posted
That is pretty neat Stephen. Is that a tutorial you have or just this graphic idea?
-------------------- Sam Staffan Mackinaw Art & Sign 721 S. Nokomis St. Mackinaw City, MI dstaffan@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1694 | From: Mackinaw City, MI | Registered: Mar 2004
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-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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posted
Go to "Google"... type in: photoshop tutorials/gold letter styles
Jack
-------------------- Jack Wills Studio Design Works 1465 E.Hidalgo Circle Nye Beach / Newport, OR Posts: 2914 | From: Rocklin, CA. USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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1. lesson from book: a chapter of a book or manual, or a section of a computer program, designed to provide instruction or training using exercises and assignments
2. lesson with tutor: a teaching session spent individually or in a small group under the direction of a tutor
and good for you that you never ask for help.. woopdee f@#$@# shi@
-------------------- Jason Davie 193 Front Street Deposit, NY 13754 Posts: 976 | From: USA | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
Stephen, instead of "Just a ", your first sentence should have begun with the words "The result of" (Just a 'PhotoShop Tutorial' on how to create Gold Items...)
I find what you wrote misleading also.
Having some of the sparkles behind parts of some letters is not realistic to me, (like both Ns & the S) nor is having the varying orientation of the sparkles. Generally there is a vertical axis, assuming you are standing up vertically when you look- it's like the result of the light through your eyelashes.
The orange box around 'Letting your imagination run wild' needs a left hand edge, in my opinion.
There are some nice ideas there otherwise.
P.S. telling others to 'open their eyes' when they point out errors in your communication/explanation/translation isn't going to endear you in the eyes of many trying to help you, even if you don't ask for or want the help...posting things here is inviting critique, that's part of this forum's beauty.
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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Sorry Stephen but as a display of "Gold" Lettering it sucks!
Apart from Ian's obsevation that your "sparkles" are wrongly orientated, out of place and even behind letters, the letters them selves don't look at all gold or even metalic. Gunmetal grey maybe?
The shadows/blends on the bevels are totally wrong and conflicting. Where is your light source from? What happened to the top of the X for example.? You have highlighs coming from 90 degrees to each other on the bottom serifs. ????
100 layers? Well figure out your priorities on the transparency then. Text don't take kindly when you can see the background thru it making it hard to read.
Did you really have to run such a frigging huge bar code thru the whole thing?
Good luck on your $1,000,000 bid mate ... you need it.
posted
Nothing like people ripping you to shreds to inspire others to share their work, right? It's always a matter of personal taste and opinion and, from my experience, the hardest design work has always been for myself. My monitor is calibrated and the gold looks great. In fact, I like the whole thing Stephen. Maybe you could bring the twinkles to the front; that would be more realistic. I didn't get the emphatic "this is a tutorial on how to do gold in Photoshop"; my first impression was that it was the product of a tutorial; I guess people can read into things whatever they want. My gripe here is that you posted something very nice, something that I certainly can not do at my PS skill level, and got ripped for it. That's just wrong and it's a big part of why I probably won't re-up as a member and why I won't be spending much time here anymore. I have productive things to do and good people to fill my life with.
-------------------- Ricky Jackson Signs Now 614 Russell Parkway Warner Robins, GA (478) 923-7722 signpimp50@hotmail.com
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Issac Newton Posts: 3528 | From: Warner Robins, GA | Registered: Oct 2004
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Hey, Stephen. Looks good so far. Thanks for the link...
I'm wondering why some people feel compelled to post a harsh and sarcastic, "I'm a better designer than you", "I'm smarter than you", or "your equipment sucks" reply to everything posted by certain people....
I don't think anyone minds help when it's given in a friendly, positive way.... but I know of quite a few who won't post a design on here because of the few "I don't know what you're thinking, but that looks like SHlT so far" posts they know they'll be getting.
/Sometimes things are best left unposted.... //(Like this one, I'm sure...)
(Hey Ricky, didn't mean to repeat you... I didn't see your reply before I posted....)
[ November 25, 2008, 02:49 AM: Message edited by: Jon Jantz ]
-------------------- Jon Jantz Snappysign.com jjantz21@gmail.com http://www.allcw.com Posts: 3395 | From: Atmore, AL | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
Looks nice to me Stephen, I would probably remove the copy "photoshop gold tutorial" & replace with some other services you offer, along with keeping the background darker as it is behind "Graphics-Digital Signage". . .I think the starbursts are fine the average person won't study them closely. . . .just my thoughts
-------------------- Carl Wood Olive Branch, Ms Posts: 1392 | From: Olive Branch,MS USA | Registered: Nov 1999
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I actually thought the gold in Insinx looked pretty nice.
Coloration/brightness and contrast might be altered a bit by playing with PS's "levels" as well as "hue".... but I think it's a decent representation of gold - without using a filter such as Eye Candy, Auto FX, etc.
I would agree though, that the 'twinkles' could use a little experimentation to get them looking a little better.
I recall John Deaton as having done some outstanding twinkle effects - wish he would post a tutorial on that myself.
-------------------- Todd Gill Outside The Lines Potterville, MI Posts: 7792 | From: Potterville, MI | Registered: Dec 2001
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Stephen, I'm in the process of learning Sketchup. It's a neat program and very easy to learn compared to most of the other 3-D software. The gold looks cool. Nice work! We have to represent gold polished aluminum on drawings for casino signs quite a bit here where I work. Most of the time I use gradient fills in Coreldraw and add twinkles on top. Photoshop looks better but it takes too long to make revisions, especially when there's neon and clear bulbs, etc. The twinkles are bitmaps w/ transparent backgrounds that I paste in from a clipart file.
I don't believe I have ever come close to a tiny tear, let alone ripping anyone to shreds.
Clarity & communication are what our industry is about, as well as creativity. Clarity & communication have to come first in my opinion, and Stephen's original post, in my opinion, was worded misleadingly.
Some technical aspects would benefit from improvement also, in my opinion. That's why I said so.(The inconsistent lights & darks on the topside of the bevels that Jon mentions is another part that looks out of kilter to me) If he doesn't want help, or advice, or tips, or suggestions, then...why post here?
Personally, I'd be grateful for all feedback, positive as well as negative, if I were Stephen.
Ripped to shreds...no. I think I try to write as clearly & nicely as possible.
Misleading wording of the original post- well, I am one of many who finds it to be so. Does that make us all wrong & therefore 'baddies' ? Is my drawing attention to this communication issue really a good reason to not pay Steve & Barb their token membership for next year? I don't think so.
I don't "enjoy picking on people", nor am I picking on Stephen. Just offering suggestions on improving things...
"...ambush people" Really (!) stop exaggerating, Stephen. Do you honestly think I am hiding, waiting to spring on you at somne unsuspecting time...?
I seem to remember last time I offered a kindly-worded suggestion of an improvement to something Stephen posted, it went down with about as much appreciation as these identifications af areas which would in my opinion benefit from attention have received.
Makes me wonder why I bother to try to offer help at all, if it offends sensitive egos, no matter how gently it is written.
[on the other hand, I do recall receiving some rather unkind or inappropriate suggestions from Stephen a while back, in response to a picture I posted trying to help Kelly out with a design...although I am not trying to do the same back to him at all, with these identifications of areas in which attention to detail would have helped further]
As I said before, "Why do I bother..."?
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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quote: Enter the fact of "Stevo Ian and Jon" thinking that I need all the help I can get!
OK! but it will never be from you three.
OK, I have just figured it out: Stephen does not care if I can see issues clarity & communication in his designs or posts. He just does not want to know about it at all.
I'm really sorry I tried to be of assistance here. I am finding your level of gratitude very inspirational, Stephen. Somehow, I might learn something from it...
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
Ian, I wasn't referring to you or the 'tutorial/non-tutorial' debate, which wasn't mean-spirited necessarily... more about the ones who post about designs and other things and the sarcasm, attitude, 'that is crap' and 'you are an idiot' overtones are very evident... anyone who can't detect it is obtuse.
I thought your (unsolicited) suggestions and behavioral advice was worded politely and nicely.
Although, I do wonder why everyone is so worried about the 'First line of the post is misleading'. The way he worded it could mean either he was following a tutorial or posting a tutorial. Either way, who cares and why does it have to be mentioned 20 times? Especially after it was clarified in the next 3 or 4 replies that he was FOLLOWING a durn tutorial.
I don't think Ricky was referring to your post about the 'tutorial' part either, but more to the things I was posting about...
I just don't see the need for the arrogancy. There's a big difference in :
"Ian, good job on the buggy... I know you didn't ask, but thought I'd mention that most of the old buggies I've seen from that era didn't have striping on the spokes...."
AND
"Ian, that looks like zebra crap. My 6-year-old nephew's younger brother could have done better. I suggest you get on the internet and do some studying on pinstriping... the colors don't go together, the shadows are the wrong way, it's not balanced, and the lines are crooked. And what idiot puts striping on the spokes? What a waste of time. That buggy looks like it should be hooked behind a donkey. Oh, by the way, this is constructive criticism."
/I'm not a very sensitive person, just ask my wife... //But even I can tell a difference in those responses.
-------------------- Jon Jantz Snappysign.com jjantz21@gmail.com http://www.allcw.com Posts: 3395 | From: Atmore, AL | Registered: Nov 2005
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(BTW, now that you mention buggies, many years ago I did do a job on a buggy, and the first dozen people who saw it oohed & aaahed about how nice it was. I was mighty proud of it too- it had taken the best part of a week to stripe & scroll. Then along came a big old bloke who took one look at it, and told me it looked "worse than a red indian's teepee gone bad" (no offense to red indians or teepee painters here, I am just quoting his expression so painfully moulded into my psyche, that's all!) and that I would be better off wiping or sanding it all off and starting again.
Who did he think he was, talking to me like that? Especially after I'd had so many compliments with which I agreed. Anyhow, I didn't talk to him for the rest of the day, but it got me thinking, and once I'd cooled off from the roasting, it turns out he was actually right, there was a lot of room for improvement, and I did get it all off, and spent another painstaking week redoing it all. I mean actually, what I'd done wasn't that bad, but coming from someone who actually knew what he was talking about, he wanted to see a 95-100% correct job, rather than a 75-80% right job, and felt it was his duty to enlighten me on the fact that whether or not is was OK or nice the way it was, it NEEDED improving, it would be better if inproved, and I ought to improve upon it.
So, the harsh blunt words, and the shock which I received were well-intentioned even if they came across like an earthquake to my sensitive soul. He ended up being a wonderful mentor with whom I spent many months of my life discussing things, back in the 80s. It just took em a week or more before I was game to talk to him or intrepidly ask his opinion again! Ultimately what he did & said and the way he said it, were of tremendous benefit to me.
Not all terse or blunt comments which hit home are necessarily wrong, Stephen, you can take it from me!
As for the rest of the good folk here who posted comments, both for or against your work, Stephen, well, I admire ALL of them, and appreciate all of their comments - good or 'constructive' - whenever I am fortunate enough to have them come my way.
You can learn a lot from those who would offer suggestions on how to make the work better, if you are simply receptive to their offerings, however tersely they may appear to have been worded...
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
Thanks for the links Stephen. Great resource sources. Your work is definitely out there, but it is always interesting and recognizeable.
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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posted
I remember the night before my first Mike Stephens layout/design class. Mike had called each of us into a room, by ourselves and carefully went through our portfolios. He would pick a sign and ask something like "If you were to do this over again, would you do anything different?" or "Do you see anything that you could improve on with this job?" I had read his book twice but it was still like studying Chinese. Rather than making me feel like a hack, Mike showed me, so graciously, simple principals I had studied in his book but had failed to fully comprehend and implement. Now I was beginning to catch on.
Probably the best/worst thing was having the insanely incredible Cosmic Ray Renoey (sorry for the misspelling) in our class. We accused him of having a "Gerber implant" because his thumbnails looked as though they were pen plotted. Reggie Wolfgang was there too (Chester Cunningham's daughter). It had all the makings of intimidation. Somehow, Mike made sure that nothing came across as cutting or mean-spirited and we walked away with not only knowledge but our self esteem in tact. I know that wasn't an easy thing to juggle with all the levels of talent there but he pulled it off to perfection. When the meeting was over, I felt as if my brain had been rubbed with OraGel. It took me about 6 months before I finally "got it", all the information finally assimilated into an understandable and workable framework.
At some of the first Letterhead meets, there were signs "Leave your ego at the door". I've seen some that didn't bother and flaunted theirs like they were something really special. Then, along comes someone out of the blue (Dwayne Cannott and Mike LaVallee come to mind) and makes them look like an amateur.
Another example of true humility and honor amongst true Letterheads was at the national meet in Independence, OH. Mike Jackson had done his name in tiny letters on the sign-in board. Alton Gillespie saw it and decided to have a little fun. Right under Mikes name, Alton signed in - a little smaller. Mike came by and saw it and it was "game on". Mike signed in again - a little smaller than what Alton had done. Alton knew he would and came by a little later to one-up him again. At this point the lettering was rediculously tiny, not to mention the fact that Alton used the corner of a #14 quill to do his. Mike came back and fussed over each letter, rubbing them off and re-lettering until they were clean and smaller than Altons. Things rocked along the rest of the day with no more action. Mike checked the board only to find that he "had won" the tiny lettering competition. But anyone that knows Alton knows that he's a night owl. The next morning Mike again checked the board. Alton had struck again - but not in the way you might expect. Alton had outlined Mikes name!!! It was as clean as if the letters were 3" tall. THAT is the spirit of the Letterheads.
-------------------- Ricky Jackson Signs Now 614 Russell Parkway Warner Robins, GA (478) 923-7722 signpimp50@hotmail.com
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Issac Newton Posts: 3528 | From: Warner Robins, GA | Registered: Oct 2004
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Ricky...weren't those early Letterhead days filled with great stores?
Alton's first meet was here in Texas. All of us kept seeing this great portfolio of work but no one knew who owned it. About 2:00 AM Alton finally broke out his airbrush and started working over in one corner. And suddenly we all knew who owned the portfolio.
Another Alton one...at one meet some of the pin stripers were having a wordy competition on who could produce a small stripe and keep it even and such. After they had finished their exibition, Alton took a large quill, turned it on its edge and painted his famous "snake with a brush" and name...inside the fine pin stripe.
Back then there were some who proudly displayed their work with large egos, but most were humble guys (and gals) who just wanted to share and learn from each other. Many folks (including me) always left with a knowledge of just how far we had to go to reach the bar.
This has nothing to do with the orginal post, but I'm trying to find something to do other than work.
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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That's the truth Ray, soooo many great stories! I'll go ahead and apologize to Stephen for hijacking his thread. Ray, you probably know Alton better than anyone else here and you know there are *many* "Alton stories". Everybody has a story and some are better in different ways than others but Alton is in a class by himself and I don't think Gary Anderson, David Butler, Bill Hueg, or anyone else would argue that fact. Alton always has a way of throwing in his "awww shucks" brand of Texas humility even in the face of doing something that borders on the supernatural. Probably not a lot of people have seen his portfolio but it's page after page of just eye-popping, mind-boggling stuff. Even his BMW motorcycle, he took the factory emblem off and painted a very stylish "Altonized" logo. Not only is the little guy a one-of talent wise, he is profoundly deep philosophically. When I'm around him, I'm in sponge mode, soaking up every word and watching every move. I ought to dig out my old videos and post some of them, especially where he plays The Star Spangled Banner, Deep in the Heart of Texas, The Yellow Rose of Texas and Dixie - all on his airbrush (Altonized of course). Alton also informed me that armadillos are actually born dead on the side of the road. and they sound like a trash can when you run over one. Man, I have so many heroes in this crazy movement and each one is so special. How I got to be a part of this is beyond me but I still take my portfolio anyway. At the New Jersey meet there was this guy that, for some reason, didn't like me and was obvious about it and I never did understand why. There were about half a dozen big portfolio tables and I was standing there at one of them. The guy came up to the same table and started looking. I recognized my portfolio as he pulled it out of the pile. He began to flip through and came to my main sign in front of my shop (the pencil sign - for those of you that have seen it). He called out to a girl he was with and started raving about it "Man that is awesome!" or some nonsense. I just replied "thanks". He was stunned that it was my portfolio - enough said; I got some respect. We all have our strengths and our weaknesses. I guess mine is doing run-on's and not breaking it into paragraphs. Roses for the living Ray; you're one of my heroes.
-------------------- Ricky Jackson Signs Now 614 Russell Parkway Warner Robins, GA (478) 923-7722 signpimp50@hotmail.com
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Issac Newton Posts: 3528 | From: Warner Robins, GA | Registered: Oct 2004
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Alton's Texas State Inspection ran out, so he just painted a new one on the windshield of his truck with the new appropriate date.
It was my privilege to perform Alton's and Mary's marriage ceremony (although they have now separated) and it was just another great Alton happening. It was in the back yard of his parent's home and was more like a Letterhead gathering than a wedding. During the day everyone just painted panels and looked at portfolios and enjoyed visiting with each other. Bob Harper was there holding court as usual.
Since the wedding was not supposed to take place at any set time, we just waited for Alton and Mary to give us a high sign that it was time to begin. Someone played the Canadian national anthem on a saxaphone and we were off and running.
I even signed the marriage license with a brush and One Shot. Nothing is normal when Alton's around.
Alton doesn't talk much and you have to be around him awhile for the words to begin flowing, but like Ricky said, he has some profound things to say at times. And then at other times it just comes out as Alton.
There will never be another one like him. And it's an honor for me to call him a friend. Somewhere we have to get him on video or future generations will think he's a myth. Sometimes I even think he's a myth....kinda like Grandpa Dan.
And thanks Ricky for the nice words.
Now...what was this thread all about?
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
This post is starting to look like the old version of Letterville, from the past. Gots some meat on it. More on the fair side.
Great replies... Where's TBUK?
Jack
[ November 25, 2008, 11:41 PM: Message edited by: jack wills ]
-------------------- Jack Wills Studio Design Works 1465 E.Hidalgo Circle Nye Beach / Newport, OR Posts: 2914 | From: Rocklin, CA. USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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