Silkroad Online Forums

I'm back, after being gone for atleast two-three weeks or so. Not really sure. However, I'm not going to be active at all after this week. I'll probably post a tiny bit in the AC and maybe in the OTL, but no more in any of the other sections, as school is starting again, and my time is extremely limited.
Got a new laptop yesterday. Cost me $1300, after tax and rebates, and to celebrate, I officially downloaded Adobe Photoshop CS3 (Extended?). I had already tried downloading it about 20 times or something using different instructions from a million people, but I've never been really savvy when it comes to torrents and whatnot. In fact, I don't even fully understand what a torrent is. But I found a great website where you can download EVERYTHING, from the latest movies, to PC games, to full Internet security suites like Norton Pro and stuff... all the way to CS3. And it was in one, clear download. Idiot-proof, which was quite a relief for me.

So, I'm going to hop onto the Photoshop train. TBH, I lacked the confidence to even get started, but after thinking about it a while, I realized that I first joined SRF on this account in May of this year. At that time, I remember very fondly that BrokenSaint had that Jessica Alba Sig, and made an Alba Sig for Krysis. If you don't mind me saying, Broken, they were quite sexy, although they weren't even close to the par of your Sigs today. In fact, I think it'd be cool to see what kind of Jessica Alba Sig you could make now.
Anyways, the point is that it's only been 3 months, and he's already advanced THIS much. Previously, I hadn't thought about Broken, and I had only thought about people like Rizla, and I thought - "damn, well, he's been going at it for years? Or something." And I really lacked the motivation until I thought of BrokenSaint. So thanks, man.

Point being, I'd honestly like to get started working with Photoshop. But... I don't know where the fark to start whatsoever. Like, nothing. I can't follow any of the tuts here because I don't know what the hell is going on. So I need a recommendation? Where do I startt. Help poor fena. :[

To start off, I don't even know what the hell I downloaded. This is what it SAID I was downloading:



But then after I downloaded it, it just said CS3, not CS3 Extended, I believe. Either way, I've seen the Photoshop icon, and it's like a rainbow quill or something. The icon of my version has the letters PS with a blue square background. Could someone clarify if I have CS3 or CS3: E? The quill looks so much sexier. If you want, I could screenshot my icon, but I'm using my old laptop right now seeing as my new one doesn't have internet on it as of yet.

ANYWAYS, I need to get started! Suggestions? Tips? Hints? Everything is welcome. And if you guys in the AC corner wouldn't mind, I'd like to keep this thread alive and whenever I have a question, post it in this thread instead of creating a new thread. Don't want to see a line of threads by fena running down the page is all.

[Edit:]
On another note, totally unrelated to art (but I'd really appreciate it if someone could help me), I'm installing Anti-Virus software and all that onto my laptop right now. Just need some advice.

Should I go: Norton? Kaspersky? Nod32? (According to Poochu's guide, I should go with that one). Or what? The non-free version of AVG? I don't even know what the hell is what. Right now I need an Anti-Virus software. I have a 30-day trial of McAfee... but that's out of the question after the 30 days runs out, seeing as I can't get my hands on a serial key for the real thing. So out of those three, which one should I go? I would prefer for it to work good, and chew up the least amount of Memory or RAM or whatever you call it. :] My laptop has a 2G RAM, though, but right now I have like, AVG, Spybot, SpyDoctor (or something), ZoneAlarm, Comodo, Adaware, and a-Squared Anti-Spyware all installed. A little bit of overkill, I think...

wait wait wait, you were gone? hm... didn't notice...

Anyways, wanna share the site you got it from? I'll check for myself.

Should look like this, my apologies to Dystopia:


It should say extended after the name...

Edit: Norton always worked for me. Do NOT run two anti-viruses at the same time though, bad results.

Oh, you noticed I was gone, you little rascal. I saw your thread. I missed you too.

Yes, it's that blue icon in the top right hand corner of that little screen. That's the one. Thanks. :] So I have Extended? Could anyone clarify the difference between Extended and just CS3?

The site is http://www.pspiso.com. You can get EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING. Check it out. (Against rules so the size is tiny)

Yes, it's not against the rules if you make it small. ^^

I made that thread cause you blatantly ripped my gone sig!!!

Also, I don't think it's the icon as the name after the icon. It should say "Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended" opposed to "Adobe Photoshop CS3".

As for features, I'm sure that can be found on adobe's site.

Oh yeah? Well... Oprah is fat!

i also have a problem installing my PS CS3, when i click the setup only the Adobe Stock photos is installed and then the setup says:

Failed to install Adobe Photoshop CS3..


EDIT: Welcome Back Fena ^^

The above has not been edited by me...

Welcome back fena, and thats extended that what I have, i dont think theres a difference, CS3 extended is an extention from CS2, CS3 would be the base program, I think thyre the same, and shadowman, thats my picture

So I take it most of you took the road more traveled when it comes to downloading Photoshop, like me?

Anyways, thanks for the clarification. And now... to get started? How? Stocks, renders... pictures... blahblahblah, all that stuff. I need to learn it all, starting from knowing nothing. Any recommendations? Please and thank you.

Open a big canvas, and experiment

Sounds good. Any tuts around though, for extreme beginners?
BTW, just wondering - how long have you been at this, Dystopia?

not very long, umm like since april?

AFAIK the tuts we have are good to start on, try the one by chris
I'm a noob with ps too
we can work together

This is all filling me with so much hope. Like the little Choo-Choo Train That Could or whatever...



Yeah, but I don't even know what a stock or render and stuff like that is. I know you guys visit a lot of PS forums and such - could anybody recommend one or two to me that has a good community, and a fair amount of tutorials for beginners like me?

I'd like to know a good forum too XD

a render= the original image which you build the sig around
a stock= I'm not sure I've seen it used many ways =/

Great. We'll just wait for Mr. Dystopia to reply back, and we can join together.

lay off the siggies for now guys, just get used to where everything is key the hotkeys, most tutorials need some knowlege once you know that go ahead, i remember trying do my 1st tut was a night mare, lmfao im like WHERE THE FARK IS TEH PEN TOOOOOL!!!

once your done look up some tuts on dA

I know where the majority of the tools are, and the shortcuts.
I went through DA and didn't see any tuts =/
Link pl0x


You have to be kidding me, someone stole the name Xyzzzy on DA.
I checked if it was me, but my email was not associated with any account.
oh well -_-

Same thing, almost same person

Edited ^^

Stock = An image usually used as a background for a piece of art on which brushing and other effects are done to enhance it and make the image your own.

Render = See Alicia Keys in my sig? That's a render. It's a cut-out of an original pic, placed in a piece of work, usually used as the focal point with a light source closeby.

Get your fonts from:

http://www.dafont.com/

Get your brushes from

http://www.deviantart.com/

Good luck, and I would be glad to offer you a couple of .PSDs of my own making to give you an insight into the effects used.