Inspiration where dose it come from

[pokerteamusa]

Hears my dilemma i am new at GFXing but i enjoy it so much that i have enrolled in school to learn more this summer.
right now I'm using Gimp great tool .

My question is where do you find the inspiration for your GFX banners and sigs
i have started a new web page and unlike the past projects i have done i don't want to rip from the web cut and past i really want this to be mine , and i find myself stuck on my banner im asking you to spitball some ideas ill give a general idea of the site .
The site is a exclusive poker community not really open to public very patriotic
lots of red white and blue name Wedonotallowadvertising

If ya dont mind spit balling some ideas with me i could use the inspiration
thanks

[Dackstar]

Glad to hear you're gonna try something for yourself. You can get inspiration by looking at other people's work, in your case, observe other banners. Also, try reading (and maybe attempting) some GFX Tutorials. That usually helps get my GFX blood flowing. Last of all, if you get started, but you get stuck with something, come and ask and we'll do our best to help you out.

[.:hybrid:.]

Do some homework, find an image for humanities, get distracted and find a cool image, put a description of it into google and browse through your results.

Thats works best for me...

[JM-DG]

Want to know where I get my inspiration from??
I get inspiration from the present moment based on my feelings.
One good source of inspiration that I have constantly is that I love a girl pretty much but she doesn't know... Anyway my love for her is my main inspiration source.

If I feel sad I draw sad pictures, if I feel happy I draw happy pictures, if I feel horny I draw girls XD, if I feel abstract I draw abstract, etc...
Just don't let your feelings go away without doing anything.

This works for the songs, drawings, poetry that I do.

[pokerteamusa]

[tobyb121]

Irf i'm lacking inspiration, I tend to just get a good render and start working into it, just thinking about what would make it better, maybe what you could incorporate from other pieces or tutorials, you may find two things go really well together, and then you have a full piece, I rarely have huge inspiration when I start a piece of work, but if you have the attitude that if it lloks bad then you can throw it away, you will start to get some great looking stuff. With GFX you are only limited by your ability, enough practice and you can make anything look good.
Just keep practicing and you'll end up with something that looks great.
Good luck tobyb

[.:hybrid:.]

[pokerteamusa]

Ok i took some of your advice and have spent the last 5 hours making this
now i made the background with a little help but for the most part i did it myself.
be critical i need some direction if you would suggest effects or or maybe a few ideas to complete . This one is just a start but any input is well received
I hope this gives you a idea of where im going with it.

[Dackstar]

Great for a first start. Pretty cool concept and I think it will look great when you get the final image. Some C/C; the gradient on the Poker Team USA text is a little sharp - the colour changes too fast. Lastly, the space below Poker Team USA looks a bit blank, maybe you could try doing something there.

[KELEVRACO]

Not bad at all. I do have a idea for you however. since this is a poker site. Why not make the banner a poker table? Instead of the typical green felt over lay you flag on it. A little brushwork to give it the felt look again. Maybe add your name across the center in a casino style font.

[pokerteamusa]

[pokerteamusa]

well this one turned out a lot better god this is fun tell me what you think

it took awhile because i had to learn hoe to use the clone tool and as you can tell it still needs work

[woodbum]

Hey looks good! Colors are simple and message pass well
Keep going and play around with the brush and effect, you find out that it's easier then you think and then inspiration will just smack you right in the face

@ Dackstar
Wow man, you found a super deal on stars bud??? LOL I like that a lot