Adventure Game Studio

Creative Production => Critics' Lounge => Topic started by: Pessi on Tue 09/11/2004 17:27:22

Title: Help with colors!
Post by: Pessi on Tue 09/11/2004 17:27:22
Hello. I'm entering a drawing competition where I'm supposed to design the look for my local rock festival. Here are the winners of the past years. (http://www.ilosaarirock.fi/2004/ilmekilpailu/index.html) The idea is to have something that illustrates the atmosphere of the festival and all that of which you probably don't know.

What I need help with, is the design, especially the colors. I'm thinking of new shapes or maybe more colors instead of basically just the orange and greenish color. Something to make it look more professional and solid. Also, if the general idea just plain sucks, let me know. :)

I think the image is too monotonic and in a way, too heavy. Probably a bit empty in design as well. I'm kind of out of fresh ideas, the rest will be just routine work without your help. I will add some text there but it's not really a big concern so it doesn't have to be there yet.

Any overpaintings etc. would be very appreciated! Thanks.

(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/IlosaariRockLayout.jpg)
Title: Re: Help with colors!
Post by: big brother on Tue 09/11/2004 20:27:08
The main thing that comes to my mind is the headline text. Yellow on orange does not provide the best contrast. You've all ready outlined the guitarist in black, maybe try that with the lettering.

Alternatively, you could put several black stripes through the picture (not necessarily straight, to make it a bit more cool looking) behind every part you have text. The stripes will provide contrast and rhythm, making the text stand out and the poster a bit less static.

I'd suggest looking at a lot of foreign entertainment event posters, etc. (especially French ones, those have a lot of good graphic design elements in them) for other ideas.
Title: Re: Help with colors!
Post by: Evil on Tue 09/11/2004 21:54:40
Spray font with black outline and I removed the blue line because it draged your eye from the text.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v458/evil1359/PESSI_ROCK.gif)

A longer cast shadow might be nice. I love the shadow effect from the hand.
Title: Re: Help with colors!
Post by: stuh505 on Wed 10/11/2004 01:56:49
Really nice sketch

I think a longer shadow would also be nice

I didn't like the blue lettering that evil removed, either

The orange hurts my eyes...and takes my focus off of the subject...see what happens if you make the same color much much lighter?

At first, I didn't like the title -- the bright orange around the yellow on top of the lighter orange was really shocking.  The breakup of the letters made every letter look like 2 confusing vertical symbols and the word itself is not so easy to read.

This is a marketing project...you want people to be able to read it, right?

But the more I think about it, the more I actually like it...because it's a bit shocking to the eye, even though they can't read it in a glance, I would definitely stare at that poster if I saw it...and in staring I would read it, and it would have been the contrast and unreadability that attracted me to it...
Title: Re: Help with colors!
Post by: Mr_Frisby on Wed 10/11/2004 05:43:08
Cool lettering on the second one.

A feeling it would look very powerful if

a) the character wasn't coloured and the most of the thing was just black and orange

b) if the character was almost disapeared.

It's just that the character is too colourful and I think it's detracting from your overall composition (which is ace)
Title: Re: Help with colors!
Post by: Seminus on Wed 10/11/2004 08:09:21
Cool sketch you got here!
BUT:

The biggest problem i have with this sketch is that its to much tone in tone. (Orangebackground <-> skincolor <-> guitarcolor)
I would change the backgroundcolor to something else...


The problem that i have with the overwork from evil imo is that you can hardly read the headline. it may look cool but i had to look twice to read it. When it comes to a posterdesign the main info should be cleary readable. (allways: readability over design) Because the Poster should spread a meassage.

But all in all it looks great. Keep up the good work!

Logout...
Seminus

Title: Re: Help with colors!
Post by: mätzyboy on Wed 10/11/2004 08:56:01
i don't know if this is what you were looking for...

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v206/matzyboy/rock.jpg)

I found a nice blue in his belt and used a quite close color to make a background for the festival title. I think this brings more balance to the image, giving two separate places to look for interesting stuff (title, image).

I dunno, when I make posters for the popclub me and my friend has, I usually try to use this approach... Maybe you find it to common though...
Title: Re: Help with colors!
Post by: Igor on Fri 12/11/2004 10:57:49
Hey, great to see you posting again Pessi!
Very nice illustration. Judging on previous winners (they were all quite cartoony) i think you are on the right track. Btw, i like the idea of black (or darker) outline for font.
Title: Re: Help with colors!
Post by: Erwin_Br on Fri 12/11/2004 20:32:52
 (http://erbserv.cjb.net/public/images/rockmag.gif)
Well, I agree with the contrast issue, and I would use some more black. Black and orange work really well together, in my opinion.

I would lose the orange outline in in my example (I don't have the font, hehe)

--Erwin
Title: Re: Help with colors!
Post by: on Tue 16/11/2004 17:30:24
Thanks for all the advice and overpaintings! I'll take your opinions into account.

I think right now I like Erwin's idea the most. Maybe make it a bit lighter somehow or maybe not. It grabs your attention really well. Might look for something between Evil's and Erwin's...

And thanks for the color idea Mätzyboy, I think I could use that to fill some of the orange space.