Maker's Choice
About Resources
Do not use them to make your own. My psds and my textures aren't bases: you can't use layers from my psds to make yours, nor my textures to make your own textures. Also, do not reupload/repack/redistribute my resources. If you want to share them, share a link to the original post.
Coming Soon
5k Watchers Celebration.
Almost 5.1k watchers already, thank you!
Be prepared for a huge party!
Almost 5.1k watchers already, thank you!
Be prepared for a huge party!
Favourite Resources
March brought a lot of resources!
Textures
PSDs
Stocks
Brushes
Other Resources
In The Spotlight
Welcome to the spotlight! These users have been picked by popular demand... Or they either just got back to Deviantart!
Collab Buddies
Inspiring Graphics
Getting Creative
Lovely art created by other fellow deviants using my resources
Stats
9 deviations uploaded | 6 psds | 25 large textures | 25 icon textures
Meet Vanessa!
This month I interviewed , who's a well known artist and graphic maker at graphic design communities. You've probably seen her beauties around, and now it's time to know her a little better.
Tell us a bit about yourself!
I'm a pretty average person! I'm a 24 year old from New York City. I graduated in 2014 from university with a Bachelors in Civil Engineering. I currently work as an engineer and I'll be working on a Masters soon. I'm a self taught hobbyist who has been playing with digital media since 2005.
Why did you decide to join the Deviantart community?
I joined Deviantart back in 2006, it was and still is an inspiring place filled with such a variety of art and talented individuals. At first I had no idea what this site was, I remember stumbling on art I liked that happened to be displayed here. Then I noticed the pieces were by the same few people. Instead of lurking and dealing with the ads I joined so I can keep tabs on the people I was following. Then, I found the resources, and at the time when I was still learning the basics, that was an invaluable asset.
What’s your favourite thing about being on Deviantart?
I'm not a member of too many design forums, so in that sense I'm a bit limited to what I see. My favorite thing about Deviantart is that, it lets me see a wide range of works for all my interests; whether it be traditional, photography or graphic designs made for forums.
Do you have any inspirations when it comes to graphic design?
Some of my inspiration comes from other designers. I see them making something amazing, and it makes me want to push myself harder to improve myself. I guess fandoms could be another. I enjoy making graphics of TV shows/books/movies I feel strongly about; I want to depict the story or what I am feeling through it.
Share a graphic designer secret
Not a real secret but make your setup work for you. Know your keyboard shortcuts. I mapped certain keys to functions I use daily, this greatly speeds up my process. Also create actions for repeated steps or shortcuts that are just way too long. For example, I hate the duplicate layer popup that shows up so I created an action that activates when I press F10 that will automatically create it, thus eliminating the need to right click the layer, left click the duplicate, and one more left click for the popup. Also not something vital but I really enjoy my horizontal scroll wheel that comes with my mouse.
Which graphic design trends do you like the most? And which ones do you dislike?
I don't really have any example of trends I like. I think it's mostly because I don't really follow trends? Or maybe I'm just clueless. I've seen a certain text effect that's been overused. It's not so much that I dislike it on its own, but when it doesn't fit the mood of the graphic it's just a shame.
Share an advice for new graphic designers, and an advice for new resources makers
For new designers, I recommend first learning the basics mechanics of soft blending, and hard cutting. I cannot stress that enough. I see way too many people solely dependent on precut pngs. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with using them. They are a handy shortcut. But that's all that it should be - a shortcut. You should have the ability to be able to use any resource you want without limiting yourself to a certain selection. It's just one of many tools. Another thing new designers should keep in mind is image quality and always asking themselves "Does adding this further my theme/mood?" Lastly, a tip for all designers no matter the level of experience, learn about composition: the Rule of Thirds, the Rule of Odds, model placements, flow, how to lead the viewer's eyes, depth, etc.
For new resource makers, ask yourself, "Would I use this?" Don't think about what seems to be popular or what other people seem to want. Think about what you enjoy using. Also understand the different type of textures available, is it something that people will set as a background? a light texture? something that is a base for a composition?
Where do you get your resources from and which are the ones you use the most?
Most of my resources come from Deviantart or Shadowplay! I don't really frequent other places. The kinds of resources I use the most are stocks and light textures. My most used resources come from you(Erica)!
Do you have any pet peeves regarding graphic design?
One of my biggest pet peeves are when things are added that don't make sense. For example, when the mood is dark/sad/angst and you have font/colors that are happy. This also applies when fandom specific items are included. I understand that some people may not be aware what it is but it's just something I chuckle at when I see it. I've spotted the Tardis/Hogwarts/etc in unrelated graphics. Another thing for the geek side of me, when fandom graphics are incorrect- Game of Thrones for example, don't put a picture of Daenerys riding Balerion, the Black Dread who belonged to Aegon I, when you're not working on some alternative universe. Balerion died in 94 AC, Daenerys was born in 284 AC.
How would you describe your graphic making process? And what about your resources making process?
I always start my graphic making with finding high quality photos with a variety of poses to cut. I then think of a theme/composition, and bring in other resources to help build around it. I always try to keep a clear focus. To sum it up it goes: cut models > composition (models > stocks/textures) > text > lighting / coloring > final touches.
My resource making process is all over the place. I guess it depends what kind of resources I want to make. Sometimes they're just scans/photos that just need a little bit of prep and it's all ready. Other times it could be grabbing a bunch of layers, filtering and setting different blend modes until I like it.
Outsiders
Now it's your turn!
How's been your March? Did you fall in love with any resource or graphic? Created a graphic you want everybody else to see? Have any recommendations or suggestions? Share anything and everything on the comments down below!