[Meti]

Welcome to my first Tag Tutorial. The program I will be using is GIMP and I'll be showing you how to make one of my favorite types of tags.
Note, the render I will be using is found on planetrenders.net by searching under RF Online.
Before we start you need to first open the file of the render you are going to use. Erase any extra logo on the image, and then go to Edit>Copy Visable. And then we can start the tag making.
Now, we want to start off with white canvas. The size I will be using is 350x145pxl.
Now, make a new transparent layer, and then go to Edit>Paste and then your render will show up on the canvas. Use the positioning tool to reposition your render and then paste another copy of the render on the same layer and position that render so that your canvas is completely covered. Then, go to Layer>Anchor Layer and you'll have the start of the BG. Then duplicate that layer once and hide to top layer.

Now take the smudge tool, switch your brush to the vine brush and smudge the first BG layer until it looks like this.

Now unhide the duplicated BG layer and let's smudge that layer with a light grunge brush. Nothing to heavy, otherwise it'll look bleak. Then set that layer to Dodge. (If you don't have a soft grunge brush, then you can use the sparks brush.)

Now, let's make a new layer and then go to Edit>Copy Visable and then Edit>Paste into the new layer and then Layer>Anchor Layer
Now go to Filters>Distort>I-Warp. Set the deform mode to Swirl CW and then click and drag alittle around the image preview screen. Do some with the Swirl CCW as well. I like to go in diagonal waving strokes starting from the top left corner to the bottom, so I can get a good swirly effect going.

Go back to the open file of the render you are using and to the Copy Visable ting again. Then go back to the Tag file and Paste your render onto a new layer. Reposition the render and if it is too large, scale it down abit.

Now duplicate the render layer and take out your smudge tool. Use the soft grunge brush you were using earlier and smudge the bottom render layer in outwards strokes. Set that layer to divide.

Now, do Copy-Visable and paste into a new layer and anchor it and then make a new transparent layer and use some fusion brushes (If you don't have any, then I suggest you look on Deviantart for some fusion brushes you can download.) Brush along the top of the layer and just alittle bit outside of the layer.
Now, hide the fusion brush layer and then rightclick on that layer in the layers dialog and then do Alpha to Selection. Then, go to Select>Invert and then highlight the layer right below that (Should be that one copy visable layer you did right before doing he fusion brushes) and then do Edit>Clear and then do Select>None.
Keep that one layer you just did the clear on and then do Layers>Transform> FlipVertically and then set that layer to Difference 70% opacity.
--You can delete that fusion brush layer now. :)
Good Job! I just made you do a clipping mask!

Now, make a another copy-visable layer, anchor it and then make a new transparent layer and let's get our brush tool and we'll do some phantasm brushes along the bottom of the render, don't cover the top, just brush the heck out of the bottom portion.. (If you don't have the phantasm brush, I think you can find some downlads on deviant art again.)
Now, let's hide that phantasm brush layer and set the alpha to selection, Selection>Invert. Ands then Highlight the new copy-visable layer and do Edit>Clear. Now do Layers>Transform>Flip Horizontally.
This is what you should have so far.

No set that clippng mask layer to overlay and unhide the phantasm brush layer. Now with the phantasm brush highlighted, go to Filters>Map>Make Seamless.

Now, let's make our render alittle more clear. Duplicate your orignal render layer and bring that duplicate too to the top of the stack.

Now, let's bring some contrast to the render. By using the eyedropper tool (Looks like an eyedropper on the tool box.) And click a dark color on the render for the new foreground color and then set the background color to a lighter color on ther render. Then, with the top render layer highlighted, got to Color>Map>Gradiant Map and then set that layer to overlay

Make a new copy visable-paste-anchor layer and make a new transparent layer. We're going to do another clipping mask. Use some flame brishes this time on the renderless side of the Tag. Do the usual hide brush layer -> Alpha to Selection -> Selection>Invert -> Edit>Clear. Now, do flip horizontally and set that layer to darkened only 80%opacity, delete thr flame brush layer.

Now, duplicate the orignal render again and use another gradiant map on that deplicate layer and bring it to the top of the stack. Then set that layer to divide 50%opacity.

Now, duplicate the original render layer and bring that duplicate layer underneath the old phantasm brush layer. Get your smudge tool and use the Galexy,Big brush. Smudge that layer in outward strokes like crazy. Now let's use the IWarp again. Do the same kind of I-Warp as you did to the beginning, but this time doing it on the new smudged layer. Now hide that smudge-Iwarped layer and then to to the top of the stack, do a copy-visable-anchor onto a new layer. Then, set that smudged-IWarped layer to Alpha to Selection. Selection>Invert -> Edit>Clear onto the topmost layer. Then, flip vertically and and then horizontally.

Now, let's put some lighting into this. Switch your foreground color to white and then make a new transparent layer. Now, get out your crushing tool and get the largest circle brush you have and set the scale of it to 3.00 and click where you think the light source in your Tag should go. I put it right behind where I thought the ears would be on the render I am using. (I used to the default circle brush.) Set a Gaussian Blur on the white circle

GOOD JOB! We're amost done! Now we will do the depth. But first, let's add alittle more contrast to the render. Duplicate the original render layer, set the foreground and background colors back to black and white. (If you'd like, you can take that old smudged-Iwarp layerm unhide it and set it to lighten only80%opacity.) Now, bring the duplicate render layer to the top of the stack and put a gradient map on it. Set that layer to overlay at 70% opacity.)

Now, we'll work onthe depth. Make a new copy visable>paste>anchor layer and now let's go to filters>enhance>sharpen. Us ethe default sharpening settings and then erase with the vine brush or sparks brush (eraser tool). Erase all on that layer except the face of the render and the light source

Make another Copy-Visable>Paste>Anchor layer and we'll now use filters>blur>Selective Gaussian Blur. Set the Max Delta to 10 and press okay. Now set that layer to 70% opacity.

Now, let's set some gradient maps onto the Tag. Make another copy-visable>Paste>Anchor layer, desaturate it with Colors>Desaturate (Lightness only.) and duplicate it twice. Using the Colors>Maps>Gradient Maps feature, let's put someof the following colors (Set each gradient map layer to Overlay 50% opacity.):
Top Layer:
FG: Red
BG: Orange
Middle layer:
FG: Purple
BG: Red
Bottom Layer:
FG: Orange
BG: Purple

Now, you can make a new copy-visable layer and use Colors>Hue Saturation. Bring the saturation level down to -50.

Alright.. now you can add text and a border of you'd like.

DO NOT RIP

[LOCK.xcf]

LOLFAIL

jk

None of the images work for me.

[Shatakai]

Me neither. Something went wrong.

[Meti]

You have to click on the image tags, they are links I guess. Wonder why that happened.. :|

EDIT: I have fixed them!

[LOCK.xcf]

I see them now.

[EGP]

OMG this whole thread is filled with spam complaining about the pictures not working, seriously guys.

Ok this tut is excellent, I am glad you got the tuturial up and running, and the pics work. Personally I would have sharpened the background when I got done i warping it, but thats just my opinion.

Nice job

[Meti]

I probably should have done that, yeah. Although, this was my first tutorial, and I first made this tutorial for a friend. But thanks for the feedback. I might eventually make another GIMP tutorial. However, I think I'll enjoy just making sigs for the time being. :)

[iZumi]

This is an excellent tut and some awesome work w/ GIMP. I followed it and stopped after about 3 steps because of my attention span.

I think LOCKdownN might wanna marry you.

[RaVNzCRoFT]

Result is too busy and far too monotonous, but good work trying to help out others.

[Mallet]

Looked best at this stage imo, the gradient map is awful and you lost some nice effects and depth with all the blurring smudging and burning (or similar processes I didnt read it lul). If it were me I'd crop it for a better composition and continue from there.