Ok so, im going to give you some tips, i will give a subject, the meaning of that subject, and then an example, i hope you can all learn from this and perfect your art in many different ways.[/COLOR]
Focal Point:

- A Focal Point focuses specifically on a point of interest which makes a canvas unique

Example:
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You can see that the part that is boxed in is the only part that is not blurred, thus making it the focal point. It also has a light source which is our next subject.

Light Source:

Ahh, the light source, this makes any signature more appealing and it can bring out the focal point, you can also use a light source to your advantage and use it to create some shadows over text.

Example:
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As you can see, the part in RED is the light source and the part in BLUE is the focal, you may have also noticed how the light corresponds on the text and casts a shadow on the text, this is a great way to use the light source to your advantage.

Render:

A render is an image that is cut out of its BG (BackGround) to be used in a signature, using a render is not that easy.

Example:
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Don’t “blend” a render into a sig. If you start out with a render and create effect layers above it, eventually just blend itself, just like this:

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Now on to one of the most important subjects in making a signature.


Blending:

Blending is very important when making a signature, it makes your signature look as one, not just random stocks and renders put together.

Example: Here is an example of a signature WITHOUT blending:
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Here is an example of a signture WITH blending. See the difference?
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Ok were finally on the MOST important subject in making a signature

TEXT:

Text is the most important thing in a signature, there doesnt have to be text, but if there is then you may need the following tips:

Example: BAD TYPEFACE; no blending at all, big, bulky, and most of all, BAD POSITIONING, and i know some people are gonna laugh and say no one in the world would do this text, but trust me, Ive seen WORSE.
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Now this one has okay text, good positioning and a somewhat good blending, it also has a nice glow to it.
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BORDERS:

You dont have to have a border but if you do, here are some do's and dont's

Example:Bad border, the all know 1px border, kills the flow and just looks bad.
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Now this is a good border, not too small, not too big, and keeps the actual signature in perspective.
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LIGHTING (Not light Source):

Lighting is very important in a great signature, it gives the signature some depth and flow, and maybe even some color, yes i did say color.

Example: Here is a really bad example of lighting, the thought of me having to make this image makes me sick to my stomach lol.
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Now heres a good piece of lighting, you can see the difference, the good lighting is almost hidden and not too big, also it corresponds with the focal which is the 'Haze' character. You can also see that this sig looks great without text
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And here's the lighing with color, i just put a soft colored brush on and set the layer to Linear Dodge (add) and it came out great.
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Ok Well Thats All I Have For You ATM, if you need any other info, post and i will look into it and add it to my thread

Here's Some Other Points You Should Follow:
Concept, stocks/renders, depth, flow, blending, color, composition, lighting, effects, text, border(s), focal point, realism, negative space
texture, and contrast: These are all important so dont forget em

I also have some final tips for you guys
-Dont use brushes you find on deviantart, i know im going to get flamed for saying this but, if you use those brushes, ALL and i mean ALL of your signatures will look the same, so dont whor3 them lol, use em maybe once per 10 sigs.

- Use gradient maps!!! I cant express this any more, they give feeling to a signature and make a sig BLEND, Also try the other color effects PS has to offer. Curves, Levels, etc.

- STOP USING HUGE fonts on TINY signatures!! THEY DO NOT FIT TOGETHER!

- DONT EVER use pixel stretch as your sig background, it makes everything look like crap, and as everyone knows crap=crap and crap=failure and failure=u suck at photoshop lol.

- Don’t be random. Sigs take thought. Think about the flow, depth, color, and the idea that you want people to get from the sig.

- YOU ARE NEVER to good to read tutorials. Read them and then read them again. Tutorials teach the unteachable.

- Dont BRUSH your sig backgrounds, like said above all your sigs will look the same

I hope you can learn from this, if this helped you, a thanks or a comment would be in order This did take time to make so please keep this thread alive by posting questions and additions that i can add to this thread. Also, all of the signatures above are mine, i dont take other work and edit it lol.