Here: http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=62056080&f=105&p=415419913 I try helping someone with smudging and then Sane tells him to ignore my post, which then got me thinking. I have been told many things and have been shown many things and taught many things such as the stuff I posted, and one of the best graphic designers on this site tells someone to ignore my post. This got me thinking "if that was false, everything else I've been taught is false". So, I really need help here. I want to become good and I want to know what I am doing rather than doing random things to make it look "good". Does anyone have any tips and/or know what I should do? I really want to get good at this stuff, I just love making a decent-looking tag, but I also want to know general concepts that I apparently don't know (which I thought I knew).

avid, the poster, wanted to know more about pockey style smudge, the smudge you are talking about looks really bad and LQ
avid wanted to know how to smudge better using that style, which had no correlation to what you posted. pockey just uses hard brushes and a tablet(i think) with diff sizes and strengths
also, most people will already know about brush settings, and you shuoldn't really worry about jitter and what not when smudging like that
as well, you said you went like 80 pixel brush down to a 40 pixell for "fine" i think i would start at 30-50 pix and work down to a 1 pixel brush which is imo, "fine"

I understand that, but I am looking for a reference or something of the sort to aid me in actual Photoshop design and concept, or maybe even a book name. I'd really like to become proficient at this.

just look at what others have done and practice

That still doesn't teach me anything. I'm looking to learn deep conceptual aspects of graphic design and I want to know Photoshop to the fullest extent; looking at tags and making guestimates won't help me learn anything.

here you go bro
http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=57843360&f=105

ITT: Sane, best graphic designer.

Tutorials, one at a time to learn everything about photoshop. Which yo won't. Might get an understanding of every tool, but styles come and go and people always come up with new techniques.

Oo! Thanks!



Yep, but I at least want a full understanding of present concepts so I am able to use new techniques or even come up with some of my one.