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Advanced critique

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Frate

Smash Journeyman
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Stockholm, Sweden
Here's how it goes:

You post one tag,
I give ten points of critique (not criticism, including linebreaks) about it.
gogogo.
 

Gflare

Smash Journeyman
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Jul 6, 2008
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433
Uhh, normally I´d just let it die, but there´s the critique thread for this kind of stuff...
 

Frate

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Messages
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Location
Stockholm, Sweden
Average line in critique thread, by yours truly:
Gflare said:
The lighting effect you used for lighting is ugly *** (and then some tip on how to do some weird-*** kind of lightning)
So, do you see why I'd rather have a thread for advanced critique that will basically guide you from making a sig from "some random thing" to "the thing"? That's what I am trying to do.
 

Gflare

Smash Journeyman
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You don´t use soft brushing to create lighting? Are you insane? Also, "by yours truly" means you were the one who said it smartass. English lessons.
 

Frate

Smash Journeyman
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Messages
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You don´t use soft brushing to create lighting? Are you insane? Also, "by yours truly" means you were the one who said it smartass. English lessons.
As I quoted your post, I basically meant as an addition to the post.
Oh sir, I think I'm more than enough experienced to know that radial lightning is in most cases an automatic way to create a failboat to the depths of novice.

Espérant recevoir une réponse favorable, je vous prie d'agréer, Madame... :lick:
 

Gflare

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My current is moderate, and I used radial gradient lighting along with some touch ups to create the "lightning". Lightning? Lmao. I´ll let this thread die now, simply because you gave me a good laugh.
 

Frate

Smash Journeyman
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Messages
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Location
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My current is moderate, and I used radial gradient lighting along with some touch ups to create the "lightning". Lightning? Lmao. I´ll let this thread die now, simply because you gave me a good laugh.
No sorry, your current MIGHT be moderate if you did some real lightning + colors. Radial = fail. There's no way around it. It's very nice that you think it's moderate, but I think it WILL be moderate if you finish the god**** tag. Hey, give this thread a chance, post your current and I'll sum up the strengths and weaknesses - without grudges.
 

Roller

Smash Legend
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Just follow the grime...
As I quoted your post, I basically meant as an addition to the post.
Oh sir, I think I HAVE more than enough experience to know that radial lightning is in most cases an automatic way to create a failboat to the depths of novice.

Espérant recevoir une réponse favorable, je vous prie d'agréer, Madame... :lick:
You do need to work on grammar, though in your defense so do most people here...

And Gflare, calm down a bit. You don't need to attack everybody. If you think this is a dumb idea just leave it alone and let it die.

No need for you two to get into a fight over this.
 

Roller

Smash Legend
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Just follow the grime...
English is not my mother tongue. I do my best and you can't exactly say it's lower than the average here. But thanks, I'll KEEP that in mind :laugh:
Really? What is your first language? (French?) For a second/third language your grammar is actually outstanding. It's better than almost everyone I talk to. =)
 

Gflare

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Messages
433
You do need to work on grammar, though in your defense so do most people here...

And Gflare, calm down a bit. You don't need to attack everybody. If you think this is a dumb idea just leave it alone and let it die.

No need for you two to get into a fight over this.
Check out what he did on our thread and you´ll see what I´m annoyed at.
@ Frate: +mw.Absolute says it´s moderate. I´d rather take his word over yours. :laugh:
 

Frate

Smash Journeyman
Joined
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Messages
314
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Stockholm, Sweden
Check out what he did on our thread and you´ll see what I´m annoyed at.
@ Frate: +mw.Absolute says it´s moderate. I´d rather take his word over yours. :laugh:
Get off my ***. MW used some pseudo-variant of classing (with Novice, Inter, Pro and Epic rankings) when they existed, and standards do vary where you go. Half of MW is a failboat. If we go with the default "NSL" standard (I call it default because it created classing), it very well has chance to be moderate just that it lacks a couple of bases to be it which would be so easy to fix.

Version #1:



Version #2:



Go.
*Version two wins here due to the better focal here (and that black and white and color usually don't fit each other except for some rare cases)
*Text fits well but detracts from the focal, which could be fixed by
*Moving the focal to the left.
*For these types of tags I would suggest a smaller canvas.
*Find better-quality renders or stocks.
Nice idea, if you make another version of it please post it!
 

Frate

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*Start by removing the clipping masks, they don't help. Good to hear that you started to use them though. They can really help tags in putting interesting effects over the tag, though they often have to be used subliminally.
Here's an example of clipmask use:
Before

After


*Vector brush BG is interesting, as is the
*color scheme.
*Normally I would cut out that kind of lightning but in these kinds of tags they actually seem to help. o_O
*Again, get better renders.
Sorry if I cut you short, I am going to change computer in a minute.
 

Frate

Smash Journeyman
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Location
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Another shortcut since I didn't leave yet even though I should D:

*Crop off 30 pixels (heh, make it 15 if it looks better) from the bottom. It will define your focal to closer to his face a bit.
*Hue the blue parts to the right so it'll be a bit greener.
*Since you have multiple lightning source, grab your soft brush and start brushing in white and black near the lightning sources. If you notice it's too overcontrasted, change to normal and lower opacity instead (when brushing in black). This is more dynamic than radial gradients.
This tag has potential sir. :D
 

Frate

Smash Journeyman
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Messages
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*Start by removing the clipping masks, they don't help. Good to hear that you started to use them though. They can really help tags in putting interesting effects over the tag, though they often have to be used subliminally.
I basically "drew" the area with a hard brush, hid the layer, added a new layer and applied image, then I unhid the other layer. I applied a clipping mask, then I flipped that applied image until desired results.
Sublimity is hard to achieve but if you can pull it off it helps to create non-bland tags.
 

L__

Smash Master
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4,459
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flopmerica
NOTE: I only recently started Photoshopping.









The first one was my 2nd sig ever so don't flame me to hell.

That Spiderman one is my 3rd.
 

Frate

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sir L__, you should continue photoshopping since you have a good base, a very good base. To be honest you are better than some people here already. D:

The advice I can give you would probably be...

*There are very few moments you should soft erase or lower opacity of your renders or stocks.
*You should seldom use text overall in the tag unless it helps.
*Borders are not always necessary.

If you have to use text, the text in the second tag is better due to it using a better font and is placed slightly in conjuction with the render. Text should not detract from the focal.
Basically, explore! I think you have a great future in making tags.
 

SgtWikez

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Feb 14, 2008
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495
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Connecticut
Another one from my Coldplay collection:



If you have seen any high quality Coldplay or Dave Matthews Band stocks/renders, let me know. I've been cutting them myself so far.
 

Roller

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Mar 21, 2008
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Just follow the grime...
Another one from my Coldplay collection:



If you have seen any high quality Coldplay or Dave Matthews Band stocks/renders, let me know. I've been cutting them myself so far.
I'm lovin the Coldplay sigs. How do you do the lettering effect? I know how to make it fade away, but not how to get the wording to repeat over and over short of copy, paste repeat. Is that what you do? Or is there a tool or something?
 

L__

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Lol, not to be offensive, but I thought that was pretty obvious.

*flails arms, runs away screaming*
 

Roller

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Just follow the grime...
Lol, not to be offensive, but I thought that was pretty obvious.

*flails arms, runs away screaming*
lol

no, you're right. It was obvious. I was just wondering if their was a more efficient way. I knew about that way, as I stated in the first post, but I thought maybe it could be done faster.
 

L__

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XD

Man, you could make your tag a brush and do it that way...

But, not sure if you'd take the time to do it.
 

AlmightyJeebus

Smash Lord
Joined
Jun 12, 2008
Messages
1,325
all you have to do is, select the text layer, copy, paste as, brush

but then it will be right side up and you'll have to transform every single one of them
 

L__

Smash Master
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Lol. Well, I do find this "Advanced Critique" thread quite refreshing compared to the official critique thread.
 

Roller

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Just follow the grime...
Lol. Well, I do find this "Advanced Critique" thread quite refreshing compared to the official critique thread.
ya, none of that halfass BS. Not to imply ALL of it is. A lot of it is usefull, but some people just say something obvious or broad just so they can get their sig cnc'd by more people who say other broad things to get theirs cnc'd by the same people...It's a vicious cycle with only momentary reprieves by Wikez, Waltz, and the like.
 

L__

Smash Master
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flopmerica
So has anyone done anything as of recent?

Rollerking, when shall I join your shop?
 

L__

Smash Master
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flopmerica
The second one should have less empty space on the right by a little. (IMO)
...honestly, that's all I can say.
 
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