All constructive criticism welcome. I think I have a problem with the "and". I really like it, and I tried rotating it but haven't been able to get it to fit right.
Posted by Dale Kerr (Member # 4661) on :
Overall I like it, but something is not doing it for me, What if you centred and arched the word land, then put "and" below, and centred and arched Livestock below that. just so it flows with the panel more.??? Dale
Posted by Dale Kerr (Member # 4661) on :
Kelly, Never mind, yours works much better. I treid my idea and it is not suitable. Dale
Posted by George Perkins (Member # 156) on :
Do a squint test. You'll see the "and" is a little to light weight in value making the copy look heavy to the left side of the sign. Also,the L A combination is always a problem as far as letter spacing goes. The taller L is really emphasising this. Livestock also has some spacing problems but I think they could be fixed by opening up the spacing in some areas.
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
Thanks guys,
Does this resolve some of those issues? I have tweaked a few of the letters to fill in the voids in the spacing, do they look okay like that or too manipulated? I also adjusted the scrollwork around the and so it was a little heavier on the bottom, trying to ground it, so to speak. Oooops - I guess the scrollwork adjustments aren't on this copy.
Posted by jake snow (Member # 5889) on :
Kelly, Is the lettering going to be gold leaf?
Posted by Suelynn Sedor (Member # 442) on :
That second one is much better Kelly. The L's fit into the other lettering well, and I like how the "Livestock" is now all on one line. Amazing what a small change can do. I say get painting!!
Suelynn
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
Well, that depends on what he is willing to pay, Jake.... I'm wondering if that much gold might be too much though. I'm thinking about perhaps gold on the Diamond "C" to give it a little more punch. It seems a little overpowered. Maybe the small squares as well?
Edited to add - this will be a sandblasted sign and I will probably carve the scrollwork from HDU and add it on. The letters and logo may be attachments as well - I haven't really got to working that out in my mind yet.
[ November 29, 2005, 04:11 PM: Message edited by: Kelly Thorson ]
Posted by Bobbie Rochow (Member # 3341) on :
Oh my kelly, that is going to be one beautiful sign!!!!!
Make sure you post pics when it is done!!!
Posted by Jill Marie Welsh (Member # 1912) on :
Kelly, to me, the scrolls are creating an optical illusion that they are higher on the right side? I dislike the casual "C" inside the diamond, and I feel that all of the elements needs to be smaller. One suggestion would be to flip the entire panel, with the diamond C at the bottom, and only have flourishes under "Land and Livestock". Love....Jill
Posted by jake snow (Member # 5889) on :
Kelly, A cheaper way to go (if the customer does'nt want to fork out that much) as far as the gold is a paint made by "Golden". They have a good selection of different shades of gold that really look good. Hold up real well also. Most art supply stores have it.
Good looking sign by the way.
Posted by Felix Marcano (Member # 1833) on :
I like it. How are you gonna do the posts?
Posted by Doug Phillips (Member # 5708) on :
Here's my slightly tweaked version of your layout.
Just a little shifting & shrinking.
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
Thanks Doug, That's one of my consistent bad habits - making things slightly too big and crowding the borders. Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
Only one constructive criticism from me. The installation posts are overpowering the sign itself. Too much bulk and the "fancy fancy" on them contributes to them taking away from the focus.
Doug's edit does a lot of good to your layout.
Kelly, you've oozing with talent and your work just keeps getting better all the time! I don't have to tell you to keep it up. You're doing that quite nicely.
Posted by Lotti Prokott (Member # 2684) on :
Hi Kelly, that's going to be a great looking sign!
If I'd change anything it would be a few small changes like the overall height of the panel and another font for the C. I kind of like the posts the way they are.
Really nice work. Posted by Bob Stephens (Member # 858) on :
The problem is that all the different angles are conflicting with one another. Mike Stevens book covers that very issue specifically. I don't recall what section it was but this is what he refers to.
The sign has great potential. Here's my tweaked take on it. I changed the panels top design so that the diamond shaped logo would relate my symetrically to it instead of fighting with the curved top.
[ November 30, 2005, 03:17 PM: Message edited by: Bob Stephens ]
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
Lovely design Bob. Very You.
Every time someone comes in and points something out, it becomes easy to see. That's what I love about the posting of my design here, I learn so much - hopefully others are learning too. I know I do when they post.
It is important to keep the Western or Country feel to this, where yours is a beautiful design, it strikes me as more commercial than farm. I tried changing the top line of the sign to a peak, but really couldn't get anything I liked. I do understand what you were trying to show me about the conflicting "rhythm" {is that the section I was supposed to read } of the diamond and the curved top. I'm at the point now that I would like to make this as technically tight as possible and still maintain the overall feel of what I started with.
Sometimes I think I jump the gun in showing the client artwork, but at the same time I hate to spend many hours on something, just to find out that isn't what they had in mind. In any case - I'm somewhat tied in with the design now.
I have tried to minimize the conflicting rhythms, I think there is an improvement. I also tried to "ground" the "and". Has it helped? I'm too close to it now to know if I'm still objective, after working on it so much I'm not really seeing it anymore.
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
Kelly, I'm being lazy here & not offering to do it for you, but if you really like that 'and', I feel it tries to lead my eye up & to the right, away from the sign, rather than down to the next line, so see if you can separate 'and' from the ribbons & scrolls, mirror or flip them left, and redo 'and' so it runs right & downhill, rather than right & uphill.
Might work? or else do it an a dark green, outlined maybe in cream, as the Land and the Livestock are the important words, and the nice fancy 'and' should harmonise but not dominate or clash with their message.
Posted by Jill Marie Welsh (Member # 1912) on :
Kelly, I know you didn't ask....but here is something I put together using a CD that came with a SignGold starter kit. I think what you are doing is improving quite a bit...now my only issue (as earlier) is the closeness of the diamond point to the top border. Since I am not making this sign, my version has black smaltz and gold leaf...hahahaa. I think I accidentally "squished" this when I saved it, and my "LAND" is not properly distorted....still learning Corel. Love.....Jill Posted by Russ McMullin (Member # 5617) on :
Kelly, don't you know that stuff like this keeps me up late? Here's the result of my playing:
I made a lot of little tweaks to simplify it so the main copy would pop a little more. I probably "rooned" it.
[ December 02, 2005, 02:44 AM: Message edited by: Russ McMullin ]
Posted by jake snow (Member # 5889) on :
Kelly, Your last edit looks great.
Don't beat a dead horse.
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
Thanks all, I'm happy with the direction this took.
Russ your design skills are solid, but I think the "Diamond C" needs to be more prominent. Ruined it? Heck no.
Thanks Jake, I think I'm going to the table with my last rendition with perhaps a tiny tweak or two.
This one is going to be a pleasure to do.
Posted by Carl Wood (Member # 1223) on :
Kelly - nice work - what is the size/type of posts?
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
Thanks Carl, I think I'll probably do them out of treated 4x4s. I'll route grooves for the gold lines. Or maybe I'll try those new recycled plastic posts, just not sure how they paint up.
Posted by jake snow (Member # 5889) on :
Kelly, If you can get 4x4 cedar posts, you will be alot happier with the "grooves". Not to mention cedar posts always seem to be better looking (noy so many knots, chuncks missing...) If your treated lumber is anything like ours down here, its soaken wet (always) and a pain to route.
Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
Not to mention poisonous. I don't like to stir up anymore treated lumber dust than I have to.
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Suelynn
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