What's this? Stickie re-organisation in the Tips and Tutorials Forum?

Once you're over the initial shock I'm sure you'll all agree that the existing Tips/Tutorials Request thread was at best redundant and at worst misleading. This thread will therefore take over it's role as Tutorial Request thread but in a far more informal manner.

There is no point in pretending we have a thriving tutorial-request-taking community. Recently there have been a lot of decent tutorials but the existing structured method of requesting tutorials was pointless for a forum with this low level of activity.

That leads nicely on to the second (or should I say first) function of this thread. That of a feedback thread where you guys can suggest and discuss what improvements you would like to see in this forum. I see no reason for it to continue in it's current state just because "it always has".

If not create a thriving community, I hope we can at least turn this forum into a useful resource with links to tutorials, brushes, fonts etc. from both other sites and the G&A community itself.

Any thoughts?

Yay though.

In time I'm sure we'll be able to have font download thread explaining how to extract to the different programs and some recommended fonts. Ditto with brushes too. And obviously keeping the sig tutorials which people seem to be making ever so much. Maybe some links as well to beginner tutorials for programs been as they are asked for so much?

Just a few ideas off the top of my head. Good to see a proper place for feedback now (is this just for T+T feedback or G+A. Or am I blind in not noticing a G+A forum feedback thread somewhere :/).

Nice sig btw Dave.

I think this would be a good start. I could probably help out with the font download and extract, and maybe add a tutorial if necessary. But yeah, I think this could be a bit more organized so that more people could access more tutorials and access their programs better.

The font and brush download help threads sound like a good idea Ant, just the kind of resources that what I was thinking about. We could also use these threads to house a list of useful websites for downloading brushes or fonts.

Over in DPs Aphex suggested a "Basic Guide To Photoshop" thread and I think this is an excellent idea. However, seeing as a large number of people do use GIMP we would also need a GIMP version. These two threads will have to be quite comprehensive so ideally someone with a lot of experience will be required to write them and I imagine I'll end up overseeing and sorting the markup out. Any takers for this, will probably be a big job.

I've updated the Tutorial Sites Listings thread but I think this could do with a lot more input of new, useful tutorial websites - brush and font specific ones will go in the Brush and Font Help threads.

Thanks for the input so far guys.

This message was edited by The Dave on Sep 16 2007.

Well I started (about a month ago now) a complete basic GIMP tutorial (which was very lengthy too), but I didn't really get into it. I will attempt to continue it sometime though.

I was thinking we could have some general resources thread. Obviously we would need 2 for GIMP and Photoshop as they are the most commonly used programs but I think it would work. One Thread for each and the first post is like an intro to each program. Then the following posts have resources such as Fonts (Download Links, Website Links, Tips on Typography), Brushes (Sites to get them, How to use them properly, and recommended brushes), PSD's (To Learn From, Also learning how to save your work so the quality's not shit), Stocks (I mean actually images, not those precut shit from game and planet renders, How to use your stock, Where to find a stock, what to look for in a stock). Just stuff like that. Then after that the user should be somewhat educated about the program they want to learn more about. If a thread like this already exists please point me in that direction. I know there is a PSD and xcf thread already in the forum but not too clear on the others.

Anyways, thats my two cents.

I like every single choice you've made to make the forum for the better of the community. Keep up the great work you've done and hopefully your forum picks up more traffic/interest.

If you don't want us to get stocks from game and planet renders then where do you recommend we get stocks from?...Btw I like all the ideas

quote Aphex

My two cents.

I understand the logic of keeping the resource threads specific to GIMP or Photoshop as far as brushes are concerned but if we're also talking about fonts and stocks then I think they can go in their own threads. Bearing in mind that a Beginner's Guide to GIMP and Photoshop is also on the cards and would introduce the basics. So far I make that the following prospective threads:

[Resources] - Beginners Guide to GIMP (Stigmatised's onto this already)

[Resources] - Beginners Guide to Photoshop

[Resources] - Photoshop Brushes

[Resources] - GIMP Brushes

[Resources] - Fonts

[Resources] - Stocks

sweet - Thanks for the kinds words sweet, we're getting there little by little.

LSR - I'm sorry if you've been given the impression that getting stocks from game and planet renders is a no go. Those two sites are probably the best resources for quick, no hassle game/anime stocks for banners on the net and to tell you not to use them would be a very odd thing indeed. Aphex was just highlighting that if you want to do more beyond the standard banner then there is far more to stocks than pre-cut ones for PR and GR.

The main problem I, and others of us have with these sites is their improper use of the word "render" to describe stock/cropped images which subsequently we're trying to discourage in G&A. Petty perhaps but if someone keeps calling grass "blue" you don't keep your mouth shut and let it go do you? Anyway, that's another issue entirely...

I'm wondering, too, if we could also give resources for image uploading? I know Photobucket is a good one for banners, but I'm sure there are others. Image Shack, Imageox, and there are at least two sites that I know of where you can upload .xcf and (probably) .psd files as well.

Just my two cents because I was inspired by the thread that growli posted on a vector brush tutorial, and the tutorial came out small on Photobucket even when zoomed in.

That would be due to GrowlitheKings wrong settings on Photobucket. That is simply that. If he instead changed his settings to let anything under 1MB then it would probably fit. I presume it isn't that big.

quote DiaoDawn

I'm wondering, too, if we could also give resources for image uploading?

There already exists a thread for Image Hosting Advice. I don't think we need to completely repost G&A help threads into Tips and Tutorials.

Once people have found a good host they tend to stick with it rather than shopping around, I can't see people struggling with image hosts - apart from growlitheking apparently.

Try this or maybe this.