New sig

[jackkbro]

rate please.. i just started photoshop recently so dont be too harsh

[imported_Jack]

Hey you stole my name :P you can't do that.

About being harsh, its what I do. I'm going to rip it apart here, so don't take it personally. The use of lense flares is almost always bad. Keep that in mind for future reference. I see that you have an exact outer glow on your text. My policy, it works a large majority of the time, is to keep the typography and the border simple. Don't get into all of that techy border stuff. From a design point of view, its all really overdone and tacky. The idea is, if you want complexity, allow your content to be complex. Keep your text/border simple. Your render there is too bright. One of the most important things when doing this is, to (unless going for simplicity in which case you wouldn't use a render) create a background that is relavent to the theme of your render. An even more vital aspect of the background is it should have depth and be an environment for your render to exist in rather than sit on top of. Keep in mind it isn't requisite that it be concrete. Take a look at your signature here. Does it look like the render is inside of that background or sitting on top of it? Hopefully you see the latter. Touching on the issue of relavence that I mentioned earlier, you will want to create a background that will in some way or another match your subject (the render).

The things that are considered to "look good" these days are simplistic style, meaning there isn't a lot of complexity to them as you may have guessed. Not only are they simplistic, but they must be accented by colors that really "punch you in the face" so to speak. When I say that I mean colors that are very saturated and midtone (speaking in terms of tints and shades).

In my opinion, (hopefully people can see the logic) the fastest way to get good at art/graphics is to look at what the pros do to get a sense of design and aesthetics, work on large canvases and make everything from scratch. Though if you're doing this for fun or would prefer to not do that, then ignore me.

Keep on working. Believe it or not, I am a nice guy

[Sobek]

Well, here is my opinion/s

1. It's a little too bright for my likings
2. Blend the render in more
3. Text is a bit too simple
4. Lens Flare just doesn't work there
5. Don't use more than one lens flare

[jackkbro]

Thanks for the comments. About the complex stuff Jack, could you explain to me how to do it? no use in pointing out flaws to a newbie without helping him fix it

[imported_Jack]

What do you mean "the complex stuff"? Be specific about what youre wanting to know more about and I'll see what I can do.

[jackkbro]

well just explain how to create a background relevant to the render and how to create depth

[imported_Jack]

Don't make the background so random. If you have the dude from splintercell as your render, then make the background either similar colors or do something like a room he's sneaking around in. I can't really tell you a single way to create depth. It's all dependent on what idea you want to get across and what you have to work with.

[EMPeiTQ]

Originally posted by jackkbro@Aug 8 2005, 04:27 AM


rate please.. i just started photoshop recently so dont be too harsh

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"jack" lol, you ripped him a new one.. easy on the noobs man, and i have to agree in your first post you really didnt tell him how to fix it.. kinda but kinda not.. dont want to scare the n00bz away. everyone was a newber at one time, would you want someone dumping on you like that? i know i wouldnt. it would make me feel like shit..

About the sig:
For being new its not bad, maby add a little more contrast and darken the lighting a little bit. also read some text tuts to help you with that, or just cut down on the outer glow a wee bit

I think the BG is fine, it goes with the electric stuff on his hand/body, what ever that is. its cool looking. Id say maby download metals brush's if you have not allready and maby add some brushing to it. but it looks like you might have done some to the BG allready. I like your colors, GREAT colors.. love blues.

I would say just cut down on the bright light a bit, maby add some sparkle brushing to it.

GJ for a beginer!!

[imported_Jack]

Originally posted by EMPeiTQ@Aug 9 2005, 12:06 AM
easy on the noobs man, and i have to agree in your first post you really didnt tell him how to fix it.. kinda but kinda not.. dont want to scare the n00bz away. everyone was a newber at one time, would you want someone dumping on you like that? i know i wouldnt. it would make me feel like shit..

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I cnc how I think is best and whats best is being brutally honest and thorough. I'm thinking that the people I'm criticizing, new or experienced in art, are big boys and girls. They aren't going to go cry because of my opinion. I hope not anyway. If someone gets upset over some good criticism (its clear I wasn't flaming...) then they shouldn't be posting their work because they're ready for anybody to do no less than praise them. I don't believe thats whats happening here. I tell somebody everything thats wrong with their work (I also say what they did right, though the bad usually outweighs the good). I do that so they can get the most out of their work. Candy coating a critique, as opposed to being harsh about it, isn't going to make them a better artist. Knowing what looks good, what doesn't, what needs to be fixed and how to fix problems will. Just letting you know, I got to where I am through harsh crits. I started new to graphics on a forum where people were already skilled (much more than here) so I got my share of criticisms.

Not every piece of art can be salvaged and fixed. Its the same for most people's first few pieces. This being one of them. He cannot fix this and make it look a ton better just by tweaking things here and there. He needs a new background, to take off the lense flares and the glow around the text. The background needs to have depth and be relavent. As I said, there isn't one single way to make something have depth, it depends on what you have to work with. I thought it was clear what I meant when I said the background needs to be relavent... It needs to relate to the render in some way or another, be it by color or theme. To sum up, he'd need to change almost everything. In doing that, it wouldn't be the same signature. So I can't just tell him how to "fix it. As said, I don't think this one can be salvaged. Most people's first few works can't.

[EMPeiTQ]

Originally posted by Jack@Aug 9 2005, 03:43 PM
I cnc how I think is best and whats best is being brutally honest and thorough.* I'm thinking that the people I'm criticizing, new or experienced in art, are big boys and girls.* They aren't going to go cry because of my opinion.* I hope not anyway.* If someone gets upset over some good criticism (its clear I wasn't flaming...) then they shouldn't be posting their work because they're ready for anybody to do no less than praise them.* I don't believe thats whats happening here.* I tell somebody everything thats wrong with their work (I also say what they did right, though the bad usually outweighs the good).* I do that so they can get the most out of their work.* Candy coating a critique, as opposed to being harsh about it, isn't going to make them a better artist.* Knowing what looks good, what doesn't, what needs to be fixed and how to fix problems will.* Just letting you know, I got to where I am through harsh crits.* I started new to graphics on a forum where people were already skilled (much more than here) so I got my share of criticisms.

Not every piece of art can be salvaged and fixed.* Its the same for most people's first few pieces.* This being one of them.* He cannot fix this and make it look a ton better just by tweaking things here and there.* He needs a new background, to take off the lense flares and the glow around the text.* The background needs to have depth and be relavent.* As I said, there isn't one single way to make something have depth, it depends on what you have to work with.* I thought it was clear what I meant when I said the background needs to be relavent...* It needs to relate to the render in some way or another, be it by color or theme.* To sum up, he'd need to change almost everything.* In doing that, it wouldn't be the same signature.* So I can't just tell him how to "fix it.* As said, I don't think this one can be salvaged.* Most people's first few works can't.

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I dissagree with the part about him not being able to make that into something.. he could easly make that into something with a little more work,, I know i could. and I know he could..

It just seems like your telling him to give up on it. or start a new one. it might be easy to start a new one but he could still make this better.

although some of your points are good. you could say them in a less harsh way and still get the point accross

Id have to say jackkbro, again if you tone down the light and add a little more contrast. and work on that text a little more. make it smaller and sharper , do some more brushing it could look nice.