User blog:Waterwecna/Buff tutorial

Hello everyone!

Quite a few of you have been asking me about how I make my buffs. I know that making buffs can sometimes be quite tricky, which is why I decided to make a tutorial for this as well. I will once again be making the buffs for the fictional season of Survivor: Russia. Since you need to have an already finished logo for this tutorial, I advise you look at my logo tutorial first.

In this tutorial I will be using the same techniques I used in making the buffs for Survivor Wikia: Korea and Survivor Wikia: Cote D'Ivoire. I once again used Photoshop 6.0.

Once again, you do not need to have a lot of experience with Photoshop to make this tutorial, but I do recommend you explore the program a little at first.

Step 1


The first thing you have to do is to make a new document. To do that, click File -> New. Make the image 428 x 940 pixels. Once you have done that, fill the background image with the color you have chosen for the tribe. To do this, use the Paint Bucket Tool and simply click on the image. I used the color #C7181F for that.

Step 2
For the next step, look up the patterns and other symbols you wish to use for your buff. I advise you to pick you the ethnic patterns of your location. However, if you are making a buff for a season that takes place in a smaller location that is a part of a bigger location(such as Cote D'Ivoire), I would advise you to search out the patterns that have to do with the bigger location (which means that for the buffs of Cote D'Ivoire I searched out various African patterns). You can of course also choose a pattern that is not connected to your location in any way, but if you are for example making a buff for a challenge, using such a pattern will only do you good. Also, you can use the same pattern for all the buffs, although I'd advise using different ones for each buff. But once you choose to do that, I still advise you to pick patterns that share some similarities (cause it will be quite weird if the buffs for the same season look completely different). For Korea, I used different Korean patterns that were made in a similar pixel techinque and for Cote D'Ivoire I used the same pattern for both buffs cause I couldn't find another pattern that was similar to the one I had already found. For this tutorial however, I will still be using two different patterns.

After you have found the main pattern, also search out the images you will use for the line (where the buff sign and the insignia are on) and the ones you will put behind the logo. Also search out the images you will use as insignias. I recommend thinking of an animal or a bird that has to do with your location, and searching out a clip art version of it on Google. I will be using a bear as an insignia for the red tribe and a swan as the insignia for the white tribe. When you search for the insignia images, also make sure that they are in a similar position (for example: both sideways).

Step 3


Now open the pattern you have chosen for your buff. First, make sure that it is in a suitable side for the buff. It can be a bit smaller or bigger, but it shouldn't be too big. To change the size, either use Ctrl + T or go to Image -> Image Size. When you have a pattern with a suitable size, make it a pattern by going to Edit -> Define Pattern. Then go to the buff image, create a new layer with Layer -> New -> Layer and apply the pattern with Edit -> Fill.

Then, take the paintbrush tool, put the mode to "Color" and color the pattern with your background color. When you have the pattern colored, make its opacity 33% (on the layer window). I made it 18% myself to make it blend in a bit better.

Step 4


Now it is time to add the previously made logo. First, make it about 287 x 181 pixels with Image -> Image Size. Also, make sure that you have the Constrain proportions box ticked off if you want to enter any size. I also recommend having another, already finished buff next to yours so you know where to exactly place the logo. Once you have the first logo in place, put the other two logos on in the similar way and then merge the logo layers with Ctrl + E.

Step 5


Now it is time to add in the pattern that goes behind the logos. Open the file up and first clean the background with The Magic Eraser tool (or the Polygonal Lasso tool) and Eraser tool (or simply with the Delete button). Once you have finished cleaning, take off the empty background with the Crop tool and make the pattern 315 x 296 pixels. Then, place it on the buff. Move the pattern layer behind the logo layer so that the pattern itself is under the logo. Then right click on the pattern layer and go to to Blending options -> Color overlay. For color overlay, use a darker version of your tribe color (I for example used #7A0C11). Then go to Blending options -> Stroke, and add a stroke with the size of 3 px and a lighter color. Then, simply copy the finished pattern layer with Layer -> Duplicate Layer so that all the logos have patterns behing them. If one of the patters overlaps the other a bit, it isn't really an issue, especially since it is where the name of the tribe will be placed later.

Step 6


Now it is time to add on the line. For that, clean its background and make it 76 x 74 pixels. Also make sure that it is colored black. Then go to Edit -> Define brush. Once again, make sure you have a finished logo beside yours before you start adding on the line. Then create the new layer and add the first part of the line on with the Paintbrush tool and the darker color you used before. Once you have added the first part, go to Blending options once more and add on a 3 px stroke with the same lighter color you used before. Then continue putting on the pattern til the line is complete. Also, when you are putting on the smaller pattern pieces, I advise you to make them overlap a bit so that the whole line fits better together.

Step 7


Now it is time to add on the Buff logo and the insignia. First, go to http://landvernd.is/portals/4/Buff%20logo%20nou.jpg to get the Buff logo. Clean its background and make it 86 x 84 pixels. While still having a finished pattern next to yours, add the logo on the line. Then make two copies of it and add them on as well.

Then open the insignia picture, clean the background, add it on the buff and make it into a suitable size with Ctrl + T. Then go to Blending options and put on a 5 px stroke with the same light color (or the darker color if you wish) you used before. Make sure that the insignia is placed on the line in the middle of the two Buff logos. Then make a copy of it and place another insignia below.

Step 8


Now it is finally time to add on the name of the tribe. I myself usually name my tribes after various cities in the location my season takes place in. For the red tribe I have chosen the name Vereya and for the white tribe the name Engels.

For the tribe name, I advise you to use the font that is ethnically connected to your season location. If you can't find a suitable one, Creaky frank works really well too. For this tutorial like the last one, I will be using the font Gagarin.

Type the tribe name on with 60 pt and the white color (#FFFFFF). Place the tribe name in the middle of the two logos and stroke it with 3 px and the darker color you used before. Then simply use the enter button and type the tribe name below as well. Now the first buff is finished!

Step 9


Now it is time to make the second buff. Since you have the first buff finished, you can simply add all the patterns and insignias on the ones you used in the first buff and then simply hide the first buff layers. Make sure that the patterns and the insignias are in the same size as on the first buff. For the white buff I used #FFFFFF for the background and for the lighter color and #B7B7B7 for the lighter color.

And there we have it! The buffs for the fictional season of Survivor: Wikia Russia!



If you have any questions or if you would like to get the .psd files of the logos I have made feel free to contact me. I hope this tutorial was helpful to you!