posted
Ok, here's a design that I've put a lot of effort into. I don't often get to go ballistic with full colour effects and complete design control, so I enjoyed doing this. I was quite happy with it, but the longer I look at it though, the less I like it. I have a few ideas on things I could have done to make it a better design, but I would like to hear other opinions on how it could have been better. The problems I see all go back to the basic layout of it, not really the effects. Comments?
Here's a closer detail:
------------------ Bob Darnell London, Ontario, Canada
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Hi Bob. I LIKE IT!!! The whole thing has a very nice "turn-of-the-century" feel to it, much like the older stock certificates and papers "of value" that were produced in that time period. It's even slightly reminescent of the older currency of that era.
For a person celebrating the century mark herself, I feel that it's very "image appropriate", and also quite unique.
------------------ Ken Henry Henry & Henry Signs London, Ontario Canada (519) 439-1881 e-mail kjmlhenry@home.
Some days you get to be the dog....other days, you get to be the fire hydrant.
posted
Great Work......... I see NOTHING wrong.. Shep'
------------------ Arvil Shep' Shepherd Art by Shep Oak Island, NC shep@ec.rr.com http://artbyshep.homestead.com/index.html " As long as they say your name, you will live forever"
posted
I think it looks great! When I grow up I hope I am as good as you! Did you design it in Corel? What type of equipment was the banner printed with? I know you said inkjet. Just curious of the brand/model.
You know me, always asking a million questions! Bet she'll love it!
posted
Awsome work Bob! You are one helluva designer!!!!!!!!
------------------ Dave Grundy AKA "applicator" on mIRC "stickin' sticky stuff to valuable vessels and vehicles!" in Granton, Ontario, Canada 1-519-225-2634 dave.grundy@quadro.net www.quadro.net/~shirley
posted
That's a @#*^%$! beautiful design. You could make every change thats in your head right now and print it again ... then always find more things to change. IMO you stopped at JUST the right point and Yeah, what Amy said.
posted
Thank you very much everyone for the kind words.
Well, it looks like nobody else is going to rip into it, so I'll tell you what I see. Then you can either agree with me, disagree with me, or declare me insane.
I think the most problematic thing about it is that it doesn't DEMAND to be read "Celebrating Tena McLarty's 100th Birthday" - it sort of "hopes" you go back and decipher it that way. A clearer starting point for "Celebrating" would have been better, even though I wanted "100th Birthday" to be the primary copy. Using a different letterstyle for each element didn't help in that regard either, even though I tried to tie things together a few different ways.
I struggled with fitting the "Tena McLarty's" copy in a pleasing manner above "Birthday", but now I see I could have brought it down a little more by lowering the ascender of the "d" and perhaps a hair lower on the "h" ascender as well. That would probably also fix what appears to be a slight difference in the arcs between the two lines of copy. It seems like it could use a little tightening up.
I find the end "y" in birthday a little stringy at the baseline just as it starts the curve. Maybe it's the angle that it enters the curve that is bugging me.
I also think that the ends of the brownish/burgundy panel would compliment the design better if they were tapered in at the bottom to match the angle of the "y" in "Birthday". (I just tried this one out, and I think it does look better)
I made my own ornaments... I think I should study what makes a good ornament a little more.
I originally had the "1" in "100" at the same angle as the double zeros, but then I straightened it out. I think either the bottom serifs should be raised more in line with where the baseline of the zeros are, or the "1" should be skewed back to the same angle of the zeros. Something just doesn't sit right there.
I am pleased with it, and I think a did a lot of things right. But I try to always analyze what is working and what isn't working so I can avoid the same "mistakes" the next time. I always appreciate gaining from other people's experience, so by all means - don't hold back if you've got some good advice. Maybe you're able to see things that I haven't learned to look for yet. Anyway, thanks again for all the compliments.
Amy,
I tried a little different method than I normally would this time, and was pleased with how it worked. Normally I would design it in CorelDraw, declare the design finished, export it into Photoshop or Photopaint and add any bitmap effects.
This time, to avoid a lot of complex masking and also to retain as much ability to edit the design, I exported the individual elements from CorelDraw that I wanted to add bitmap effects to. After I added the effects, I imported them back into CorelDraw and powerclipped them back into the vector version of the element that I had added the effects to. The only drawback to this is that with quite a few full size high-res bitmaps in there, the CorelDraw file weighs in at 675 megabytes, where the final TIFF image sent to be printed was only a mere 192 megabytes.
As for the printing equipment used, I haven't the foggiest idea. I just send it to a place in Toronto that specializes in all that stuff with all the high end equipment and tell 'em what is needed. They can do some really nice stuff. This one was a 3' x 12' image to be printed directly onto banner material. I should see how they did with it in the next few days.
------------------ Bob Darnell London, Ontario, Canada
This is a great piece of work. I mean it, I dont give praise lightly when it comes to design. Unlike some folks I just cant slap an attaboy (or girl) on something I see as a candidate for the next ugly sign contest in SOT magazine.
You sir, wont ever be in that issue.
I will say if I had been standing over your shoulder during this creation, I might have hinted to the fact her name should be a bit more prominent. I mean, the ol'girl has made it to the century mark, and it is her birthday, but I agree the 'headline' is the 100th part.
I swear, I'm tempted to order a print of it from you just to hang on the wall and admire myself!
------------------ Robb Lowe Hub City Graphics Spartanburg, SC
posted
I'm sorry Bob......I'll be the one to declare you insane. There on the screen is one of the greatest designs I have ever seen, and yet you have a whole list of improvements you think you should make. So what happens when you make the changes? Another list???
------------------ Mike"Spud"Kelly theSignWorx Ashburnham, MA 978.827.4439
"Your reputation is made by others; your character is made by you."
Posts: 367 | From: Westminster, MA | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Yes Bob I agree with "all" the things that you said about it, it just does'nt work now does it. You should really go flip burgers or something and give up on design because you obviously don't have a sweet clue about color or design, even layout for that matter... and another thing that bothers me, on your photo that accompanies the posts, is that a pony tail or a shadow behind you head? Neil
------------------ "Keep Positive"
SIGNS1st. Neil Butler Paradise, NF
Posts: 6277 | From: St. John's NF Canada | Registered: Mar 1999
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------------------ Pat Neve, Jr. Sign Man, Inc. 4580 N. US 1 Melbourne, FL 32935 321-259-1703 signman@signmaninc.com Capt. Sign Letterville Constituent constituent: "One of the individual entities contributing to a whole"
Posts: 2279 | From: Melbourne, FL, USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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posted
Wow..and I mean wow, really great layout there, but then again, you expect it now when I see your name in the vicinity....great job...a few Mike Jackson bits and bobs? here and there, really nicely put together. Congratulations
------------------ Henry Barker #1924 akaKaftan SignCraft AB Stockholm, Sweden. A little bit of England in a corner of Stockholm www.signcraft.se info@signcraft.se
Posts: 1552 | From: Stockholm, Sweden | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Ok, I'll shut up now. Just trying to learn some more.
Neil, it was a pony tail. I did have hair down to belly button level at one point, but it's all gone now. I'm almost respectable looking now. And I'm not that red-faced as in the photo.
Henry, I drew maybe two dozen little squiggles and things a little while ago and scanned 'em. Then I've been fooling around with placement and rotating/sizing/stretching all the little pieces. It is not an easy thing to do! I've been planning on getting some of Mike Jackson's and David Butler's cds, but I'm in a little bit of a weird position because I don't have my own business. If I make my employer buy 'em, then if/when I leave, I have no ornaments again. I think I'll just get them myself at some point. I was definately going for the look those guys are so famous for, but what I came up with isn't nearly as professional. I've drooled over their work for years.
------------------ Bob Darnell London, Ontario, Canada
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Well....I would say even more credit to you then, you've captured "that" style and by all your own work....that's great. I think the day you take that step out on your own you will fly. I started this back in 92 with very limited experience in a foreign country...and I make a living...with the stuff I have seen of yours in sign mags and here...you have loads of talent, so I am sure you will be a great success ... good luck to you when you do cut loose.
------------------ Henry Barker #1924 akaKaftan SignCraft AB Stockholm, Sweden. A little bit of England in a corner of Stockholm www.signcraft.se info@signcraft.se
Posts: 1552 | From: Stockholm, Sweden | Registered: Nov 1998
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