Looking for opinion on this "artwork"

[Guarionex]

Ok, so I'm having WAAAAY to much free time in my hands, and if I posted the drawings of my characters, all of you will laugh. So I resorted to the thing I can do better: (using the term loosely)photoshop.

I've been trying for days (bit by bit mind you, not all day every day) to do a nice desktop background with my characters, and this is what I've done so far. (in aditiion to a lot of sigs I've posted in the signature thread already)

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u199/Vysicle/PSUWallpaper1piccopy-1.jpg
I was wondering, for those who know photoshop better than me, what can I do to improve it (that's not too hard to do. I'll admit that the planet looking thingy in the top was pure accident between gradients and filters)

Thanks in advance http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Guarionex on 2007-04-05 16:35 ]</font>

[VIRIDIA_HUNTER]

Oooooooooooooohhhhh......I LIKE IT!!! hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee

[Banish]

Good job, that excess time wasn't wasted http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wink.gif

[Guarionex]

Thanks for the comments!
I think I was expecting some kind of criticism (or however that's spelled) but I always look at the dark side of things.
Anyway, I just did some slight modifications, but i'm quite happy with the results. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif
I dunno if I should add something more, or that would be overdoing it.

[Sayara]

Id suggest removing something. I mean its so crowded, so much stuff. Why not remove some un-neccessary things. Simplicty > Complexity

[Guarionex]

Like what? The little figures behind the logo? The big faces on top?
It was a lot more simple, before the silhouetes (I have NO IDEA how that is spelled) but I didnt like how it looked back then.

Ah well, I'll just keep playing around with it a little bit more. Or keep it like that. I dunno http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Guarionex on 2007-04-05 19:40 ]</font>

[Serakor13]

I like it a lot. But I do agree it's a little crowded.
My recommendation is to get rid of the full color pictures on the bottom and
replace them will sillhoutes. It might make it look a little less crowded.

[Axios-]

It's fine as is, but for a desktop background, I prefer a cleaner look over one that chaotic. The only real change that comes to mind for yours would be just to simplify it, but just for kicks I'll tell you what I'd do given the same materials.

I think the best elements in your piece are the battle poses that you have semi-transparent. As such, I'd try to emphasize them. While the image of them facing off is nice, I feel drawn to a back to back setup. Thus, I'd put the guy on the top layer and on the right with them facing opposite directions. Then I'd place the couple off towards the right side of the layout (I'm guessing that your desktop icons are concentrated to the left). For a background I think I'd use a white (or a light color) hexagon pattern that is so common in Phantasy Star or something like you have in your sig behind "Bigger Than Life". Next, I make gradient to make the background fade to white on the left to allow for clear icons. Next, I'd put a layer mask over the characters and paint transparency to make them fade to nothingness ('cause fading to nothingness is cool).

That'd be my base design, and I'd just tinker around with different elements like using your cut-in chat pictures as large watermarks behind the character. Then probaby the text with fun blending options (probably just white text with a thin black stroke [yay, simplicity]) Use any font (probaby a PSU one). Well, anything but Papyrus. No one should ever use Papyrus. Ever.

Yeah, so take what you will from that. Still, the main criticism for what you did would be the same as Tingle's. Take a more simplistic and minimalistic approach, especially when it comes to something that's as much of a background work as a desktop.

[idon]

I think its great. I work with photoshop for a living and honestly, the layout is good. Just mess with the colors to make it look like it belongs there. When I look at it, I just see blue and then purple, peach, and orange punch me in the face. What I mean there is that it sticks out a lil bit. But if its just a random image, you did a great job http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[Guarionex]

Thank you very much for the comments.
Initially, it was a pretty random image, but then I wanted to put effort into it to organize it (and at the same time, I wanted to keep adding stuff) So that's why there's too much going on. And I really like it, but I can see that it is indeed too crowded for a desktop background.
I tried following some of your advices to see how would it look like, and now it seems easier to the eye. (Haven't tried the cut-in chat pictures as large watermarks tho, but I think I can live with just leaving them out)
and yes... Jess (the girl)' outfit is too colorful for the deep blue in the background

Since I removed some stuff (like the cut in chat faces) I don't know if the deep blue in the backround looks better. I think I have an idea of what to do with it, now that I got rid of a few images... I'll toy with it later. What I'm really not really satisfied is with the text position. I know I can do better. I guess I'll have to toy with that a little bit more too.

This is phase 2 so far.

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u199/Vysicle/PSUWallpaper2copypic.jpg

[idon]

Thats one heck of an improvement! GJ

[Axios-]

Yeah, that looks a lot cooler; I love the silhouettes at the bottom. The next thing I can think of would be to get rid of the symmetry (Yay for balance, boo for symmetry). So maybe try something like shifting the characters to the right and the planet to the left? Maybe, maybe not. Oh, and now you definitely need a transparency mask on the characters. They're the focus now and as such don't need to be fully transparent. Thus, mask them so that their heads and upper bodies are opaque but fade to the transparency at the bottom so you won't affect the integrity of those sillhouettes.

[Guarionex]

On 2007-04-06 08:12, Axios- wrote:
Oh, and now you definitely need a transparency mask on the characters. They're the focus now and as such don't need to be fully transparent. Thus, mask them so that their heads and upper bodies are opaque but fade to the transparency at the bottom so you won't affect the integrity of those sillhouettes.



Yeah, I want them to look solid now, and what you suggested would work if I only knew how to do it. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime2.gif There's still a lot of photoshop I don't know about.

[Sayara]

See how you can see their bodys rip through the white banner?

Try and see if you can erase the big characters bodies that is mashed with the white banner, It could make it feel more.. there then just slapped on then faded.

[Axios-]

On 2007-04-06 13:33, Guarionex wrote:

On 2007-04-06 08:12, Axios- wrote:
Oh, and now you definitely need a transparency mask on the characters. They're the focus now and as such don't need to be fully transparent. Thus, mask them so that their heads and upper bodies are opaque but fade to the transparency at the bottom so you won't affect the integrity of those sillhouettes.



Yeah, I want them to look solid now, and what you suggested would work if I only knew how to do it. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime2.gif There's still a lot of photoshop I don't know about.



No problem; here's a little help if you want to go for it.

Select a layer that you want to make partially transparent (in this case, the layer with one your characters). Next go to 'Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All. Now you're working on an adjusment layer that controls the opacity of the layer you selected. With 'Reveal All', everything will start opaque and you'll make the transparency. Selecting 'Hide All' would be the opposite. Anyways, on this layer mask, black correlates to transparent and white is opaque; so here you can just paint in the clear areas. I recommend getting a decent size black brush, push the hardness down to 0% and the opacity down to about 10%, and just get painting. You can do the same with a black/white gradient to get an even fade, but I don't think it looks as good. Either way, you'll get the effect you want soon enough.

Go ahead, play around with it. You're doing well thus far.

[Guarionex]

Ah, tahnk you very much. I undestand now how to do it, but I still can't get to do it quite right. My friend keeps reminding me that there are many tutorial videos out there I could really use. I just forget to check them. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime2.gif
Anyway, I couldn't get to make the transparency mask to work, but I hid the characters leg behind the white nammer. I ended up removing the text. Couldn't think of a cool way to put it.
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u199/Vysicle/PSUWallpaper1copy.gif

Thanks again for all your help. (Not that I'm giving up on this. I just need a bit more time to play with it http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif )

[Sayara]

This is looking alot better.

One more idea would be to move them from the center. It'll dynamicafy it alittle more. While keeping just as simple.