Tonight i worked on some new coverart.

Original 'Moving Shadow' cover looks like this (sorry, no bigger or better picture)

and my first try looks like this

i had a vague idea how to do text and background, but it didnt work out to look exactly like the original
built the text from two versions of the same font, by using the italic 'A' instead of the normal one and elliptical selections
then used a bump map and lots of Draconians chrome curve presets on various layers
the background was done with Render -> Pattern -> Sinus


The second version looks like this:

i stumbled per accident over a Quicksilver tutorial, here:
http://cbt.k090999.de/gimp_quecksilber_text.php
(english version, here: http://www.karinsberg.fi/~madsen/com/gimp/tutor/)
and that was pretty much the effect for the Hoax logo

I like the metal HOAX in your first one but I prefer the background colour of your second. Excellent work Esper.

I agree with Erisian. The original background is nothing but a layer of Clouds>Solid Noise with some matallic curves applied. Your "fabric" looks much better. You can get rid of the small distortions by applying a bit more blur or using the GMIC Photocomix Smoothing filter.

Did you want to try and duplicate the chrome looking style in the original text exactly?

thanks guys for the comments, glad you like !


really ? thats funny, because i cant appreciate the first attempt for the logo really
there was too much trial and error involved
it looks a bit like marble or two thick colored liquids not properly mixed


Well yes, the original goal was to recreate the template of the original record as much as possible, but my GIMP knowledge wasnt sufficient

if i cant achieve that, i try to, at least, recreate the basic style/feel that im going for

the quicksilver-esque logo of the second try looks better on a bigger scale
i make most of my coverart replicas in double size, so that got lost a bit after scaling down



i will try the metalized Solid Noise technique later
at least i must know how to do it and try it once

any ideas how the original logo was done, Draconian ?

Very nice, Esper!

I took a look at the tutorial and while it is a unique method I still don't know how to replicate it exactly until I finish sorting thru the cryptic instructions. I can reproduce the effect almost the same and you can too using an number of the methods covered in my Chrome Techniques tutorial. There are several references to other tutorials on the subject with links provided. I have attached a list of several web addresses to tutorials I selected as the "Best of the Best". You run thru those and you'll be makin' metal with the best of them.

If you get lost or confused about any of it just PM me and I'll be glad to help.

thanks Draconian, i will have a look at the links

EDIT:

not getting much further unfortunately



neither the metalized Solid Noise, nor the logo, i did with this tutorial from your list, Draconian

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SKgincPaVA

doesnt matter, its probably pretty hard to copy something that was created circa 1996 on a mac, with some early version of photoshop or however the artwork designer of Moving Shadow did what he did....

Hey, that looks pretty darn close, especially the text! The background just needs to be smoother and a little lighter perhaps. I say it's at least 90 % as far as close to the original. Who knows what little tweaks or nuances the original designer used to get that exact look. Don't beat yourself up so much. You did great.

thanks Draconian !

im not really beating myself up, im just a bit of a perfectionist and its pretty frustrating fiddling in the dark
its all very random, pressing buttons, trying another set of numbers and it still doesnt look the way you want it

anyway, i learnt a lot and your tutorials played a big role in that - thanks again !

really nice job with the logo on that last one, esper! i liked the background pattern in the last one better too, though the texture of the background is better on the two first.

i think the solution how to get the quicksilvery text lines is in this tutorial

http://gimpchat.com/viewtopic.php?p=177#p177