My Halloween Skin

[LuigiHann]

Yes, I start a new skin the instant I finish one. And sometimes before I finish one. Is there ever a halloween skin contest? If there is, and even if there isn't, I'm getting a head start on my entry. But it's a rough start. This thing is gonna be a pain to make, through and through. But it'll have orange and tangerine flavored buttons.

[xenosomething]

i remember that stuff.....it was great.

ghostbusters lol im gonna have that stupid song stuck in my head now.

bleh...

[jjpotter]

Who ya gonna call? Oh man I loved that drink. I was nuts about the Ghostbusters movie too. My brother and I had all of it memorized (we were little kids and had nothing better to do than watch it). I still know a lot of the script. Don't know how the skin will be, I'll wait for more posts before commenting.

Don't cross the streams

[Mr_007]

Nice color!
nice skin!

[flatmatt]

Ah, yes, this brings back fond memories of childhood. Well, only a little, to be honest. But we used to drink that stuff all the time.

Anyway, I think this skin could turn out really good. It definitely needs a lot of antialiasing at this point. But keep going, it's got a great color scheme.

[LuigiHann]

No huge update, just testing some stuff. I'm trying to keep it to the main and EQ so I can use the trans for the bottom corner, it doesn't mess up the proportion as much as I worried. I did a little anti-aliasing test in the corner there, but I may be able to do better than that. I don't know if I want to try a nice photo-oranges background for the EQ, which will probably have something like straws filling with green juice for bars. The ghostbuster is actually an Extreme Ghostbuster, from some GBA game. Whether or not he'll stay depends on the EQ bars. If he stays I may have to recolor slimer to match or vice versa, which will then have to effect my Cbuttons (oranges) as well as the EQ bars, I think. Oh well. Lots of homework, so I don't have more to show you tonight. Opinions welcome, I have yet to hit the moment of devine inspiration that makes or breaks my skins.

[xenosomething]

go get photoshop right now.....i swear, you will make your skins better and faster. its not hard and we'll help you learn it.

i mean really.....ps can do what youve done in a matter of minutes.

[skinme!]

anti-aliase!

[garetjax]

rather plain looking...but, perhaps it could be worthy....of a 3/4 Star rating...I'm not into the flat skins that seem to be filling out the ranks of winamp.skin database...Though, I think the effort is as much as other skins...It just doesn't seem to fit the style that I would download...

Basically, I would remember the time of 80's and think yeah...I was there....Great... Next>>

[LuigiHann]

All right, skin on hold until I get photoshop, and even then it may be placed at a random spot on my post-photoshop priorities list. We'll see. It may be a good "test skin" for PS, so good. I'm going to try to start the download tonight, emphasis on try. And I still don't know for sure if my computer can handle it. I hope it will, and I'll post tomorrow night the success or failure. GaretJax, as your comment is the only one with any insight, I will say that the finished skin will hopefully have a bouncy feel and cleverness that justifies use beyond the initial nostalgia. Go ahead, try to figure out what that means. And because this post is already 10 miles long, my current PHOTOSHOP PRIORITIES/IDEAS LIST: (no particular order)
-This skin
-Strong Bad Amp/Compy 386 update
-Zelda Amp 64
-Paper Mario Amp
-LuigiHann-style anime skins:
---Tenchi Muyo
---Love Hina
-Weird Al something?
-Some kind of ninja thing?
-and many more!
I think I'll do them with the least important ones first, so I'll be experienced by the time I get to the important ones.

[LuigiHann]

Yeah. Or maybe adobe changed the site policy so that I can't get it now.///EDIT:/// Nevermind, I found it. I'm just a doof.

[xenosomething]

Originally posted by LuigiHann
my current PHOTOSHOP PRIORITIES/IDEAS LIST: (no particular order)
-This skin
-Strong Bad Amp/Compy 386 update
-Zelda Amp 64
-Paper Mario Amp
-LuigiHann-style anime skins:
---Tenchi Muyo
---Love Hina
-Weird Al something?
-Some kind of ninja thing?
-and many more!

now make sure you finish all of those skins mentioned(the "many more" part too), because you said you will and if you dont we will never trust you ever again.

lol i was hyperactive when i first got PS too.....ahhh, the memories.

[LuigiHann]

Originally posted by xenosomething
now make sure you finish all of those skins mentioned(the "many more" part too), because you said you will and if you dont we will never trust you ever again.

lol i was hyperactive when i first got PS too.....ahhh, the memories.

I'm sure they'll all be finished within the next 25 years or so, although that still relies on the IF's of the download going currectly and the program running properly. But you know me, I love to make skins like a madman. Or at least to start skins like a madman.

[Galtran]

uhnnm... O.o
a lil diferent that I think...

[LuigiHann]

Originally posted by Galtran
uhnnm... O.o
a lil diferent that I think...

Unmnhmnmn....
Try saying things that make sense.

Phooshop downloaded, but it won't install. It just freezes up. I don't know what to do. I'll try again later.

[drake]

What does HI-C have to do with Halloween?

[LuigiHann]

Originally posted by drake
What does HI-C have to do with Halloween?

I'm sorry if I ddn't make it clear, but this is a Ghostbusters-themed Hi-C juice box: The Ecto Cooler. And Ghostbusters has everything to do with ghosts, and ghosts are what halloween is all about. So, to map it out:

Hi-C>Ecto Cooler>Ghostbusters>Ghosts>Halloween.

And it's orange. That's Halloween's favorite color.

This skin may not see the light of day (or even the light of SPOOKY NIGHT) if the evil soul of my computer doesn't stop hating my guts so passionately. I need a new one.

[drake]

I know I was just giving you a hard time

[LuigiHann]

Ok, I got it to work. When the 30 days runs out does it cease to be or does it just give me warnings? Also, here's what it looks like now, suggestions welcome. And yes, I do have the Hi-C text covering parts of stuff, but nothing that will destroy it, I think. This program is weird to use, but I like the layer thing, even if it is kind of annoying.

[dlinkwit27]

I don't see how you are going to be able to fit everything on there without it looking like crap. Good luck with that. I want to see how this skin turns out, but with that big HI-C text right there. That looks like it will be in the way of the vol and balace sliders. no to mention pos and mabe even EQ/PL. This will be interestnig, that is for sure! Good luck with photoshop..

[LuigiHann]

This isn't an update at all, this is to give you an impression of where the buttons woll have to be. The volbal sliders are the only things terribly offended by the Hi-C text, and they'll probably just be little oranges or orange slices that'll roll right in front of the text. Something like that. I notice that the "Ec" in Ecto covers part of a button, so I'll either move it or work around it. People who know how PS works, tips help!

[xenosomething]

ok the shadows are a goods idea but they are very harsh.....lower the opacity of them(the box at the top of the layers window)or you can just make the sides a darker color instead.

now for the anti-aliasing....
i dont know what you used for the shapes, but heres a good way to do it:

select the rectangle tool and make a rectangle and change the fill color to whatever you want(the big colored box next to the layer preview) then right-click the layer in the layers window and select blending options.....then check the stroke box and make it black and lower the opacity until the edges look good.

you can rotate the shape if you select the move tool and check "bounding box" at the top of the screen....then just use the mouse to rotate it.....or you can also do this by going to edit-->transform.

[LuigiHann]

I did the shapes with the line tool. Several times. It is really unnatural for me to draw a line and have that line remain "selected". Anywho, here's an update, and I love my buttons. Thank you Xeno for your suggestions although I haven't used them yet. And I think i like my shadows dark... It's a halloween skin, remember. Spoooooooooooooky. I LOVE MY CBUTTONS even if they aren't readable. They're too much fun.

[aestas caerulea]

I like the cbuttons. =D I do think the shadows look kinda strange, though...maybe not that they're too dark, but the way the gradient is it makes the edges look like they're rounded funny? Not good at explaining.

[LuigiHann]

I'll work on the shadows, but look at this!

[dlinkwit27]

I am defidently digging those C-buttons! Very cool! and apparently I was very wrong about how much trouble that text would be

[LuigiHann]

Better version of previous pic, hopefully. Any suggestions on how to draw a straw?

[skinme!]

Looking cool. Shadow's a bit harsh though.

[LuigiHann]

I am officially aware of the harshness of the shadows I will fix them if and when I feel like it. Right now I like them because it makes it look like it's halloween. So there. But we'll see. I have EQbars that don't look quite right, but I like them. Special thanks to the peeps who talked me into using pbotoshop.

[xenosomething]

are they the straws you wanted? if so maybe you could make them whiter instead of completely transparent

[dlinkwit27]

I still think you need to make teh shadows less harsh. (ha ha, funny! [you had to see that comming]) For the EQ bars, maybe you could try straws? idk, just a suggestion. The straw could fill up with liquid maybe, idk. Or maybe a slider could be a straw...

[Jellby]

How about something leaking out of the box? I mean, the top of the bars could be holes in the box and the slider could be a drop of green viscous liquid...

[jjpotter]

Originally posted by LuigiHann
PHOTOSHOP PRIORITIES/IDEAS LIST: (no particular order)
-This skin
-Strong Bad Amp/Compy 386 update
-Zelda Amp 64
-Paper Mario Amp
-LuigiHann-style anime skins:
---Tenchi Muyo
---Love Hina
-Weird Al something?
-Some kind of ninja thing?
-and many more!
I think I'll do them with the least important ones first, so I'll be experienced by the time I get to the important ones.

Haha, hell yeah, a ninja skin! I always considered doing a skin tribute to all the NES ninjas (good and bad), but never got around to it. I was thinking that the cursors could be cool, and throwing stars would make easy buttons if nothing else works Anyway this skin is definitely improving. Ecto-coolers rule. I agree with dlink about the shadows, but not knowing anything about higher graphical programs myself, I can't really help. MS Paint, baby

[zwylle]

Originally posted by Jellby
How about something leaking out of the box? I mean, the top of the bars could be holes in the box and the slider could be a drop of green viscous liquid...

Great idea

[LuigiHann]

1. I uploaded TGS to winamp.com, so it should be up in about, I dunno, 6 to 8 years.
2. Xeno...something... can I have the PSP's for Zelda Amp 64?
3. I am getting SO BORD with this skin! I'm gonna start doing crazy stuff. I might use the drip thing for the PL slider, but not the EQ bars. I may make the straws all white and less clear (get rid of the volume one?) and add a photo-oranges background to the EQ, like on the original juice box. If anybody has any craaazy ideas, lemme know. I might make the cursor look like a ghost-buster, or at least a ghost-buster gun/blaster/vacuum thing.
4. I'll lighten my shadows when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers, which should be in about... 6 to 8 years.

[LuigiHann]

No one responded to my last update. Just because I shun comments is no reason not to comment...
Anyway, here's the first wsz. Note that I put effort into mspainting my animations even though the design is not finalized. I'm funny like that. Comments are welcome, but keep in mind that I intend to write off anything that looks crappy as "spooky." In fact, "spooky" should be used for anything that you don't like. Without further ado, I present the first Ecto Coolamp Beta.

Note: This is probably the only wsz that I'll upload, as even without the playlist the file is too large. I left out a few other bits, like the posbar and numbers, so that's why it looks ugly while playing, if you couldn't guess.

[xenosomething]

Originally posted by LuigiHann
No one responded to my last update. Just because I shun comments is no reason not to comment...

well i didnt comment cause i sent the PM right after.

and you didnt do all that much with that last update so maybe other just waited for another pic.

there are a few technical probs right now but the general idea is great....
-the bg oranges are blurry
-for some reason the buttons have a lighter green.

if you send the .psd my way ill show you how to fix them by putting some tips in it.

[LuigiHann]

Well, I'll probably send you the psp's tomorrow, because your help is quite welcome. I'm not too worried about the fuzzy oranges becuase the photo I took them from looked just about like that, and juice boxes aren't known for their high-res images. As for the green, I think that's a glich from when I split the bmps using quickskin. Don't know why it messed up like that, maybe I'll have to do it by hand. Either way, I'll pm you the stuff later, thanks a bunch.

[k_rock923]

i really like that volume animation. only thing i can see is that some of the pixels change in the pressed state of the eject button.

other than that. i love it.

[LuigiHann]

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/3591484/ The main and EQ are about done, but I'm stuck on the playlist, and the other similar windows. No clue. Suggestions? Also, comments over there are going to be easier for me to read than ones over here. For some reason my computer has made browsing this board a pain lately. Need a new one.