A Signature

[Malagrond]

The way I do it is by duplicating the image once or twice, flipping it horizontally/vertically (or both) and putting the normal layer on top. Then smudge the other two layers and rearrange according to what looks best. Again, smudging is the best way to blend. Even if you don't think you have good mouse control, try it anyway.

Another approach is just to use the pre-existing background. You can add effects to it to make it look very different from the original image.

[Kami]

My first suggestion would be to look up fog tutorials on dA. :3 My second suggestion is that fog is never yellow, so don't use a yellow outer glow. =P You can adjust those settings too, you know, so it's not all concentrated right along the edges of the image.

If you'd like, I have a .psd tutorial thing that works with an image with a pre-existing background. it's not the greatest tutorial ever, but it does cover a few basics.

before:


after:


tutorial link: clicky! (will auto-download, it's a .psd file. instructions are in the layer names. edit; do you have gimp? =X I'm not sure if gimp opens .psd files. If not, I'll try and convert it for ya. :])

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Anyway, a few critiques on the last piece; other than the half-his-head-missing thing that mala pointed out, I like what you did with the background. I do really suggest looking at tutorials on, say, deviantArt for tips on how to work with images either with a background, or how to blend cutouts with backgrounds as well. Tutorials go a long way, and you can always mix and match different styles that you like; it's how you get your own unique 'thing' going.

Good job on the text placement, again. There is a bit of a... box? around the text, which I think it'd look better without. :]

I think you're getting better, though. :] good job.

[September]

*pokes both of you* Why didn't either of you tell me about layer masks? I looked up a blending tutorial, and it said I should learn how to use layer masks first. I love them too, lol it's so much easier to get rid of unwanted background or to only show what you want seen. I'm still learning how to use them as well as still trying to get depth right. I do think this next sig is one of my besst so far.

[Kami]

I almost never use layer masks, tbh. =X Might be bad practice, but I hardly ever find a need to use them. I think you're getting the hang of it though. :] the text is a weee bit hard to read against the bg, and you ca kind of see through her face, but it's def. an improvement i think :]