Renderosity Forums / Photoshop
Welcome to the Photoshop Forum
Forum Moderators: Wolfenshire Forum Coordinators: Anim8dtoon
Photoshop F.A.Q (Last Updated: 2024 Nov 26 6:58 am)
Our mission is to provide an open community and unique environment where anyone interested in learning more about Adobe Photoshop can share their experience and knowledge, post their work for review and critique by their peers, and learn new techniques while developing the skills that allow each individual to realize their own unique artistic vision. We do not limit this forum to any style of work, and we strongly encourage people of all levels and interests to participate.
Sharpen your Photoshop skill with this monthly challenge...
Checkout the Renderosity MarketPlace - Your source for digital art content!
Subject: Opinions, please.
Aaahh! Opinions !! :-)
Thank you, tantarus!
Yes, it's blueish. /LOL/
aprilgem:
You're quite right and the only defence I've got for making this is I wanted it to stay within a colour scheme biased to blue. Exception - the drifting, empty life bouy in an opposite color.
On the other hand, it is originally ment for print and as such there is better tonal separation. Seems downscaling and jpeg-ing makes bad things ...
-- Jiger --
tantarus !
I'm not sure wether you're comenting Sans2012 or something you've seen in my design...
On effects in general I absolutely agree with you and particulalrely so when it comes to more "hi-class" designs. I wouldn't think an AD at Elle, Cosmo or any fashion house would approve (tho, I might be wrong).
Tho, in this case it's a (fictive) DVD jacket for a thriller-something-reel so I wouldn't be surprised if given at least a bit of slack with moderate effects.
Did some "research" at my local video rental just to see what goes.
... and found some examples of really "bad cases" /LOL/.
So - yes, Sans2012 - there is an outer glow (seen better in the large image) but with a hard edge, more like an outline. This to make the typography stand out better from the darker blue tones in the background.
Sure I could have made it easy for me and used a contrasting (opposite) colour, but I thought a good part of the challange was to keep it within a cool blue(-ish) scale and allow only one eye-catching exception.
Thank you all for careing to comment ! :-)
I really appreciate it very much and I hope there will be some more opinions coming - from you or others.
(ok - I'll step down from soapbox now... )
-- Jiger --
I'm late...noting new there, but I thought I'd throw my two cents in anyway. I think it looks fine as is. As an Art Director (in a totaly unrelated field) I'd only have one question. How does it print? Often times what looks really good on screen doesn't print worth a darn. Just as an aside, if you want to do something to really tax your creative brain, try doing the back cover. Lots of information, lots of pictures, lots of credits, lots of little bitty type. It's the back covers that drive me nuts.
Ditto what Ganthor said. You should practice doing back covers if you want a challenge. Copy can be tricky, especially when provided by people who aren't thinking about what the finished product will look like -- there's either not enough or too much text. Couple that with a bunch of photos, and it's some serious work. It feels like some of the least creative work you will ever do in design, but it actually takes a lot of finesse to make it look good. Other design projects you might want to try: newsletters catalog page (or two-page spread) magazine page (or two-page spread) two-fold brochure business card book cover flat (back, spine, and front) etc.
Wows!
Things are really happening here now .. :-)
Ganthor:
Oh yes, how it prints is really important.
Well, I did measure up a real cover to get a template and the original is made in 300 dpi. I do all of my pieces in 300 dpi and print them out on a fairly good printer - HP Deskjet 1220c - to show clients a hard copy rather than a screen image. I've also got a contact with a guy who runs a commercials business with it's own printshop, so when he's in a good mood I can do a "real thing" test print of my stuff.
aprilgem:
I perfectly understand your (and Ganthor's) point there about doing the whole thing, back cover, spine and all. I did a book cover ones for a book on food from our region which was approved and went to print.
Had I known then what was coming - with the "skills" I had then - I doubt I would have taken it on, but on the other hand I sure learned a lot in the process.
About other projects.
What you suggest is exactly the kind of practice work I've lined up for me to get into and I'm perfectly aware that Design isn't just making fancy covers, posters, ads etc etc.
There's a whole lot of meat-and-potatoes work to be done and I'm perfectly comfortable with it.
Since you people sure seem to know the business I take it I'm at least somewhat on track and I'm very greatful for every opinion and pointer I can get.
Thank you all very much for taking your time.
-- Jiger --
Something else to consider, and it's an exercise I'll still do from time to time myself, is a whole campaign. Create a fake company (Continental Lint, for example) and create a business card, a letterhead, an envelope a full page print ad and, just to make your head explode, a billboard. Doing billboards taught me a lot about print design because you've got to create something that can be easily read and have an impact viewing it for 8 to 10 seconds (or less) while zipping down the highway at 70 mph. It's sort of like doing banner ads for web sites, only larger...and they aren't animated, but it's the same basic concept. Copywriting ain't easy either. If you're lucky, you won't have to do it much. If you're not lucky, practice, practice, practice....
As someone who does DVD covers, I can say it's a good cover. It's a little cliched, nothing terribly original, but you're learning, so that's no surprise. One thing I would suggest is to go to Adobe Studio Exchange and in the actions section there are actions that will create templates for several DVD cover requirements. When designing a DVD cover, don't forget you generally also have to be responsoble for the back cover, the insert and the DVD surface. And those back covers can be a booger to get right, what with mixing text and images and boxes etc. I'd also suggest studying current poster design, especially asian movie posters. Asians are, at the moment, creating the most beautiful and dynamic movie posters in the business, and the posters are generally also the DVD covers.
Talent is God's gift to you. Using it is your gift to God.
Man! This is just awsome. Think I've got more valuable info in these messages than from several weeks at any class. Great body of knowledge in this community for sure.
bonestructure:
I'm very pleased and happy to see you join in the debate here. Just the man for the job and if you think it's a good cover - then I'm fully satisfied with it.
Not very original - no - and my thinking was more to go for mood than "shouting", bearing in mind the kind of productions I've seen from "Frantic Foam Gobowler" (c'mon - can't use the real name without getting sued).
Kind of surprised myself with "pulling it off" with two stock images (one eye and the life buoy) and getting the rest done in Photoshop solely.
Perhaps I should explain what I ment with "finding examples of really bad cases" in a previos message.
I don't know if this is general practice but when a "non Swedish" production hits our domestic market, the artwork with it have to be translated - and here, shit can really hit the fan.
It's a must to put in how many stars/wasps/cows/whatever that this-and-that newspaper have given it, litterarely putting the bloody stars/wasps/cows/whatever in - over the design. Also, at the bottom it's an absolute have-to to make a border in (at best) red and yellow to put some text saying something in Swedish about whatever. But don't be surprised if the border is pink stripes with green dots ore something alike. Also, the distribution company have to put their incredible ugly logo in and then some independent critic must have his/her space to say whatever they feel they need to.
Then, the video rental must put at least two - preferably more - round shaped stickers in pink/yellow/orange etc, saying "new" or "hot" or "49:- a day" or something really enlightning.
So, trying to figure out what the original design actually looks like can be a darn right decryption job.
...there are actions that will create templates for several DVD cover requirements.<
Now how did I miss that..?
Getting right at looking into it at this very moment.
Thank you very much for that pointer. :-D
And, I will certainly look into all your suggestions presented.
Thank you very much! A pure pleasure.
Ganthor:
Create a fake company (Continental Lint, for example) and create...<
Actually, when you mention it, this is a process just taking place, but not for a fake company since I need this for myself. And is that a learning - oh yes sir, it is !
Never thought of a billboard though (you rarely see them around here except when election for government) but I'll put that in my To Do. I see the "problem" with it being viewed for 8-10 sec's in 70 mph. Nothing for text based info using Times 12 with minus-tracking .. ;-)
Sans 2012:
...and a concidered suggestion the outer glow was.
Thing is I had already put an outer glow to it with default settings but thought it worked better when set closer to a solid outline, so basically our thinking was the same.
Well, this subject have generated quite a number of messages now, but I'm still very happy about and interested in further opnions - about good or bad, if it works or sucks and why it does any of that.
This is damn right hard core education.
Ever so thankful for all your opinions:
-- Jiger --
Talent is God's gift to you. Using it is your gift to God.
Attached Link: http://www.istockphoto.com/design_spotlight_details.php?ID=1272
"Effects are not very welcome in graphic design. Are you for real tantarus???" Sans2012, actually, tantarus had a good point there. A lot of old school print graphic designers look down on basic Photoshop effects. Plus, it's available and easy to use, and as a result it becomes overused. It's an easy way out, and the technique is very recognizable, so there's that to consider, too. If it looks too much like all you did was apply a ready-made style, then people aren't as impressed with it. As for stock images, ditto what bonestructure said. I use a lot of stock photos for the book covers I do, especially for photo compositing an original piece. There ARE, however, some places that sell them at reasonable prices. I'm including a link to one of my photo composition pieces at a stock photo place I use often.
... and this just keeps getting better !
Now I can sit back and follow up on you people talking to eachother ! I just love it !! :-D
On stockphotos/-images:
I'm with you there, bonestructure.
The stock images I used for the "Stirring Waters" was the right eye (your left) masked out from a full face, copied-n'-pasted, desaturated, up contrasted with curves and put on overlay blending mood. Then copied, flipped horiz and placed out as a left eye.
The second one is the buoy, isolated and copied from original, scaled down to less than 10% of original and Transform > Distort and -Perspective to "lay it down" on the surface followed by some curves adj and then erasing and shadows painting to "blend" with the waves.
Everything else is pure and genuine Photoshop.
And a very big thank you aprilgem and bonestructure for the stockphoto/-image links !
Yes, aprilgem, I am an iStockphoto account holder and have seen your image there. I've used a couple of images from iStock but non in this piece.
The Morguefile I already knew of, but the other two are new to me, so If you'll excuse me I've got two new stock image sites to scout.
A million thanks to you both !
-- Jiger --
To trust my "instincs" (= the possible positive talents I might have) and improve as well as I can, that my DVD cover (front side, anyways) would have stood a good chance of approval, I need to look into layout for printed matter (have a look at InDesign, for instance) and in the process study more Typography (never wrong since it's not a fixed science), concider how to go about creating Graphic Profiles for companies, keep kontemplating around Perceptive Psycology, break down different kinds of desigs I see all around me everywhere and figure out how they were done and why - AND - when strong minds meet there's likely to be some kind of conflict .. :-D !!
But, most and best of all - I'm not completely off in what I'm doing.
That's the largest benefit from this discussion.
Does this mean the matter is concluded ?
-- Jiger --
Well, in the late 90's I did a "crash-course" (read: looser-corse) in DTP and there we used PageMaker, but I haven't used it since. Also, I must admit to having tried out.. well, you know .. ahhmmm (lowering voice to whisper).. Publisher.. but I've never used Quirk - sorry, Quark.
Not surprising that Abode wins ground with the CS package and the general buzz has it that InDesign is coming strong on the Swedish design and layout market. Most of the education given is also based on using the CS pack. We are a bit soft for package solutions here .. /LOL/
The commercials/printshop guy I mentioned is currently making heavy use of Corel Draw, mostly because the in-house layout guy is trained in it, but they're also glancing with certain desire at the CS package, so just about any day now ...
Thanks for letting me know, aprilgem !
-- Jiger --
InDesign is a good choice. Oddly enough, I've been using Illustrator for a lot of design work. I have no idea why because it's a program I really used to hate. Now I just sort of hate it. From what I've been able to gather from the people I've been working with (and other freelancers)in the United States (where I'm located as it seems that this is an international conversation), Quark is falling by the wayside in favor of InDesign. More and more people are requesting non-Quark files these days when working over the lines. Insofar as I'm concerned, it can go away as I was never too fond of it. However, to make any sort of a living as a freelancer, give them (the client) what they want. Make them happy and they will pay you, and I guess that is what it's all about. PS: Bakkti Am I understanding this correctly? You're located in Sweden? That's pretty neat. Beautiful country, from what I understand.
Hmmm... another case where hate oddly turns ut positive.. ;-)
I've seen Illustrator only as a vector app but of course, as such you can make textholders, textplates, import bitmaps and yadda yadda yadda - just like Corel Draw.
But, I think I'll go for InDesign since it's turning out kind a "standard" around my turf.
Haven't given it that much thought yet, but it seems like high time to.
Sofar I've "only" been concerned with learning to handle Photoshop at the level I want and it's getting there to my utmost satisfaction.
But - I DO have a number of issues with CS2 !!
Very surprisingly is seems Adobe have managed to release a "sluggish" and buggy beast that can crash just about any computer with ease. Like - I've got this 2.2MHz P4 and 1.5 Gb of DDRam on a 400MHz ISB motherboard. With PS 7.1 I can open a 200Mb image, hold down spacebar, put the pen to the Wacom and push the image around the screen no problems. Smallest flick of the pen tip gets an emediate response. Try doing that with CS2 and you'll practice Ctr-Alt-Del A LOT ! And what with this Bridge-thing ?? Is it a Coffie Breake Generator .. ?
K' - enough of this.
And yes Ganthor - I am located in Sweden.
... for better and for worse.
There are some very good things about Sweden that I would miss if being somewhere else, but in regards to this line of work it's a pond where making waves is not seen as a good thing. A small country with too many "little minds" and scarse of space for possibilities.
But hey - now we're into politics here ...
-- Jiger --
Well, I could think of worse places to be located, like, say, New Jersey. This is a joke, friends! I'm sure New Jersey has it's better places. Like any state or country, there's good and bad in each. But, I understand what you're saying. I think people by in large are resistant and resentful of people who are creative by their very nature. Anyway... I'm running CS on a PC and have had very few problems with lock-ups or crashes. Every once in a while I'll get them, but I'm not working with monster images, probably 18 or 20 meg at best. Maybe I'm just lucky. Or maybe I'm due for one really big one. I've looked at CS2, but quite frankly, I don't see all that much different that makes me want to make the investment. Maybe there's more to it that what I've seen, but the changes just aren't anything I need right now. Maybe I'll change my mind later, sort of like Illustrator!
I think people by in large are resistant and resentful of people who are creative by their very nature.<
I'm with you, Ganthor.
Now I won't go in depth on the circumstances around my present situation being unemployed (was a baker and paistry chef). Let's just say that Swedish Rules Apply, but it means I have to deal a lot with officials at the Employment Office.
Talking to them about my ambitions renders a response like: "...and what planet did you say you come from..?" and a very good dose of - yes - resistance and resent.
But hey - fu** 'em. It's their shortcoming not knowing diddley about this workarea - not mine.
But now my dear and newly found friends I think it's time to close this thread - after 32 messages and now drifting slightly off topic.
I'll start a new one with another design I'd like to have all and any opinion(-s) about so we can keep this conversation going.
Also, I have to prepare for a new speach since I'm having a meeting with the bloody aliens at the Employment Office tomorrow...
Well met again at the new thread and a very big thank you all from my heart for taking your time to give me all the comments and pointers!
-- Jiger --
No matter what you do with the text it has to be clearly defined. Remember the primary reason for your art is to sell the PRODUCT, be it a book DVD, video game, etc. It's good to add a 1/4 " on all sides for trim. Careful about your text location, keep it 1/2" to 3/4" from the edges. Back Book covers need about 2 1/2" up from the lower edges to allow for logo and bar code. These specs are general, printers may require different specs. A question, if the bouy is important enough to be a special color, and in the center of your composition, why aren't the eyes looking at it?
Millimeters
1/4" = 6.350
1/2" = 12.700
3/4" = 19.050
2 1/4" = 57.150
Since you have Photoshop there are a many, many, ways to alter the eyes reference.
Duplicate the eyes layer
select just the eyeball, iris etc
Select >inverse
Delete the background
go to Select>Deselect
go to Edit>transform>Flip Vertical,
(the eyes will be looking down)
Erase any white areas in the eye that shows outside the eye area
merge the two layers
With Photoshop there are a dozen ways to do everything, this is one way
Message edited on: 10/02/2005 08:02
Privacy Notice
This site uses cookies to deliver the best experience. Our own cookies make user accounts and other features possible. Third-party cookies are used to display relevant ads and to analyze how Renderosity is used. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understood our Terms of Service, including our Cookie Policy and our Privacy Policy.
Hi!Hope I'm not doing anything wrong by posting this here, but I haven't found any other space specifically intended for critique.
So, I took the statement of intent for this forum as a guide for what goes and what doesn't.
Now, I'm currently doing a "self-inflicted" education - kind of - in using Photoshop for (among other things) design and thus comes up with stuff I would like an opinion about every now and then.
Hope it's ok to ask for that here.
Some of you may have seen the Lumina poster where I asked for advice on typography:
http://www.renderosity.com/messages.ez?ForumID=12366&Form.ShowMessage=2414623
K' then - here's an attempt to make a DVD-Jacket and a larger version than the thumbnail on top of this message is found here:
http://www.jiger.org/DVD-Jacket.jpg
So, what do you think ?
-- Jiger --