How to get started from scratch

[satanaka]

I'm brand new to this, but I'd like to try my hand making a real simple tyranid badge for the imperial guard. How do I do this, what tools do I need, and does such a badge file already exist? The specific badge I was thinking of is the purple semi - round tyranid symbol.

[IBBoard]

For badges there's only one 'tool' you need - a graphics program that can handle 32-bit TGA images. A lot of people use Photoshop, although it is very expensive, The Gimp or Paint.Net. There's also Paint Shop Pro and a raft of other programs, so the choice is up to you.

Once you've got a paint package then all you need to do is create a new image of the relevant dimensions, and save it as a 32-bit TGA without compression. Badges should be around 16KB and banners should be around 24KB when finished and should go in the appropriate folder.

If you've got any more specific questions then just ask.