Critique this sig in progress.

[ShunNakamura]

Well out of curiosity, How about I request some critique on one I have been playing with?



I need to smooth the edges(though they actually don't look that bad on the forum skin I am using), though the exact reason the .gif is so much rougher then what it was in the original format is beyond me; however, that was on my to do list anyways[since the original is a bit rough, though no where near as bad as this looks on lighter backgrounds).

A few other discrepancies also seem to have appeared, but nothing overly major.

After looking at it for a bit, I decided to move the text over to see how it would look, giving me this. Off course that may make it too 'full'. Hmm..



Not sure which I like more. However, from comments I have had elsewhere as well as my own feeling I am leaning towards the original position.

Also was thinking that the middle is too empty. I think I may use a T4C sprite or somesuch somwhere in the middle. Just not sure what/who/how yet. Though that may make the sig too 'full'.


Ah well, I stil think it is at least somewhat better then my two previous attempts. *glances at current sig*.

[Owen Macwere]

well, they are both of not much work. sorry to say that but I kind of can see what you have gone through to make them. see here, the renders you used are not blended well and are too small.
the text is not bad either, but you could have made it smaller that would have looked better.
I like the background it is so nice and well done but the sig needs a border as well, and I have just noticed that the tiger's tail is out of the canvas.
and the corners one is rounded and the other three are sharp.
it is not a bad sig, but it needs work on it

[ShunNakamura]

How much smaller text wise? Just wondering. I want to make sure it stands out more then the 'Hunnuli' by the man. The game is The Fourth Coming and the 'Hunnuli' is my handle on the game.

As for small on the images.... I don't want them to 'overdominate' the sig, though I can see where you are coming from(I have myself played with the size, but can't find a compromise yet, so I left it as I originally had it).

As for outside the canvas. That was on purpose, I love the use of transparancies(maybe too much). This time I tried to make it a bit more subtle. Normally it is in your face, and I thought that seemed tacky so I toned it down.

Now for the corners. Hmm.. I see what you mean. However, I want the one corner(that is currently rounded) to be distinct(this is where I plan for the viewers eye to start at, and then to work around). I cause smoothing the corners would cause a better meshing while still leaving the one corner distinct, yes?

Another idea I was thinking(caused by my love of Transparancy, though I think this will be too much) is to cut out the bit of the background that is currently recessed. Then I might move The man up just a bit(so he ain't sticking out too far), the text(Hunnuli) would move up with him so it is still at his eye level. That would of course depend upon whether or not he was sticking too far out, imo.

As for the background, that is what really took a while, the cutting of it's one corner and the placement of images/text is something I have only been rough planning thus far. So they haven't been worked on at all compared to the background. The blending of the images being one of the points where I was currently stuck on.

[anacacia]

I dunno. The colors Kinda hurt my eyes, but thats all I have to say. Yeah, it does seem that you need to make the sig smaller, or add something in the middle...

[Owen Macwere]

man,^^ That was too much to read.
ok, I see that you were planning all the things you have done to the sig, so it seems. but you have seen that first I looked at it I saw the things you made on porpuse as wrong things. and well it still need a border.
and I think that it still needs alot of work, I am not the best sig maker here. but I started to learn so I can see the sigs plainer now. and I can say that this sig needs work on it before it is used ^^.
forgive me, but you wanted feedback and here you get it.

[ShunNakamura]

man,^^ That was too much to read.

I take it you don't read many of my forum posts?

I am always extremely wordy.

ok, I see that you were planning all the things you have done to the sig, so it seems. but you have seen that first I looked at it I saw the things you made on porpuse as wrong things.

I may be new to sig and digital imagry, however, I do understand how to write and how to make posters and the deal without computers. Much the same though process I figured.

and well it still need a border.

What type of border would you recomend(consider the current feel of the sig offcourse, a border shouldn't clash[unless there is a good reason for it]. That much I do know)? And how would I go about it. As I said new, and I am unsure on borders. I believe none of my work has ever had a border set. So you get the picture :P.

and I think that it still needs alot of work, I am not the best sig maker here. but I started to learn so I can see the sigs plainer now. and I can say that this sig needs work on it before it is used ^^.

And I much aggree with the work needed(though I can't do it now, have to go shopping).

forgive me, but you wanted feedback and here you get it.

No forgiveness needed. You indeed did point out many things that needed fixing. True I did have some inclinations towards it, but I was unsure. You have fixed it in so that I will tend to it a bit more to fix it up.

Actually, may I ask how you would go about blending(I saw that you are quite good at that by the example in the contest thingy)? As I said I am stuck there and I got no clue how to do better with the blending.

Hmm.. whatever, just to be show offy I will post up some of the things I have done my self in the past(where I make the backgrounds, text, etc, and just take an image and merge it in). And by past I mean the last few weeks. Most of the time I edit already made backgrounds and text, for these I did the backgrounds and the ilk from scratch.



This was one of my first done(or close to it). As you can see I shrunk it down to make my avatar. Once again is evidenced my love of trasnparancy, though I think I got away with it here.


This was my second(or maybe first I don't remember which one came first). Eruruu is a sweet and kind girl. In addition her name is supposed to stand for a flower. Thus the theme and color set was at least somewhat set.


This was my third and most recent(except the one the post is about) attempt at building from scratch. I set the background to be more 'childish' or so I hope, because Aruruu is a child. In addition at least the anime says Aruruu, much like, her sister is named after a flower. So that was the theme. I used blue'ish colors cause I think they fit her.
Here though I fear the transparency may have HURT me. and why I am trying to be more subtle with it.


Changed the text size up a bit. Made it less generic(the text that is). Tried to do some blending, but I just used the installed software... so likely not all that great. I still can't find an image I want to place in the middle.

Anyways I thought those were too generic(I am sure you can see the formula I followed). In addition I did nothing fancy and followed a very basic path set. So feel free to rip on them(though bear in mind anything other then the avatar won't be worked on from hence on out. The size and everything was wrong for them to be banners).


I think this one I am working on has far better potential. I just gotta manage not to smear it. Anyways if no one posts before now and when I touch it up I will edit in the touch up. hopefully not long after I get back from shopping. But at least I think I have gotten better(at least at the backgrounds).

[Sylvie]

For a border, you should can use just a plain and simple black line. Usually looks nice on things. I think you're getting better at sig making, just practice, practice, practice. You'll get good.

[ShunNakamura]

Something like this?



A quick job, I will do a better one when I get more time, however, figure I may as well see if I understood right.

Ah man!... I why didn't it save it with my transparancy? Grr... must have been playing with something and forgot to set it back last night.

[Owen Macwere]

what with the white thing that appeared all of a sudden??!!
nah, you are so good at backgrounds, I like your ideas for them.
and about the other sigs they are so good, I like the avator it is awesome, but one of the pink sig corners is so sticky work with it more. the blue sig is good, but needs a border I'd sugesst a black 1 pxl border it works well.
well, if this is your first work then it is so good, you wont believe how stupid my first were 0_o.
and about blending it is not hard, just tell me do you use photoshop if so I can tell you how to blend ^_~. and well if you use borders your work would be alot easier, try to find some borders buddy.

[ShunNakamura]

That white thing is because I was in a hurry this morning and when I saved it to a give to upload I forget to double check to make sure transparancy was on. No big deal I got the original with all the layers still on my hd. I don't dump those.




And the dratted edges are rough again(on a white background anyways). How do I fix that, or do I need to use a png rather then gif or somesuch?

As for what I use I tend to use Corel Paint Shop Pro X for the backgrounds, and I kinda switch between Fireworks and Adobe PhotoShop CS2. As long as I save it with something that has layers that all of them can read I am fine.

Anyways just fixing the transparancy is all I am likely to do tonight/this weekend. Major DogShow I get to work. And today(5am-7:30PM, roughly) out in the sun just about polished me off.

[Sylvie]

The edges are a little ridged, check that you don't have the magic wand (if you're using that) on a setting too high or low. It would be pretty good if you fixed that.

[ShunNakamura]

Does this look any better?



I did a bit more with trying to get the border in, plus I changed the text(thanks to voodoochild for the font :P).

I think the edges still need work, and I will try to play with it some more.

Also I made the images a bit more visible, dunno if that makes it better or worse.

And I am still loking for something to dump in the middle.

As a note I saved it as a .png this time, because the dratted .gif's just keep messing with me... the edges on the .gif are horrible, and the colors don't look as good. Don't know what I am doing wrong with it, but heh, .png will do for now.

EDIT- As a note, can I hardcode links into images(such as the T4C text) and have it perhaps recolor that text(or even just add a different color border) as well? I am wondering because many boards don't allow html code in thier sigs.

[Owen Macwere]

the whole sig had definitly became better. the text is so cool yes I took voodoochild advice and downlouded it too^^.
well the border is too crazy if you make it lighter it would look alot better. and well PNg don't save transperancy that's why the white line came back.
as for how to make the edge smoother, you can merge the whole lyers to one that makes them smother. layer>merge visible(or visible merege) don't remember.
as for the middle I don't think you need to put anything there, it is good as it is or the sig would be so messy.
I wish that helpped... work harder ^_~

[ShunNakamura]

Border too strong. Gotcha :P

Merge layers before saving as a .gif. Will give that a try, .png's are too big for many forums so I can't use it in the final anyways.

If I ever find a T4C sprite I will give it a go in the middle just to see how it looks. If it makes it messy(which I have had some fear that it would) then it won't stay, but I may as well try should I get an image I want.

[Owen Macwere]

glad my advices are worthy. I am really happy I could be of anyhelp ^^.

and a suggestion why don't you look around at some people's work here there are queit a good sig makers you can learn alot, I did that. I can give you names well, Zeldy, Rye, Genji, Voodoochild, Spiffing Cheese and ~sapphirstar~. they are all so cool.