Feeling a little "glassy"-eyed tonite...(WIP)

Thanks!

 

FMB: For you to see:
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View attachment 434 Red was prolly a bad color for this one. :o
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Thank you! I like it, I think the text could be made a bit better or another font to go with the glassy effect.

 

Thanks!

I was just using Tahoma in case someone wanted to use them with text labels instead of image labels so it wouldn't change the look too much.

The real nice thing about these is that they are completely vector with layer effects, so their proportions or widths can be changed easily within Photoshop.

If anyone wants the PSDs, just let me know.

I haven't named the layers yet, tho... :nailbite:

 

I think you work and design in the same way using/constructing the same method I do. I never, or hardly name my layers (maybe because I'm the only person retaining the psds, probably because i'm lazy) So I end up with a 20 layered groups with a psd consisting of 20+ grouped sets on a psd. Vector is a nice method, it's the way I design and construct nearly all my designs because when it comes to re-sizing the quality isn't compromised and colour alterations are at a click of a button.

You don't happen to hardly save your work do you? I think at times I'm allergic to the save button. Anyway, I'll say again, nice work, top marks on the method used in constructing them. I'm assuming your very fluent with the Pen tool?

And I'd strongly suggest taking FMB suggestion with regards to font usage. She has a very keen eye when it comes to fonts. Which reminds me I better save my work I have 20 plus psd projects opened and unsaved at the current time in photoshop.

 

Thank you again, and yes, your method of working sounds VERY much like mine (including your save intervals )!

I'm okay with the pen tool, but I've never had a very steady hand, so I ALWAYS need to go back and edit what I've done, unless it's a vector shape.

I've only recently discovered the joys of vectors. I've used Illustrator since about 2000, but never really saw the benefits of it because everything I did was at the specific size that I needed, either for a school project or for a website.

Enter Apparel Decorating and sign making...vectors are a MUST in these two businesses.

And now I've even transferred my new skills to Photoshop, too.

There are still a lot of times that I need to work with pure raster files, (photographs, etc), but when I'm working on my own thing, I tend to think vector now (and the thing that's so cool about rhinestones is that it's like a merger between vector and raster! ).

Fonts fonts fonts...never been my strong point. Mark, my fiance? Oh, now THERE'S a man who knows fonts! (Not doubting anyone else's abilities) I need to use him more.

Also, I don't use my Wacom for most things, especially not vector.

I use it when I'm working on raster work in Photoshop or when I'm in Painter X.

 

Are you sure your not my Doppelgänger ? I have to admit I do combine raster with vector but the majority of the time I can come back to a project and create that layer using the pen tool. Purely because the end result is easily more editable and if I ever did need to resize the whole group I wouldn't loose quality. That said, I rarely need to re-size but it's nice having a fully vectored project for the final project although more work goes into it when creating the elements at the start.

Yeah, I have a wacom tablet, gathering dust. I ought to use it but prefer the mouse because I'm very much stuck in my ways.

I would suggest persevering with the Pen Tool though, The pre-made shapes are fine but when it comes to Icon creation the results you get from the pen tool are amazing but I'm sure you knew that already.

Like you, fonts are not my strong point. Whenever in doubt I go with good ole Tahoma. The thing is I used to create my own fonts and was once specialized in this area and known for my font usage. I guess I just got lazy.

Inkscape is a very good package you may like to look at. It's free and it's an amazing vector Untiliy. Inkscape.org.

 

Haha, man, I thought I was the only one that never named their layers or save often. I have had to re-make many projects due to that and I get lost on my layered PSD's, my 'strong' point seems to be text, I use the pen tool often for rendering and vectoring, though I render more due to the signatures I make for anime fanatics.

 

I did suggest to adobe about an auto-save feature they should implement in their program for us lazy photoshop users.Okay,maybe I didn't suggest more thought of suggesting this feature. I never did get around to providing this feedback, but saving during intervals is always good practice but there's nothing like working for 8 hours and risk loosing your work. Live dangerously, I say and scream afterwards and regret that you never saved.

Chances are my projects in photoshop will always have the title "untitled". Infact, I have a few in their right now untitled, unnamed, layers lying around that could be anything.

Anyway, I'm not sure whether there is an auto save feature in the later versions of photoshop, I'm still using cs2.

 

There is no auto-save on CS4, if there was, I wouldn't lose so much work because the lights go off all of the sudden. I have PSD templates with over 100 unnamed layers.

 

Thanks Chani!

But, I can see that those will be a bit big. I was wondering though, instead of having the text limited to the space within the 'mouse-head' portion there, how about just shrinking down the mouse ears and then having the text in sorta Disney-style font (or signature or whatever is decently legible) across the whole thing?

I hope I'm explaining myself clear enough

Let me know if you need additional clarification on that though

 

I really do like my Wacom...Intuos3 6x11

I just don't have a steady enough hand to use it when working with vectors.

What program did you use to create your own fonts?

There is an online font creator that I know of, but they went from free to pay in about a day...I guess they liked the response they got!

I've tried Inkscape, but I really can't get the hang of it. But I do have CS3 Web Premium and CorelDRAW, so I'm not all that concerned about it.

I've been spoiled with a few of my programs. 3ds MAX has had auto-save since WAY back, and so does CorelDRAW X3, where I create most of my vectors. Then I export them to AI, and then drag them into Photoshop.

So at least my starting point is saved. :o

Okay, I do use Illy to create that hand-drawn look with my Wacom. I like how I can use the pressure sensitivity to vary the stroke in Illy. That's one area that I wish that CorelDRAW would improve on. Their "Artistic Brush" is just too jaggedy whereas Illy's is nice and smooth.

lol. I just downloaded a Disney font last night.

I'll play around with it.

 

I used a program called fontforge. Been years since I used it though. A fiend of mine more fluent in using this program created some of the best fonts I ever seen which was what drawn me to it in the first place.

 

Thanks! I'll give it a try.

Oh, and I had a little misunderstanding of the "Pen Tool" earlier....I was thinking freehand drawing. :doh:

Yes, I'm very proficient with the pen tool...I took to it right away in school when I first learned Illustrator and is usually how I start any project that is not a regular shape.

Our last project for the year was to create a magazine cover for an existing magazine. Most of the other students chose to do titles like "Time" or "Life"...VERY simple titles to recreate.

Here's the title image I made (with the pen tool):
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I use the equivalent of the pen tool in CorelDRAW ot do a lot of boolean operations on regular shapes usually.

Mark uses boxes and circles to make just about everything. He has an interesting technique in CorelDRAW that absolutely would NOT work in Illustrator, which is why he hates Illy so much (I'm not as enthused about it anymore, either).

 

I have a hard time with the names of tools sometimes because two tools that do the same thing have two different names between Illy+PS, and CorelDRAW. :o

Arny, I haven't forgotten you...I've just been a little preoccupied the last couple of days. (Just bought a washer and a dryer after being in our new house for two months without one. (Don't worry, my dad has been doing our laundry at his house. :p )

I'll get back to this when I wake up.

 

How are these, Arny?

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