Sharing your Textures (.PSD)

[danlefeb]

We had a similar conversation about sharing models (http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=25&t=798970). Its not that people don't want to help (in general), but its more that most people spend weeks and months pouring over something, and either 1) they don't want it to be ripped off or even more importantly 2) it's owned by the company they work for and under their employment agreement they can't release it themselves.

I'm not saying that you want to rip something off, I'm saying that there are a lot of people on the 'net that do.

Besides, opening up someone else's texture file isn't necessarily the best way to learn since you don't get to see how they achieved something. For example, in Photoshop there are a myriad of ways to cut out the background of an image. How will you know which is the technique the artist used if you see an image with no background?

Try checking out some online tutorials, you'll learn a lot faster.

[turtlemock]

Going to have to agree with danlefeb on these points. Also you got various artists using various versions of PhotoShop to create their textures (Gimp as well). Whatever they can afford. So a texture create in CS4 may not help you much if you are using version 7 if they take advantage of some of the new features in the latest PhotoShop. And a few of us treat our PSD files as a end result with no references on how we come into that texture.

For examples I sometimes change my color mode to LAB and do a few color tweaks to my textures before converting back to RGB mode. You would not know that unless I specifically mentioned it in the files somewhere.

Best to check out the tuts as suggested and if you see a texture you want to emulate you can always ask the artist.

[leigh]

2) it's owned by the company they work for and under their employment agreement they can't release it themselves.

Bingo.

Also:

Besides, opening up someone else's texture file isn't necessarily the best way to learn since you don't get to see how they achieved something.

I totally agree with this. I can't learn how Da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa by looking at it. The secret to learning how to texture is really, really simple: learn the theory, and then practice your Photoshop image editing/painting skills. It's really that straightforward. Creating textures is really not a combination of top secret techniques or anything mysterious, it's really just image editing and painting. And getting good at it is really just a matter of practising. I'm not saying it's easy, I'm just saying that the steps to getting good are very straightforward.

Also, LosPescados, don't be shy about posting WIPs for feedback. Hearing feedback from people is a really great way for you to learn where you need to improve. In fact, feedback from others would be far more beneficial than simply studying their own work.

[LosPescados]

I can't learn how Da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa by looking at it. The secret to learning how to texture is really, really simple: learn the theory, and then practice your Photoshop image editing/painting skills.
Well the reason I wanted to view some PSD files was simply to understand what things are being used to achieve some things, for example a level adjustment used on a specific layer with some specific items in, and this layer has a special type of blending mode etc.

I'm trying to find all this info by looking through all kind of tutorials. (waiting till I get paid to buy some DVD's on photoshop texturing) but I thought I could give it a try, but don't bother it anymore then. I do understand your point of view.
I only asked if people would share them, I didn't demand you should give it. =)

Do you guys have any tips an buying a texturing DVD ? I've been looking through a lot (gnomon, cg academy, digital tutors) but most of them were using Maya and/or Zbrush.

And I'm currently looking for a texturing DVD using photoshop and 3DsMax. Also mainly focussed on the painting part (photoshop editing/painting skills).

PS: I came up with this idea by reading through the 10 texturing tips of Doylle and I saw in one of his pictures he used a level adjustement and I have no idea why etc. :)

-Tom

[leigh]

Well the reason I wanted to view some PSD files was simply to understand what things are being used to achieve some things, for example a level adjustment used on a specific layer with some specific items in, and this layer has a special type of blending mode etc.

Well, ultimately it's just about making it look right. That may be done using adjustment levels, or done another way. Different artists work using different methods; often, choices are made purely out of familiarity. I personally use loads of adjustment layers myself, simply because I find them convenient. Other artists may have a totally different approach. Neither one is more correct, because at the end of the day, it's the final texture that counts, not how you got there. Familiarising yourself with the tools in Photoshop, and understanding how all of them work is very important. You can learn them simply by playing around with the software and experimenting.

However, things like adjustment layers, layer masks, blending modes, clipping masks, custom brushes, etc can all really help to speed up and streamline your workflow, so definitely familiarise yourself with all these options and learn how they work (and learn by playing around with them) as they can save you a lot of time.


I only asked if people would share them, I didn't demand you should give it. =)

I don't think anyone thought you were making demands, just explaining why it's unlikely that you'll find many.

Do you guys have any tips an buying a texturing DVD ? I've been looking through a lot (gnomon, cg academy, digital tutors) but most of them were using Maya and/or Zbrush.

Unfortunately I don't know any to recommend, especially for Photoshop. It's a subject that just never really seems to get any love on the DVD side of things, for some bizarre reason.

I think one of the best ways to learn texturing is to find a photo of something and attempt to replicate it as closely as possible. Learn to edit images to remove lighting from them, learn how to take other images and work them so that they resemble what you want them to look like, that kind of thing. Personally I'd say you don't need any DVDs to learn that, but of course there is no harm in looking for some educational materials (if you can find some good ones).

There was a nice hard surface texturing tutorial floating around here in the texturing forum. Maybe that would help a bit?

[LosPescados]

However, things like adjustment layers, layer masks, blending modes, clipping masks, custom brushes, etc can all really help to speed up and streamline your workflow, so definitely familiarise yourself with all these options and learn how they work (and learn by playing around with them) as they can save you a lot of time.

It was exactly such thing I was looking for, thank you for just saying them. This is a start, now I know where to begin looking, because even if I'm working a lot in photoshop I'm not often using any of these.



I don't think anyone thought you were making demands, just explaining why it's unlikely that you'll find many.


I don't think anybody posted here was thinking that way, I was only trying to get sure about it. :)

It's a subject that just never really seems to get any love on the DVD side of things, for some bizarre reason.

I second that, I personally find texturing one of the most fun parts of making a 3D model.



There was a nice hard surface texturing tutorial floating around here in the texturing forum. Maybe that would help a bit?

I'll try to find that and give it a shot.

Thank again for the great information Leigh.

[Piflik]

I think this (http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=46&t=373024) is the tutorial Leigh had in mind.

[LosPescados]

Thank you Piflik.

[Trauco]

Matte painting DVD tutorials have good examples of photoshop workflows (using a reference palette, using references and building a library, the value of using different brushes, etc..)

The book "How to cheat in Photoshop" Shows some useful techniques that most people take for granted, for wich you wont find tutorials around, so beginners are not likely to know about them.

But above all, good observational skills are a must.

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