Koops12's Render-less Sig Tutorial

After showing my sig in the gallery, quite a few people wanted me to make a tutorial on it. So, let's get right to it...

First of all this is something like what your outcome should look like:

But remember, these are more of guidelines than steps, play around with some stuff (unless noted otherwise) to get the effect you like.

You will need the layer effects script and this tutorial by Newt for future references.
If you don't know how to install the script refer to this.

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Start off with a 480 by 150 size image.
Open the layers dialog if it is not already open. Dialogs>Layers

1) Creating the background.

a)Now go to Filters>Render>Fractal Explorer.

b)Under Fractals select Marble2.


c)Under Colours change the Colour Mode to Apply gradient to final image.

*Make sure your gradient is Default or FG to BG (black to white).*

d)Under Parameters is where you can fiddle with the settings until you get what you like. BUT, I suggest you do not touch the following: ITER, CX, CY. Also leave the Fractal Type alone. Everything else (Zoom in, Zoom out, XMIN, XMAX, YMIN, YMAX) is fair game. You can also click on the preview image and crop it to the part that you want to keep.

Press ok when you are satisfied. If you want you can invert the colours on this layer. (Layer>Colours>Invert)

e)Now create a new layer. Name it Noise. Then Filters>Render>Clouds>Solid Noise
My settings:


f)Now change you FG and BG to whatever colours you like, as long as they aren't too dark. Or you can use a gradient.

g)Use the gradient tool (Mode: Overlay, Shape: Linear) on the Noise layer, from left to right or right to left whatever you prefer. When you do this hold Ctrl so that the line will be straight. Now set Noise's blend mode to Soft Light.

h)Now you will see that the colour is pretty weak, so duplicate the Noise layer two or three times, or until the colours stand out.
Your layers dialog should look similar to this:


i)The background is now complete. Just merge the all the layers down. Image>Merge Visable Layers. (Clipped to image)
Your image should look like this now:



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2) Creating the bars.

a)Make a new transparent layer. Call it Bar#1.

b)Make a rectangular selection near the top, make sure it goes all the way across the sig. Try not to make it too thick or too thin, mine is 21 pixels thick.


c)Fill the selection with white and turn the Bar#1's opacity to 65.

d)Create a new transparent layer, name it Bar#2.

e)Make another selection through the middle, again going all the way across the sig. Make this one about twice as thick.

f)Fill the selection with white. Select>None

g)Rotate the layer by 23.12 degrees. Change the opacity of the layer to 65 aswell.

h)Layer>Layer to Image Size
Now your image should look similar to this:




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3) The square staircase. (This is a bit difficult to explain, the images will hopefully help.

a)Make a new transparent layer, name it Square#1a.

b)Make four new guides- horizontal 97
- horizontal 121
- vertical 400
- vertical 424 (Image>Guides>New Guide)

c)Make a square selection from the guides. If done correctly it should be a 24 by 24 square.

d)Fill it with black.

e)Image>Guides>Remove all Guides

f)You might want to zoom in a bit for this step. From the top right corner of the first square make another 24 by 24 square selection towards the top right corner of the canvas. (It is easier to make a square if you hold down Shift while selecting.) Fill it with black. Continue doing this, also do this from the bottom left corner of the original square until you get this.


g)New transparent layer, call it Square#2.

h)On the outside of the black squares make a line of white squares the same way as you did in step 3f. Should now look like this:


i)Create a new transparent layer, call it Square#3a.

j)On the outside of the white squares make a line of black squares the same way as you did in step 3f. Image should now look like this:


k)Turn the opacity of Square#1a and Square#3a down to 45 and turn the opacity of Square#2 down to 50. It should now look similar to this:


l)Create two new transparent layers, name one Square#1 (put it under Square#1a). Name the other Square#3 (put it under Square#3a).


m)On Square#1a go Layer>Transparency>Alpha to Selection.

n)Grow the selection by 1 pixel (Select>Grow).

o)Switch to Square#1.

p)Fill the selection with white.

q)On Square#1a go Layer>Transparency>Alpha to Selection

r)Switch to Square#1 and cut the selection (Edit>Cut).

s)Merge Square#1a down onto Square#1.

t)Repeat m-s on layers Square#3a and Square#3.

Your image should now look similar to this:


Layers dialog should now look like this:



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4) Tentacles

a)Using Newt's technique make four tentacles on the left side of the image. Each on a layer of their own. Name each layer a different colour.

b)Make all layers invisable (via clicking the eyes in the layers dialog) except one of the tentacles.


c)Add colour to that tentacle. Script-Fu>Layer Effects>Inner Glow
Leave everything at the defaults except change the colour to whatever colour the layer is named.

d)Add a bevel to the tenacle. Script-Fu>Layer Effects>Bevel and Emboss. Leave everything at defaults and click ok.

e)Now Image>Merge Visable Layers (Clipped to image). Then rename the layer to whatever colour it is.

f)Repeat steps c-e on each tentacle. Make sure that only one tentacle is visable at a time.

g)Stack the tentacles to what you see fit.

h)Make all layers visable.
You should now have something like this:


5) Personal Touches

Add some personal touches if you like, such as borders or text.

You could make a new layer and airbrush a brush (vector or tech works best), then scale the layer and place it wherever you want it.

The font I used is called Bonzai (from Dafont).

When you are done with your personal touchs Image>Merge Visable Layers (Clipped to Image).

Save as *NAME*.png

Done!

Here is my outcome again:



Happy Gimping.

Nice, clear tut. I will try it.

will try once i get home

OK, took a stab at this one. I was able to follow the tutorial fairly well. Seems following it gives one insight into the creativity involved in making this one. :h:

Anyhow here are my results:



Thanks for posting that tutorial koops12. :h:

Edit: I was playing around with blender and between it and gimp and gimp-gap I made this little gif. The animation is very simplistic, but hoping it can show how one can combine blender, gimp, and gimp-gap. I could have added more effects via blender, but just wanted to show something simple to stimulate the imagination, plus I'm no artist. :h:

Nice job Ccbarr. Anyone else care to share theirs?

Wow...that's like, the first render-less sig I've seen that isn't empty looking...

Must try. After done homework.

It'd be a bit better if it was possible to make it more original for each different person, but I guess there's a lot of things you can add on the end to make that happen =)

Thanks, Artificial.

how do you rotate the second bar?

Tools>Transformation tools>Rotate, or you can press Shift+R while the toolbox (main dialog window) is open.

This was my first attempt, I really don't like the look of mine. ~o~
But I like the tut, defiantly not for newbies thought. xD Your intructions were clear I didn't get lost once, good job. :h:

Wow very nice very cool tut!!!!!! I loved it, but there were a few things that i did not get ^^

here is my reselt


thanks

~sparky_is_a_monster

Kata, i actually like yours alot. Honestly i think you did a good job. I like the colors. :w:

now its my turn im gonna try now.bbl with result :h:

---------edit---------

May i ask how to install scripts? I click on the link to 'download' but all that pops is well, a script and idk how to put them into my program. Your link referring to the tutorial to install scripts is broken, so can someone help

---------edit---------
Never mind i figured it out, i have to right click and save as, and then place in scripts folder. (I looked in the FAQ)

F.A.Q.

i actually had two attempts with the tut

First Attempt:


Second Attempt:

Awesome tut. I can't wait to find some free time so I can try this. :l:

Wow! That is a great tut. I might try out later!

:w:

I'll do it tomorrow when I'm awake lol. 1:35am, and I don't want to do it just for the sake of doin it. I love the turnout and it could potentially be my new signature of mmorpg forums'.

Thanks koopa :] I like all of your tuts ^^

nice tut. i will try it when i get to my house.

Link is broken, to script download.

Okay I am stuck. I tried searching several different ways and can't seem to find Newt's Tentacle method. Anyone have a link, please?

This is my Outcome:


Like "Bootycrewqueen" I haven't find the tentecles tuts.. but I used my fantasy! ^^'

I am bird-dogging those tentacle things and posting what I find here for anyone else that can use them-I have not tried them yet so I am flying blind with you. These are photoshop or other tutorials but it can't be that hard to figure out even just by looking at example.

http://intergalactichussy.deviantart.com/art/Tentacle-Brush-Set-71900245
http://hatch.deviantart.com/art/Easy-to-make-Tentacles-51135
http://payt.deviantart.com/art/rockerboo-tentacles-tutorial-408339
http://klep.deviantart.com/art/Tentacles-Tutorial-508231
* This one looks kinda cool http://wallstorm.deviantart.com/art/3D-Tentacles-28657542

And I am going to try the one below, looks easy to follow.
http://ners.deviantart.com/art/Tuto-PS-Tentacles-English-65995161

Okay that was fast and so easy. I used the Atlantis one

I think your's looks great. I like the outcome of your tentacles as well. How did you do that?