it seems odd. First, as far as realism, the original belt had the lines more vertical (not saying yours has to be the same as you made some other changes which add to the overall look nicely). Second, the relationship of the center belt to the main plates looks odd because they aren't parellel, are vertically offset and there's nothing else to take my attention away from this or explain why it is this way.

[Linsolv]

A point by point response (Having a chance to make point-by-point responses is what I wake up for)

 

What I like...

- love the overall design

- the detail on the side plates

- the fact that the gold actually looks like it's a seperate layer than the silver. adds a lot to realism

- the belt strap

- I think I'm seeing some shadowing in there which I don't recall in your previous belts

 

Thanks! The actual fact is, there's always been shading, but it's usually on like, the 3rd version I release because I always always always forget about it until someone says "Man, Lin, your last belt looked way more layered..." incidentally, the strap texture is the hilarious result of not having any good options for leather texturing. So I went through all the different raster styles I could apply, and that one won over sandpaper like FULLmetal uses, or the 3rd option, stained glass.

 

What I think could improve it....

- more detail on the eagle (not a must, just my pref)

 

Honestly, I'm not very good at graphics. I don't know how to do that stuff, and whenever I've done it in the past I relied on importing photographs. I couldn't find an appropriate looking one, so I ended up using some clipart I found, which was actually very far from what I wanted. So, I pretty much agree, but I don't know how.

 

- less contrast in the gradients (the dark is too dark for me and is the main thing limiting realism. darkness in some parts also don't match between layers which looks odd

 

My girlfriend said the same thing. "Nathan, that gradient makes it look like someone drew on it with permanent marker!" But the basic concept just looks so far above and beyond all my other options (and I tried my other gradients -- it's not just theory this time! ) and with the project taking sooo long, I didn't want to bog it down doing experiments with gradients that I really don't understand that well on top of everything.

 

- making the rings between the plates gold.

 

They should've been silver. I only looked at my reference photos at a few points, and that's one of the problems that came from working for memory.

 

- just because it looks a little bare, I might recommend throwing another one of the rings with the red on the inside at the bottom under the banner.

 

They're gems! Maybe I should've gone with the simpler-looking gems in the long run.

 

- if I can get my resources posted finally, might recommend using the sphere tube to make the little globes on the side plates look more 3d. Could try int in the middle one too, but I don't think it's necessary and may hurt the overall look.

 

Nothing to say here, actually...

 

- might play with the lighting on the IWGP lettering. the IW look to be part of the same layer as the globe where as the GP look above the globe like in the original.

 

A casualty of my newbiness at Illustrator, I'm afraid. If you look at the belt itself, you'll notice that around most everything, they remove gold parts to create a "border" of sorts. Well, I was doing that, but because the globe is SO complicated (it's got every little island in the south pacific...) it got a little bit out of alignment at some point, and the IW got moved down by accident. Or the globe got moved up. I can't tell for sure.

 

---

 

As to the sides being angled, it's a tricky story. See, when I started off (I've got this all on tape, haha) I traced half the shape. And then, I realised that halfway on top and halfway on bottom didn't line up, but my tracing job was basically good. So I rotated it 4 degrees, and it lined up, and that's why the sides are curved. I don't know if that's a problem with my eyes or with the photograph, or what.

 

I know for a fact the side plate shape should probably, by right, be adjusted, but it really is representative of the source image -- if only because it's low-res, perhaps.

 

I would've liked to have made the text look engraved, but I wasn't sure how I wanted to do it, so I didn't.

 

EDIT: Oh, wow... I just trailed off in the original at "I would've liked to have." Oops!

 

EDIT 2: I wasn't reading very carefully, sorry. As to Liontamer's request for layered, web-friendly graphics: I'm sorry to say that I can't think of any. You could just post the files, but otherwise I can't really see any other options. I prefer PNG for exporting when I can help it, because it doesn't develop artifacts like JPG files do.

[fullMETAL]

DUDE...AWESOME!!! :)

 

I decided that damnit all, I deserved a separate post for my first belt in over a month.

 

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd359/Sootmouth/IWGP-AheadBig-01.pnghttp://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd359/Sootmouth/IWGP-AheadSmall-01.png

 

It's not perfect. There's a lot of stuff that, if I had my druthers, I'd improve. But it's certainly my best so far.

[Linsolv]

Since I'm out of ideas and you guys are probably getting sick of my SSW belts, I guess it's time to take on FullMETAL's project of the original 10 belts. Let's hope that 05 is on my desktop so I don't have to download it!

 

GOAL: At least 1 belt tomorrow. This will represent an increase in productivity of... like a billion per-cent.

 

EDIT: I'm... only seeing 9, METAL. Any thoughts?

 

Oh, jeez. Went looking for eagle graphics that were better than the ones I had so far. The deluge of not especially related things I ended up finding were so wide and varied, I have like 3 separate ideas for belts. Looks like the 9-belt filler's getting pushed back!

[Linsolv]

And my new personal best for concept-to-completion: 3 hours.

 

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd359/Sootmouth/Belts/KeytotheCityBig-01.pnghttp://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd359/Sootmouth/Belts/KeytotheCitySmall-01.png

 

(That strap texture grew really old, really fast. I wish I had a better option...)

 

WHOOOOOO! I fixed it!

 

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd359/Sootmouth/Belts/KeytotheCity2-01.png

 

And since this thread is all about sharing and caring, here's a link to all the leather textures I just picked up (I tried to get them all on one image for convenience, but because I wanted to keep the same resolution I'm gonna be using, the file itself is HUGE):

 

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=E89MQX1L (Wow. It was too big for Photobucket...)

[ReapeR]

Since I'm out of ideas and you guys are probably getting sick of my SSW belts, I guess it's time to take on FullMETAL's project of the original 10 belts. Let's hope that 05 is on my desktop so I don't have to download it!

 

GOAL: At least 1 belt tomorrow. This will represent an increase in productivity of... like a billion per-cent.

 

EDIT: I'm... only seeing 9, METAL. Any thoughts?

 

Oh, jeez. Went looking for eagle graphics that were better than the ones I had so far. The deluge of not especially related things I ended up finding were so wide and varied, I have like 3 separate ideas for belts. Looks like the 9-belt filler's getting pushed back!

 

Welcome to my world. Go looking for something in particular, and come out with ideas out of the wazoo. Yeah, I said wazoo. I end up saving tons of pics that have nothing to do with the original search I was conducting. Then I sit on them until the right title comes along.

 

R

[Linsolv]

I'm really getting attatched to this "Illustrator" thing. Text paths are easier, clipping masks make that cool leather pattern above possible, I have a ton of cool illustrator crap just waiting for me on the internet... Never mind that my fingers are more used to the hotkeys now.

[fullMETAL]

Plus, you can take brushes and cool-looking stuff and warp them by making them a stroke for a line. Ever seen a thick-ass leaf get warped in a circular way and then laugh? Illustrator.

 

It's what the pros use, you know. ;D

[fullMETAL]

I think making the "Key City" text black (or even red, like I use, or blue) would also make it pop after the shrinkage. As it is, you can't be entirely sure what the text says if you're viewing it on higher-res monitors.

 

And my new personal best for concept-to-completion: 3 hours.

 

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd359/Sootmouth/Belts/KeytotheCityBig-01.pnghttp://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd359/Sootmouth/Belts/KeytotheCitySmall-01.png

 

(That strap texture grew really old, really fast. I wish I had a better option...)

 

WHOOOOOO! I fixed it!

 

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd359/Sootmouth/Belts/KeytotheCity2-01.png

 

And since this thread is all about sharing and caring, here's a link to all the leather textures I just picked up (I tried to get them all on one image for convenience, but because I wanted to keep the same resolution I'm gonna be using, the file itself is HUGE):

 

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=E89MQX1L (Wow. It was too big for Photobucket...)

[Linsolv]

Actually, I had originally had the text in the original, TrueType font -- though I did try to use the bordering effect I figured out with the IWGP belt. Tried it in black, and gold. It looked mottled even in the high-res view. Nearly illegible. Then I pulled the original text and just left the bordering, as you can see above.

 

Closest thing to legible I could get it.

[fullMETAL]

I figured if anybody else wanted to take a crack at the Original 10 Belts, here they are:

 

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Miscellaneous/originalbelt01.jpghttp://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Miscellaneous/originalbelt02.jpg

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Miscellaneous/originalbelt03.jpghttp://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Miscellaneous/originalbelt04.jpg

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Miscellaneous/originalbelt05.jpghttp://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Miscellaneous/originalbelt06.jpg

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Miscellaneous/originalbelt07.jpghttp://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Miscellaneous/originalbelt08.jpg

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Miscellaneous/originalbelt09.jpg

 

That's odd, I thought there were 10.

Here are larger pics of some that I had on my hard drive.

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Miscellaneous/Original02.jpg

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Miscellaneous/Original06.jpg

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Miscellaneous/Original08.jpg

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/FullMetalitia/Miscellaneous/Original09.jpg