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Questions, Discussion, and Tutorials

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Posts

  • BroloBrolo Broseidon Lord of the BroceanRegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Hey dudes, can I get a bit of feedback on my website portfolio?

    www.japong.net

    I'm trying to look for employment in the graphic design and illustration fields. I'm not great with CSS/HTML webdesign (you can probably tell from my site), and while I have some knowledge of vector work in Illustrator I don't know how to use flash.

    I'm a little worried that the site design is a little too dark and focuses too much on fantasy illustration work, rather than on more employment-friendly commercial and advertisement work.

    Do I have the skills to actually get employed with my current level of artwork? So far I haven't had much success in getting paid to do art or design. Any advice would be appreciated!

    Brolo on
  • ManonvonSuperockManonvonSuperock Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    It is a little too dark to comfortably read the splash page.

    Also, I hate splash pages. No one visits a site for its splash page, so it's nothing more than a barrier between the viewer and what you want them to see.

    and the quality of work under your digital painting section is much lower than that you have listed under graphic design. so much lower that I wouldn't suggest having most of it on the site.

    and, that AWE logo is totally fucking sweet.

    ManonvonSuperock on
  • NakedZerglingNakedZergling A more apocalyptic post apocalypse Portland OregonRegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Hey guys i'm having a problem and i'm wondering if you have faced it at all. I'm having real issues with symmetry. I'll draw a quick face and the horizontal flip it in PS to see the errors and it's REALLY slanted and bad. I've been spending hours trying again and again, and every time i swear it looks straight and even, but i'll flip it and it's GOD AWFUL. Could this be something with my vision, or is it just a matter of practice? It really takes the win out of my sails when i just draw a head shape, it looks correct to me but then i flip it...even without features, just the outline, and its all kinds of slanted. I'm getting pissed

    NakedZergling on
  • MKRMKR Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Rolo wrote: »
    Hey dudes, can I get a bit of feedback on my website portfolio?

    www.japong.net

    I'm trying to look for employment in the graphic design and illustration fields. I'm not great with CSS/HTML webdesign (you can probably tell from my site), and while I have some knowledge of vector work in Illustrator I don't know how to use flash.

    I'm a little worried that the site design is a little too dark and focuses too much on fantasy illustration work, rather than on more employment-friendly commercial and advertisement work.

    Do I have the skills to actually get employed with my current level of artwork? So far I haven't had much success in getting paid to do art or design. Any advice would be appreciated!

    http://www.japong.net/HTML/main.html

    I don't know if it's on purpose, but the content is in a tiny bar on the left, and nothing's drawing my eye over there. I land right in the middle and sit there wondering what to do. Content on the sides is typically miscellaneous stuff like links or ads, and users are going to expect the content to be around the center unless their eyes are told to go elsewhere.

    MKR on
  • ManonvonSuperockManonvonSuperock Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Hey guys i'm having a problem and i'm wondering if you have faced it at all. I'm having real issues with symmetry. I'll draw a quick face and the horizontal flip it in PS to see the errors and it's REALLY slanted and bad. I've been spending hours trying again and again, and every time i swear it looks straight and even, but i'll flip it and it's GOD AWFUL. Could this be something with my vision, or is it just a matter of practice? It really takes the win out of my sails when i just draw a head shape, it looks correct to me but then i flip it...even without features, just the outline, and its all kinds of slanted. I'm getting pissed

    If I recall reading correctly, one of the big name comic artists had a similar problem and would meticulously use a tracing table so that he could keep flipping his art back and forth while drawing it. I'm wanting to say it was Ditko.

    ManonvonSuperock on
  • BroloBrolo Broseidon Lord of the BroceanRegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    MKR wrote: »
    Rolo wrote: »
    Hey dudes, can I get a bit of feedback on my website portfolio?

    www.japong.net

    I'm trying to look for employment in the graphic design and illustration fields. I'm not great with CSS/HTML webdesign (you can probably tell from my site), and while I have some knowledge of vector work in Illustrator I don't know how to use flash.

    I'm a little worried that the site design is a little too dark and focuses too much on fantasy illustration work, rather than on more employment-friendly commercial and advertisement work.

    Do I have the skills to actually get employed with my current level of artwork? So far I haven't had much success in getting paid to do art or design. Any advice would be appreciated!

    http://www.japong.net/HTML/main.html

    I don't know if it's on purpose, but the content is in a tiny bar on the left, and nothing's drawing my eye over there. I land right in the middle and sit there wondering what to do. Content on the sides is typically miscellaneous stuff like links or ads, and users are going to expect the content to be around the center unless their eyes are told to go elsewhere.

    Hmm, it's a nav bar and I'm definitely used to those being off to the side of the main content. Once you click on any of the thumbnails the image itself loads in the middle of the page.

    I suppose if I used something like Lightbox I could place the thumbnails in the middle of the page, and then load images directly on top of it. Personally I've always found lightbox portfolios to be annoying to navigate, since it always feels like you're waiting for the lightbox script to display the next image.
    It is a little too dark to comfortably read the splash page.

    Also, I hate splash pages. No one visits a site for its splash page, so it's nothing more than a barrier between the viewer and what you want them to see.

    and the quality of work under your digital painting section is much lower than that you have listed under graphic design. so much lower that I wouldn't suggest having most of it on the site.

    and, that AWE logo is totally fucking sweet.

    I've been debating about losing the splash page, I didn't think it felt too intrusive since it's a relatively fast-loading jpeg image and you only click through it once, but maybe I'll just fold that particular image into one of the gallery sections.

    What would you say were the weakest/strongest digital painting pieces? I'd like to keep at least some of that work, but maybe just trimming it to 3 or so of the strongest pieces would be a good idea.

    Brolo on
  • MKRMKR Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    I didn't notice that. :D

    What you could do is have the content div hidden by default so the nav bar is in the middle, and then it snaps to the side when you reveal the content.

    MKR on
  • BroloBrolo Broseidon Lord of the BroceanRegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    MKR wrote: »
    I didn't notice that. :D

    What you could do is have the content div hidden by default so the nav bar is in the middle, and then it snaps to the side when you reveal the content.

    Haha, well you not noticing that is definitely a problem with my design, so it's probably a good idea to improve the site's readability/usability!

    And yeah, I'll need to study a little more HTML to figure out how to move divs around, even doing basic markup is a challenge for me.

    Brolo on
  • MKRMKR Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Rolo wrote: »
    MKR wrote: »
    I didn't notice that. :D

    What you could do is have the content div hidden by default so the nav bar is in the middle, and then it snaps to the side when you reveal the content.

    Haha, well you not noticing that is definitely a problem with my design, so it's probably a good idea to improve the site's readability/usability!

    And yeah, I'll need to study a little more HTML to figure out how to move divs around, even doing basic markup is a challenge for me.

    My divs, let me show you them. All of that is positioned automatically using the magic of CSS.

    MKR on
  • TheWontonTheWonton Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    I just bought myself 3 (triple click!) Bamboo Fun tablets and literally am having tons of fun.

    I want to create my own font now (seems simple enough right?) but it seems like the only programs that allow you to do this cost hundreds of dollars. It's something so simple and I can't wrap my mind around how it could cost so much. Is there a free solution somewhere that I'm missing?

    If anyone wants to buy one of the extra tablets: eBay!

    I'd rather sell it for price rather than going through the trouble of sending it back to the manufacturer and waiting for the refund to occur on the bill.

    I'm really having a lot more fun than I expected with this, and best of all using the pen in lieu of the mouse really takes the strain off your wrist.

    TheWonton on
  • JohannenJohannen Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Adobe Illustrator CS4 is £600!! What the fucksticks!

    Johannen on
  • MustangMustang Arbiter of Unpopular Opinions Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Unless you're a student and then it's $fuckall.

    Mustang on
  • PierceNeckPierceNeck Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    I want to commission a tattoo design. I think this is where I'm supposed to ask.

    If you think you're up to the challenge let me know!

    PierceNeck on
    steam_sig.png
  • GrennGrenn Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    PierceNeck wrote: »
    I want to commission a tattoo design. I think this is where I'm supposed to ask.

    If you think you're up to the challenge let me know!

    Having worked in a tattoo studio, my response to this question is always the same: the best person to design your tattoo, is the one who is going to be inking it into your skin.

    Grenn on
  • F87F87 So Say We All Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    I want to redesign my website. I want to use HTML and CSS with plain ol' notepad.

    Any tips? I really don't know much CSS, but I want a clean, simple website.

    Also, would it be a good idea to find a free template and base the work off that?

    F87 on
  • NibCromNibCrom Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    I taught myself basic HTML and CSS from a "Visual Quickstart Guide" book. I only code in TextEdit (probably the Mac equivalent). I think it's a lot easier to go off of other people's code and learn from their examples, so finding a free template might not be a bad idea, especially if you modify it for your needs. You could learn a lot that way and then even come up with your own designs later.

    NibCrom on
  • MKRMKR Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    NibCrom wrote: »
    I taught myself basic HTML and CSS from a "Visual Quickstart Guide" book. I only code in TextEdit (probably the Mac equivalent). I think it's a lot easier to go off of other people's code and learn from their examples, so finding a free template might not be a bad idea, especially if you modify it for your needs. You could learn a lot that way and then even come up with your own designs later.

    It's my understanding that the quality of that series has plummeted. w3schools is always good for learning web stuff.

    MKR on
  • JohannenJohannen Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Mustang wrote: »
    Unless you're a student and then it's $fuckall.

    So I have to go back to Uni for this!

    Eugh....... O.k then.

    Johannen on
  • edited January 2010
    I use notepad++ and w3schools for all my html/css writing needs.

    Richard M. Nixon on
    chevy.jpgsteve.jpgmartin.jpg
  • BroloBrolo Broseidon Lord of the BroceanRegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Notepad++ is so awesome

    Brolo on
  • MKRMKR Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    If one were to make a time capsule for what represents the best software of our time, Notepad++ would be the text editor.

    MKR on
  • GrennGrenn Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    I am also a very happy Notepad++ user. It is a nifty little beast.

    As for simple tutorials, I would suggest: http://htmldog.com/ which I found pretty useful when I was relearning a bunch of stuff.

    Also, we're all big boys and girls now, we should be using XHTML.

    Grenn on
  • Michael HMichael H Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Tablet question: I am currently using one of these:

    http://www.amazon.com/DigiPro-4x3-Inch-Graphics-Tablet-Cordless/dp/B000YLBE9G/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1264796145&sr=8-6

    It's small. It was cheap. It was a way for me to see if I wanted to spend time doing digital drawings/paintings. Turns out I do!

    I draw for fun, but I would like to draw on something better. The pressure sensitivity feels more like a light switch than a gradient and it doesn't seem to track very well in general.

    If I bumped up my budget to, say, $75 to 100ish dollars would I be able to get something appreciatively better or would I bet stuck with the same general quality of tablet? I use GIMP on Windows 7, if it matters.

    Michael H on
  • MKRMKR Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    MKR on
  • RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator mod
    edited January 2010
    I really like my little bamboo touch. I wouldn't use it for huge projects, but it is great for doodling and playing and stuff.

    Rankenphile on
    8406wWN.png
  • beavotronbeavotron Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    has anyone here gotten a chance to peek through this book?

    http://www.amazon.ca/Guild-Handbook-Scientific-Illustration/dp/0471360112/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264877841&sr=8-1

    i am very interested in picking this up
    but with an almost 200$ price tag, i want some reviews first.

    edit: just found out that my old university's library has it on reserve. gonna go check it out, i'll tell you all what the verdict is if you're at all interested in scientific illustration.

    beavotron on
  • BuckwolfeBuckwolfe Starts With Them, Ends With Us Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    I do so love illustrated nature and science books. Especially the old ones. I've got a few that are outrageously beautiful. Especially Seba's "Cabinet of Natural Curiosities." But $200 is one whopper of a price tag, Beavs.

    Too bad the pages available on Amazon's "Look Inside" are of zero help. Its practically just the cover, table on contents, and index pages.

    Buckwolfe on
  • Michael HMichael H Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Thanks for the suggestions on the Bamboo tablets; I will check them out.

    On a somewhat related note, I've been using GIMP for years and had no idea that GIMP Paint Studio existed. It's a collection of brushes, palettes, and other tools that help gear GIMP more toward painting. Pretty neat stuff.

    Michael H on
  • beavotronbeavotron Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    checked it out at the library
    it is certainly a wealth of knowledge
    a very technical approach to illustration though, so if you're not into that, don't bother with it
    but if you're into doing highly realistic renderings and learning about good techniques, it's pretty applicable to all fields of illustrative work.

    beavotron on
  • NibCromNibCrom Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    So what is the ultimate Web DESIGN book? Not coding (although that doesn't hurt) but DESIGN.

    NibCrom on
  • GrennGrenn Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    In my experience, you don't really get web design books that don't relate to coding in some way, unless you're talking about stuff on User Experience. A well designed site is required to be more than simply visually pleasing - it needs to be eloquently coded, cross-browser compatible, mobile-friendly, search engine optimised, etc etc.

    I would say the web design books which deal with the more cosmetic side of things would be ones on Cascading Style Sheets (CSS).

    This is widely considered one of the best: Transcending CSS: The Fine Art of Web Design and certainly covers a lot of subject matter which you'd find in other non-web-specific design books.
    Fun Fact: Some of my artwork is also in this book! 8-)

    Grenn on
  • NibCromNibCrom Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Yeah, that book might be what I'm looking for. Does it say things like, "your site should probably be x pixels wide, because 50% of all browsers are set to y resolution." That's the kind of stuff I need. I know the basics of HTML and CSS, I'm more concerned with the BEST ways to set it up, considering ease of use for both the users and possible coders.

    Judging from the preview, it looks like what I need. Does it show how to set things up in Photoshop?
    If I get it, I'll be sure to look for your art. :)

    NibCrom on
  • GrennGrenn Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    While it has a section on the web building process and refers to putting together mock sites in photoshop it doesn't really go into that side of things. It does have a huge amount of stuff on Grid Based design, which is pretty good.

    It's a good read but it's sort of aimed at people who already build websites, so there's a lot of assumed knowledge. I don't think you're going to find a web design book which will deal much with photoshop!

    As for the stats on browsers/resolution, you can probably find that stuff online. I'm rebuilding my own site at the moment and have chosen the resolution based on my Google Analytics stats.

    Grenn on
  • NibCromNibCrom Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Well, Grenn, maybe you could answer my question then:

    Do people still generally build sites in Photoshop and use that slice method? Or is that completely outdated?

    NibCrom on
  • MagicToasterMagicToaster JapanRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    What kind of binding do you guys recommend for a book thats 200 pages long? I don't know what kind of paper they're gonna use yet.

    MagicToaster on
  • ManonvonSuperockManonvonSuperock Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    perfectbinding if it's for a commercial release, I'd just comb-bind it if it's used as an internal manual, etc.

    ManonvonSuperock on
  • melting_dollmelting_doll Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    I am totally new to Photoshop/digital work. Is there a way to change the resolution on an image I've already started working on? Or does that only apply to scanned images?

    durr

    melting_doll on
  • ManonvonSuperockManonvonSuperock Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Image-->adjustments-->image size. resolution and size options available there.

    ManonvonSuperock on
  • MustangMustang Arbiter of Unpopular Opinions Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    You can also set your dpi in there too. Of course if you're sizing up, your image won't retain 100% of it's snazziness.

    Mustang on
  • ManonvonSuperockManonvonSuperock Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    also, who can tell me anything about this work?

    islanders.jpg

    I got the print from a thrift store in Sacramento. I later saw the same image hanging on the wall of the hawaiian hotel in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The David reference is pretty obvious here, but my google fu has failed me in finding anything else out about it.

    ManonvonSuperock on
This discussion has been closed.