[H.N]

Well i was looking around the forums, the showcase actually, I know I haven't been active for a long,long,long time, though ive continued to graphics.
I came back here to look around and was thinking, the graphics level here has fallen dramatically, when i was here, people here were pretty original, and now when i look around showcase i see everyone asking what program everyone is using or how everyone is doing what they are doing.
even though my grfx level has risen from moderate or whatever.

Stop using tuts and start using your imagination!

Thats the way we used to play, back in the day.

[Arthryn]

That's nice, HN. It's not really the noobs' fault when all our skilled graphics makers ditched the site for SE or wherever you guys scattered to, though. The graphics team and myself have our own obligations, and there's no way we can carry the section ourselves. Yeah, and since the IF graphics community has more or less disintigrated over the last few months, the only way we're going to rebuild it is to wait for another member surge. And seeing as how there are far more graphics noobs than pros, and taking our current registration rate into consideration, the chance of netting new graphics makers is extremely low, hence the fact that we have mostly beginners now.

I apologize that the section failed to meet your expecations, but it's really not something we can help, or the noobs can help. Give them some time, and hopefully we'll see some improvement.

[Elven King]

Can I say something.

[Shiz]

I'd like to say something =o) Lots of people left, lots of good people, the ones who brought the quality to the stuff here. Granted, I havn't been around for a long time here, but its deffently noticeable that the quality has gone down. I would like to see those starting out grow into better artists, and I'm willing to give advice when i can to hopefully make that happen. As for forsakeing tutorials, why? I understand not repurduceing something from a tut, but how do you learn the programs? I agree with useing your imagination, but... if you have a mental picture of something you want in your head, and have no knowlege of the program, how do you know how to take it from your mind and put it on screen? I see lots of value in tuts, its where i learned certin techniques, and fuctions of the tools in photoshop, so that when i have a vision for a peice of art, I can call on those rescoures to build it, with out the knowlege of the program, I can't bring my imagination out of my head. And i want the noobs here to learn how to do that, and I want to learn how to do it better, so I look for advice myself.

As for comeing back, I enjoyed yourstuff and whould like to see what your doing. I didn't stick around at SE, but overall, I've been in a big drop on my digital art. But am trying to get back into photoshop again.

Anyways, thats my thoughts.

[H.N]

to learn certain techniques i totally understand, but i dont really see tuts used like that a lot..
well anyways check the showcase for my work

[Kari]

I'm one of the graphics noobs and I rarely use tutorials to produce work, but you can't really say it's our fault. Graphics isn't a walk in the park, it does take time to learn the ropes, then get round the programme and learn how to put everything you know together.

Just give me and the others more time and we'll get better/

[Arthryn]

I've never followed a tut in my life. I've certainly read them, and have actually picked up some good techniques from them, but otherwise, following them step by step can have a tendency to stunt your stylistic growth. The only thing they're good for is acting as case studies about using the software. Otherwise, just no.

However, I've thought about writing a couple of tuts myself, as I've gotten a few requests for certain sigs, and I've had some things that I've just wanted to write manifestos on. Actually, I've been recently inspired to write a manifesto/tut/thing on typography, as it's massive portion of graphic design, yet is poorly understood by most people outside of the professional field. And I mean REAL professional field, not just 'pro' sig graphics.

[Anya]

Another thing to remember is, although many of the senior graphics members wish it was, the Inheritance Forums are fanboy forums for a book trilogy, and if we get a good gfxer to come along here we're pretty actually pretty lucky. So, I'd love to see it, but we just can't expect quality graphics all the time.
Especially not since SE ate all our good members......
But, really, I have to agree with Arthryn, we just need to wait until another member surge when we'll get more great gfxers. In the mean time, we've all agreed to post our work as often as we can, and to promote improvement in the members. What else can we do?

And, Arthryn, I would so totally read your typography manifesto/tut/thing.

[Shiz]

Well, all i can say is that it took me a long time to learn things in photoshop, and am still learning, and if I didn't have tutorials or other resources, it would take me a lot longer to learn the fuctions of the program. I just learned in the past month or month in a half about graident maps. Never heard them mentioned or talked about before. If it wasn't for an online tutorial i stumbled upon, I wouldn't know of them and how to use them. I spent years blindly fumbling around in PS and Adobe Illustrator (AI) because my teacher in college didn't even know them. So i value tuts and what they have brought to me. Now with that said, i agree that fallowing them to a T can stunt you. I don't feel as it did for me, because I approaced them with the desire to learn the fuctions of the program, and in my own mind think of ways to combine those fuctions to get desiered results. I feel that if i learned more about the program, then I would beable to accomplish my visions more completly. For those of you that have people to learn from, or that can just figure it out for yourself, I enviy you. I wish I could say that too. But i see tutorials as a way to learn, espcially for those starting out that don't have someone to walk them through things like doing layor masks and how they work so you don't have to just delete things from an image you might need back, or how to get good 3d effects without bevel and emboss, how to opperate the pin tool to get the result you want and the countless other things. I see tutorials as a way to help you complete your vision, not limit it to a single style or method.

There has to be both creativity, and knowlege to create the peice from your imagination

This post has been edited by Shiz: 11 October 2007 - 09:50 PM

[Darth Futuza]

Still haven't ever read a tutorial for graphics... I would read them, just to get to know more about the functions, but I find I learn a lot more by just pushing buttons.

[Murtagh-Thorn]

Speaking as a complete noob, I have only ever used 1 tut, and that was because I'd just got GIMP about 5 minutes ago and I wanted to know the basics of how to cut renders, etc.

Apart from that I use my imagination. They're not GOOD, but at least they're not done from a tut. I don't see that many people copying from tuts...

[Manal]

Tuts are actually very helpful. There are some tuts out there where they teach you to use a technique or a feature on one object or area, and you can apply it to other areas or objects in different situations - so they can give you a few helpful tips while givng you a starting push to your own discovery of helpful tips ...

... in my opinion.

[Anya]

Yeah, I agree with DragonDreamer. Tutorials are good, but just as long as they're used in moderation. Follow them, make a nice sig, try it again without the tutorial and add your own effects and other things you know how to do. Take another style and make it your own.

Really, without tutorials for the base knowledge of effects and how they work together, I'd be nowhere in graphics. Heck, I had to use a tutorial to figure out how to stick a render in a blank sig when I first started PS. I kid you not. And this was five months after I had actually started graphics and been using GIMP.

[Master of the Blade]

Personnally, I think H.N is way outta line here.

He ditches us, just before and after we invite him to join the Team, and then a few months later, when he starts to realise that maybe the gfx section at SE isnt that great, which it aint, he comes back and starts bitching about our gfx section and complaining about the high number of noobs compared to experienced users.

Well, H.N, maybe if you hadnt of dumped us like you did the section would be that little bit more experienced, because you were a good tutor and you helped noobs out a lot when you were here, but coming back an complaining about low standards is just not needed mate.

Now, I recently left the team, due to my inability to contribute to a decent level, so yeah maybe I cant talk much, but I at least commited myself to helping others and not just jumping ship because I got offered a staff position.