1st post. 1st wallpaper to post?

7 months 3 weeks ago

"No, don't fill it up. I actually like it this way. Cleaner the better, I really don't like those grunge walls that go crazy with fillers. If there isn't anything particularly good to fill in the space, then don't do it at all.

Of course, you could try adding a very light texture layer behind all the objects, such as a faint floral pattern.

The only suggestion I have is that since I am using a PC, my icons go on the left side of the screen, so I think it would be great for you to flip the wall horizontally as to leave the empty space for icons.

This could be a great and practical wallpaper. Keep me posted!"
View

Vampire Knight Wallpaper need to be Improved

9 months 4 weeks ago

"Yes, it is coming along very nicely. I really like your concept and your execution, and I really am a sucker when it comes to drawings on old parchment type of art...I liked your placement of the insignias on the upper left and right hand corner of the wall, I think they work rather nicely together (but perhaps try fading them just a bit more into the BG?).

The only thing that really bothers me is the color of the font you used. I think that solid white color really doesn't work so well with this piece, try something like medium brown with a dark brown outline, and then blend it onto the background. As of right now, I think that the text stand out way too much.

Lastly, your wallpaper needs to be at least 1024x768 to be accepted into the gallery, so if you could stretch the image (change PS to bicubic mode, better for stretching), do so; if not, then try adding something around the border or around the main characters. A vignette may also work in your case...experiment to see what you can come up with.

All in all, awesome work, and good luck with getting accepted into the gallery!"
View

A vector of Kaname Tousen - Beware: Spoiler for Anime watchers

10 months 5 hours ago

"Nice vector for a first timer, I did however notice a few things about your vector that seem very quirky...

1) Definitely work on the shadows. The shadows on your character look fake, to start, perhaps try to trace the original scan more closely? You can go your own style after getting a hang of how the different aspects work...

2) Some parts of the character just doesn't look...natural...such as that weird shape in the middle of his abdomen, and the random slips of pink on this arm...

Anyways, I have marked up a few places in the art I think may need improvements, hope this helps!!

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/395/tousenkaname2oi8qb4.png
"
View

Vampire Knight Wallpaper need to be Improved

10 months 14 hours ago

"..Oh and FYI, the font I used is called 'Bickham Script Pro'"
View

Vampire Knight Wallpaper need to be Improved

10 months 14 hours ago

"Your wallpaper is coming along very nicely. Congrats!

As for the placement of texts...umm...I have made a similar wallpaper sometimes ago (still haven't updated the old one yet...lol), maybe it'll help give you some ideas...

Here it is:

http://xs435.xs.to/xs435/09040/wall_35-6932.jpg

PS. I used the 'Blend If' function in PS to make the texts seem that they are actually written on the parchment...

Hope this helps, and keep up the great work!"
View

AIZEN SOSUKE!!

10 months 1 day ago

"It is not the effect you are looking for, it is the right font, as well as the right placement of the font.

Sans family usually adds a clean, modern look to a piece, while the Serifs usually do the exact opposite, giving the piece a classical/reserved tone. Then there are of course the scriptures and the Old English/Gothic fonts, but I don't think either of them would actually work with your case. Keep it simple, something like Myraid should work great. Oh one more thing, it may actually be better to reduce the opacity of the text, then set the layer blending to...Overlay or Multiply, which adds more depth to the text...."
View

AIZEN SOSUKE!!

10 months 1 day ago

"Flip it. Unless you are using a Mac, icons go on the left side of the screen, so the left side should be left blank for icons; besides, humans have a tendency to focus on the right side of any given object anyways, so putting the main character on the left side of the screen would definitely help the case here."
View

Guys how does it look like

10 months 1 day ago

"Simplicity really isn't the issue here...the single biggest issue I have noticed about your work is the bad extraction of the main character. There are noticeable jagged edges all around the character, especially her hair.

Work on refining the extraction a bit, try to feather the selection by 0.5 px if you are using lasso, or just move to the pen tool..

As for the background, I personally think that maple leaves are pretty, is used sparingly. Do not create a trail of leaves, you are not trying to make a leaf storm I hope? Oh, and don't overlay the leaves, it just makes them look fake and...metallic...*gasp*

Lastly, I think you have overused Layer Properties way too much. The Layers effects I have seen in your piece: Gradient Overlay, Outler Glow, Outline, Overlay, etc...Please, not too much, use the effects sparingly. A good piece of art is one that doesn't rely too much on special effects; focus on the main character herself; improve on the mains, and then use effects for support...

Hope this helps~"
View

AIZEN SOSUKE!!

10 months 2 days ago

"Now it is much better. I actually think the wall would look great if you take out the words "Aizen Sosuke", and leave the scripts where they are. As of right now, at huge red sans is just way too attention-grabbing..."
View

AIZEN SOSUKE!!

10 months 2 days ago

"Embossed is just that 3D'ish effect you are trying to create with your left character, here's a comparison chart I made:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii120/shawnhao/Embossed.jpg

Foreground means everything that is above your BACKGROUND, which is just the base of your wallpaper.

Hope this helps."
View

My First Again (Hellsing)

10 months 2 days ago

"Place the grass layer on top of the tombstone layer, unmask the tombstone on the left, it looks as if it is floating in the air (and stones don't *usually* float in the air, even for animes...lol).

As for the other 3 pieces of structure, they completely lack detail, so either remove them or adjust the saturation, they are way overblown.

I like the design of the cross you have in the lower left, but again, is it really necessary? The cross also looks as if it is floating in the air...oh god...

As for the main character, bad extraction for the main character's cape and hair. I can definitely see the jagged edges and leftovers from the scan it came from. Do not use lasso tool, try pen tool, for it will produce a way better result.

The main character's body looks as if it is half rusted, half non-existent. It appears flat.

The main character also doesn't blend that well with the background...for me, I really don't think the two goes well together.

Speaking of the background...this...psychedelic background of your is interesting, but I really am not a fan of it myself...sorry...

Oh, and for the font, you know that there's a Hellsing font, right? You can download it here:
http://www.typenow.net/files/themed/vanhelsing.zip

Hope this helps! Keep up the good work!"
View

AIZEN SOSUKE!!

10 months 2 days ago

"Now the main character is embossed too??! Com'on now, don't use emboss if you don't have to...that effect just takes the Foreground and Background apart...what you want is to blend them, not separate them. It is sometimes very tempting to emboss (I used to do it myself all the time), but seriously, no...it will only make the wallpaper seem unnatural and out of place.

"
View

Vampire Knight Wallpaper need to be Improved

10 months 2 days ago

"I like the concept of your second wallpaper a LOT, for I have always been a fan of drawings-on-old-parchment type of art. The problem, however, is that the texture layer has covered up too much of the original scan, which makes the effect of drawing on old parchment paper seem fake. Boost the contrast of the piece, make scan seem as if it is really drawn ONTO the parchment sheet.

Here's what I'll do if I were you:

1) Un-mask Yuki's feet and Zero's jacket. The boarders of your wall seem too empty, so try to use as much of the original scan as possible to cover the entire wallpaper area.

2) Desaturate (either with the good old Ctrl+Shift+U or with the Black&Which adjustment...I personally prefer the latter, since it gives you more control over the final appearance of the B&W art)

3) Boost contrast, make the black lines more distinct. Focus on the eyes and the hair of the main characters...don't overdo it, preserve the details in the hair, or it will look bulky and unrealistic.

4) Place the texture layer on top of the scan, make necessary adjustments (Hue/Saturation, Color Balance, and perhaps add a Photo Filer if you deem necessary)

5) IMPORTANT: Since no matter what you do, the scan will always appear to be BELOW the texture layer; thus, what I would do if I were you is to duplicate the scan (you don't need to duplicate the adjustment layers, you'll see why), then place it on TOP of the texture layer, run a 'High Pass' filter on the 'Alpha Channel' of the layer (you don't need the RGB channels, so take them out, just B&W). Adjust the High Pass filter to match the texture layer.

6) If the top layer is too light, change the blending mode to Multiply or Overlay, and if it is too dark, then change it to Screen or Luminosity.

7) Make small adjustments to the wallpaper. One suggestion is that since the lines of the original scan will appear smooth and continuous, which really isn't the case with drawings on parchments, so try applying a Threshold or Levels adjustment layer on the top scan (don't forget to use Clipping Mask!).

8) That's it! You have done it! As a final touch-up, I would recommend adding a pictureframe-ish border to the wallpaper, just so that the edges of the wall aren't left blank...

Hope this helps.

======================

On and FYI, I think this scan is gorgeous, so I am planning on making a vector of this scan after I am done with my current S&W project, so if you want to wait, I'll probably release the vectored version of this scan in a week or so. Stay tuned!

-s"
View

AIZEN SOSUKE!!

10 months 2 days ago

"Hello, and welcome...

Somethings I have noticed about your wallpaper:

1) Bad extraction. The borders around the main character are WAY too soft...did you extract the character by masking with a soft brush or something? Or did you extract with lasso and then blurred the border? Whatever you did, the extraction needs to be refined. (I would suggest that you try the pen tool, but if you have CS3 or later, the Extraction Tool would also be a great place to start, since it actually does a REALLY good job at extracting images with distinct borders).

2) Please do not apply the watercolor filter on the main character. Based on your Bg, I take that you are trying to create this futuristic look; if so, this watercolor-ish character is REALLY out of place, so I would suggest that you keep the main character as-is in the original scan.

3) I love your stained-glass background and the tearing effect, but like what the others have said, the font you used is horrible. Unless absolutely required by the design, do not Emboss the text! It just makes the font look even more bulky and ridiculous; shift audience's attention to the main character. The texts are never supposed to be the centerpiece of any art, so keep it that way.
- As for the text itself, I have to say that san serifs seldom look good when they are bolded and embossed. I actually think that serif fonts would work better in your case, and if you want to make the texts large, then at least use the Thin/Condensed versions of the font family, as to make them less intrusive. If you want the futuristic look, try something in the line of 'Univox', 'WorldNet', although I personally prefer 'Jenson Pro BLK Condensed' (the sans version); experiment with different fonts to see what you can discover. If you do decide to use serif as your main, then the other textline in the back will has to be changed to compliment it - something in the line of 'Scriptina' or 'Snell' should be great. The font you have right now simply looks too...archaic for my taste. (Oh and 'Porcelain' is a GReAT font too, check it out...tons of curves, can be used as both text and decoration)...

4) Unless my eyes are fooling me, I think I am seeing a blurry ellipse right in the middle of the wallpaper...why? If you want to simulate motion for your foreground objects, use "Motion Blur", don't blur the background...don't. (Oh and Motion Blur usually works better if you duplicate the layer, blur it and then set it on top of the original layer with 75% opacity).

5) The objects on the lower left hand corner of the wall look interesting, but do not fit in with the wallpaper as a whole. If you can't think of anything particularly meaningful, then you might as well leave it out, and that also creates more space for desktop icons, which increases the practicality of the wallpaper.

==========
You have a great concept overall, it is just that the different styles you have applied to the wallpaper doesn't really go well together, so pick one style, make the rest of them fit, and you should be gold.

G'Luck!"
View

grungy Rosario x Vampire Wallpaper

10 months 5 days ago

"Yep, the background fractal is a lot darker now, which blends with the hand in the foreground pretty nicely. ^^

Frankly, I haven't seen RxV myself, so I have no idea what this Chain+Grasping Hand is supposed to represent, but like what you have said, a real RxV fan probably will be able to tell the difference.

Oh, and this is just a personal preference...since I use windows, I place most of my desktop icons on the left side of the screen, so I would actually shift the hand to the right side of the wall if I were to do it, as to leave more space for desktop icons...

Great job overall...it's coming along nicely..."
View

Fullmetal Alchemist wallpaper attempt

10 months 5 days ago

"Remove the lens flare...the image would actually look a lot better without them.

Nice BG, a bit crazy, but oh well...the anime serie was pretty crazy anyways, so nvmd.

As for the foreground, the resolution is a bit low, so I really can't tell. However, as far as my eyes go, those horizontal lines are really annoying. My suggestions: remove them, lower the opacity or just increase the spacing between the lines so that they don't interfere with the wallpaper..."
View

Mahou Shoujo attempt

10 months 5 days ago

"Where did you get the BG from? I love it, it would actually go great with one of my upcoming projects (have been BG hunting for quite some time now)...

As for your wall, try to blend the FG and the BG a bit more, as of right now, they stand separate.

Again, love the BG..."
View

Death Note Winter Wallpaper

10 months 5 days ago

"Ok, if you want to create the effect of L frozen in an ice cube, then get rid of the wooden textures in the wall, they really take away the realism of the piece...

If you want to create ice, adding snow patters on the side really wont help. Get an ice cube and see for yourself...you don't see snow patterns, right? :p

Also, for ice, you might want to keep it light...right now it is just too...dark for my taste, reminds me of those dirty ice sheets you find on the sidewalk after the combination of heavy snow+people walking over them.

-Hope this helps"
View

My 1st wall!

10 months 5 days ago

"Bad extraction on the left side of the character, nice pencil drawing, but too bland for a wallpaper...perhaps you should consider digitally painting it...(there are tons of tutorials on digital painting of linearts...check them out)

You need to put more efforts in the BG. If you want to keep the wallpaper simple, then at least make it elegant.

Hope this helps."
View

My first scan..

10 months 5 days ago

"Umm...Session Zero is for Wallpaper in Progress, not for scans...what do you need us to comment on a scan? Just follow the general guidelines for scans and you should be fine...check the FAQ..."
View

grungy Rosario x Vampire Wallpaper

10 months 5 days ago

"Ok, it looks to me more like a conglomeration of fractals than a RxV wallpaper...

If it is from the anime series, then you might want to consider making it so that people who have seen the RxV series will be able to tell it apart from...everything else...

What I'm trying to say is that to me, this wall seems like a random hand (I do like the chain though, nice outer glow effect) grasping into a fractal, which just seems to random for an anime wallpaper...(and the hand doesn't look too anime-like either)...

As for the BG...fractals on a grungy base makes all the little details disappear, and the saturation/hue on the upper left is definitely overblown, so try Multiply or Overlay...(or just reduce the opacity of the top layer)...

Hope this helps~"
View

First vector -.-;, needing help with hair

10 months 6 days ago

"Making hair strands is hard, as I can tell from personal experience. For this scan, the body shouldn't be much of a problem, but yes, the hair may prove to be a bit difficult to work with. Here are my advices:

1) Please try the Pen tool (or the path tool in GIMP), it really makes a difference. It might be hard for the first time, but once you get the hold of it the pen tool is actually a lot easier to use than the lasso tool...

2) As far as I can tell, there are a total of 4 shades of hair in the scan: White, Light Orange, Dark Orange and Reddish Black (the outline). Here's what I would do if I were you:

Work from the Darkest to Lightest. Finish the outline, then fill in the colors. So cover fill with Dark Orange first, then layer on Light Orange and finally the Whites. Adjust opacity when necessary. Oh, and sometimes the division between colors may be difficult to tell, and for beginner, I'm not going to tell you to apply gradual fade, but instead, use the function "Posterization" to help posterize the image (level 10 should usually be enough) and separate the colors apart.

When you are done layering, to add to the realism, you can use the path tool to draw bezie curves following the flow of the hair, then stroke those paths with 2-4px brush (simulate pressure) to make the hair seem more realistic.

=============
Word of caution: The 1st time doing vector is always the hardest...just keep at it, don't give up, and the end result is definitely worth it.

G'Luck!

PS. Remember to trace the images in VECTOR SHAPES, or you'll lose scalability of the final work, and defeat the purpose of vectoring..."
View

First Wallpaper-Shana

1 year 3 months ago

"Yes, I think the new ones are a lot better than the one you had before, but the main character seems a bit blurry...try the High-Pass filter to see if you can put more definition onto her, and then you might also want to look into blurring (1-2px) the BG just so that the main character is more strongly emphasized..."
View

2nd attempt to make a wallpaper

1 year 3 months ago

"Yeah...this will not do...the wallpaper simply lack quality...

Is it just me or are the texts REALLY blurry? Practice extracting skills, her hair is clearly jagged (especially on the lower part), so definitely look into that...or just vectorize it...no need to get too complicated, just do a B&W vector...

Change the BG...if you want to play with B&W, then all the components must be VERY CLEAN and easy to tell apart, so keep that in mind when you select your BG...

Sepia (or old photo) effect work great on WW2 movie posters etc, but doesn't fare so well with anime characters...so don't do it unless you definitely know what you are trying to achieve...

That's all...keep up the great work!"
View

Need help with my Princess Tutu Wall

1 year 3 months ago

"I have no idea what anime this is, but it seems to me that you are trying to emphasize on the contrast between the black and the white...and if that's the case, place more emphasize on both of the main characters, as opposed to spend all those time making circular thumbshots around the edges...I actually think it would be better for you to just get rid of those cluttered/unrelated shots altogether...remove the black border, and expand the BG...

To the character on the left, her head seem to have been feathered/lightened up a bit too much, stroke the edge (1px or so) with a dark gray (the color found on the lighter portion of her dress), then tune down this bluish glow in her hair (do they have the burn tool in PSP?). As for the character on the right, I think she's fine, but a little more re-defining will definitely help. ^^

The background doesn't seem to have anything to do with the FG...you might want to find a different one...an image like this:
http://vylia.deviantart.com/art/Magical-forest-80272146
might fit better with your FG, but then you'll probably have to play with various blending modes to give it a *mystical* overtone...you might even want to blur the BG a little bit, just to add focus to the FG...

As for the text...they are WAY to big...they distract the viewer's attention from the main characters...and the colors...change them if possible...if you are trying to emphasize on the contrast between black and white, then you could set the word "Princess" to black and "Tutu" to white, reduce the size and place them on the center-bottom(or the center-top) part of the image...(and some glow perhaps?)

The characters look a bit bland, so a little bit of sparkles around them might help bring the whole thing together...

Lastly...your image is in PNG...which will not be accepted here. If you are editing in 16Bit, remember to convert to 8Bit and save as a JPG...^^

Sorry for the long post...you have a great start, so keep up the good work! =]"
View