Topic: Photoshop Techniques (for Marvin)

[Smackintosh]

Marvin asked me to help him with Photoshop. I'd like to leave some tutorials here to help him,
and if anyone else wants to chime in, please do so.

I am not that familiar with photoshop, I usually use paint shop pro. so, if there are easier ways to do
some of these things, please tell how...

keep in mind, I'm not trying to make it perfect, just showing the basics of how to do something. I can't draw, so
I will use garry's mod screenshots.

[Smackintosh]

COMIC PAGE demonstration

The first piece is about creating a comic page. In other words, taking multiple pictures (scenes), resizing them,
adding borders to them, then putting them on one page. And also making them equal size and equal
distances apart.

For this demonstration I took four screen shots in garry's mod that seem to follow a story and I want to put them together.

The first thing I do is resize and\or "crop" the pictures so that they are all equal size.

The tools you will need to learn are the "crop" and "selection" (sometimes called 'marque square').

"crop" cuts out the main selection you want from the pic, leaving off the rest. "selection" just selects an area of interest, which
can also be reversed, which comes in handy.

Each picture is opened one by one and cropped, I am used to paint shop showing me the resolution while I am cropping a pic.
I can't find that option... So, I am going to have to "eye" it for now. Ideally, you want them all the SAME EXACT resolution.

I pick the first picture (or scene) and crop it.

     

   

   

to create a border> you have to think backwards here. create a square, leaving equal spacing on all for sides for
your border.

   

   



go to select in the menu and "inverse", this inverts the mask you created. so, before you were selecting inside the square,
now everything on the outside of this square is selected.



now use a paintbrush or the paint bucket tool to fill in the edges with whatever color you choose. I picked black.

   

Now that I have my first scene done, I'm going to create a new picture to place the frames into. The new pic is
2000 x 2000, this is alot of room, but it can be cropped out  later in the final version. You're giving yourself ample
room to work with.

   

now go back to your first frame and go to select, then "all". This selects the whole picture, now go to edit and copy it.
go to the NEW pic and paste it in.

   

   

resize the pic if you need to, give ample room to put the rest  of the frames.

now go through the same procedure, resizing and cropping the next pic. when you are ready, past the second pic into the picture.
For size, I reference the first picture to maintain the same size on all the frames.

   

   

   

After you add each frame and have it aligned to your liking, make sure you "merge" all the layers, or flatten the image.



continue to do this until you have all of the frames in equal size and equal distances apart. Now, simply crop the whole picture
the way you like, leaving out the extra space. and the final result is.... a comic.

   

I hope that makes sense.

[Marvin]

I see
very helpful
I drew two big images for this comic called. "why hax DJ"

i'm going to test this out tommarow in the morning cause right now im tired as hell and just want to game.
heh if you read my first comic you will know why.
i'm going to start a new thread just for comic pics too.
Thanks Smack

[Smackintosh]

np. play around and experiment with photoshop,
you might figure some things out or a better way to do things.

[Smackintosh]

I was experimenting with photoshop and garry's mod today,
and this was an idea I came up with...
Not everything is proportioned appropriately, but you get this gist
of what I was trying to do.

If this is what you were talking about, Marvin, let me know and
I'll try to reproduce it in the next tutorial.

[Marvin]

how about some info on how to make thought bubbles and word bubbles? I know how to put the text in though .
anyone?

[DeadGoat]

New high-quality comics are on the way?

Woooooo!
 

[Smackintosh]

how about some info on how to make thought bubbles and word bubbles? I know how to put the text in though .
anyone?

I'll be honest with you on that... I cheat actually. 
install this font> http://www.killazinc.net/main/uploads/user14/talk.zip

UNZIP & drop this file into your control panel / fonts.

New high-quality comics are on the way?

perhaps, maybe... have to make time and have ideas first. 

[LadyShadow]

It might be depending on the version you have, but photshop comes with talk bubbles (6 with CS2).

[Smackintosh]

wow. it does? where is that located in the program? I have CS2 version 9 I think.

[Marvin]

Done unzipping
I am gonna see if I can find those thought bubbles lady, after school. (wow I never knew that)
 

[LadyShadow]

wow. it does? where is that located in the program? I have CS2 version 9 I think.

Im not good at explaining, here is a screenie. It is under the custom shape tool.

[Marvin]

I see
what if I want to reverse them?

[Smackintosh]

This is good to know, Jess. Thank you very much.
I learned something new today.

you can reverse or "mirror" any object thats selected by going to
EDIT> TRANSFORM PATH, and the selecting FLIP HORIZONTAL.

you can reverse the whole pic by going to IMAGE> ROTATE CANVAS>
and then selecting FLIP CANVAS HORIZONTAL.

[Marvin]

YOU GUYS ARE SO HELPFUL!!! I LOVE YALL!!! WEEEEIIII!!!!!!!!
I drew something I want to show y'all.. look for my new thread