Computer Art Tutorials

Hey everyone!

I've noticed that a lot of people have been asking about how to do certain things, i.e. screencaps, avas etc.... and what the best programmes are,
or where you can find tutorials.
So I thought it was about time to make a seperate thread for it (please don't lock me).
I personally have asked about a number of things in different threads but haven't really had any detailed replies, and have therefore spent a LONG time searching the internet for answers. So here's the place to ask all your 'HOW TO' questions, where people can give links to tutorials, or free download sites, the best programmes - without having to spend hours searching for them.
I figure this could be used for any type of media, not just stuff for use on messageboards.

Hope this all works,
thanks,
Jenni xx

I'll start it off:

Google Picasa is a great, very easy to use Photo album/editing download that you can manipulate your picture/videos in and also publish albums to the web, and it's free:
Google Picasa

Ulead-GIF-Animator is great for making animated stuff (i.e. Gerards sweet dance moves - LOL) and you can download it free for a 15 day trial.
Ulead-GIF-Animator

I'll post more later, if it doesn't get locked!

I have a button that says 'PrtSc' on it, on the top right hand corner of my laptop, if you press that and 'Ctrl' at the same time, it should work and then you can paste it into whichever programme you use. I don't know if there's another key you can use.
Hope it works!

Microsoft GIF animator is pretty good for making animated icons and stuff..
I've heard that photofiltre is good, and so is The Gimp. And a good site for photoshop/PSP brushes/actions/tutorials/ect is Websoup.org. =)

If you're trying to get screencaps from DVDs, sometimes in the DVD software theres a screencap button. But if you dont see "PrtSc", there might also be a button that says 'print screen' which pretty much means the same thing..

Tragic.:

Well, There's no button on my keyboard. *sigh*

Every keyboard comes with a Print Screen button. Just look for it, you'll find it. On my keyboard, it's next to F12 on the very top of the keyboard. If you find it, press it, then open a photo editing program, or Paint, click Paste, and cut. sorry if that wasn't much help.

I've been making Animated GIFs but I don't know it there's a quicker way than I've been doing it, so if anyone knows a better way please let me know.

This is how I do them:
1- Screencap each frame (but it's really hard to get each movement)
2- Paste into Paint
3- Crop using Picasa
4- Size and animate using Ulead-GIF-Animator
5- Save to Photobucket for use on web.

It's the screencapping that takes forever, is it possible to copy a section of video without screencapping pictures? If so, do you need a special programme?
Thanks you lovely INOers *huggles*

^^^ Windows Movie Maker.

Ok I have a question though there might be no answer. On my laptop, whenever you watch DVD's and try to screencap them it will save the picture but then as soon as you close down the movie program the screencap will just turn black. At first I just thought it was the program I was using but it does it in Windows Media Player as well. Is there another way to do it or is it just the whole copyright regulations that is doing it? I just don't understand why it does it

rockonbaby:

^^^ Windows Movie Maker.

OH MY GERARD! I have that program! So er...how do you use it? wait I will fiddle around with it for a while and see if I can work it out...

x_pansy:

Ok I have a question though there might be no answer. On my laptop, whenever you watch DVD's and try to screencap them it will save the picture but then as soon as you close down the movie program the screencap will just turn black. At first I just thought it was the program I was using but it does it in Windows Media Player as well. Is there another way to do it or is it just the whole copyright regulations that is doing it? I just don't understand why it does it

There's a way to fix that, go into the display properties(where you go to change wallpapers, screensavers, ect), click the settings tab, click the button that says "advanced", and in that window, click the "troubleshoot" tab and set the hardware acceleration to none. That should fix it, it always has for me.

Ti Amo; Mio Bella:

There's a way to fix that, go into the display properties(where you go to change wallpapers, screensavers, ect), click the settings tab, click the button that says "advanced", and in that window, click the "troubleshoot" tab and set the hardware acceleration to none. That should fix it, it always has for me.

AHH oh my god if that works I will love you forever! though sadly I can't try it out right now coz my laptop is getting fixed, but I will try it when I get it back! Thanks so much!

I write tutorials for Photoshop 7, many of them can be translated into lower versions, used in higher version and some can be used in PSP. I'm also going to start working with PSP soon as well.
For icons and graphics of any other sort...these are mostly from Livejournal.

Tutorials/Instructional Program Help:
Icon Tutorial
Icon Tutorials
All Graphics Tut
PSP Tutorials
How To Photoshop
Photoshop Elements
Tut Translation
Toon Tutorials
Tutorial Finder
Icon tutorials by Lauren
Icon Community, featuring tuts by yours truly.
xxhouse-lovexx Tutorials

Brushes:
100x100 Brushes
Brush Addicts
Brush Fanatic
Brush Location
How to make, save and share brushes, a brush making tutorial.

Textures:
Icon Textures
Texturize
Textures R Us

Gradients:
Icon Gradients

Fonts:
Font Addicts
Dafont

Odds and ends:
Icon Extras
Icon Essentials
Photoshop Extras
Colorfilter Supplies
Brushes and textures
More brushes and textures
Filmstrip Icons

Bases:
Icon Bases
Basic Bases

GIMP resources:
GIMP resource
GIMP users
GIMP brushes

Places to host your images:
Imageshack
Weblog Images
Tinypic
Photobucket

File Hosting Links (for brushes, things like that.):
Deviantart
Ripway
Sitesled

To screen cap off something like youtube:
Pause the video where you want. Then hit your Prt Scrn Button (located at the top of the keyboard, off towards the right. It's right next to F12.) And open any Photoediting program, or even paint and paste the image. Then save it.

To screen cap off a DVD using Windows Media Player:
Pause said DVD at the spot you want capped.
Right click overtop the image, or anywhere on the screen as long as it's what's being shown on your player and go to DVD features. Another little menu opens up and you'll see the capture image option, or Ctrl+I ( I think.) Hit it and save your image.

omg that saved me so much time...with the screen cap stuff thank thank u now u wont see me pounding the hell outta my comp!