Signature Critique

[Trixie]

So, I wasn't quite sure where to put this. I'd considered ConCrit, since I'm looking for constructive criticism, but I figured general discussion would be the best place, all things considered!

I've been trying my hand at making actual signatures and the like. My previous one was just one I had edited off someone else, and though I don't own the elements of the one presently at the bottom of my every post, the composition is entirely mine!

I'd very much like to know what people think, since this is my first shot at it.



EDIT!

Switched signatures. Leaving the original signature here for the sake of this post making sense.

 

[Mitsu]

The biggest issue with this signature is how you handled the transparencies. On the left, the pony is cut off on the left and bottom. On the right the swirl is cut off on the bottom. When this happens, it allows the viewer to see the dimensions of the signature, which creates a border on a signature that is supposed to have elements free from a border. The only way around this is to make sure that not a single pixel (that isn't a straight edge anyway) is touching the border of the canvas as you work. Observe the following:

See more

In some cases, you can use the border inside of the signature to cut off a section of a picture. Observe the following:

See more

The second issue is the plain typography. As a beginner I cannot expect you to do anything exceptionally fancy, but it would benefit you to look into different techniques and theory when dealing with text. Searching Google for typography tutorials will not only teach you, but also give you ideas that you can incorporate into your own work.

The advice I gave you on typography can help in in all aspects of graphic design. Look up tutorials appropriate to your graphics editing program, and do them. Learn the techniques, and then experiment with them to add them into your own works. It's the quickest way to learn and produce the best results (that I know of).

Lastly, what program are you using? When you show your work or ask for a critique, it is usually a good idea to allow the viewers to know what program you are working in. It can allow more concise responses in some cases.

 

[Trixie]

Right, I was going for something similar to the second ones! I was hesitant to make it so large, so I let Trixie get cut off. >_>

Thanks for the critique! I'm going to look into some tutorials -- as for what program I'm using, I'm using GIMP.

 

[Scathach]

GIMP is an awesome program, I my self use it to but I have found this other program called Artweaver Free or something like that, it allows me to do everything like GIMP and then some, I use both programs in unison to try and get the look I'm looking for in any projects I am doing.

And the tips that Mitsu had there are very handy, Thank you Mitsu!! ^_^

 

[Trixie]

I personally use GIMP and Photoshop in unison! I use GIMP mostly because its basic suite of tools is just as strong, and for the most part, I don't usually need the stronger tools in Photoshop. I'm working on a second banner and I'll upload it soon. :3

 

[Trixie]

Round 2!

Hope this looks better.

 

[Mitsu]

This one is better for a few reasons, some of which I had decided not to go over last time. First off, the composition is better. The pony and the wand/magic aren't as disjointed, because the magic creates the illusion of being the tail. There's a better flow to the piece. The next thing I notice is that you were wiser in your choice of border. In the last version, the white border was distracting, but the blue border isn't.

Next I'm noticing that the same magic and pony that work well together, also clash. The style of artwork that the pony is in is different than the wand and magic effect. They should look as though they are one, whole cohesive image. When you have images from different sources/styles/mediums it "can" be difficult to create a cohesive look. It makes it look as though you just slapped some images on there without much consideration outside of positioning.

Maybe it's my screen, but your text looks a little blurry. I don't know what the reason for that might be (it could be so many things), so that's something you'll have to look into (if it is in fact blurry). The gradient you've added to the text and the sparkles make it more interesting than what you've had before. However, it's still kind of clumsy and bland. Adding text to signatures is something I struggle with myself, so I'm not entirely sure on how to help you out there. The best I can offer is to first experiment with the placement of the words, to create a pattern that will allow the eye to flow, or get real creative and find some different way of displaying your text. Again, various tuts out there will help you out with this.

Generally, if I'm making a signature that is very focused on an image, I add very little text, and I position it as close to my focal point as possible. My current signature is an example of what I'm talking about. The eye is easily drawn to text, so you don't want it to clash too strongly with your focal point. Decide if you want the text or the images to be the focal point, and then build around that.

I also use GIMP, although I would much rather use Photoshop. For various reasons, I cannot use Photoshop right now. You'll find signature tuts for GIMP lacking in comparison to tuts for Photoshop (I have in my experience anyway). If you know both programs well enough, then you can just use either kind of tut, and figure out the differences.

The one website I will direct you towards is Abduzeedo. It's a general graphic design website, but it can give you a great deal of insight into how graphic design works (a great deal of the stuff on Abduzeedo is professional level). The various tuts provide great techniques, and looking at their various galleries and articles will allow you to acquire new ideas. I contribute a solid 80% of my growth in dabbling with graphics from this website.