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Graphic Design |OT| Be, INdesign
- Thread starter Kikarian
- Start date
Adam Scott Aukerman
Member
I'd go with the middle-left, personally. Simple always trumps less-simple in my eyes.
==============================
Speaking of simple things, over the last week I've been modelling the absurdly-expensive (but beautifully simple) Nomos Metro in Cinema 4D, with surprisingly successful results:
ConvenientBox
Member
Whoa nice work! your page doesn't work though, 404 error.
Adam Scott Aukerman
Member
Forgot to switch it from private to public! Should work now.
Sorry for the late reply, but thanks for typing all of this out. It might be a while before I get to video and motion design, but I'll keep this tucked away. The only problem is that I'm currently pursuing a mathematics degree and trying to break into voice over on the side, so this is really more of a tertiary hobby. That, and I just don't have the money to spare at the moment, and that's without any subscriptions. I do know that it's generally best to stick to industry standards, though, which is part of what motivated the switch.
But if you don't mind, I wanted to ask you about something you mentioned on one of the older pages: stroking text. I'm currently making a game OT, and I ended up using the default stroke style for the headers and video thumbnails I've made so far. Do you have any suggestions for making it look better? It's meant to be part of an array of 4×3 images, which is why it's so small.
The biggest problem with stroked text is that it's a lazy solution to the problem of having illegible text over an image. In design, most often, less is more. A stroke slapped on to your text does make it readable, but you're adding additional elements because it's the easiest solution, not because it's the most elegant.
If you want to get real designy, the real reason stroked text is usually awful is that it's just growing out the weight of the type at equal measure in all directions, destroying the designer's original intent for the shape of the characters.
As a really crude but super obvious example of what I'm talking about, look at the difference between stroking type to gain weight vs how the designer carefully hand crafted the real bold version:
Corners are becoming round, letters are clipping in to themselves, etc. Adding a computer generated stroke, even if it's small, is going to degrade the integrity of the letterforms.
My suggestion would be to lose the stroke, and try out a variety of other solutions to make sure your text is legible. Off the top of my head:
– a box to set the type in
– an image with negative space to set the type in
– use white type and place a subtle gradient under the type to make the image darker
– a new composition with separate placement for image and type
– larger more bold type in contrast to the detail of the image
A good set of reference for inspiration for something like this would be magazine covers. As just a random example, look at how the designers at Wired frequently solve this problem:
Depending on the cover and the type, they're using different solutions to make sure their type stays legible for each unique scenario.
– "The Future" is set in negative space under Will Farrell
– "Fear" is huge and very bold to not get lost in the detail of the photo of the baby
– "Stay Creative" uses a contrast of color to make sure the magenta type pops out in contrast to the desaturated shirt in the image underneath it
In the worst example there, for "Tracking Total" they use slightly offset type to make a graphic sort of drop shadow or extrusion of the type to maintain legibility. This solution is a bit lazy, but still better than a stroke as it at least maintains the integrity of the letterforms. Also notice how in the strongest examples, even in the tiny thumbnails in this quoted image, things like "Future" and "Fear" are still perfectly legible, as are the subject matter of the baby or Will Farrell, etc, all without needing to resort to any tricks.
Do you need the exact same typeface or just need a near approximate? Because Gotham Xnarrow Black Italic is pretty close, though it's not 100%.
Tell me about the decision making process you went through to get to these chipped or broken hearts. And I don't mean try to give me post rationalization now that you've got it here. What was your thought process and goal in the steps that lead you to this design?
To me, the ones on the right all say broken heart, and while you may be able to rationalize the crude shape and hard edges of the solid hearts as relating to the polygons of games, I'd argue that modern games don't really show their polygons. And regardless, the flat look doesn't lend itself to suggesting polygons anyway. Maybe you if you added faceted shading to the hearts, it'd read more as polygons? Kinda like these illustrations:
For this:
It's difficult to integrate a symbol in to the middle of a logo. If you're just putting a symbol on the left and type on the right (or vice versa), it's a lot easier and you can get away with a lot more. For example:
But since your phrase depends on the symbol sitting in the sentence though, you need to find a way to make them play together more naturally.
Some solutions you might try exploring:
– Set the logo inside of the symbol. So a big heart holding the words "we play"
– Set the logo inside the symbol, and include all three words, "we heart play" stacked vertically on each other
– Shrink the symbol wayyy down to almost look like a dash, kinda like "WE • PLAY"
– Stack "we heart play" vertically next to the symbol
– Write out "we heart play" horizontally next to the symbol, like the examples above
Or, rethink the design of your symbol and logo so that their design perfectly match. Right now you have type with nice natural smooth curves paired around a symbol with really harsh edges. There's no harmony between the design of the two. If you want to set it in there, they should use a very similar and matching design language.
As a basic example:
Notice how the X symbol in the middle of the logotype matches the same curvey design language as each other.
I first started with a heart constructed with 2 rectangles (kind of a pixely - simple look) but then decided to go with a more detailed yet angular approach. The chipped look was formed after I was thinking about placement with the type (the one with the example posted with the WE on the top and PLAY on the bottom). However the negative space inside the heart first started as a small shine effect, to create more visual interest. As I started to play around with different shapes, it brought forth the idea of how hearts are used in games, to increase your life meter. I kinda tried to tie that into the logo without it being too obvious.
Thanks for the feedback and possible solutions MrGerbils!
Syphon Filter
Member
When making small icons do you guys approach it the same way as making a logo?
Insane Metal
Member
Guys, can you recommend good Illustrator tutorials? For a beginner 
Syphon Filter
Member
Guys, can you recommend good Illustrator tutorials? For a beginner
youtube tastytuts, his tutorial is amazing for illustrator.
Insane Metal
Member
I'll check it later, thanks.^^
Edit
HOLY SHIT!! That tutorial is mindblowing. Insanely detailed, thank you!
TimeEffect
Member
Nevermind, I think I misunderstood this thread
In general, it's rude to ask people you don't know well personally to work for free. Imagine making this pitch to a random chef or a plumber. Even if it was an apprentice plumber, would you ask them to come over fix your toilet for free? A student chef to cater a party for free?
A discount, sure. But free is rude.
TimeEffect
Member
Sorry
I thought people were designing things for fun in here, I didn't mean to be rude.
Nevermind then.
Captain Pants
Killed by a goddamned Dredgeling
Just had a customer email this gem. I've got to recreate this fuckpile and get it ready to engrave on a large stone. Yay!
Hello Design-gaf. Quick question;
There are a couple of projects that I worked on for previous employers that I would like to include on my resume/porfolio/reel. Is it professionally appropriate/kosher to straight up ask them if I could have them? Couldn't phrase what I mean specifically enough to turn anything up on Google.
Edit; both previous employers and I are on good terms, and I did not sign any NDA's for the projects I am seeking out.
There are a couple of projects that I worked on for previous employers that I would like to include on my resume/porfolio/reel. Is it professionally appropriate/kosher to straight up ask them if I could have them? Couldn't phrase what I mean specifically enough to turn anything up on Google.
Edit; both previous employers and I are on good terms, and I did not sign any NDA's for the projects I am seeking out.
Just had a customer email this gem. I've got to recreate this fuckpile and get it ready to engrave on a large stone. Yay!
motherofgod.jpg
That sucks. A lot.
I wouldn't see why not. I guess I've never done it, but I feel like my previous employers probably would do that for me.
Insane Metal
Member
Just had a customer email this gem. I've got to recreate this fuckpile and get it ready to engrave on a large stone. Yay!
Hm, probably a stupid question but, can't you open that file in Illustrator and make it bigger withou losing much of the detail?
Angelus Errare
Banned
Affinity just threw together a small preview of their new app Affinity Photo
https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/photo/
It looks good...it looks damn good. Affinity Designer an amazing first stab at an Illustrator alternative (and works pretty well for most people's illustrator needs). Affinity Photo looks pretty damn awesome. I own Designer, and will totally drop coin for Photo.
Illustrator isn't magic. A rasterized image is a rasterized image, the more you enlarge the crappier it'll look.
If he had a vector image you'd be correct. He make illustrator convert it, but let's face it we all know that image is too small and low res for that to do any good.
...good luck to him
https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/photo/
It looks good...it looks damn good. Affinity Designer an amazing first stab at an Illustrator alternative (and works pretty well for most people's illustrator needs). Affinity Photo looks pretty damn awesome. I own Designer, and will totally drop coin for Photo.
Illustrator isn't magic. A rasterized image is a rasterized image, the more you enlarge the crappier it'll look.
If he had a vector image you'd be correct. He make illustrator convert it, but let's face it we all know that image is too small and low res for that to do any good.
...good luck to him
Insane Metal
Member
Yep, that's very standard practice. If it's video or animation they may or may not want to add a watermark to the footage. And no matter what type of content it is, they may have some restrictions on how the work is displayed (example: must give credit to Creative Director, include a link to the company it was made at, etc).
Sorry
I thought people were designing things for fun in here, I didn't mean to be rude.
Nevermind then.
Sorry, I didn't mean to be too rude back to you. Just wanted to reframe what you were asking so you might see how it'd come off. Most of the people in this thread make their living doing design work like the project you described, and designers are used to having their work undervalued. But if it was all so easy and free to do, you'd be doing it yourself
.
Insane Metal
Member
So... after a few tutorials and other stuff I decided to give this a go... so here is a first attempt at a Logo/design:
Thoughts?
Yes, orange and blue were on purpose. Other than that,
Thoughts?
Insane Metal
Member
Thanks. I put the letters on the bottom right just because I though it was a good placement. Do you think it'd look better centered?
I think it might look better without the ID in the in the graphic since it already kind of looks like an ID and maybe use a heavier font for the text,
So... after a few tutorials and other stuff I decided to give this a go... so here is a first attempt at a Logo/design:
Yes, orange and blue were on purpose. Other than that,
Thoughts?
I'm not sure what you're trying to say with this. What are you attempting to communicate with the shapes and color around the logotype?
It's also a bit odd to use the exact same font in the exact same size and weight in the logotype symbol as you do on the actual logo itself.
I'd also note that if you wanted that symbol to ever stand on it's own, you should probably use either a lower case I or an I with serifs, because without the full context you wouldn't be able to know if it was an uppercase i or a lowercase L.
Here's a couple of quick random examples pulled from Brand New to illustrate what I'm talking about:
Note that the T in the symbol and in the logo are different. The curved type and bright colors make for a playful feel, and the disconnect shape happening in the T suggests connections (it's an airline) and the techy feel makes some heritage back to it starting as a .com company.
Also note that when the symbol lives on its own it's still clearly recognizeable as a "t":
On this one, notice how the scale, font and color on the symbol and logo are drastically different, though the overall feel of the type is the same to create harmony (all round, rather geometric and with rounded corners). Here the d and the P overlapping each other emphasizes the concept of "partnership"
Insane Metal
Member
Made a few changes. I actually think it looks better and makes more sense... more impact...
Edit
@ MrGerbills, since it was just a test, the colors and design mean nothing, it was just to see what I could come up with.
Also the images you linked to are not showing up...
Thanks a lot for your critic though
Made a few changes. I actually think it looks better and makes more sense... more impact...
Edit
@ MrGerbills, since it was just a test, the colors and design mean nothing, it was just to see what I could come up with.
Also the images you linked to are not showing up...
Thanks a lot for your critic though
Rehosted the images on imgur. Should show up if you refresh.
I'd encourage you to think critically about your design choices, even in practice.. otherwise, what are you really practicing?
seventynine
Member
It does look good. I've only just picked up Designer and I see they are also working on Publisher, an alternative to InDesign.
http://www.creativebloq.com/compute...tive-photoshop-launched-and-its-free-21514137
All I need now is for someone to seriously take on After Effects.
Insane Metal
Member
Rehosted the images on imgur. Should show up if you refresh.
I'd encourage you to think critically about your design choices, even in practice.. otherwise, what are you really practicing?
I know... but I was just trying to learn the basics of the tools... don't be so harsh
ConvenientBox
Member
Logo design is a long and arduous process. You need to think about the brand you are selling, a back-story, ask questions, etc. Then sit down and start sketching. You shouldn't touch a computer until you are ready to digitize your sketch.
You won't get anywhere slapping helvetica and a few obscure shapes around. Sorry to be harsh, but logo design isn't playing around in illustrator. I'd start practicing with just drawing shapes and understanding flow, contrast, colours, etc before attempting a logo.
You won't get anywhere slapping helvetica and a few obscure shapes around. Sorry to be harsh, but logo design isn't playing around in illustrator. I'd start practicing with just drawing shapes and understanding flow, contrast, colours, etc before attempting a logo.
I know... but I was just trying to learn the basics of the tools... don't be so harsh
Oh hey man, sorry I'm not trying to be mean or harsh. A good critique should never be taken too personally. Nothing is ever perfect. Always look to improve yourself. Even as a professional, a large part of my job is continuing to get critiques on my work, be it from my peers, my superiors, or my clients. There's always new ways to keep looking at solving a problem.
I'm certainly not telling you that you're bad or should stop or anything. It's exciting that you're interested in design and it's clear that you're already starting to put a lot of thought in to the choices you're making. Hopefully, if my comments are any good, they're meant to just help you think a little deeper.
I'm more used to teaching at university or giving art direction to my team, so some of my comments may be a bit high level for someone just starting, but I assure you that I in no way meant to put you or your work down and truly apologize if that's how it was received.
Insane Metal
Member
Ok cool. Thank you for your comments buddy. It's just that some times the comments seem a bit hard, as if I was doing something wrong, like this:
Take it easy man, I'm just trying to get some knowledge, testing ideas, if you really wanna know, I thought of a name to give to my own business if I were to start one and used the colors I like the most (I think the contrast between orange and blue look really good for a logo and can be used in a variety of materials). As for the rounded corners, I decided for it because it gives a more modern look. The name is supposed to be remarkable, something with impact. I'm not someone just trying to copy/paste somebody else's work; I want to practice as much as I can to become a good professional one day.
ConvenientBox
Member
It's constructive criticism, I don't intentionally mean to be harsh, though I do see many designers go through the same motions and then fail to find work. The design world is feedback driven so you need to get used to people breaking down your work piece by piece and to not take things personally, as mrgerbils said.
I'm not sure what you've studied, but great designers know the basics of layout, colour theory, typography, etc. If you want to be a professional one day you'll need to know these aspects. Tutorials aren't the greatest way of learning.
Just had a customer email this gem. I've got to recreate this fuckpile and get it ready to engrave on a large stone. Yay!
Is that the size they sent too? haha that brings back the memories of back when clients used to email me word docs with pictures inside. I put a stop to that fast.
Insane Metal
Member
I haven't studied anything yet, I'll start in two weeks. I've been watching and reading tutorials by myself just to get some idea on the software and tools. I've always loved to see pretty much everything related though.
Also, what can you recommend to me? Something to read?
Thank you for your comment.
Syphon Filter
Member
I am working on a website mockup and was wondering if anyone knows a good site that has free stock images specifically for sneakers/shoes?
I am looking at this website that has images and i see no terms of use or anything on the footer or links. Do you think it's safe top use these images?
http://www.nicekicks.com/air-jordans/
I am looking at this website that has images and i see no terms of use or anything on the footer or links. Do you think it's safe top use these images?
http://www.nicekicks.com/air-jordans/
If it's not for commercial use you don't have to worry. Just make it clear that the images are not your own somewhere on the page.
Syphon Filter
Member
Does that apply to any website in general? And can i make it clear in my portfolio instead of the image of the mockup? Also does it have to be on the same page?
Insane Metal
Member
Thank you! Damn, that thing is huge. So detailed. Will buy it.
Well, are you talking legally, or what's generally accepted?
Legally, you can't publicly use anyone else's work for shit without their permission. But practically, there's probably a bit of wiggle room.
If you're a student studying UI/UX design, posting some work that's clearly labelled as spec work, and you lift some photos, credit where you lifted them from, and they're just minor supporting elements in what is 90% about your otherwise completely original UI/UX design solution, you're not going to have any problem. The assumption here is that you're a student presenting your great UI/UX design and just needed some content to fill it with.
But if you grab a photo of a model off someone's flickr, tweak the colors and add a few design elements to make a poster and call it your own... that's not really ok, because the assumption is that you created the whole piece, and the photo probably makes up a large portion of the work.
Basically it's a bit of a "I'll know it when I see it" kind of thing, where you just shouldn't do anything shitty, and if anyone ever contacts you and asks you to take down work (even if it falls clearly in the student spec work category), just take it down.
Syphon Filter
Member
Ah i see. Also i just realized google images has a filter for usage rights too. Thanks.
Horse Detective
Why the long case?
Gaf, I need some advice.
So right off the bat, I am not someone who needs a lot of money. I live at home, and have a lot of room to develop myself. I have a lot of great tools for what I am interested in. What I would like to ask is, where is the best place to start with freelancing in more illustrative graphic design? By this, I mean branding and apparel. I subscribe to skill share and regularly try to learn more about typography and the digital process, but I can't seem to get the clients I want. I understand social media and have had some work thrown my way, but I still feel like I am not doing it right.
So right off the bat, I am not someone who needs a lot of money. I live at home, and have a lot of room to develop myself. I have a lot of great tools for what I am interested in. What I would like to ask is, where is the best place to start with freelancing in more illustrative graphic design? By this, I mean branding and apparel. I subscribe to skill share and regularly try to learn more about typography and the digital process, but I can't seem to get the clients I want. I understand social media and have had some work thrown my way, but I still feel like I am not doing it right.
killertofu
Member
Anyone use a tablet?
Is the Huion H610 Pro alright or should I pony up for a Wacom?
Is the Huion H610 Pro alright or should I pony up for a Wacom?
Branding, apparel, and illustrative design are three VERY different specialties.
Some clarity in the work you do and what clients you want could help us guide ya.
Tablets are basically essential for every designer. I've never used a Huion, so unfortunately I can't comment on quality differences between it and Wacom. I can say that I've been using the same Intuos 3 for something like 8 years and I still love it. So with Wacom the price might be high, but they're made to last.
Are you amateur, student, or professional?
Horse Detective
Why the long case?
Well while I love character design, I know it is not very applicable to a freelance career in areas other than Tumblr and Deviantart, which I know is not the forte of this thread.
I would like to focus on branding and apparel. To clarify, in the position I had (which I quit this morning) I was designing tee shirts for local businesses and events. The reason for my leaving was that the process was not personalized enough to feel special. It involved finding things online to quickly present to a client. I realize the first step is to update my portfolio and tailor it to this form of design, but i'm wondering what steps I should take to outreach to my local community, or even online.
Nothing wrong with Tumblr or Deviantart, but I certainly wouldn't consider either place somewhere to go to start a real career.
Honestly, starting completely fresh and just launching a successful career doing direct to client work is incredibly difficult and very rare. Your best bet when starting out is to work for a larger shop or firm where you can see where and how they get their clients, how they interact with them, and just how a business is run. Even if it's not directly in apparel, any job at a design shop or even ad agency would give you some great real world experience.
Olly Moss is a designer who had a lot of success making t-shirts and posters, selling direct to customer even, but even he has spent a lot of time at design companies and production shops. If you haven't heard it, I'd definitely recommend his recent interview on The Collective:
http://www.thecollectivepodcast.com/olly-moss/