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Yeah, I do sigs. I don't care if none of you know me. Check out my DA, and I'll try to do requests: http://www.xtremepoopbutt.com/
The only thing is that I need a base image, I can't work off of a blank.
Oh, and if I can't fill your request, I'll just come out and tell you, so don't get dissapointed if I can't fill it out.
What? I didn't do anything against the rules, unless you mean linking to NSFW or anything like that, but DeviantART isn't an NSFW site. Sure, some people well post it but by default the mature content filter is off
"New topics with no art in them are extremely likely to get locked, so keep that in mind."
This forum is for critiquing. If you want people to request sigs from you, just draw, and maybe some person eventually will ask you for one.
I also can't help but notice that absolutely nothing in the DA page's gallery that you sent to me was done by you. It's photos and art done by others, strung together by you.
All I can really do with these is critique your design ability, which is as follows:
These are terrible, here's why:
(your sigs: )
They are pixelated in spots, there is no creativity used with the text, and they look to be done in MS paint - NOT something people would go for. The text in your "resident evil" one is barely legible. Why would you put a white R against a white background?
This is a forum full of professional designers and artists. Why would they want yours when they could make their own?
If you were asking how to improve, I'm sure people would be greatly willing to help in that way.
mully on
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NappuccinoSurveyor of Things and StuffRegistered Userregular
What? I didn't do anything against the rules, unless you mean linking to NSFW or anything like that, but DeviantART isn't an NSFW site. Sure, some people well post it but by default the mature content filter is off
In the art thread, you need the art in the thread
Also, I'm a little unsure this really meets the general qualifications as 99% of threads are all hand-drawn (albiet some in photoshop) but I'm not a mod so maybe that's alright.
That's because those were just thrown together in 10 minutes. Did you even look at the rest of the gallery?
And besides. Most signatures are just pictures thrown together and brushes/effects added to them.
Also, the fact that I'm working on a laptop, and without a tablet or any kind of mouse besides a trackpad, makes it kind of difficult to make anyhting of high quality
Also, this was before I had a laptop, and was just doing it with photoshop, some brushes, and a mouse
Of course it's difficult to make anything high quality - but this is an art forum. We critique art. We critique quality. You came in here telling us you wanted people to ask you for things - but that's not what this is for. If you want to ask a question like "Who wants a sig", you could ask it in the Questions thread. As you've posted an entirely new thread, that means you want critiques.
That is a huge sig. The splatters look manufactured and fake. Your bat looks .. cut out and pixelated as well. You have that same drop of water for seemingly no reason. What I *do* like about it is the colour schemed and that it seems like you are going for an "old wet paper" kind of look. You have a beginning, that is for sure.
I'm not going to look at you're DA page because the rules clearly state you need to post your "art" here.
As far as your latest posting, it's still absolutely horrible. It looks like you took some random clipart and applied some random filters. The composition is terrible, you have tangents all over the place that disrupt the flow of everything. You have this random ass water drop/ripple thing in the top left that looks so out of place it's not even funny. It's like you were on LSD when you made it, except not in the Picasso sense.
Do you even know what those characters mean in the corners? Or did you treat them the same way a newly minted 18 year old treats a tattoo?
What do bats, blood, a water drop, and asian characters have to do with the word "Outburst"? And why is Outburst written in that godawful red/black gradient.
This is all kinds of terrible. You really need to get into the habit of looking at what a forum is about before you post there. This is an artist's corner, maybe you should try posting some real art. Some artists can do these haphazard things quite well and make them really interesting. You are not one of them. Not yet at least.
Do some more. I don't mind seeing things that you contribute to your friends as it is a good motivator to make your art look good. I just want you to do more and show me more.
You're 13 so your still young. The banner doesn't look too bad, but it's not good. Yeah, you are going to go through a meat grinder here if you are not careful. I would advise to look in our help and tutorial section. Also, don't splice different texts of another language to make it look cool. You never know what it says.
Can't work off a blank? What if someone requires you to make something without using a piece of art provided? I'd hate to use another artists work without permission and splice it to my specifications in order to appease another. That's like cutting a huge fart in someones face.
And yes, you did just site advertised there. You could have just waited to post when you got home or near a pc. You could have also saved the picture from your profile, upload it to imageshack, then uploaded it here by laptop. Would have been the same thing.
Shiekahn_boy on
"your a moron you know that wolves have packs wich they rely on nd they could ever here of lone wolves? you an idiot and your gay, wolves have packs and are smart with tactics" - Youtube Wolf Enthusiast.
You mean the kanji? I only remember 3 out of the four.
Top right = "Love"
Bottom right = closely resembles "Angel"
Bottom Left = A variation of "Woman"
And Outburst? It's a forum I regularly go on, dying now.
And it was originally supposed to be a banner for an RO private server
C'mon Alucard, it takes baby steps is all. Just go and draw me something and I'll look over it.
Shiekahn_boy on
"your a moron you know that wolves have packs wich they rely on nd they could ever here of lone wolves? you an idiot and your gay, wolves have packs and are smart with tactics" - Youtube Wolf Enthusiast.
So....what do water, blood, a bat, and three random, superficial, stereotypical kanji characters have to do with a private RO server named Outburst?
Absolutely nothing. That is a terrible banner/sig/whatever it's supposed to be. You need to post some actual art, some actual designs that you've made, SOMETHING that we can give an honest critique instead of outright trash. Between McGibs, Beavo, Scos, Tam, Mully and many others (not including myself), you're essentially a 10 year old with a picture of his hand as a turkey asking Egon Schiele or Monet to give him an honest critique.
I'm implying that those I mentioned are incredible artists, not people that sleep with their sisters or marry their mistresses. Just clarifying
Alucard, you have to first understand about composition in order to make design (that includes sigs). Right now your composition is lacking, but its a skill learned with time. As an excersice, why don't you post a sig not done by you that you really like and we can help you out by pointing out composition examples from that sig.
Oh if I'm coming off a bit harsh, good. If shitty, coddling art teachers have taught me anything, it's that nothing hurts worse and makes you want to do better than a scathing critique.
Pennyfreqs on
You don't have to be wrong for me to be right.
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NappuccinoSurveyor of Things and StuffRegistered Userregular
Settle down Penny. He's just a little kid that hasn't really done much. If you ask me he just tried something new, thought he was good at it, tried to get a higher opinion, and instead a slap to the face.
Take my advice and look at the Questons, Discussions, and Tutorials thread to get yourself a good start.
Welcome to the forums. Go and study so we can put you through a meat grinder.
Shiekahn_boy on
"your a moron you know that wolves have packs wich they rely on nd they could ever here of lone wolves? you an idiot and your gay, wolves have packs and are smart with tactics" - Youtube Wolf Enthusiast.
Penny: If anything, it makes me want to retaliate
D-Robe: Real mature, Jackass
Toaster: It was by a guy named Frizzle, him and a few others were what made me get into stuff like this. Oh, and sorry if I sound like some shitty movie about someone living their hopes and dreams
Alucard_101 on
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NappuccinoSurveyor of Things and StuffRegistered Userregular
edited June 2009
In all honesty, right now what you are giving us isn't that great. We won't want to commision sigs from you.
BUT! (and this is a big but) We will help you get better at the art of making Sigs (not to mention art as a whole) if you let us. It'll be a rough road but with open ears and a drive to do better, these people here guiding you will be the best people to do the job.
edit: (just ignore the more assholish comments while take the advice they give to heart)
Your critique is fine, but there's no reason to berate him because he's not a good artist or because there happens to be better artists on the board.
Anyway, aluricardo
start reading up about the basics of design which seems to me more what your trying to do, even if it is signatures.
Composition is probably your largest failing, but color theory, and typography are right up there as well.
I mean really, what do you want from us, your work is not good enough that we would request anything but if you want to improve it takes a conscious effort on your part and if that's not what your looking for than we will be of very little help to you.
Your site seems to be down. I can't find www.xtremepoopbutt.com and googling hasn't been... helpful.
You poor thing. My first attempt was sans "xtreme", but that turned out to be a real site. I can only imagine what a google search would yield...
Two women and a Beverage container?
Shiekahn_boy on
"your a moron you know that wolves have packs wich they rely on nd they could ever here of lone wolves? you an idiot and your gay, wolves have packs and are smart with tactics" - Youtube Wolf Enthusiast.
Penny: If anything, it makes me want to retaliate
D-Robe: Real mature, Jackass
Toaster: It was by a guy named Frizzle, him and a few others were what made me get into stuff like this. Oh, and sorry if I sound like some shitty movie about someone living their hopes and dreams
This is still very pixelated and over sharpened. Quality of presentation counts as much as looking "cool" counts, at least in the world of sigs. Listen to what someone else said and find a professional sig to post that you like and admire, and compare it to one you've made.
As far as wanting to retaliate, easy now. Retaliate passively by improving, not by lashing out like a little kid on a sugar rush. Don't question someone's maturity and in the same sentence call them a jackass. A better response would have been "hey, that's not particularly helpful, can you please focus on helping me improve?". Being vindictive will get you nowhere here, trust me.
The very first thing I can say about the sig you posted there, Alucard, is that the dude is using another persons art. There is a different between using someone elses art cut out as a sig (see Mars', or veritas' sig, etc.), and cutting out art, putting some filters over it, and calling it "your own creation" within a composition.
If you want to get into doing "sigs", you're going to want to learn how to do draw your own material - you'll find it will make the things you want to do all that much easier, since you won't have to go searching for usable material on the internet. As an artist who has had their art taken and used in sigs without permission, I can tell you right now that I did not appreciate it. Flattered that people would like my art -- frustrated that other people were using my art, taking 10 minutes to put some crappy text over it, some kind of Kanji symbol, then dubbing it their own creation. Under my own art, I see something written like "Sig by DarkNekoXX6969", because they "designed" it, and that's not how it works at all.
Your critique is fine, but there's no reason to berate him because he's not a good artist or because there happens to be better artists on the board.
Sorry, wasn't trying to sound personal. I'm just very used to being the only person in my art classes to really let loose with what's wrong with something, as opposed to everyone else who tries to coddle the person and let them down easy.
Though in hindsight doing it on a forum resembles trolling. Wow.
If you really wanna start with sigs, then you have to realize that you are then, by design, very limited in canvas size.
In order to keep the image readable, you going to have to cut way back on content in the images you've posted.
They're very busy and a lot of stuff is crammed into a very small space. Keep it simple. It'll go a long way.
hey duder, design can be really fun
I love doing design.
Mully mentioned that you should learn to draw your own things. And while I tend to be biased and agree a little that I prefer hand drawn things, there is a huge market for stock photography in design.
Not all designers can draw
But all good designers have a sense of composition, color, form, shape... things like that.
See good design typically follows some basic rules.
and what you are attempting to do here by making sigs is in fact design.
The one you posted that you like is well... it's not that great, i think what you're seeing that you do like is simplistic color pallets and you like the drawing... which was not done by that artist who made the sig I can assure you that much.
So if you really want to get good at making sigs, I think you would probably also be really interested in doing design in general.
Have you ever thought about maybe branching out from sigs?
maybe doing some poster designs for school functions, or maybe trying to do fake album covers or packaging design for products you like?
Because it seems like you like making sigs, I think you'd probably also enjoy trying those other aspects of design as well.
For learning all the tricks of design, there's a book that I really like which is simple to read and understand, with cool little projects you can do in it: http://www.amazon.com/Design-Basics-Index-Jim-Krause/dp/1581805012
it's by jim krause, a designer who has made a series of basic design books.
I do think you'll be really interested in some of this stuff.
You're still very young, but I think for your age, you're doing good! I was awwwwful when I was 13. What sets apart an artist (and by artist i mean illustrator/painter/designer...whatever) who is going to be crappy forever and an artist who ends up good is the desire to get better, and to actually follow through on that desire and work hard.
You are posting your stuff on the internet, sharing your work, getting tips, learning a bit... if you maintain an interest in it, and keep working at it, eventually you'll get better.
but i think you're taking the right steps in looking at work that you like, and trying to figure out how to do what they do. People are probably going to argue that point with me and be all "he should be learning basic design principals first" or something... but...i dunno, at times i feel that advice is a little... well, it's hard to gain an interest in design by first just plunging into the theory of it. Most people kind of build up an idea of what they like and try to mimic it first. it's just natural.
I should dig up the binder I have full of copies of drawings of dragons. Oh what a delightful trip down memory lane that will be
You mean the kanji? I only remember 3 out of the four.
Top right = "Love"
Bottom right = closely resembles "Angel"
Bottom Left = A variation of "Woman"
And Outburst? It's a forum I regularly go on, dying now.
And it was originally supposed to be a banner for an RO private server
Not really the main topic, but are you translating those from Chinese or Japanese? Because if it's Japanese the bottom left is "cheap" and if it's Chinese I'm told it means something along the lines of "peace". It's a woman under a roof.
Top left is roughly equivalent to "happiness" in either language.
Bottom right is "greet" or "welcome" in Japanese, and "welcome" in Chinese.
Top right is the only one you got right.
While this is not hugely important, you had one out of those 4 characters right. They could have meant anything. If you're going to use a language you don't know in a design or piece of art, make damn sure you know what it means. I can't tell you how often I see things like this where a person used a character because it looks cool and they thought they knew what it meant, not realizing that it says something completely ridiculous or nonsensical. Don't be that guy.
Edit: Just realized that you called them Kanji, meaning you're using Japanese meanings. That means that your characters are cheap, welcome, happiness, and love. Nicely done.
You mean the kanji? I only remember 3 out of the four.
Top right = "Love"
Bottom right = closely resembles "Angel"
Bottom Left = A variation of "Woman"
And Outburst? It's a forum I regularly go on, dying now.
And it was originally supposed to be a banner for an RO private server
Not really the main topic, but are you translating those from Chinese or Japanese? Because if it's Japanese the bottom left is "cheap" and if it's Chinese I'm told it means something along the lines of "peace". It's a woman under a roof.
Top left is roughly equivalent to "happiness" in either language.
Bottom right is "greet" or "welcome" in Japanese, and "welcome" in Chinese.
Top right is the only one you got right.
While this is not hugely important, you had one out of those 4 characters right. They could have meant anything. If you're going to use a language you don't know in a design or piece of art, make damn sure you know what it means. I can't tell you how often I see things like this where a person used a character because it looks cool and they thought they knew what it meant, not realizing that it says something completely ridiculous or nonsensical. Don't be that guy.
Edit: Just realized that you called them Kanji, meaning you're using Japanese meanings. That means that your characters are cheap, welcome, happiness, and love. Nicely done.
Oh, god. I hate that. Well, at least a tattoo wasn't involved at any point here.
I think you're taking the right steps in looking at work that you like, and trying to figure out how to do what they do. People are probably going to argue that point with me and be all "he should be learning basic design principals first" or something... but...i dunno, at times i feel that advice is a little... well, it's hard to gain an interest in design by first just plunging into the theory of it. Most people kind of build up an idea of what they like and try to mimic it first. it's just natural.
I agree, anyone who argues that they started any differently is a poor liar. Although that doesn't mean we don't want to try to instill principles in the next generation earlier then we figured them out. Really everyone who becomes interesting in art or design does so because of what they see and tries to copy. Then they want to figure out not just how to copy it but to use those ideas to make something of their own. Telling someone to draw from life, or design from principles is important, but it doesn't work until they are at the point of learning where it becomes necessary and the desire to improve is there.
I agree with Beavs that you should try branching out to posters and design for schools or other media you're not completely used to because the problem with designing signatures is that the accepted practices there don't follow the accepted practices for almost anything else I don't mean you should stop but when you make them realise that the original artists put a lot of work into something you/and others claim credit for there are a lot of stock resources out there you can utilize without ripping off other artists. However, becoming familiar working within design parameters and creating compositions based on a breif is a start.
Hell I know I was making crappy sigs and drawings when I was 13. The only difference was that I didn't have my own computer much less a laptop, it was an old IBM 286 and it had a 14k modem (and that was upgrade). In fact I was probably even using things like comic sans, and papyrus thinking how cool they were.
You have a great advantage (even more than we did), the earlier you gain interest in learning, whether that is in art or design or illustration or whatever, you have so much more access then we ever did that the only limiting factor is yourself, the pace you want to learn at and your desire to improve.
The Black HunterThe key is a minimum of compromise, and a simple,unimpeachable reason to existRegistered Userregular
edited June 2009
I know in alot of younger forums, people will ask for a sig to be made for them more to simply have a sig made for them and to interact, not because of quality.
probably gone
and because of that, i want to take this opportunity to make a few points.
the kid was 13 guys.
honestly, you know how i feel about good strong critique. but when giving that, age is a factor. Some people will say it's not, but it is. Think back to when you were 13. it's a hard time in a kid's life, they're just starting to find themselves and of COURSE he's not going to be completely ready to accept all crits, get out there and start life drawing and shit. He's just starting to form an interest in art. Sure it wasn't that great or whatever, but this stage is just as important to a young artist as the stages where they do copious amounts of drawings of hands, feet, and still life.
People do not give enough credit to forming an interest in art and drawing. What makes a person good at drawing and art is first and foremost an interest in it, a desire to get better. Then comes the actual practice, which is undoubtedly an important part, but if you don't have the interest, why put in the practice?
A lot of people around here preach starting off with life drawing. Not necessarily in this particular case, but in general... I'm talking in general forum terms here.
No one seemed to even stop and think of what this kid wants out of art.
He showed me no indication that he's looking to draw the perfect human form or even to draw at all. It looked more to me like he was showing an interest in design. People were very quick to jump on him with crits that are not tailored to the stage that he's at or even the type of art he's interested in. They compared him to more advanced artists on this forum which is completely and utterly unfair. We were all in his position before.
He's at a very similar stage as my brother, who also happens to be 13. At this point, they're copying artists who they admire, trying to figure out what they like about art while having fun. This is a very very important stage for a young developing artist.
I went through it, I know that good artists on this forum went through it, so why act all high and mighty and demand that current gen starting artists skip that part which to me is very very important?
It helped me get to where I am, why should I declare it "not the right method"?
sure there are better methods...more logical ones that you wish you could have followed yourself... but really, how much of a difference would it make?
sure drawing vases and people is a better way to get a much more solid foundation
but a 13 year old kid doesn't have the attention span or desire (typically) to do that, so why force it on them?
why not let them find what it is they enjoy about art, play around for a bit, experiment, discover whether art is a little hobby on the side or a lifelong passion, and THEN start pushing them in the right directions?
I just feel like the approach on here is to come at people daggers out, and while I used to be all for that, I've grown up a bit and realized that it's not necessarily a good approach and as a community we should strongly consider changing things up a bit.
When I was 13, I would not have started a new thread on an internet forum (without reading the rules) in an obvious attempt to harvest commisions.
I would not have done this because...
there was no internet. :winky:
Seriously though, Beav makes some good points but ultimately... this is exactly how people react on every forum on the internet (including someone responding saying, 'guys, do we really need to be so harsh to every newcomer?').
the first thing every growing kid should know is how to follow instructions and fit into a community by following any rules given. i remember in grade 6 we were given this long list of tasks of things to do, and at the very top of the page in slightly smaller print, it said, "if youve actually read the instructions, good for you. sit down at your desk and wait for everyone else to finish." -- the list of tasks were things like, "dance at your desk" and "yell out your favourite ice cream".
by swooping on in here and doing what he did, he proved he had no interest in following rules, and no interest in improving. he wanted head-pats and commissions. that's definitely not what this forum is for. had he posted his things and asked for help on improving, that would've been a lot, lot better than the route he's taken.
You can trace some part of my personal art history back to creating shitty sigs on a forum for the game Black & White (before it was released). I could probably still find some of them squirreled away in some long forgotten corner of one of my hdds.
Posts
Try reading the fucking rules before you post though.
If you can't find it don't worry you just have to keep looking.
Tumblr Behance Carbonmade PAAC on FB
BFBC2
"New topics with no art in them are extremely likely to get locked, so keep that in mind."
This forum is for critiquing. If you want people to request sigs from you, just draw, and maybe some person eventually will ask you for one.
I also can't help but notice that absolutely nothing in the DA page's gallery that you sent to me was done by you. It's photos and art done by others, strung together by you.
All I can really do with these is critique your design ability, which is as follows:
These are terrible, here's why:
(your sigs: )
They are pixelated in spots, there is no creativity used with the text, and they look to be done in MS paint - NOT something people would go for. The text in your "resident evil" one is barely legible. Why would you put a white R against a white background?
This is a forum full of professional designers and artists. Why would they want yours when they could make their own?
If you were asking how to improve, I'm sure people would be greatly willing to help in that way.
In the art thread, you need the art in the thread
Also, I'm a little unsure this really meets the general qualifications as 99% of threads are all hand-drawn (albiet some in photoshop) but I'm not a mod so maybe that's alright.
And besides. Most signatures are just pictures thrown together and brushes/effects added to them.
Also, the fact that I'm working on a laptop, and without a tablet or any kind of mouse besides a trackpad, makes it kind of difficult to make anyhting of high quality
Also, this was before I had a laptop, and was just doing it with photoshop, some brushes, and a mouse
That is a huge sig. The splatters look manufactured and fake. Your bat looks .. cut out and pixelated as well. You have that same drop of water for seemingly no reason. What I *do* like about it is the colour schemed and that it seems like you are going for an "old wet paper" kind of look. You have a beginning, that is for sure.
As far as your latest posting, it's still absolutely horrible. It looks like you took some random clipart and applied some random filters. The composition is terrible, you have tangents all over the place that disrupt the flow of everything. You have this random ass water drop/ripple thing in the top left that looks so out of place it's not even funny. It's like you were on LSD when you made it, except not in the Picasso sense.
Do you even know what those characters mean in the corners? Or did you treat them the same way a newly minted 18 year old treats a tattoo?
What do bats, blood, a water drop, and asian characters have to do with the word "Outburst"? And why is Outburst written in that godawful red/black gradient.
This is all kinds of terrible. You really need to get into the habit of looking at what a forum is about before you post there. This is an artist's corner, maybe you should try posting some real art. Some artists can do these haphazard things quite well and make them really interesting. You are not one of them. Not yet at least.
Edit: Mully beat me to it! Bah humbug.
You're 13 so your still young. The banner doesn't look too bad, but it's not good. Yeah, you are going to go through a meat grinder here if you are not careful. I would advise to look in our help and tutorial section. Also, don't splice different texts of another language to make it look cool. You never know what it says.
Can't work off a blank? What if someone requires you to make something without using a piece of art provided? I'd hate to use another artists work without permission and splice it to my specifications in order to appease another. That's like cutting a huge fart in someones face.
And yes, you did just site advertised there. You could have just waited to post when you got home or near a pc. You could have also saved the picture from your profile, upload it to imageshack, then uploaded it here by laptop. Would have been the same thing.
Top right = "Love"
Bottom right = closely resembles "Angel"
Bottom Left = A variation of "Woman"
And Outburst? It's a forum I regularly go on, dying now.
And it was originally supposed to be a banner for an RO private server
Absolutely nothing. That is a terrible banner/sig/whatever it's supposed to be. You need to post some actual art, some actual designs that you've made, SOMETHING that we can give an honest critique instead of outright trash. Between McGibs, Beavo, Scos, Tam, Mully and many others (not including myself), you're essentially a 10 year old with a picture of his hand as a turkey asking Egon Schiele or Monet to give him an honest critique.
I'm implying that those I mentioned are incredible artists, not people that sleep with their sisters or marry their mistresses. Just clarifying
[MASSIVE EDIT]
Sorry D-Robe, - I see why you would say that now...
Take my advice and look at the Questons, Discussions, and Tutorials thread to get yourself a good start.
Welcome to the forums. Go and study so we can put you through a meat grinder.
He helped me out. I know the future name of my laxative business now.
D-Robe: Real mature, Jackass
Toaster: It was by a guy named Frizzle, him and a few others were what made me get into stuff like this. Oh, and sorry if I sound like some shitty movie about someone living their hopes and dreams
BUT! (and this is a big but) We will help you get better at the art of making Sigs (not to mention art as a whole) if you let us. It'll be a rough road but with open ears and a drive to do better, these people here guiding you will be the best people to do the job.
edit: (just ignore the more assholish comments while take the advice they give to heart)
You poor thing. My first attempt was sans "xtreme", but that turned out to be a real site. I can only imagine what a google search would yield...
Your critique is fine, but there's no reason to berate him because he's not a good artist or because there happens to be better artists on the board.
Anyway, aluricardo
start reading up about the basics of design which seems to me more what your trying to do, even if it is signatures.
Composition is probably your largest failing, but color theory, and typography are right up there as well.
I mean really, what do you want from us, your work is not good enough that we would request anything but if you want to improve it takes a conscious effort on your part and if that's not what your looking for than we will be of very little help to you.
Tumblr Behance Carbonmade PAAC on FB
BFBC2
Two women and a Beverage container?
This is still very pixelated and over sharpened. Quality of presentation counts as much as looking "cool" counts, at least in the world of sigs. Listen to what someone else said and find a professional sig to post that you like and admire, and compare it to one you've made.
As far as wanting to retaliate, easy now. Retaliate passively by improving, not by lashing out like a little kid on a sugar rush. Don't question someone's maturity and in the same sentence call them a jackass. A better response would have been "hey, that's not particularly helpful, can you please focus on helping me improve?". Being vindictive will get you nowhere here, trust me.
If you want to get into doing "sigs", you're going to want to learn how to do draw your own material - you'll find it will make the things you want to do all that much easier, since you won't have to go searching for usable material on the internet. As an artist who has had their art taken and used in sigs without permission, I can tell you right now that I did not appreciate it. Flattered that people would like my art -- frustrated that other people were using my art, taking 10 minutes to put some crappy text over it, some kind of Kanji symbol, then dubbing it their own creation. Under my own art, I see something written like "Sig by DarkNekoXX6969", because they "designed" it, and that's not how it works at all.
Sorry, wasn't trying to sound personal. I'm just very used to being the only person in my art classes to really let loose with what's wrong with something, as opposed to everyone else who tries to coddle the person and let them down easy.
Though in hindsight doing it on a forum resembles trolling. Wow.
In order to keep the image readable, you going to have to cut way back on content in the images you've posted.
They're very busy and a lot of stuff is crammed into a very small space. Keep it simple. It'll go a long way.
I love doing design.
Mully mentioned that you should learn to draw your own things. And while I tend to be biased and agree a little that I prefer hand drawn things, there is a huge market for stock photography in design.
Not all designers can draw
But all good designers have a sense of composition, color, form, shape... things like that.
See good design typically follows some basic rules.
and what you are attempting to do here by making sigs is in fact design.
The one you posted that you like is well... it's not that great, i think what you're seeing that you do like is simplistic color pallets and you like the drawing... which was not done by that artist who made the sig I can assure you that much.
So if you really want to get good at making sigs, I think you would probably also be really interested in doing design in general.
Have you ever thought about maybe branching out from sigs?
maybe doing some poster designs for school functions, or maybe trying to do fake album covers or packaging design for products you like?
Because it seems like you like making sigs, I think you'd probably also enjoy trying those other aspects of design as well.
For learning all the tricks of design, there's a book that I really like which is simple to read and understand, with cool little projects you can do in it:
http://www.amazon.com/Design-Basics-Index-Jim-Krause/dp/1581805012
it's by jim krause, a designer who has made a series of basic design books.
I do think you'll be really interested in some of this stuff.
You're still very young, but I think for your age, you're doing good! I was awwwwful when I was 13. What sets apart an artist (and by artist i mean illustrator/painter/designer...whatever) who is going to be crappy forever and an artist who ends up good is the desire to get better, and to actually follow through on that desire and work hard.
You are posting your stuff on the internet, sharing your work, getting tips, learning a bit... if you maintain an interest in it, and keep working at it, eventually you'll get better.
but i think you're taking the right steps in looking at work that you like, and trying to figure out how to do what they do. People are probably going to argue that point with me and be all "he should be learning basic design principals first" or something... but...i dunno, at times i feel that advice is a little... well, it's hard to gain an interest in design by first just plunging into the theory of it. Most people kind of build up an idea of what they like and try to mimic it first. it's just natural.
I should dig up the binder I have full of copies of drawings of dragons. Oh what a delightful trip down memory lane that will be
Not really the main topic, but are you translating those from Chinese or Japanese? Because if it's Japanese the bottom left is "cheap" and if it's Chinese I'm told it means something along the lines of "peace". It's a woman under a roof.
Top left is roughly equivalent to "happiness" in either language.
Bottom right is "greet" or "welcome" in Japanese, and "welcome" in Chinese.
Top right is the only one you got right.
While this is not hugely important, you had one out of those 4 characters right. They could have meant anything. If you're going to use a language you don't know in a design or piece of art, make damn sure you know what it means. I can't tell you how often I see things like this where a person used a character because it looks cool and they thought they knew what it meant, not realizing that it says something completely ridiculous or nonsensical. Don't be that guy.
Edit: Just realized that you called them Kanji, meaning you're using Japanese meanings. That means that your characters are cheap, welcome, happiness, and love. Nicely done.
Oh, god. I hate that. Well, at least a tattoo wasn't involved at any point here.
I agree, anyone who argues that they started any differently is a poor liar. Although that doesn't mean we don't want to try to instill principles in the next generation earlier then we figured them out. Really everyone who becomes interesting in art or design does so because of what they see and tries to copy. Then they want to figure out not just how to copy it but to use those ideas to make something of their own. Telling someone to draw from life, or design from principles is important, but it doesn't work until they are at the point of learning where it becomes necessary and the desire to improve is there.
@alucard:
I agree with Beavs that you should try branching out to posters and design for schools or other media you're not completely used to because the problem with designing signatures is that the accepted practices there don't follow the accepted practices for almost anything else I don't mean you should stop but when you make them realise that the original artists put a lot of work into something you/and others claim credit for there are a lot of stock resources out there you can utilize without ripping off other artists. However, becoming familiar working within design parameters and creating compositions based on a breif is a start.
Hell I know I was making crappy sigs and drawings when I was 13. The only difference was that I didn't have my own computer much less a laptop, it was an old IBM 286 and it had a 14k modem (and that was upgrade). In fact I was probably even using things like comic sans, and papyrus thinking how cool they were.
You have a great advantage (even more than we did), the earlier you gain interest in learning, whether that is in art or design or illustration or whatever, you have so much more access then we ever did that the only limiting factor is yourself, the pace you want to learn at and your desire to improve.
Tumblr Behance Carbonmade PAAC on FB
BFBC2
Something involving this, no doubt.
Also more on topic, I wonder if Alucard is gone.
probably gone
and because of that, i want to take this opportunity to make a few points.
the kid was 13 guys.
honestly, you know how i feel about good strong critique. but when giving that, age is a factor. Some people will say it's not, but it is. Think back to when you were 13. it's a hard time in a kid's life, they're just starting to find themselves and of COURSE he's not going to be completely ready to accept all crits, get out there and start life drawing and shit. He's just starting to form an interest in art. Sure it wasn't that great or whatever, but this stage is just as important to a young artist as the stages where they do copious amounts of drawings of hands, feet, and still life.
People do not give enough credit to forming an interest in art and drawing. What makes a person good at drawing and art is first and foremost an interest in it, a desire to get better. Then comes the actual practice, which is undoubtedly an important part, but if you don't have the interest, why put in the practice?
A lot of people around here preach starting off with life drawing. Not necessarily in this particular case, but in general... I'm talking in general forum terms here.
No one seemed to even stop and think of what this kid wants out of art.
He showed me no indication that he's looking to draw the perfect human form or even to draw at all. It looked more to me like he was showing an interest in design. People were very quick to jump on him with crits that are not tailored to the stage that he's at or even the type of art he's interested in. They compared him to more advanced artists on this forum which is completely and utterly unfair. We were all in his position before.
He's at a very similar stage as my brother, who also happens to be 13. At this point, they're copying artists who they admire, trying to figure out what they like about art while having fun. This is a very very important stage for a young developing artist.
I went through it, I know that good artists on this forum went through it, so why act all high and mighty and demand that current gen starting artists skip that part which to me is very very important?
It helped me get to where I am, why should I declare it "not the right method"?
sure there are better methods...more logical ones that you wish you could have followed yourself... but really, how much of a difference would it make?
sure drawing vases and people is a better way to get a much more solid foundation
but a 13 year old kid doesn't have the attention span or desire (typically) to do that, so why force it on them?
why not let them find what it is they enjoy about art, play around for a bit, experiment, discover whether art is a little hobby on the side or a lifelong passion, and THEN start pushing them in the right directions?
I just feel like the approach on here is to come at people daggers out, and while I used to be all for that, I've grown up a bit and realized that it's not necessarily a good approach and as a community we should strongly consider changing things up a bit.
I would not have done this because...
Seriously though, Beav makes some good points but ultimately... this is exactly how people react on every forum on the internet (including someone responding saying, 'guys, do we really need to be so harsh to every newcomer?').
by swooping on in here and doing what he did, he proved he had no interest in following rules, and no interest in improving. he wanted head-pats and commissions. that's definitely not what this forum is for. had he posted his things and asked for help on improving, that would've been a lot, lot better than the route he's taken.