SOTW is contest for advanced users, users who already have some expirience in work in photoshop or online photo-editors and work with renders.
What is important to know about SOTW:
- every SOTW will have own theme on which will members make signatures.
Examples:
Mortal Combat [url]http://dota.eurobattle.net/la/forum/index.php?topic=165116.0[/url]
[url]http://dota.eurobattle.net/la/forum/index.php?topic=164786.0[/url]
Devil May Cry [url]http://dota.eurobattle.net/la/forum/index.php?topic=165743.0[/url]
[url]http://dota.eurobattle.net/la/forum/index.php?topic=165446.0[/url]

- moderator will specify exact size of signature
- user can have transparent parts in signature and for that picture must be in PNG quality
- every signature must have 2 main parts:
1. Background
2. Render

Background is primary picture on which we have render/s. Background can be maked as full brush and on that we can use 1 or more renders.
Render is transparent picture with invisible background, ready to use on background
- user can find pictures for background and renders on internet
- user can use text in signatures, it can be as picture from internet, or you can make it via your editor.
- Most important thing for SOTW, every signature must be your own work, using signatures from internet-works which other people maked can be taken as cheating, so user can be removed from SOTW competitions.
- Also it is forbiden to use pictures and to resize and use them as signature. Render/s must be used.
- Always use large pictures, use large size and when signature is almost finished, resize it to requested sizes - this means if you have to make 500x250 size signature, work with 1500x750 size and then resize it to 500x250
- All tools which are allowed in PSC are also allowed in SOTW, also you can use full textures and overlays.
- Save your PSD file , in case someone accuse of ripping, you we will asked for that PSD - for photoshop
- Save your background picture and renders used for your signature - pixlr and online photo-editors


Photoshop tutorials:
Hidden Text click here to show

Also many other tutorials can be found on internet
- Important - Save your PSD file , in case someone accuse of ripping, you we will asked for that PSD
Examples:
[url]http://dota.eurobattle.net/la/forum/index.php?topic=164786.msg576869#msg576869[/url]
[url]http://dota.eurobattle.net/la/forum/index.php?topic=164786.msg576925#msg576925[/url]
[url]http://dota.eurobattle.net/la/forum/index.php?topic=164786.msg576941#msg576941[/url]
[url]http://dota.eurobattle.net/la/forum/index.php?topic=164786.msg576988#msg576988[/url]
[url]http://dota.eurobattle.net/la/forum/index.php?topic=164786.msg577013#msg577013[/url]



Pixlr editor tutorials ( [url]http://pixlr.com/editor/[/url] ):
[url]http://dota.eurobattle.net/la/forum/index.php?topic=164543.0[/url] - about my tutorial, most of tools are allowed for SOTW
Hidden Text click here to show

Very important when you work with pixlr.
1. prepare background [background picture must be resized to matching size-if needed size is 500x250 and your background is 2000x???? size, resize it to 1500x750 or 1000x500 - this should depends on size of render picture, if render picture is bigger than 2000, you can play with render, if render is small, background picture must have similar size like render] and render picture.
2. if you do not have ready render, you must to make transparent background around it and that is explained on youtube tutorials for pixlr in spoiler above. I usually create 1 more transparent picture where i put original picture on it and there i use Edit/Select all/copy/paste original picture for render, then Lasso tool or Wand tool with Eraser tool to make background transparent.
3. when render is ready to use, go Edit/Select all/copy/paste on render [copy paste can be used as ctrl+c/ctrl+v] and i move render on right place on background. When render is placed on right place on right side is option Layers with option Flatten image - that will merge pictures
4. that is simple way to make signature, after you merge background and render, next easy step is to resize it and signature is ready or almost ready
5. you can add some text before or after resize.

My pixlr signatures:
[url]http://dota.eurobattle.net/la/forum/index.php?topic=165446.msg580094#msg580094[/url]
[url]http://dota.eurobattle.net/la/forum/index.php?topic=165540.msg580384#msg580384[/url]
[url]http://dota.eurobattle.net/la/forum/index.php?topic=166300.msg582718#msg582718[/url]