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The
"Art" of a GFX Signature I have just finished a "signature" for myself that has inspired me to write. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the graphics (GFX) world, a signature in the terms I am referring to is a small graphical file that people create to use on various forums they may belong to. Many people try and tell a story with their "sig". I am no different. As you can see if you check out my samples page, I have now created 52 signatures for myself and countless (100? 200?) for others as well. When creating for others I always ask what "story" they want to tell. Sometimes I get very specific information and other times I get very basic information which I then try to craft into a story. At any rate, the "story" I tell when creating for me is generally whatever is on my mind. Sometimes I try to create something in line with my faith. Sometimes it's more a "memorial" or "remembrance" style sig for those that have served this country. Only rarely though does a sig that I've created so capture my attention that I feel compelled to write about it. Sig #53 (it's actually number 52 because my creation of the actual #52 is incomplete as yet) is one of those that I was very pleased with and feel the need to write. So here it is...
Entitled simply "crosstrain_sig53", it is an expression of what I feel so deeply. When I first did this render a month or more ago (Joker) the eyes struck me as simply evil. I wanted to do a signature with it but I couldn't "make it work". I started several times but I could never get the right feel. Until yesterday afternoon. Then it all somehow came together. If I may let me explain why this struck me so deeply. Every day (for me) is a reminder of just how fragile I am as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Every day. Not one day that I can recall have I ever felt like I have "arrived" in terms of my faith and life of worship towards the God of this universe. Instead, each and every day it seems as if I am reminded of my "humanness". Those eyes in that sig are such a picture of who I feel like sometimes. Now don't get all goofy on me here --- I am simply saying what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 7 when he talks about the "evil lurking within us". He says that he knows what to do but he does differently. He says he knows what he should NOT do but yet he does it anyway. I feel his pain so deeply in this regard. It is most often in my own head where I violate this idea of "doing the right thing" but nonetheless --- for those of us that have the Spirit of God within us --- there is no escape even from the conviction of our own thoughts! So I write about that which I have to wonder about as I go through my days as a follower of Jesus Christ. And sometimes, quite honestly, I feel all alone in it as I look around and see all these people that are doing "just great". Can I be the only one that feels the weight of my own humanness? Why do so many other friends and brothers and sisters in Christ seem to have it so much more together than I do? Is it just that my faith lacks the maturity that I so desire? On a very basic intellectual level I know that everyone around me is also in a struggle against themselves. I know that because the bible is clear that we will NOT achieve perfection in this lifetime --- unless we can count ourselves as being more mature than the Apostle Paul after 25+ years of his ministry...
It is very clear that we will be in a battle every day of our lives against our own selves...
But regardless of that, I sometimes feel all alone because I look around and see people doing so "great"! I love to be in the presence of fellow believers that are --- at least in private moments with me --- very honest about their own struggles with themselves. It makes me feel NOT so all alone. Isn't that what we as believers need so badly? To feel as part of a communion of brothers in Christ? But yet it seems we spend so much time putting on a mask of "everything is great in my world". I am as guilty as the next guy believe me. But don't we all have those moments when we look lustfully in a direction that we shouldn't? Don't we all have those times when we are so frustrated with someone at work that we just want to explode and let them have it? Don't we all get so angry when we are mistreated that we want, with everything we are, to seek vengeance? Don't we all at times look at another brother or sister in Christ when they are in the midst of struggle and think to ourselves, "Tsk tsk tsk"? I think we do. For you see, inside all of us is a natural self that is battling for all it is worth to be on display! Our human nature is just dying to come out! And if you are anything like me --- then there are times when it does. And when it does we wonder where that came from. I, at least, begin to wonder how I can possibly love God and yet still have those thoughts, say those words, or do those things. How is it possible? THAT is the precise time when we need the company of other believers who will and do love us in all of our humanness. Oh to be in that place always! Anyway, that is the reason why this sig has been so thought-consuming for me since I finished it yesterday afternoon. It is so much who I am. I know that there is darkness lurking in me (NOT possessing me --- but in me lurking) awaiting the chance to show itself! And I also know that I, in and of myself, am absolutely POWERLESS to change it. But I know I belong to the One who can and will help me to overcome! When I first finished the render of the Joker character from the Batman comic strip, those eyes captivated me in that I saw that "behind the scenes subtle evil" in them. I saw the "me" that I wished would just GO AWAY! I am no longer a slave to my sinful nature but unfortunately my sinful nature has NOT forgotten where I live. So I strive every moment of every day to do as Paul commands...
Let us each be a rock, a help in time of struggle and need for one another. Amen! So from all that came this sig. I know the majority of people reading this may not have any care in the world about the way it is crafted but allow me the privilege of sharing a brief tutorial on how this signature came to be from that original render of the Joker. Thanks and here it is... It
is a pretty straight forward and simple eight (8) layer signature. And I'm
going to show you all how easy it is to craft one of these. Nothing that a
VERY beginner couldn't handle if they have even a basic working knowledge
of PS2 --- including some filters, blending options, etc.
Layer
2:
Layer
3:
Layer
4:
Layer
4a:
Layer
5:
Layer
5a:
Layer
6-8:
And that's all folks. Thanks for letting me share some of the "story" behind the creation of this signature. It felt good to write some of that stuff down. Peace.
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