First attempt at an OOTS av

[Electric_Monkey]

I knocked this up in about an hour. Can you guess who it is meant to be?
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/7118/stickyvickygp0.th.jpg (http://img147.imageshack.us/my.php?image=stickyvickygp0.jpg)

Any pointers would be welcome - even if you just want to tell me I need to take more time.

[zegma]

its soppsed to be a queen. was i right???

did u use ms paint?

[Electric_Monkey]

It's actually a little more specific than that. She's a particular queen.

Yes, I did use MS-paint, what gave it away? I'm trying to learn how to use the GIMP, and it would be useful to know what features I should learn first.

[Pop Goes the Weasel]

It's Queen Victoria!

EDIT: Go here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8742&page=4#99) for a great tutorial on Inkscape/The GIMP (specifically for avatars).

[Electric_Monkey]

Huzzah! You got it - I hope you didn't have to look at the filename.

EDIT: Thanks for the link. I've bookmarked it.

[Pop Goes the Weasel]

Nah, I play Civilization!

[zegma]

It's actually a little more specific than that. She's a particular queen.

Yes, I did use MS-paint, what gave it away? I'm trying to learn how to use the GIMP, and it would be useful to know what features I should learn first.


u can tell it was ms paint by the quality.

[Pop Goes the Weasel]

u can tell it was ms paint by the quality.

That really wasn't necessary. And not to sound inflammatory or whatever, but your grammar/spelling is pretty weak.

[Electric_Monkey]

u can tell it was ms paint by the quality.

I'd guessed that. I was hoping for something along the lines of "The edges look too angular - tool X in package Y can be really useful with that"

[Pop Goes the Weasel]

I'd guessed that. I was hoping for something along the lines of "The edges look too angular - tool X in package Y can be really useful with that"
The problem with paint is that it doesn't support anti-aliasing.
I would suggest Inkscape, which is a vector graphics program (instead of pixels, it uses mathematical formulas to store image data). It's almost nothing like paint, but you'll get used to it quickly.

[Myatar_Panwar]

Yes I use Inkscape and I think my avatars are ok. Although I just started not too long ago. But ya, like Soulknife said, its nothing like paint. It took me quite awhile to figure out even the basic concepts of it. Like having to duplicate constantly. Although I'm no computor genius. But once you get the hang of it, it works really well.

[TheSilverKnight]

Very good for an MS Paint drawing the only thing I can say is bad about it is that the lines should be thicker and the obvious pixel look and quality to it but thats hard to help when using Paint.

Using a vector based program you could finish a decent looking avi in just a few mins especially if you take advantage of layers.

[zegma]

i didnt mena to br rude. its good. u can tell u put effort in to it. thats very good for ms paint. i was just saying its much easier to use sodipodi or simalar. my frist one isnt that good ethier. soem of the ones i still make are bad look at this is one. i put liek an hour on it and it turn out realy bad.


http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o155/zegma/Dobby.png

[Pop Goes the Weasel]

You'd be great with Inkscape. You're very good at creating a realistic angle.

[Electric_Monkey]

Here's my second attempt with inkscape. (I accidentally lost the first trying to export it) EDIT: link is http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/1861/napoleoniiicc7.gif

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/1861/napoleoniiicc7.gif (http://imageshack.us)

[Captain van der Decken]

That looks pretty good, though I think the head is a bit small.

[Pop Goes the Weasel]

I would thicken your lines a bit.
Also, the body should be about half the size of the head (1/2 as in half the width, same height).

[zegma]

nice, the lines shuold be a little thicker and head biger.

[Ego Slayer]

Not bad. :smallsmile:

1.7-2.0pt lines look best. The head should be about as wide as, or wider than, the body.

I remember the first thing that shocked me about InkScape was it lacked an eraser tool. I did my first many avatars using PhotoShop. Pixels<Vectors. :smallwink:

Zegma, I think it would benifit everyone if you made a bolder attempt at proper spelling, and grammar. Your posts are just a little bothersome to read with the lack of the aformentioned.

[Wayril]

Not bad. :smallsmile:

1.7-2.0pt lines look best. The head should be about as wide as, or wider than, the body.

I remember the first thing that shocked me about InkScape was it lacked an eraser tool. I did my first many avatars using PhotoShop. Pixels<Vectors. :smallwink:

I'd say between 1.5 and 1.75. I think the size of the head depends on the style you draw with. A lot of the good avatarists are kindof distinct in their work, so it's pretty easy to tell who did who's avatar.

I think Adobe Illustrator is the best. You can download the free 30 day trial from the website. There are ways to trick it into lasting longer. Setting back system time doesn't work and just prevents the program from working. If you keep your computer on stand by (wastes very little power, leaves everything logged on and open) then the trial will not end as long as you have illustrator open. you can even close illustrator for a short time, but it won't register the fact that it's expired until the time of day that you originally installed it, so basically you can bypass the trial end date by leaving the computer on standby, with illustrator open.

My trial version expired 6 days ago, but I'm still using it.
Last but not least, Student prices=good.

and I second that motion to correct zegma's grammar/spelling (This isn't AIM, you don't have to type at 1000 wpm)

[zegma]

and I second that motion to correct zegma's grammar/spelling (This isn't AIM, you don't have to type at 1000 wpm)

srry its a habit. to many mmorpgs takes its toll. whats the differnce between ilstrator and photoshop. i own photoshops 6.0 but for me sodipodi is esier. should photoshop work better?

[Ego Slayer]

I'd say between 1.5 and 1.75. I think the size of the head depends on the style you draw with. A lot of the good avatarists are kindof distinct in their work, so it's pretty easy to tell who did who's avatar.

Mmm... 1.5-2.0:smalltongue: I think Lykan was using lines under 2pt and I think the general consensus was that they could be thicker. Meh, whatever floats your boat. Style, yes. Erin/Vael has a very cool style where the head isn't as big as standard OotS.



Last but not least, Student prices=good.

QFT!:smallbiggrin:


whats the differnce between ilstrator and photoshop. i own photoshops 6.0 but for me sodipodi is esier. should photoshop work better?
PhotoShop simply isn't a art design program. PhotoShop works in pixels. Whereas Illustrator is uses vectors, like InkScape does. I lost all my avatars which I'd done in PS and all I can say is please, for the love of the gods don't use it if you've got other options. Yes, gif is supported but I don't believe it has antialiasing. The quality is rather poor.

[zegma]

Ok thanks.i use sodipodi. So photoshop is to work on exsicting photos. Thats what i thought because its impossabe to draw in ps.

[ufo]

k thx. ya i use sodipodi. so photoshop is to work on exsicting photos. right. thats what i thought cuz is impossabe to draw in ps. i LOVE SODIPODI!!!


I don't mean to be rude or anything, but please CHECK YOUR GOD DAMNED SPELLING BEFORE MY HEAD EXPLODES!!

Thanks

Kindly,
ufo

(wobbey)

[Pop Goes the Weasel]

I don't mean to be rude or anything, but please CHECK YOUR GOD DAMNED SPELLING BEFORE MY HEAD EXPLODES!!

Thanks

Kindly,
ufo

(wobbey)
Thank you!

[zegma]

srry its a habit. to many mmorpgs takes its toll. whats the differnce between ilstrator and photoshop. i own photoshops 6.0 but for me sodipodi is esier. should photoshop work better?


I don't mean to be rude or anything, but please CHECK YOUR GOD DAMNED SPELLING BEFORE MY HEAD EXPLODES!!

Thanks

Kindly,
ufo

(wobbey)


Thank you!

I already said why, but fine i type a lot slower now. sorry.

[Dispozition]

I already said why, but fine i type a lot slower now. sorry.

Excuse me, but have you ever heard of the shift key? It's the one below capslock and next to z. ' is also another key you have trouble fining.

I don't mean to be offensive, but I have to put up with this on msn, I don't want to contaminate my favourite forums. Thankyou.

[Pop Goes the Weasel]

Or, if you have a Dvorak, it's next to ":".
(Sorry, couldn't resist)

[ufo]

I already said why, but fine i type a lot slower now. sorry.


Thanks, i was afraid you were one of the jerks who would stir a whole rebellion about this thing :).

[TheSilverKnight]

k thx. ya i use sodipodi. so photoshop is to work on exsicting photos. right. thats what i thought cuz is impossabe to draw in ps. i LOVE SODIPODI!!!

Wrongo photoshop is great for doing start to finish work and is great for drawing. Photoshop just takes alot of getting used to. And alot of learning. And alot of money to buy the newst version since the older ones have bunk compared to CS2

[zegma]

i have photohop 6.0. its only good for filling or etc. it dosnt pixalte the photo like paint dose.

[Ego Slayer]

Wrongo photoshop is great for doing start to finish work and is great for drawing. Photoshop just takes alot of getting used to. And alot of learning. And alot of money to buy the newst version since the older ones have bunk compared to CS2

My agreement is narrows, but still... When making a 117px squ. image the quality isn't very good.
This isn't mine, but it's a good example.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/EgoSlayer/demon.gif

Yes, you can get fairly consistant 2px lines if you work hard enough. For bigger images, yes it's actually good for something. =P

I thought the only difference between Elements and CS2, and 5.5 (the ancient version I've got) was how it was set up (like other prof. Adobe programs).

[TheSilverKnight]

^^^^
You have no idea. There are about twice as many filters and colse to twice as many tools.

And the key with photoshop is draw big then resize.

If you drew that at say 8.5*11 inches and then shrunk it downit 117*117px it would look good.

Also it depends on the type of work. Clearly for OotS art or line art ingeneral if you want a smooth immage you are gonna use Illustrator or a vector based program.

And you can easily get rid of pixely looks like that by using some of PS's tools like smudge and blur.

Edit:Also using soft edges works well to hard edges causes a pixely look too.

[amanodel]

Vector graphics rule for sure, but I work with a program only a bit better than ms paint, called "presto pageimage". It uses only pixels, no automatic blurring the lines as in ps, but it can blur when I want. Especially useful when creating images lesser than 50x50 pixels and with restricted color palette (really it was only worth a thing before PS and 200+ megahertz computers came out :) ).

Some of my work with different avvies. All of them were done in the shown size with 2 pt lines for important contours and 1 pt line for others. The only exception was the last, where I worked with a double size image and used 3 pt lines to get the feeling that I were using 1.5 pt ones.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f118/amanodel/schytian.gif http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f118/amanodel/iralen.gif http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f118/amanodel/kaiser1.gif http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f118/amanodel/bismark.gif http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f118/amanodel/minsc0.gif http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f118/amanodel/amanodel.gif http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f118/amanodel/damian.gif

What do you think what aspect of the pictures should be worked on most importantly?

[TheSilverKnight]

Bodies should be a little thinner.