The State of Minecraft 'Graphics'

[duckluv321]

Damn, now the only art threads I trust that are legit are the ones made from duckluv...

There are definitely still other great threads out there, lots better than mine. Don't be afraid of the Art Section

 

[TheCornStealer]

There are definitely still other great threads out there, lots better than mine. Don't be afraid of the Art Section

But I AM afraid of the haunted art section ;-;

 

[royroyboy]

OMG THE ADAM K THREADS ARE EVERYWHERE!! ALL I SEE IS STUPID TRIANGLES AND RANDOM PARTICLES IN EVERYONE'S SHOPS!!!!

 

[Glxi]

Howdy.

*The poll is a bit messed up. My bad**

If you've ever so much as taken a glance at the MCSG art section, you probably know what I'm about to talk about.

Everyone and their mother seems to have a graphics shop nowadays, and almost every single one of these shops are carbon copies of one another.

Take a look at the last couple pages. There are tons of threads selling graphics- the same graphics.

Now, before I really get into this, I want to say yes-- I do these 'typical' graphics as well, but as tired as I am of seeing it, I am of doing it.

You may still be confused as to what I'm talking about- what I'm talking about is the typical banner, name avatar. Color corrections up the bum, more starburst effects than you can shake a stick at, and plenty of completely random triangles and squares.

Now, let's take a look at where this all comes from. This, my friends, is something called the "AdamK Graphics Pack" or some form of pack that basically gives you everything you need to make banners and avatars.

I have it, and like I said before, I know I've used it, and I know this sounds hypocritical, but I'm getting tired of using it, and seeing it used, so it'll most likely come to a stop.
This is like the drawn avatars we see ever so often, basically imitating the 'finsgraphics' style, but honestly, I think this is worse.

You have to actually make the avatar that you're basing off of someone else's style. For these, you open a Photoshop file, and drag in whatever you need. Literally.

I realize a lot of you are probably thinking "who are you to say this" and honestly, I am too, but this has been bugging me for a while.

Originality is so hard to come by nowadays, it honestly is. People are just looking for the easiest way to make a few bucks, not finding their own styles, and learning things themselves.

Inside this graphics pack, you'll find those blocks you often see behind players. See those on a banner? It was most likely a matter of click and place for the 'artist', not going into a program, placing, arranging, and rendering the blocks.

Not sure what I'm talking about? Here's what I mean- (also, typical things that let you know it was definitely done with a graphics pack) (pictures blacked out and cropped so the banners can't be directly identified. My purpose isn't calling people out) (Sorry for weird spelling errors as well. Added the captions on my iPad )

"What? No way! They must have made these themselves!"

Welcome to the AdamK Graphics Pack.

If this is how you make 'your' 'designs' you cannot honestly call yourself an artist. The only artist is the person who made these things for you.

Once again, I know I've used these. I'm not going to lie and say I haven't, but I'm getting tired of taking the easy way out. At this point, I really only do work for friends. I haven't sold anything big in a while, and I'm happy with that. Selling 'graphics' made with a graphics pack is allowed, but I don't feel good when I do it.

The attitude in using a graphics pack is not "I want to develop my own, unique style", and that is not how I feel it should be.

While we're here, 'watermarking' (putting your logo or name on someone's banner) that you made with a graphics pack is so ridiculous. You might as well put the creator of the graphics pack's logo on there, because that's who made most of it.

"Clicked and dragged into place by:"
"Minimal effort put in by:"
"Major effects and styling done by: creator of graphics pack"
Well, that's my rant. The point in this wasn't to offend people who use these, but to hopefully open your eyes.

How amazing would it be to have your own, original style? Someone who is truly an 'artist' should strive for that, not the easy way out. Don't bother calling yourself an 'artist' or 'designer' until then.

There is also a huge difference between using a graphics pack to learn, and using it as your only means of creating things. There is another huge difference in selling 'art' made with agraphics pack, and calling it your own, and creating art for free.

Lastly, take note of this in art shops, but please don't call people out. That's not my intention in making this thread.

(Finally, I want to reiterate that the point of this wasn't to call people out, or offend them, but to open their eyes. I've realized this, and unless requested, I'm going to work without a graphics pack. I'm just tired of seeing the same thing over and over again.)

(Most people probably don't even care, but I just wanted to get this off my chest )

Oh how I love this post so much, finally, someone who opposes the use of graphics packs Since I have a background in the 'COD' community, (Yes yes, ha ha) I can say this goes on everywhere. There has been this 'style' that has arisen, where all people do is render some 3D text in a pre-made lightroom on C4D (Cinema 4D), and add a whole heap of layers from a pack, on the preset 'overlay'. If you just simply click this link, and you will see what I am talking about.

Every single 3D designer in the Cod community just leeches off one another, and when they add some new effect / object in C4D it is considered a 'New style', which in my opinion is just plain ignorant and stupid.

I must admit, I even started with this 3D style a few years ago, when it was considered 'cool' and 'popular', and even made my own graphics pack, but soon realised how unoriginal that was, and pursued 2D designing in stead. What people need to realise when using packs, is if they are serious about taking their designing pathway to a career, to maybe become a freelance designer or work for a company, that using packs is not going to work for them. Especially with the grungy/3D backgrounds that I have seen way too many of, what use are they going to be in life? Do you see grunge 3D text as a header for a website? No.

So pretty much what i'm saying, and what I have said is completely agreeing with this post. I am very glad that other people share the same views as me on graphics packs, and overlays, ect.

p.s. And btw, the triangles are not from that pack alone, they are originally from one of flow (A friend of mine's) tutorials. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeaSgd_wuEWpqINS9nLfBxQ

He was sorta the creator of the now overused triangle thing.

Anyways, cheers.

 

[royroyboy]

Is it possible...... to request....... or propose........ maybe........... to.... sticky this thread ???

 

[Mamiamato24]

Is it possible...... to request....... or propose........ maybe........... to.... sticky this thread ???

I prompt this

 

[duckluv321]

Oh how I love this post so much, finally, someone who opposes the use of graphics packs Since I have a background in the 'COD' community, (Yes yes, ha ha) I can say this goes on everywhere. There has been this 'style' that has arisen, where all people do is render some 3D text in a pre-made lightroom on C4D (Cinema 4D), and add a whole heap of layers from a pack, on the preset 'overlay'. If you just simply click this link, and you will see what I am talking about.

Every single 3D designer in the Cod community just leeches off one another, and when they add some new effect / object in C4D it is considered a 'New style', which in my opinion is just plain ignorant and stupid.

I must admit, I even started with this 3D style a few years ago, when it was considered 'cool' and 'popular', and even made my own graphics pack, but soon realised how unoriginal that was, and pursued 2D designing in stead. What people need to realise when using packs, is if they are serious about taking their designing pathway to a career, to maybe become a freelance designer or work for a company, that using packs is not going to work for them. Especially with the grungy/3D backgrounds that I have seen way too many of, what use are they going to be in life? Do you see grunge 3D text as a header for a website? No.

So pretty much what i'm saying, and what I have said is completely agreeing with this post. I am very glad that other people share the same views as me on graphics packs, and overlays, ect.

p.s. And btw, the triangles are not from that pack alone, they are originally from one of flow (A friend of mine's) tutorials. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeaSgd_wuEWpqINS9nLfBxQ

He was sorta the creator of the now overused triangle thing.

Anyways, cheers.

The part regarding anyone wanting a future in design needing to work away from graphics packs in entirely true.

I would absolutely love to do design for a living (specifically animation ), and I'm working away from graphics packs. In the real world, it's impossible to use graphics packs, or templates, because someone will find out, and when they do, you're going to be in trouble

 

[royroyboy]

The part regarding anyone wanting a future in design needing to work away from graphics packs in entirely true.

I would absolutely love to do design for a living (specifically animation ), and I'm working away from graphics packs. In the real world, it's impossible to use graphics packs, or templates, because someone will find out, and when they do, you're going to be in trouble

This is true, especially this bit "In the real world, it's impossible to use graphics packs, or templates, because someone will find out, and when they do, you're going to be in trouble " I have a friend who has a YouTube channel, and he uses Adams stuff and there's no hiding it... I wont name him and I'm sure he doesn't want to be named, but I feel that people need to know. He uses Adams stuff and I have seen in some videos that he even just copies stuff from his other .psd's and when I watch his stuff I get the feeling that he's going to have to stop using it when he gets bigger because, well.... its quite obvious what he's doing in his videos, I mean... you can see him copy everything, all the effects, all the colour corrections, you can see Adams lightroom every time he opens C4D for text... its everywhere in his vids. I just hope that people don't call him out on this stuff and that he learns to make his own graphics packs one day ^.^

 

[Mamiamato24]

The part regarding anyone wanting a future in design needing to work away from graphics packs in entirely true.

I would absolutely love to do design for a living (specifically animation ), and I'm working away from graphics packs. In the real world, it's impossible to use graphics packs, or templates, because someone will find out, and when they do, you're going to be in trouble

That's usually why big YouTubers ask people like FinsGraphics and EvanEckard to do all of their channel art for them. I'd love to learn how to do that stuff without any graphics pack, but it's not like it's really a priority. Maybe when I have a lot of spare time

 

[Glxi]

That's usually why big YouTubers ask people like FinsGraphics and EvanEckard to do all of their channel art for them. I'd love to learn how to do that stuff without any graphics pack, but it's not like it's really a priority. Maybe when I have a lot of spare time

There isn't really a problem with using graphics packs, as long as you are honest about it. You would also find that with just a smidge more effort using brushes you can create the same effects. The only problem I see with packs is the unoriginality, and that people don't credit the creators .-. If you are going to use something someone has 'put' together (Most of the packs are copies of one another), at least credit them, and don't claim that it's just your work XD

When you are doing un-paid, fun designs for other people sure. When you are charging or claiming it's yours, NO.

 

[Ginger]

I re-read this thread every day... Duck you genius.

 

[CyphirxusGraphics]

I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with using graphic packs. Although i see some threads that use it constantly in every piece they do. I have a bunch of eye, mouth and clothing references (which are my version of graphic packs?) on my hard drive from devinatart because I'm god awful at them; but I build my drawings around refs, not solely using them. I do appreciate the people who make rendered works tho, because I neither have the time, money or patience to use those programs. I do find it bland however, that all of the models people use look exactly the same as in-game models. It'd be cool if there was some sort of variety, because in my opinion, you should be able to distinguish between the styles of two artists, because they learned differently, and have different ways of making their image. This is probably hard to ask 'cause you would need to make new rigs, or have something that made you stand out. Any way, that's my two cents.