The art of customizing your desktop..

Just a graphics package and talent

/me wonders what kind of desktop he will create with MS Paint and no talent

Do a search on Google for 'Photoshop Tutorials' and you'll find all kinds of tips for doing most of what is done here on the skins, etc.
Granted this will only get you the technique, you'll have to supply the talent, inspiration, etc.

Take themes/skins apart and change things a piece at a time, so you can see what does what. That's how I started.
I had absolutely no graphics experience of any kind when I discovered skinning. I can't draw anything on paper. I had only been using a computer for 2 or 3 months, so in my opinion, all it really takes is a decent image editor, the program(s) you wish to skin, patience, and a lot of stubborn tenacity.
Check out tutorials as pictortus suggests....
And put the filters away......they'll only hinder your development of real techniques. I learned that lesson the hard way.
Nothing wrong with using a few filters as tools, but don't become dependant on them.

..... my $.02

https://www.wincustomize.com/msgboard.asp?BID=WCS&id=165295#229997

^^ Try that thread...there are plenty of PS tuts there...

thanks for your help.. but as i said i am quite familia with photoshop.. what i would like to know is how the 3D effects used thoughout the skins are created especialy the buttons.. its obviously not just a drop shadow with some embossing.. it looks to me like they are created using a vector program and then effects applyed in photoshop or other rastor graphics software.. i would love to see how people create there skins from scratch, thanks again for your input

Gareth

it really depends on the author. some people use a 3d program like bryce and then import the saved file into photoshop or another graphics program and edit it. Some people do it straight photoshop. Any 3d image can be emulated in a normal 2d graphics program. the trick is learning how 3d objects should look in 2d.

The first step to learning how to do anything and do it right is to forget about filters. the only filters you might ever use are gaussian blur and unsharpen mask. and these rarely. Start with experimenting with gradients. If you use photoshop learn how to use layer styles effectively they can make creating many objects that look the same very easy. But most of all observe how the graphics that you would like to learn how to make look like. the highlighs, the shadows, and the texture.

right now I am teaching myself gimp, and with the absence of layer style I have had to learn how to airbrush and really use gradients. looking back on it I wish I never learned layer styles. they became a crutch. while easy they hurt you in the long run. you can only go so far with layer styles.


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