SCRAPPED

widescreen: http://panzer-kunst.net/media/wallpaper/panzerkunst01_1440x900.png
regular: http://panzer-kunst.net/media/wallpaper/panzerkunst01_1024x768.png

Loud colours which are not to everyone's tastes coupled with my first ever venture into the world of vector tracing. I was learning how to vector as I went along so it is, obviously, not pro quality but I don't think I want to work any further on this trace. This is the third version of this wall (first I've shown anyone) and I'd say the text has given me the most trouble. Given the raw materials, is this ready to submit? If not, I would be interested in hearing some suggestions. If it should be sent to the scrap heap, don't be afraid to say so.

Your vectoring is actually great! It's not as bad as you think. I think you could maybe change the font of the writing though and maybe the colour too. Does orange-red and yellow go well with green? Besides that, I like the set out and background of your wallpaper. Can't think of any other suggestions. I'm not quite sure if it's ready to submit though. Good luck on your wallpaper! Hope it gets in! ~O.o

Thanks for the comments, mint! The colours were roughly based off a palette from colourlovers which I like, but understand is not everyone's cup of tea. If you (or anyone) has suggestions for other colours or fonts I'd very much like to hear them.

The vectoring is nice, but the rest of the wallpaper lacks direction and concept, it just seems like a bunch of random concepts put together.

syzygy

The vectoring is nice, but the rest of the wallpaper lacks direction and concept, it just seems like a bunch of random concepts put together.

Any constructive suggestions then?

No, dont submit...because its not going to get accepted
she looks like she has no mouth, looks unfinished because..well wheres the rest of her shoulder?
choice of font is not good...and why is your sig so big? and plus its overkill esp when its already at the bottom

This msg goes to everyone:
using the same image in the background duplicated, enlarged and low opacity is a retarded concept

MTL

no, dont submit...because its not going to get accepted
she looks like she has no mouth, looks unfinished because..well wheres the rest of her shoulder?
choice of font is not good...and why is your sig so big? and plus its overkill esp when its already at the bottom

The mouth is traced exactly from the original art, it's pure Kishiro. Any font suggestions would be most helpful, as I stated I'm really not thrilled with that part myself. I need some more direction than a simple "it's not good," please. Also, "Panzer Kunst" is not a sig, it's something from the world of Gunnm... but if you mean to say the corner sig with the URL is too big I'd like to know what a standard px or pt size for such little details is.

Constructive?

What I was implying was think of a concept to go with, a direction, a theme. What I'm trying to say is that when I look at the wallpaper, I don't see what you're trying to do. It's a green clouds filter with some modifications, a vector, and a larger version of said vector with lower opacity behind it. I just don't really see a theme as to what you're trying to do.

Thanks, syzygy! That actually is a lot more helpful to me and now I have a much better idea as to where this wall has gone wrong.

I guess I'll scrap this feeble attempt and see if I can either salvage the vector for something more solid or come back to Session Zero with something 100% new.

I don't think it's stupid to use the same vector again enlarged.

You'll hear a lot of so called rules from people here

"Omg! Don't use a gradient!" "No, you can't use the same image twice" blablablabla

The important thing is you have a theme, and in the case of your wall you could expand on the graphic nature/pop art qualities of the image by using things like replication, now I would look at your use of a curly bracket as a transition, unless you use lots of other typography that's probably not the best idea.

I would also try not making the second vector transparant, just leave it full opacity and add some more transition elements!

robotgirl

Thanks, syzygy! That actually is a lot more helpful to me and now I have a much better idea as to where this wall has gone wrong.

I guess I'll scrap this feeble attempt and see if I can either salvage the vector for something more solid or come back to Session Zero with something 100% new.

Add some vector in the background as well, you see the right head's hair, thos dark bit looks nice for the background, try get a vector brush and brush something like that onto the bottom left, its a bit plain with just cloud.

I think it wouldnt get accepted for now as JUST cloud filter (or something similar) background is hated by the mod.

This also applied to gradients, using gradient then do somework over it is fine, but JUST gradient will NOT make it, as it shows the submitter did not put alot of effort in creating the background.

Personally i think its ok, dont ditch it! With some touchup on the background, it would prob have higher chance of getting accept.

Thanks, lil-dice + hmyip. These types of comments are invaluable to someone like myself who is just starting out here.

lil-dice

You'll hear a lot of so called rules from people here

I've been figuring that out pretty quickly. I love to hear others' opinions, but in most cases I'm not going to be taking the opinions of egos as anything more than just that.

lil-dice

I would look at your use of a curly bracket as a transition, unless you use lots of other typography that's probably not the best idea.

I would also try not making the second vector transparant, just leave it full opacity and add some more transition elements!

Ah, very good point. Perhaps something with a bold, more vector graphic feel would lend more to a theme of pop art. I was going to forget about this wall but I may toy with it a little more in that area. I can see that if I changed that transition it may help to inspire something better, and more finished, for the background.

hmyip

Add some vector in the background as well, you see the right head's hair, thos dark bit looks nice for the background, try get a vector brush and brush something like that onto the bottom left, its a bit plain with just cloud.

This is, literally, the first thing I've ever done with vectors or Illustrator. I know nothing of vector brushes, but I'll head over to the vector group and see what nuggests of info/links I can pick up over there! You've got me curious.

As for the background, it's actually a macro shot of a sponge set to overlay and blurred slightly. I never made the connection that it might be viewed as the cloud filter but now that it's been mentioned the background just looks worse and worse every time I lay eyes on it. I've never hung around waller circles or any graphic communities with a competitive edge before, so I probably haven't been so brashly exposed to that filter as the mods + others here have. I'll try to keep that in mind. I've got some diagonal lines set to colour burn (I think) over the whole thing, so it's not just the sponge. No one has commented on that so I will gather that it's not present enough and/or still too plain.

Thanks again, you two. You've got the gears in my head turning!