Anyone have tips to make good graphics?

[mamaprince]

I'm just starting out, and I was wondering if anyone had some Tips for me? Maybe anyone knows of people who have Tutorials.

EDIT: Here is an example of my newest one:

[DGFone]

Right off the bat, I can already say that you are quite good.

Tips for making better graphics? Color, size, and object balance. Another big one that I should probably not mention due to abusing it myself is font balance.

Color balance can be very tricky. To put it simply: Does it look good, and does the overall picture make the entire thing appealing, or does only one place attract all the attention at the expense of the rest of the graphic? Art is an art and not a science (gee. No, really?), and so really, all you can do is sit back when you feel like you're done, take a good look, and ask yourself, "Am I satisfied with this?". If the answer is yes, then you're done. If not, then you've got more work to do. Color balance applies to alpha as well (transparency).

Size is simple. Does something look too big or too small? If something looks off by size, fix it. For this, you want to keep all the elements as individual layers right up until you're done (and even then, just flatten the file for export). Dimentions of the graphic apply as well. I've done pictures before that I changed the dimensions (often cutting art I've spent hours drawing) so that the overall picture looks nicer.

Object balance is similar and often related to size. Is the graphic to densely packed with objects, or too little?

Font is the last one, and comes to this: Does the font look good on top of the graphic, and does the color match the rest of the picture?

With all of these, the eye is the only tool you have, and in the end, it all comes down to preference. Do you like what you have done or not?

[mamaprince]

[quote="DGFone"]Right off the bat, I can already say that you are quite good.

Tips for making better graphics? Color, size, and object balance. Another big one that I should probably not mention due to abusing it myself is font balance.

Color balance can be very tricky. To put it simply: Does it look good, and does the overall picture make the entire thing appealing, or does only one place attract all the attention at the expense of the rest of the graphic? Art is an art and not a science (gee. No, really?), and so really, all you can do is sit back when you feel like you're done, take a good look, and ask yourself, "Am I satisfied with this?". If the answer is yes, then you're done. If not, then you've got more work to do. Color balance applies to alpha as well (transparency).

Size is simple. Does something look too big or too small? If something looks off by size, fix it. For this, you want to keep all the elements as individual layers right up until you're done (and even then, just flatten the file for export). Dimentions of the graphic apply as well. I've done pictures before that I changed the dimensions (often cutting art I've spent hours drawing) so that the overall picture looks nicer.

Object balance is similar and often related to size. Is the graphic to densely packed with objects, or too little?

Font is the last one, and comes to this: Does the font look good on top of the graphic, and does the color match the rest of the picture?

With all of these, the eye is the only tool you have, and in the end, it all comes down to preference. Do you like what you have done or not?[/quote]
Thank you. I think that should help me alot. I just need to get Photoshop. (Using Pixlr and Lunapic at the moment.) I'll keep your advice in mind.

[DGFone]

^ I also find that GIMP is quite good if you are low on cash.

[mamaprince]

[quote="DGFone"]^ I also find that GIMP is quite good if you are low on cash.[/quote]
I have GIMP on my old computer. (Fried.) It has to be reinstalled, but It was hard for me to work, but with Practice I should do fine. I used to use Photoshop cs2. (Also needs to be reinstalled.)