Today class you’ll be learning how to make a bit different border, aside the traditional border. Actually the credit for this tutorial goes to another person, but I have added a few extra steps which you may find handy. Note: no newbie questions here .. sorry i forgot to post the tip .. look at this image [spoiler][img]http://i35.tinypic.com/219xu9d.jpg[/img][/spoiler] make sure the polygonal was checked So let us get started: open the spoiler [spoiler]1.Open a new image, pick your size and mark it as transparent in Advanced Options. I chose 150x400. Create a new layer and call it ‘Main Shape’. Now to the cutting, use your paths tool to create a shape, which will be your main shape, but keep in mind to leave some room for later use. Go click ‘new path’ in the path section in ‘Layers, Channels…’ window. A pop-up window will appear and click ok, and after that double click on the mini-image. In your main window, you should now see your path tool is selected, click on ‘create selection from path’. When you are done, go to Select > From Path. This is my shape: [img]http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/3118/picturelw1.png[/img] (Optional): If you like your shape, you can save the path by go to your ‘Layers, Channels…’ window and to the path section and right click on your path, and click on ‘Export path’ and when you want it again, you click on ‘Import path’ – remember when you import the path, make sure to show all the files, otherwise you might not be able to see your saved path. 2.Now go to Select > Save to Channel, call it Main Shape Selection. Next is, you have selected your Main Shape layer, now you are going to color your shape by using the gradient tool. Choose whatever color that suits your future render best. In the gradient tool option, choose a Bi-linear shape. Hint: when you going to fill the shape, start from the middle and go top in a straight line. This is what I choose: [img]http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/1448/picture1os4.png[/img] 3.Now go to Script Fu > Shadow > Drop Shadow with these settings: [img]http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/3365/picture2ai9.png[/img] After that, go to Script Fu > Décor > Bevel and put in a radius of 5 and deselect ‘work on copy’. Now create a new layer, call it Secondary Shape. Make another creative shaped path in the open area. When’re you done, go to Select > From Path. This is mine: [img]http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/4136/picture3mi4.png[/img] 4.When you still have selected the Secondary Shape, make a channel to that one too and call it Secondary Shape Selection. After that, repeat the gradient, drop shadow, and the bevel to this selection. Once that is done, create a new layer and call it Connections 1 and put that layer under all of the other layers, except for the Background. Make one or two rectangle(s) by using the Rectangular Selection and hold shift down while making them. This is how mine looks like: [img]http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/3842/picture4dq4.png[/img] 5.Repeat the gradient, drop shadow, and add bevel to this selection. But for the gradient, use black to the Foreground and white to the Background. (Optional): You can also add some ‘light grunge’ or tech brushes in black on the two pipes. 6.This step will be adding the real interesting parts of the signature. First select none, then go select the Main Shape Selection (‘add to selection’ in the channel section in ‘Layers, Channels…’ window), and go to Select > Shrink, by 6 pixels. This is another important selection, so make a channel to this one too, and call it Grunge. Create layers for the grunging, and call them ‘Grunge 1,2,3…’. Now in this selection, do your normal grunging. I mixed a bit grunging with some tech brushes, but you can also wait with the tech brushes for later, like I did. Make sure you don’t leave this selection, and also make sure for the first Grunge layer, fill the whole selection or it will cause troubles later. Now we need to add a border to the grunge section, so make an ‘Alpha to Selection’ of the grunge by right clicking on a layer with all of the selection filled, then go to Select > Shrink, and choose 3pixels. Fill it with whatever color suits you best, I chose black. This is mine: [img]http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/3679/picture5vy1.png[/img] 7.Create a new layer, call it Little Background. It’s time to fill the second shape. Select none and make your Secondary Shape Selection and shrink it by 6pixels, also add a channel to this one and call it Little Background Selection, then again, start with fill it and make some grunge. After that, make a new layer and call it Second Shape Border. Alpha select your Little Background layer and goes to Select > Border, and do 3pixels. I filled it again with black. This is how it looks like until now: [img]http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/9544/picture6sk7.png[/img] 8.I filled it with all white for a purpose of I’m going to put a full render into that little box later. But first for the last steps, it’s time to add the render, first to the big area. Merge all your ‘old grunge’ layers into one, by right clicking on the layers and ‘Merge Down’. After that, alpha select the remaining grunge layer and select your Grunge from the channels. Now add some extra colors that match your render, by go to Layers > Colors > Color Balance and change it as you like, also now it’s time to add some tech brushes. This is how mine looks like: [img]http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/5929/picture7es5.png[/img] 9.(Optional): To make the light on the background look a bit more interesting, open a whole new image, any size do it, but recommend it would be on the same size as your signature. Fill it with either black or white, depends on how you want the light. Now copy that image, and paste it into your remaining grunge layer. While the pasted image is still selected (not anchored yet) set the mode to overlay and the opacity whatever you like. Like this: [img]http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/2373/picture8fc2.png[/img] You can see the top is a bit darker than the bottom. Keep doing this until you are satisfied. 10.Now create a new layer and call it Render 1, and put it on top of all other layer and go to your channels and make your Grunge selection and select Render 1 by just click on the layer and ‘Paste Into’ with your render. Now you can also add some new tech brushes, on the purpose there should be some on the render. Like this: [img]http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/2475/picture9ct2.png[/img] 11.Now finally to the little background. Select none, and create a new layer and call it Render 2. Go to your channel section and select Little Background Selection. Select Render 2 and make a grunge background, paste a picture or whatever you like. I put an eye in it ..lol 12.Last you only need to add some cool text and you’re done! Select none, make a new layer and go to channel section and select Grunge, and then add your text. This is my final result: [img]http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/1113/picture10yx3.png[/img][/spoiler] hope you understand it well ..

Last edited by forsakendoll (2010-03-15 15:24:02)