GFX Design for Dummies(good for Beginners and pros alike)WITH SCREENSHOTS!

[::тǿρħєя::]

Welcome! This is my first tutorial. If you're looking into Graphic Designs, you've come to the right place. I'll show you all you need to know about this to start your own shop.

 

If you are completely new to this, hoping to learn, you need a program to design in. The two most commonly used are GIMP(GNU Image Manipulation Program) and Adobe Photoshop. Also, you can use Microsoft Paint, but it has TERRIBLE quality. And also, you can't render on paint. Medium Quality = GIMP. This is the most acceptable program for shops. Top Quality = Adobe PS. I personally use GIMP.

 

If you want to make a profession off of it, Photoshop is the way to go. However, it is about $600. You can get Photoshop Elements for about one sixth the price, which still has 90% of capability of PS. GIMP is almost as good. It functions very well. And best of all, it's FREE!!! You can download GIMP right...HERE!

 

While this is a good place to learn new things for shops, please note that this was designed with beginners in mind. This is why there are objectives to learn in each tutorial.

 

NOTE: GFX DSN = My acronym for Graphic Design.

NOTE 2: In each spoiler in a tutorial here is the screenshot of that step. Only steps that need it will be given that. Zooms and such don't cut it.

NOTE 3: The GIMP in my screenshots is white, if you download it, it will be tan. I have downloaded GIMP Themes, which can change the color and text of your GIMP.

 

[spoiler=Coming Soon]These are coming, most likely, tomorrow. This isn't because I don't know how to do them, it's just because I need to get up at 6 AM, so I'm going to sleep.

 

-Advanced Holos

-Booster Packs

-Cropping Images

 

These ones are ones that I can do, but I may not get to tomorrow.

 

-Dark Synchros

-Sigs

-Banners

 

 

 

[spoiler=Renders][spoiler=Description]Well, this is one of the simplest, yet most useful, things you can do. You can go to a pic on GIMP, and take away the Background. This is good for sigs, which need no background. No, a render isn't Black or White in the BG, it's TRANSPARENT. On GIMP, that looks like a checkerboard in the background.

[spoiler=New Skills Taught] Transparency, Paths Tool

 

 

1. Open up GIMP to the desired picture. For my example, I will be using Zero Lelouch from Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion.

 

[spoiler=Step 1 Screenshot]

 

 

2. Go to View>Zoom>200-800%, depending on the size of your image.

 

3. Select Paths Tool from the toolbox(Hotkey: B) and trace around the character, clicking at all the bends. The first and last points don't have to touch, just need to be very close. After this, you can revert your zoom if you want to.

 

[spoiler=Step 3]

 

 

4. Press Enter. This will complete the path, which is why you don't need to touch the first and last points together. When you press enter, a black and white line will go around your character in addition to the path dots.

 

5. Go to Layer>Transparency>Add Alpha Channel.

 

6. Press Ctrl+I. This will make the white/black line go around the border too.

 

7. Press Delete. This will make the background turn transparent. (Checkerboard=Transparent)

 

[spoiler=Step 7]

 

 

8. Use the path tool to trace any "holes" in the character, such as my Zero Lelouch's left collar, and then press Enter. No Alpha Channel this time.

 

[spoiler=Step 8]

 

 

9. Press Delete.

 

10. You're done. SAVE AS .PNG!!!!! This is very important. JPEG Images can't handle Transparency, so you need to export it to white, which is not transparent. SAVE AS .PNG.

 

MY RESULT:

 

 

[spoiler= Image Recoloring][spoiler=Description]Another useful skill is recoloring images. This can include card art or a whole image.

[spoiler=New Skills Taught]Colorizing

 

 

1. Open up an image. I'll be using a penguin.

 

2. Go to Colors>Colorize.

 

3. Mess around with the hues, saturation, and lightness until you get what you want. For a black and white picture, set saturation to 0.

 

[spoiler=Step 3]

 

 

4. You're done. Save it as .JPG or .PNG.

 

MY RESULT:

 

 

[spoiler=Card Art Recolors][spoiler=New Skills Taught]Rectangle Select

1. Open GIMP to a card. I'll be using my Team Evangelion card, from Neon Genesis Evangelion.

 

2. Use the rectangle select button(hotkey=R) to select the card art.

 

[spoiler=Step 2]

 

 

3. Colors>Colorize, just like the Recolor Tutorial, above this one.

 

4. Save as .JPG or .PNG.

 

MY RESULT:

 

 

[spoiler=Corner Sticker Recolors][spoiler=New Skills Taught]Open as Layers, Move Tool

[spoiler=Description]You know the little silver/gold stickers in the bottom right of a YGO card? Well now you don't have to stick to silver, I'll show you Gold and Recolored!

 

 

Gold: 1. Save this.

 

2. Open your card in GIMP.

 

3. Go to Ctrl+Alt+O to open the corner sticker on top of the card.

 

4. Move it to its position over the sticker with Move Tool(Hotkey=M)

 

5. Save as .JPG. .PNG can't handle layers, so you'll have to export. Not that it matters, it just saves you 2 seconds from confirming that you want to export the picture.

 

FOR RECOLORS: Use the same method as the above spoiler, but Rectangle Select the sticker instead of the card art.

 

 

[spoiler=Inverts][spoiler=Description]This is Negative Coloring in GIMP. If you offer this in a shop, it it not allowed to be worth points. You must make it free.

[spoiler=New Skills Taught]Inverting

 

 

1. Open Card/Image on GIMP

 

2. Go to Colors>Invert.

 

3. Save as .JPG or .PNG.

 

MY RESULT:

 

 

[spoiler=Stone Cards][spoiler=Description]This will make a card look as though it is carved from rock.

[spoiler=New Skills Taught]Distorts

 

 

1. Open Card on GIMP

 

2. Go to Filters>Distorts>Emboss and click OK on the window that pops up.

 

[spoiler=Step 2]

 

 

3. Save as .JPG or .PNG.

 

MY RESULT:

 

 

[spoiler=Holos][spoiler=Description]Also known as Shiny Rares. They are the cards with shiny card art.

[spoiler=New Skills Taught]Scale, Basic layers

 

 

1. Save these:

 

2. Open up the card on GIMP.

 

3. Open as layers(Ctrl+Alt+O) one of those Holo Sheets you just saved.

 

4. Press Shift+T. This will bring up the Scale Box.

 

5. Resize the Holo Sheet to cover the Card Art Box.

 

[spoiler=Step 5]

 

 

6. If you used the Translucent Rainbow Sheet, you are done. If you used one of the ones with lines going through it, follow these last steps.

 

7. Press Ctrl+L to bring up the layers box.

 

8. Set Mode from Normal to Dodge.

 

[spoiler=Step 8]

 

 

9. Save as .PNG.

 

MY RESULT:

 

 

Reps are appreciated! Have fun!

 

P.S. I'm trying to make this as simple yet descriptive. If you have any questions, just post them here, and I'll help you to the best of my ability. Also, correct me if I'm wrong about anything.

[Skippy Canoe]

Recolors and renders? That's it?

 

I already know how to do this stuff, and have a tut about it. It has WAY more and the render is easier and has a better result.

 

I can't say there's anything wrong with it though. ^_^

[Zektor]

i like it and STONE CARDS

[::тǿρħєя::]

I'm sorry, I know much more, such as holos, advanced holos, boosters, dark synchros, and sigs. However, with family and homework, I can only do so much at once. I will definately have more by tomorrow, maybe tonight. Sorry.

[Prada]

Renders are the only part of gfx here. Card art is the rest, and all very easy to do. I'm nowhere near pro and I know all of this.

[Zektor]

cool add advanced holos

[Lemniscate]

I love the way that multiple tutorials for these have already been posted before.

Please use the handy-dandy search function before posting.

[§hadow §triker]

I love the way that multiple tutorials for these have already been posted before.

Please use the handy-dandy search function before posting.

 

Agreed, unless you can create a better/different method, no point in this....

[Jordan267]

thanx

[Cin]

Renders, your result is poor quality.

 

Some are hardly worth posting, since they're beyond basics.

[::тǿρħєя::]

I think that Jordan267 just necrobumped. Your post is reported.