Dunno if it belongs here, but moddies can move it as they see fit.

My question for all you graphic makers is:

How do you go about making your graphics?

1. As in, how do you choose pictures, textures, font, text brushes etc. etc. etc.

2. Does it differ if you're doing an avatar vs. a banner? Or a background or a blend?

3. What order do you make them in? Picture-texture/brushes-text? Or what?

4. How do you choose your text? Song lyrics, quotes, stuff you just come up with?

5. Do you make, and re-make graphics until they're perfect? Or just make one and figure that's the way it's supposed to be?

You don't have to answer all the questions, this is just really a place to discuss the process of making graphics. Provide examples, or what have you.

And go!

Cool idea! I love hearing about what other people do.

1. How do you choose pictures, textures, font, text brushes etc. etc. etc.
Usually I'm inspired to make graphics after watching a movie or show. For example, I just watched Under the Greenwood Tree so I have a feeling I'll be making a lot of period films graphics. I have a huuuuge bookmarked screencap collection, so I just go through until I get the pictures I want. At the moment I'm more into icons than anything else (I blame livejournal) so I look for pictures with interesting compositions, colors, or crops. I'm hopeless at text (probably one reason I like icons) and don't often use textures or brushes. I have a few saved, but mostly just work with color.

2. Does it differ if you're doing an avatar vs. a banner? Or a background or a blend?
I guess I should've read through the questions before I started answering. Yeah. With banners, I tend to look for pictures from scenes so that the coloring will go together and I have text ready-made. If I don't make a scene banner, I usually look for HQ pictures and work from that. Wallpapers are 99% of the time HQ pictures, and I tend to arrange them in the same way. It's just collecting and colors.

3. What order do you make them in? Picture-texture/brushes-text? Or what?
Picture, color, color, text.

4. How do you choose your text? Song lyrics, quotes, stuff you just come up with?
Usually quotes. I have a list of some songs that have good lyrics, and if I come across things that just fit with certain themes, I keep a note of it and use those. I can't just come up with things off the top of my head. I fail.

5. Do you make, and re-make graphics until they're perfect? Or just make one and figure that's the way it's supposed to be?
Generally I just make one (banner). If I like the pictures, I may do three or four different versions and see how they turn out. I usually keep them all, though. With icons I like to move one picture around a lot to see what sort of cropping I can get on it, or put text/no text, brushes/no brushes, gradients, etc.

_________________
going on a journey through my old claims

_________________
<center>-In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song-

^JF is awesome

There will come a time with no more tears
and love will not break your heart but dismiss your fears</center>