I have had 5 months away from Photoshop, and well now I'm back. Please excuse my lack of skill, though: thoughts?
I kinda have to differ. :/ While I don't want to sound brutal, this may sound like it. So, apologies in advance. The first thing that I noticed is the lack of blending. The stock is just...there. Having a Background, The stock, and then a Foreground, without blending, doesn't work. You lack in regards to blending, always, it's not just this tag. I will suggest using gradient maps. Adjustments>Gradient Maps. Or just look below in the layers window there should be a little circle there, which is more convenient. You need to use these maps on low opacity, and often times set to lighten or Screen, Soft Light. But really, put them any way you think it looks good. Get some textures, and use them to kinda glue the tag together. The blending of coloration from the gradient maps + a texture layer set on low opacity may give it a better blended look. Unfortunately, I'm not done. The other thing I noticed is how bad the background looks. Looks like you used a photoshop filter. Few people use them, and those that do try and be subtle with it, since they sometimes yield bad results. The choice of color feels off. The text color doesn't blend with the Background color, and the Foreground color has that blotch of blue that fails to assemble the thing together. The violet is color is far too strong, the blue is too deep. Your colors should try to be part of the composition, not draw away from it. For this particular tag, I'd have gone with lighter, pastel colors. You could go with darker ones, but still mixed with lighter ones. The main color scheme should center around blue, and it's shades. And a lighter blue, royal blue, or baby blue. The marine blue there doesn't cut it. This tag lacks depth and lighting. Why? because there's no light source coming from above like the stock dictates because of the highlights and shadows in Snow's body. Try going to Render>Lighting effects. Use 2 o'clock spotlight and place it above him, lower the opacity a bit, and there's your basic light. For depth, I'd suggest something, but there's not enough going on in the tag for it. Just remember to sharpen your stock a bit, blur parts you'd think would be farther, and so forth. The text. The text is horrible. Most GFX's try to avoid this kind of text, because it doesn't work. The placement is simple, but could be better. I'd suggest not using fonts like these yet. Try simpler ones. Also, another note in regards to Adjustments. When you're done with doing the overall, the adjustments will really help the making of a tag. Make use of them. I don't mean to sound evil by saying this, but I've told you of this. Time away is no excuse, either. I took a hiatus, but returned better than ever, sure we're all different, but you're just stuck. Stuck in the same tag making routine from years ago. Look for tutorials, they're free and some are really easy, and give you ideas. I'll tell you this again, and I'll tell you each time I CnC a tag from you like this, you need to expand and get out of your rut.
Chev, remember when I got you into GFX??? Yep, this is the part when you shut up. Sure, you've grown from the style I've taught you, but that is no reason to completely shoot down my lack of skill, style of gfx, whatever u wanna call it. Personally, I see it as the best work Ive done in a while, not trying to brag or anything. But you have to accept thy people have different styles. What you're telling me to do will make the tag look like the one in my sig, which I don't like anymore. I guess what Im trying to say here is that I'm not stuck, Im just going in another direction, which works for me. Though I do believe some things you said about adjustments and colour and lighting and foreground, and I will take your cnc into consideration, even though it never seems so. The other thing, time may not be an issue for you, but when I got back on the computer I forgot half of the things I could do. I made a tag before which looked disgusting, but whatever, apparently time is no excuse. /rant. Do me a favour, Chev. Go to other forums, look at the other styles people have and don't be so biased on this one. I suggest here: www.finalfantasyforums.net (no advertising intended, I'm trying to prove a point. Find the graphics section, look at the threads, and then tell me that the KHV style is one of very few right ones. Not trying to sound mean here, but judgin by your post Id say you've been doing the same thing for years. Smudging, Blending, overly bright lighting. But I don't brutally cnc, because I like to help, not shoot down.
Well I didn't save the PSD of snow, but taking in Chev's advice, i made a new (hopefully better) one: V2: just looks a little bit less washed out
*Just so we're all on the same page, I'm addressing Chevalier but this is really for Amethyst as to help give a better and more clear idea on how to improve. Aight, so, I agree with most of what you've said however there's a monumental difference between giving advice and giving blueprints to sculpt it to your own image. I'm not trying to be at all confrontational with you, but let's be honest: your opinion is very forceful and overbearing plus you emphasize yourself somewhat pretentiously. The stuff I left in your quote is what I disagree with to at least some degree. There is a bit of blending, though not particularly emphasized, so I wouldn't say it's not blended at all however the real reason I'm addressing that is because it's misleading advice. I mean, yes blending often comes from having foreground elements but color blending is equally important to background -> focal -> foreground blending. There's a moderate amount of color coordination, nothing really to clap about though, so I'd focus more on that rather than simply covering the render which is what you're recommending. Yes, it's important, but something can have no foreground elements at all and still be perfectly blended though it'd be rather tough. Really the worst part is not that there isn't enough blending with layering but rather the color of the skin which is very warm compared to the very cold colors of everything else. The vibrancy of that should be lowered a bit and some soft brushing on color dodge might be able to help that out along with a few photofilters. Perhaps some burning set to 'shadows' would help, too. The textures comment just... yeahhhh. Signatures don't need textures to blend. That's actually like, I'm not really sure why you said that but aight to each their own. I don't think textures would look appropriate here at all. As for the background, I agree with the last sentence but everything else is like waitwat. The filters have immense potential it's just that it takes a lot of practice, experimenting, and knowledge on how things come together to make them work so I agree Amethyst should stay away from them for the time being, but to say that they should be avoided or only subtle is also misleading. I think the white text could blend very easily, actually. It should be behind the render to draw less attention if it's going to be such a bright color, but the white with tints of blue could be pulled off though I don't know how much it would really contribute to the tag rather than just taking up space but looking alright. The violet is a little out of place since there's no violet at all on Snow (not really blue either but it looks more natural) but the blues are definitely okay. I think the light blue in the foreground helps a lot but it needs to be executed a fair bit better but that's something that takes practice and Amethyst is just returning now. Out of everything, this is the one thing I actually wtf'd on. Pastel colors...? Perhaps for some retro white background super bright super linear dodged cliché style but... wut. Pastel colors with this would look horrendous. The shades of blue look fine. I'm just, uhh, yeah. Moving onnnn. The lighting is fine. It is consistent. You don't need a light source to know that there's a light there. To explain, look at this link here. The lighting is consistent and proper although there is no noticeable 'light source'. The light is clearly coming from above the water but if the girl was removed you would not be able to tell because there isn't a blunt light. Yet, even still, this photograph is of very natural light. Using a light filter might help draw attention to the focal, but it doesn't actually change shadows or highlights and it really isn't necessary. It's more dramatic than aesthetic. The text isn't ideal or really helping add to the tag, but the font isn't too bad. It's a very neutral font. It's not necessarily good nor is it particularly bad. The placement is way off, though. Text, being something that we automatically unconsciously read, will always draw attention and so it should be in the focal area which it definitely isn't. So, Amethyst, do keep in mind when using text that it needs to contribute to the tag and not simply label it but that by human nature it will attract attention. This works to your advantage because wherever you want people to look, particularly at Snow, is where you can put text to draw attention. Makes sure it isn't competing for attention, though. As for the new tag... eh XD; The border really doesn't add to the tag and the butterfly brush smudging is really odd and unfitting. The coloring is okay though a bit cliché but it is very consistent with your stock/render/whatever. The blurring seems like it was done at random though with Vanille's body and it's really distracting and odd. The lighting is also consistent. The first tag with Snow is better, though. Always remember: Freely performed hobbies should be done as fun for the hobbyist as they are amateur and not professional and so you should embrace it to your own desire and image. Don't construct your tags so that others will praise you. Eventually, if you practice it, you will become good enough that even if they never liked your direction/style, they will come to appreciate its talent and thus its own visually appealing nature.
This is just trying to go on a personal level, so I refuse to respond to this, as it is just a spite filled comment. My CnC isn't out of line, and of course you interpret it as blowing you off. That's definitely not my intention. http://www.kh-vids.net/showthread.php?103669-The-Essentials-of-CnC-(Read-before-posting) Here's the CnC guide, it's really helpful, not only showing how to give Critique, but to also understand when good critique is given and what not. The people who give critique aren't perfect, but they still give critique and sometimes the criticism you receive won't be beautiful. Keep this in mind and don't be so uptight about it. If you do have a problem with the poster, then try and resolve it outside of the thread. If you don't think you can take CnC when it comes, then just show it to a small group of people, but regardless, asking for CnC is for ways to improve. No one can really feel 100% comfortable with all the CnC given, but you have to put up with the bad and then take the good. I would have been happier, if you weren't so defensive about my CnC. If I didn't care about your improvement, I wouldn't have taken the time to post a long CnC. As a fellow person, who did encourage me to enter GFX, I expected more. Regardless, I'm sorry if my CnC came of as "My way is the only way. My way is better" That was obviously not my intention. This has nothing to do with Style. While I did give insights on what works for me, it's just Critique and Criticism, and it's not definite I can't say what works for you, but I can try and tell you about the Photoshop tools, like Adjustments(which I did) Tags have some basic composition, that almost every tag has. This isn't about shaping your style to look like mine, but rather have an insight on how others work, and discovering what works for you, and what doesn't. This long post is you just disagreeing with me. Which is fine, however, you can't mean to correct me and then do the exact same thing I did. Two wrongs don't make a right. I can see how you'd think my CnC is overbearing and pretentious, but I can only talk about what works for me. If it seemed like I was imposing my style, then as I said; totally not my intention. The post has some useful CnC, very useful, however some parts where unnecessary, and somewhat self-righteous. But it's fine, we're not trying to be confrontational. We're just trying to be honest, and that's cool.
Ok, so I went a little overboard with the ranting, but I did get a little bit pissed. This isn't the first time you've cnc'd my tag with the overall message being "its horrible", at least that's how I see it. I'm sorry if you got offended, Chev, but sometimes I don't think you see that I'm trying to improve. I have read that thread before, and while your critique is fairly good, it did still put me off. Now thats just me being mean, but hey, its me being honest too. While your critique did help me, I agreed with most of RO's cnc as well, and I will take both into consideration when making my next tag. k?
Nah, it's okay. I'm sorry for coming off as evil and what not. That's obviously not my intention. You know? I'll try to give better CnC next time. One that isn't so focused on the bad, but on how to improve. However, keep in mind about the whole CnC being uncomfortable sometimes. It's not right to give crushing CnC, however it's also up to the person receiving it, to just be objective about it. It's hard, yeah, but it's pretty much a good optimistic outlook.
