Making Backgrounds

[tmrd]

Hiya Peeps!

The one thing I always find the most difficult in a box is finding a background. I find it almost impossible to find a background on google etc. that looks even half decent with my box. However, many boxes have gorgeous backgrounds, all amazing, and fitting with their boxes perfectly. When I ask them, they say that they made them. How do you make backgrounds? Please tell me, as this is what normally ruins my boxes. Please give me tutorials and walkthroughs etc, for gimp or paint.net.

Thanks a ton,

tmrd.

[Delicious1]

Try starting with a background. I come up with a sort of design concept in my head and make it into a background. And then I pick a game that fits the feel of my design and manipulate renders and logos and whatnot to match my background better, and once I have the ball rolling I can manipulate my background to match the renders and stuff better too.

[tmrd]

I come up with a sort of design concept in my head and make it into a background.

How exactly do you "make it into a background"?

[Delicious1]

How exactly do you "make it into a background"?

Mine are pretty simple at the moment check out either of my Metroid boxes, or my Majora's Mask box. I don't mean to advertise, but they sum up what I'm talking about real well. I started with a basic concept, mostly geometric shapes and lines, and put them on a plain rectangle. I added renders, and then messed with those to make them match my design better, and then reworked my backgrounds to make them match the renders better.

[slimd1995]

Mine are pretty simple at the moment check out either of my Metroid boxes, or my Majora's Mask box. I don't mean to advertise, but they sum up what I'm talking about real well. I started with a basic concept, mostly geometric shapes and lines, and put them on a plain rectangle. I added renders, and then messed with those to make them match my design better, and then reworked my backgrounds to make them match the renders better.

He means litterally "How do you make them". Like what do you use to make them. What is you're technique in maing them... ect. ect.

[alldreamsfalldown]

Try starting with a background.

Great tip.

[Delicious1]

Great tip.

To be fair though, it's better than your tip

[TrevOwnz]

To be fair though, it's better than your tip

Actually no top is better than that tip.

Well for me I only do boxarts with material. I don't start working on a boxart and I haven't even taking a look to see how much material is out there. I try and look for material that matches or something that I can edit to match. I always go to gamewallpapers.com and scroll threw the main page and look at wallpaper count for games.

Example: go to gamewallpapers.com and look how Aion: Tower of Eternity has 11 wallpapers and not all of them have characters which is a good thing. You can take the landscape wallpapers and use some screen borders and other material to create a back without needing to throw renders all over the place. If you can blend or add wallpapers together you will have a more effort and creative look.

I don't know what else to say. I tried to help.

[tmrd]

Actually no top is better than that tip.

Well for me I only do boxarts with material. I don't start working on a boxart and I haven't even taking a look to see how much material is out there. I try and look for material that matches or something that I can edit to match. I always go to gamewallpapers.com and scroll threw the main page and look at wallpaper count for games.

Example: go to gamewallpapers.com and look how Aion: Tower of Eternity has 11 wallpapers and not all of them have characters which is a good thing. You can take the landscape wallpapers and use some screen borders and other material to create a back without needing to throw renders all over the place. If you can blend or add wallpapers together you will have a more effort and creative look.

I don't know what else to say. I tried to help.

Thanks, that helped a bit. Eventually though, wallpapers cannot help you.
The main box I was thinking of when I posted this was that Paper Luigi Compass box, he told me that he drew it in photoshop. Does anyone know how to do that?

[TrevOwnz]

Thanks, that helped a bit. Eventually though, wallpapers cannot help you.
The main box I was thinking of when I posted this was that Paper Luigi Compass box, he told me that he drew it in photoshop. Does anyone know how to do that?

Drawing isn't something you can tell someone. Takes a lot of time and practice. It's like telling someone how to ride a bike, doesn't mean they will be able to ride.

[Oddmania]

You can make good backgrounds with Adobe Illustrator I guess Photoshop is good too for that.

I like making field backgrounds, making the grass, with the correct shape, the correct colors, making the sky, the clouds, etc...

Making urban backgrounds are funny too, but a little harder.

[Xupmatoih]

I usually look for textures for something i like or matches the game, then edit to my liking

[tmrd]

Thanks guys. I have recently been practicing editing wallpapers to get a background (as can be seen in my super paper mario box)