[SOTW Discussion] Talk inside...

[chimay12321]

Deadline for submissions SOTW #97 extended until 5 january 2014!! 

[rocky532]

Wow, thanks, welshblue!  Being new and all, it means a lot to me. It was a quite a process, but I'm still amused at how top heavy those flowers look whenever I see them.   BTW, your work is amazing. I love the realism in your gallery.

 

Good job to all the participants! Great entries!

[skullbonz]

What are the dotted lines for or mean?   Other than that it looks cool though.

[rocky532]

They're intended to help create visual interest and tie together some of the color scheme. Whether they accomplished that or not is up to anyone who sees it 

 

Your entry is cool too! The letters are awesome. 

[HELEN]

The flower entries are all great. I agree with Welsh, that the lines in rocky's sig added so much more. Looks professional, too.

[rocky532]

Thanks very much to both of you!   Very encouraging comments.

 

 I hasten to add that I wasn't making images like your sig entry/ current sig @ the same stage of our respective PDN careers.  Very polished and accomplished.  

Thank you; what an encouraging compliment. I look forward to improving! 

Edited January 18, 2014 by rocky532

[rocky532]

Agreed; this could be a close one...

[rocky532]

You never know; I actually really like yours! It's very intricate and definitely unique. You're a very talented designer!

(Btw; I like your new sig! Very neat how the hexagons show through and add some color)

[chimay12321]

Some really good submissions indeed, was a hard time voting.

 

Mostly I try to keep an eye on the aspects of Design, Looks, Originality and Skill (a minor one, but I think showing off your PDN skills also is a part of this comp, but actually most of the time I don't completely manage to break down the sigs that are submitted, as I'm more the trial and error sig maker). Sometimes I think there are a lot of sigs that just... pop out in terms of these aspects, sometimes I choose a few that really excel in comparison to the rest.

 

Btw, would anybody like it if I'd give some more in depth critiques on the sigs that are submitted, or at least if I say why I voted for the ones I voted for?

[barbieq25]

chimay, I would like that a lot. 

 

We have an image umbrella here that is for sigs...

 

If people want they can post to there & get critique. In all the time I have been entering SOTW, I had never thought of doing that to get some feedback. I usually post it in my gallery. 4 years or so of entering SOTW & won maybe 2?

Sigs have always been a challenge for me. 

 

I don't want to know who voted for what but feedback is always good.

 

Part of the reason this thread was started was so we can talk about the submissions as well as the actual comp.

Maybe if we use this thread we should copy the image URL so we can see the sig under discussion, rather than flick back & forth

 

Good point for discussion chimay

[chimay12321]

As promised I'll try to give some C&C, tips and tricks, on the sigs of this week, I'll see if I'll continue this next week. I'll only do the ones that requested me to do so, if you want me to give a more in-depth look at your sig too, tell me in any way and I'll do it for you! 

 

Maybe some others can add to my remarks below, I think we should give some more C&C on this forum, as it really helps artists IMO and it doesn't happen a lot I guess, in the Galleries people mostly only give compliments, but mostly leave out the more constructive part of looking at art, that's a pity IMO. 

 

The following is all based on my personal experience and preferences, if I say something it doesn't mean it's true, you don't have to listen to my words. Art is subjective, but there certainly are objective things to say about it IMO.

 

     barbieq25

I think the flower is really well 'integrated' in the background, the smoke really helps with that. Furthermore that deep red colour comes out really well. The text, though, spoils a great part of the sig IMO. It's completely apart from the rest of the sig, it's not integrating in any way and that spoils the depth of the sig. You've preserved that deep red colour really well, but it just isn't 'part of' the sig. Furthermore I think it's a bit misplaced in that bottom right corner, try placing it a bit more in the middle, coming out of the center of the flower and integrate it a bit more within the sig, that would do a great job IMO. Also the typography (font and effects) could use some work IMO, that industrial sans serif font doesn't really accentuate the feeling of the rest of the sig, try using a more swirly italic font. 

Also the stripes in the background are a bit too 'prominent' in some places, especially at the right, they are against the flow of the sig there. 

 

 

     rocky532

You're a deserved winner IMO, I think I've the least to say about your sig. You've showed us simplicity isn't only for 'newbies', but also for talented designers. 

I like the choice of colours, they all fit somehow into a colour palette, but maybe the green in the bottom left is a bit 'off', but I would leave it as it is, because the effect it gives is accentuating the whole piece a bit, making it more colourful. 

I think the striped lines DO bind a lot of it together and they give a more 'arty' dimension to it. 

The text is great, the swirly typograhpy is a great choice and the 'grunchy' part also give a new dimension to it, but as it give a bit of a glow, you maybe should display this glow on the background (not to bright etc., but just really subtile), as this is more of a 'vectorish' 2D style, shadows etc. won't be necessary. 

There's nothing really fundamental I've to say about your sig, but maybe you could experiment some with textures in the background, look at BassPixel's Gallery for some GREAT examples of works with a more vectorisch 2D look, but with some textures in it that really accentuate it all. 

[chimay12321]

Wouldn't that defeat the object of the simplicity but eye catching values of the image ?  A background would draw you away from that IMO

 

Something like a texture doesn't do that always. Indeed, it makes it so that the sig is a bit harder to create, but it doesn't always spoil the purity of a sig, because they can be very subtile, but those little things really could add to a sig. 

 

I'll post some C&C on yours later on, but the key points for me are that it's too plain (it's monochrome, it has no real depth, no real textures, no background) and the text is a bit off (same thing as bbq's, not the best font choice IMO), although the effect isn't that bad by itself. 

Edited January 27, 2014 by chimay12321

[barbieq25]

Welshy I was really stunned to see that you only got 3 votes! I voted for you. It reminded me of some high class cafes. In fact it reminded me of the wallpaper my brother & I hung in the most expensive restaurant in our city. 

 

I like the way you've used the brushes. I cannot get the hang of them so my hat if off to you Black always works for me & the subtle colour is minimalist but enough to keep it classy. The text is a lovely 3D effect & contrasts beautifully with the swirls of the design. I'd love to see this as a bigger work. Monochrome pleases me too. 

 

Chimay, when you do the C & C, would you also post up the sig so we can see it as well as read your comments, please? Just makes it easier to see what we are all on about.

 

I chose that font because the flower is quite smooth in its lines. Also the effect with the glassy or 3D look is often lost with a more "swirly" font. Putting the sig closer to the centre of the flower (actually is is a succulent plant) made it lose some of the clarity. These things are often not seen by the viewer but only by the artist.  

 

Rocky, I like all of the elements of your sig too but the lines is actually something that I would have left out. I find it distracting.   Now there is no pleasing everyone. On the other hand, the bright simple colours & shapes that seem to be made from tissue paper please my eye very much. 

 

Remember this is how we think as the viewer. It is good to see how others perceive our work. I've had some people think that I feel trapped after viewing some of my works. No, I don't - in fact I feel that I have a great deal of professional, artistic & personal freedom. We see things that resonate or reflect ourselves. This is neither good or bad. It is just so. 

[Ego Eram Reputo]

I'd be interested in C & C on mine ... I was quite proud of this one and would be interested in hearing why it bombed

OK, here goes...

First, let me say I found your entry very detailed and interesting. I'm a big fan of your work!

Your entry really is a thing of beauty. I particularly liked the spiral work. It would have been a very worthy entry in a comp of another theme - which is why I didn't vote for it in this case. The theme was "flowers", and although your entry was very plant-like it did not say "flower" to me. I found it quite dark when the theme suggested (to me) vibrant colors.

Again - I don't wish to diss your entry. I like it. I just felt it was not a great match for this particular theme. Sorry man.

(We're still friends - right? )

[chimay12321]

Chimay, when you do the C & C, would you also post up the sig so we can see it as well as read your comments, please? Just makes it easier to see what we are all on about.

 

I've posted the links to the images Just click on the names

[rocky532]

@chimay- Thanks for the feedback! I feel like a texture in the background would ruin part of the springy feel of the sig. Like barbieq said, the flowers were supposed to look like tissue paper. If I were to do a ruffled tissue paper texture, the text would appear out of place. That's just my opinion. 

 

@barbieq- Haha, you're certainly right in saying that there's no pleasing everyone. To each his own 

[HELEN]

Welsh, I thought the same thing. I was taken aback. Such a genius entry.

[DrewDale]

@ Ella ... I really can't believe your entry into this competition is trailing like that.  What a stunning piece of imagery.  

 

No accounting for things, I guess

I can't understand why mine has got the votes it has so far

[Ella]

Thank you Welsh and Helen, it means a lot coming from you ! I like the signature competition because it is nice to try out some ideas there, as for the votes I usually don´t get upset about that - it is what it is.

[Ego Eram Reputo]

I can't understand why mine has got the votes it has so far

 

Don't be so modest.  It' a nice piece of work!

[sashwilko]

In the comp #101 Comics, can / is stock (clipart / free super hero images) allowed. Personally I would find it hard to hand draw a comic book type person using a mouse. 

Edited February 24, 2014 by sashwilko

[barbieq25]

I am a bit confused: do we make a sig in the comic book style or do we need to draw/find a superhero?

 

E.g. does Welshy's entry fit the brief? 

 

Sasha, we did allow stocks/clipart in the last one too but you have to put in links to it to properly reference it.

[HELEN]

Barbie and Sasha, you can do anything as long as it's in a comic-book style. No need to draw anything crazy by hand. You can turn your name into a comic-book style image using red and yellow colors or maybe the Halftone plugin. 

[barbieq25]

Thanks Helen for the clarification

[skullbonz]

Are red and yellow the official comic colors?