@Esiotrot
post a bio in the "about me" section! it's the first section left-to-right and seeing that part under construction it makes the viewer unsure if all the other sections will come across similarly unfinished. You could always dispense with that segment entirely and have three segments, if you push the biography/cv into your contact page.
What kind of branding/design advice do you folks have for someone with a long last name?
Just roll with it? I've never really thought of applying a "company name" to what I do, but it might be easier than trying to slap my last name into a design.
I always liked my nickname "DTG" (Danny the Greek), but it seems so immature, now. Also, I may be Greek, but I don't speak a lick of the language. Hrmm hrmm. DTG is fun to play with, though, design wise. *desk doodles*
I did, and then...I remembered that bug-fixing/cross-browser checking is 99% of the work. Also I told myself I'd be recoding it in divs (rather than the current setup in tables) and I have to learn how to do that as well.
But.......yes......dammit.....I should be doing it.
I need to do some website upgrading; probably not gonna change the appearance at this point but I need to turn the front 'blog' into an actual blog, and update a bunch of stuff including the portfolio. So I may as well throw my hat in here in order to give myself an extra kick in the pants about the whole thing.
The block on the left is what happens if you take a JRH made out of blocks in a 3x3 grid, then overlap them with a (roughly) 25% opacity. I know that doesn't read at all but it did make for a nice pattern.
I like the clean navigation bar and the general idea.
I do think some aspects could use some thought though. To me, the constantly changing background seems a bit overmuch. It also flickers when going from Home to Gallery which, I don't know if you intended it or not Nakirush, seems like a bug?
Also, I'm not a fan of a Home/News/splash page loaded before the portfolio or gallery page. Its a portfolio, just load the portfolio immediately. It may seem silly, but my view is that you are sending this website to people for one purpose - to see your art. Why complicate things?
@Flay, I forgot to post how the motion reel looks nice! You need your contact info at the end though, or something like that to end out on.
@CommunistCow did you ever get some branding work done?
@MuddyParasol I feel like your banner could be more interesting if it was more about you and not a sort of "Hang in there, baby!" poster. Your logo is cute, but the elephant and the photoshop grass and the purple seem to be very disconnected with that. Maybe A more illustrated parasol?
I got a little freelance that got in the way of finishing my business cards, maybe I'll knock these threads off, but leave them open so that people can still use them.
Well this is branding work I was going to help my wife with and she has been super lazy and hasn't wanted to start anything. So we have done a whole lot of nothing.
No, I am not really communist. Yes, it is weird that I use this name.
@MuddyParasol I feel like your banner could be more interesting if it was more about you and not a sort of "Hang in there, baby!" poster. Your logo is cute, but the elephant and the photoshop grass and the purple seem to be very disconnected with that. Maybe A more illustrated parasol?
Good point about the banner and the disconnect. I'm going to start brainstorming / thumbnailing tonight on a new banner and see what I can come up with. Thank you!
So... minus 12,000 points for taking me 5 months to get this done, but here are two redesigns of my blog header:
or
What I'm aiming for is something fun, simple, almost childlike, while still staying professional (the kind of thing you'd expect on a children's book illustrator's blog).
I'm not loving the font, but I thought it was best to keep it the same as the font theme of the rest of the blog. Is that a mistake?
I realize that you are going for muddy parasol, but it seems like a poopy parasol. I dont know how you would avoid that, really, but glooping brown is not easy to make appealing.
Curses! I was worried about that from the beginning, but I had hoped that this draft had avoided that. Thank you for the crit! It's nice to see it through someone else's eyes. I think working on it, I get so close I stop being able to see the forest for the trees.
My other thought was to ditch the poopy mud and just go with a super simple parasol
I like the look of it but with no reference to Muddy, would that still fit with the "brand"? Or maybe I should just start over and go a different route.
Why exactly is your brand a muddy parasol?
edit: other than it being your forum name
MuddyParasol has served me well. The connotation, fun, rough and tumble, not taking itself too seriously, fits what I'm aiming for with my brand. It's different enough to be memorable and invoke curiosity. Plus, a nice benefit is it's uniqueness; you do a Google search for MuddyParasol not only is my brand first and foremost, my brand is the only thing Google comes up with.
In more formal settings MuddyParasol takes a backseat to "Landon Kanillopoolos Inc.". But MuddyParasol is a great brand, I'm very happy with it. Now if only I could find a way to illustrate a non-poopy muddy parasol!
Posts
post a bio in the "about me" section! it's the first section left-to-right and seeing that part under construction it makes the viewer unsure if all the other sections will come across similarly unfinished. You could always dispense with that segment entirely and have three segments, if you push the biography/cv into your contact page.
Uncanny Magazine!
The Mad Writers Union
Just roll with it? I've never really thought of applying a "company name" to what I do, but it might be easier than trying to slap my last name into a design.
Steam ID: Obos Vent: Obos
Steam ID: Obos Vent: Obos
http://faveup.com/business-cards/latest
That's the business card section, but they have a lot of other categories you can look through.
Weren't you planning to do some website work? DO IT WITH US!!!
Also nice link!
Steam ID: Obos Vent: Obos
I did, and then...I remembered that bug-fixing/cross-browser checking is 99% of the work. Also I told myself I'd be recoding it in divs (rather than the current setup in tables) and I have to learn how to do that as well.
But.......yes......dammit.....I should be doing it.
.......
Websites are hard, I know I need to add another page to mine, so that there's a little about section and clear contact page.
If we come up with anything soon hopefully we can get some critiques.
Hopefully with this I'll have enough to fill up a motion reel.
LJK are my initials
Otherwise I'll work on my avatar and/or business cards...
The block on the left is what happens if you take a JRH made out of blocks in a 3x3 grid, then overlap them with a (roughly) 25% opacity. I know that doesn't read at all but it did make for a nice pattern.
Edit: Also, updated my site - www.artraged.com
You've won me over with your blue color scheme...(I am totally not biased whatsoever)...
...
<_<
>_>
I do think some aspects could use some thought though. To me, the constantly changing background seems a bit overmuch. It also flickers when going from Home to Gallery which, I don't know if you intended it or not Nakirush, seems like a bug?
Also, I'm not a fan of a Home/News/splash page loaded before the portfolio or gallery page. Its a portfolio, just load the portfolio immediately. It may seem silly, but my view is that you are sending this website to people for one purpose - to see your art. Why complicate things?
@Flay, I forgot to post how the motion reel looks nice! You need your contact info at the end though, or something like that to end out on.
@CommunistCow did you ever get some branding work done?
@MuddyParasol I feel like your banner could be more interesting if it was more about you and not a sort of "Hang in there, baby!" poster. Your logo is cute, but the elephant and the photoshop grass and the purple seem to be very disconnected with that. Maybe A more illustrated parasol?
I got a little freelance that got in the way of finishing my business cards, maybe I'll knock these threads off, but leave them open so that people can still use them.
Finished/launched as of an hour or two ago!
Good point about the banner and the disconnect. I'm going to start brainstorming / thumbnailing tonight on a new banner and see what I can come up with. Thank you!
or
What I'm aiming for is something fun, simple, almost childlike, while still staying professional (the kind of thing you'd expect on a children's book illustrator's blog).
I'm not loving the font, but I thought it was best to keep it the same as the font theme of the rest of the blog. Is that a mistake?
Any crits / opinions?
My other thought was to ditch the poopy mud and just go with a super simple parasol
I like the look of it but with no reference to Muddy, would that still fit with the "brand"? Or maybe I should just start over and go a different route.
edit: other than it being your forum name
MuddyParasol has served me well. The connotation, fun, rough and tumble, not taking itself too seriously, fits what I'm aiming for with my brand. It's different enough to be memorable and invoke curiosity. Plus, a nice benefit is it's uniqueness; you do a Google search for MuddyParasol not only is my brand first and foremost, my brand is the only thing Google comes up with.
In more formal settings MuddyParasol takes a backseat to "Landon Kanillopoolos Inc.". But MuddyParasol is a great brand, I'm very happy with it. Now if only I could find a way to illustrate a non-poopy muddy parasol!
I may in the end just embrace the poopiness...
I see that PoopyParasol.com isn't taken.