<HTML>

  <title>loonygames' Graphic Content</title>
<body bgcolor="#FEFFEC" link="#000000" vlink="#000000">
<div align="CENTER">
  <div align="CENTER">
    <center>
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-2373963192914918";
/* 468x60 */
google_ad_slot = "3417104156";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script>
</center>
  </div>
  <div align="CENTER">
    <table border="0" width="600">
      <tr> 
        <td width="261" height="105"><img src="../../images/next_logo_sml.jpg" width="251" height="94" usemap="#map" border="0"> 
        </td>
        <td width="92" height="105" align="LEFT" valign="MIDDLE"> 
          <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">- <a href="../index.html">Contents</a><br>
- <a href="../../../about.1">About</a><br>
            - <a href="../../../submissions/index.html">Submissions</a><br>
            - <a href="../../../feedback.1">Feedback</a><br>
            - <a href="../../archives/index.html">Archives</a></font></p>
        </td>
      </tr>
    </table>
  </div>
  <table border="0" width="600" align="CENTER">
    <tr> 
      <td width="192" height="936" align="LEFT" valign="TOP"> 
        <table border="0" width="172">
          <tr> 
            <td height="1194" align="LEFT" valign="TOP"> 
              <p><font color="#0000FF"><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#0000CC">volume 
                1, issue 17</font></b></font></p>
              <p><font color="#0000FF"><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#0000CC"> 
                </font></b></font></p>
              <p>  <p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono"><b><font color="#339900" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Today 
                in loonygames:</font></b></font></p>

<P><font color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">New!!</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"> The Archives have been cleaned up, fead links fixed, and printable versions restored! Also, don't miss the new comments <a href="../../../index.html">on the front page</a>!</font></p>
              
<P><font color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><a href="../../2.15/feat/index.html" target="">Livin' 
  With The Sims</a></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">: 
  theAntiELVIS explores the wild and wacky world that is Will Wright's <b>The Sims</b>, 
  asking the inevitable quesiton, &quot;is <b>The Sims</b> the first step toward a virtual 
  life where everyone is Swedish?&quot;</font></p>
<P><font color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><a href="../../2.15/pixel/index.html" target="">Pixel 
  Obscura</a></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">: Josh 
  Vasquez on <b>Omikron: The Nomad Soul</b>.</font></p>
<P><font color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><a href="../../rl/index.html" target="">Real 
  Life</a></font>: <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <font size="-1">Check 
  out our newest comic strip, Real Life! Updated daily!</font></font></p>
<P><font color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><a href="../../uf.1" target="">User 
  Friendly</a></font>: <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <font size="-1">Updated 
  daily!</font></font></p>


</p>
              
              <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b><font color="#339900">Related 
                Links:</font></b></font></p>
              <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><a href="../../1.6/index.html">DRAW 
                Partner!</a>: Chris Buecheler's article on games and 2D art.</font></p>
              <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><a href="http://www.contaminated.net/studio/">The 
                Texture Studio</a>: Chris' texture home page, with tons of textures 
                for you to download.</font></p>
              
              
              <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b><font color="#339900">Feedback:</font></b></font></p>
              <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">You've got 
                an opinion...voice it! Drop a line to our <a href="../../../feedback.1">Feedback</a> 
                column...you could end up with a free T-Shirt!</font></p>
              <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b><font color="#339900">Random 
                Feature :</font></b></font></p>
               
<p align="CENTER"><img src="../../images/thumbs/pok.jpg" width="96" height="96" align="MIDDLE"></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><a href="../../1.41/feat/index.html">Put a Little Love in Your Pocket!</a>: Trying to understand <B>Pokemon</b>? Our loony editor got to the bottom of the GameBoy phenomenon.</font></p>

              <form method="get" action="http://www.google.com/custom" name="">
                <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b><font color="#339900">Search 
                the Archives!</font></b></font> 
               
                 <INPUT TYPE=text name=q size=12 maxlength=255 value="">
 <INPUT type=submit name=sa VALUE="Google Search">
 <INPUT type=hidden name=cof 
VALUE="LW:216;L:http:/home/loonygames/loony.timedoctor.org/content/images/logo1.jpg;LH:55;AH:center;S:http://www.loonygames.com;AWFID:13a298c7abe84fd0;">
<input type=hidden name=domains value="loonygames.com"> 
<input type=hidden name=sitesearch value="loonygames.com">               
</div>
              </form>

            </td>
          </tr>
        </table>
      </td>
      <td width="406" height="936" align="LEFT" valign="TOP"> 
        <p align="LEFT"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#0022A8"><b><a target="" href="../../corner/index.html"><font size="-1">Graphic 
          Content</font></a><font size="-1">:</font></b></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="+3" color="#0022A8"><br>
          General Texture Tips</font></p>
        <p align="RIGHT"><font color="#804000"><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">By 
          Christopher "<a href="mailto:chrisb@loonygames.com">shaithis</a>" Buecheler</font></b></font></p>
        <p align="right"> 
          <script language="JavaScript">

<!--
       function gotoSite(obj)
          {
          var s;
          s=obj.options[obj.selectedIndex].value
                         location.href=s;
          }
// -->

</script>
          <br>
        </p>
        <p> <b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Channels</font></b>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Channels are your friend. 
          Learn how to use them. If you bought Photoshop, the manual's excellent. 
          If you have an...*ahem*...trial version, then I'd recommend going out 
          and buying the full version (seriously. I know it's expensive, but much 
          like Paul Steed has said about 3DSMAX...if you really want to learn 
          it, you should find a way to get out and buy it), or at least going 
          to your local library and finding some basic Photoshop tutorial books. 
          There's no better tool for defining a selection than channels (tho quickmask 
          and paths can be very useful, as well). </font>
        <p> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Save</b> </font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">God, I should hope I don't 

          have to mention this, since it's been drilled into the minds of every 
          computer user on a daily basis for the past ten years, but... Save early, 
          and save often. Once you've put three hours into a texture, and had 
          the machine crash on you, and realized you didn't save, you will understand. 
          I average five or six PSD's per texture, containing various layers and 
          channels. </font></p>
        <p> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Experiment</b></font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> Every tool, every filter, 
          every brush in Photoshop produces not one, but several different effects. 
          The possibilities are essentially unlimited. It's up to you to toy around 
          with new stuff, find out how each item works, and then learn how you 
          can apply them to your work to achieve the results you want to achieve. 
          When I first started with Photoshop, my work was all (as is most people's) 
          "Filterama" stuff. Just filter after filter after filter applied with 
          no real reasoning behind it, other than that it "looked cool" (and of 
          course, the obligatory lens flare on top of it to add that cutting edge, 
          sci-fi look). Trust me, other Photoshop professionals are grinning right 
          now, and probably nodding their heads. Every Photoshop user I've ever 
          met has gone through almost the exact same learning curve that I did. 
          </font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> Now, I still experiment 
          quite often, trying for new effects, but 90% of the time when I use 
          a filter, it's for a very specific purpose. I know that when I lay down 
          a new layer of black scribbles, distort it, ocean ripple it, and maybe 
          paint-daubs it, I'm left with something that (when the layer mode is 
          set to burn) can be touched up with a few minutes of dodge/burn to make 
          normal metal look rusty/corroded/dented. I know this works because I 
          stumbled across the basic concept while experimenting, and have refined 
          it to a specific technique. </font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> So don't be afraid to play 
          around with the tools. That's what they're there for. :) </font></p>
        <p> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Get a Tablet</b></font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> While not <i>required</i> 
          for texture making (although I can NOT make skins without it, for some 
          reason), an Art Tablet is extremely handy at times. a 4x5 Wacom (I would 
          always recommend Wacom) costs about US-$115, if you look for it on <a href="http://www.pricewatch.com">pricewatch</a>, 
          which isn't that bad. Even if you don't know how to draw, and art tablet 
          is very versatile. Though if you really don't know how to draw, I suggest 
          you take some art classes before trying to work on textures/skins. It'll 
          help immensely. </font></p>
        <p> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Listen to Orbital</b></font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> It's good for the mind, 
          dontcha know. </font></p>
        <p> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Get good source art</b></font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> Or hand draw your own. Personally, 
          I prefer a bit of both. Don't be afraid to go wandering around with 
          your digital (or regular) camera, taking pictures of walls and things. 
          Yes, you'll look weird. But if you mumble something about "gotta get 
          this art project done by Sunday" occasionally, people will go "ahhh....artist", 
          and except your weirdness. I wandered around the downtown area of my 
          city for an hour and a half the other night, taking pictures of church 
          walls and dry fountain beds. It was actually a rather enjoyable experience. 
          </font></p>
        <p> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Practice</b></font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> The final, most important, 
          most obvious and (often) most difficult tip of them all. Practice. Make 
          a lot of textures. Join a TC team. Do whatever it takes to learn your 
          tools and improve your skills. Understand that you won't appear to improve 
          at all for like three or four months, and then one day you'll wake up 
          and just be better. I don't know why that happens, but that's just how 
          art is (at least, for me). It's like you have to recharge a bunch of 
          batteries for awhile to obtain this one burst of power that mutates 
          and enhances your abilities. So after you've made that 100th texture 
          that doesn't really particularly better than your 5th, just try and 
          remember that you'll sooner or later (number 101 or number 250) make 
          a texture that's just infinitely better than those that came before 
          it. And there's no turning back once you jump another level. :) </font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> Hope those are of some help. 
          Some of them may seem a bit obvious to you experienced artists out there, 
          but it never hurts to reiterate them occasionally. I'll be back in two 
          weeks with some hand-drawn stuff. Right now...I've gotta go make textures. 
          ;) </font></p>

        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> Until next time,</font></p>
        <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> -Christopher</font></p>
        <p align="RIGHT"><i><font size="-1" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">- Christopher 
          Buecheler is a freelance 2D artist.</font></i></p>
        <p align="RIGHT">&nbsp;</p>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </table>
  </div>
<map name="map">
  <area shape="rect" coords="32,38,226,76" href="../../../index.html" target="_self">
  <area shape="rect" coords="12,79,125,94" href="http://www.bluesnews.com" target="_self">
 
</map>
<table border="0" width="600" align="CENTER">
  <tr> 
    <td> 
      <p><i><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-2"> <b>Credits:</b> 
        Graphic Content is &copy; 1998 Christopher Buecheler. All other content 
        is &copy; 1998 <a target="_self" href="http://www.loonyboi.com">loonyboi 
        productions</a>. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited, so 
        don't do it, or we'll paint you white against a white background.</font></i></p>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>
</HTML>
