I NEED YOUR HELP Options

[hi-C]

I'm interning with this nonprofit beauty... line, I guess, and I need your honest critiques on this banner I created for them (because the other was fug, it looked like it had been patched together on Word, I'm so serious). I've resized the hell out of it, so if the watermark looks weird, that's why.

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1602/sheayeleen2.png

Edit: Changed the color to beige. I'm not exactly sold on how I have the sample images placed in the first draft so what do you think about these two, too:

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/3514/sheayeleen21.png
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/3029/sheayeleen22.png

Edit: My original vision. I love it so much more this way.
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/8793/shea...en2vertical.png

Edit: Two new versions. Tell me what you think.

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

Edit: Removed the shadow underneath the product image, refined the shape of Africa. The sepia-y one has been overlayed with brown to take away some of the orange. Background on both is now white instead of off-white (it was basically white anyway so whatever.) They're going to go with one of these, but they really really like the blue-purple-pink one.

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

This post has been edited by hi-C: Mar 26 2009, 05:48 PM

[superstitious]

It looks nice, like TJ mentioned, I wish that there wasn't anything over the blending portion of the banner. Also, there's a random dot in the middle (pinkish?). It's above the third makeup container (kinda sorta).

Are you going to be doing any rollover stuff with the makeup squares?

[hi-C]

Nah, this is just a banner for them to use at open air markets and stuff like that.

Edit: And the dot is an island, no idea which one.

[superstitious]

Nah, this is just a banner for them to use at open air markets and stuff like that.

Ohhh, gotcha. :)

[hi-C]

Guys, the "texture" is just a watermark. It's not going to be on the final product

[technicolour]

OMG Carrie! It's beautiful! This is simplistic elegance at its best. I love it. Excellent colors. Just. Seriously. LOVE IT.

[Medi]

It's beatiful. I love geography. Is this a base image, so they can add different text to it for different events? It's very elegant like Technicolour said. I don't agree about removing the texture from the blend on Africa, I think that would make Africa jump out from the rest of the image.

I also checked which Island that was, according to the placement, and information from google maps, it's 'Sao Tome'

[hi-C]

It's beatiful. I love geography. Is this a base image, so they can add different text to it for different events?

I hadn't planned on it being a base image but it could be. That's not a bad idea.

I also checked which Island that was, according to the placement, and information from google maps, it's 'Sao Tome'

Ah, okay. For some strange reason, I thought San Tome was in the Mediterranean.

[Mikeplyts]

It's very elegant and clean. I really like it. I agree on maybe heightening the makeup products squares' opacity just a bit. Otherwise, awesome job!

[manny-the-dino]

Everyone basically said what I was going to say. I really love the idea & the blending is great. I honestly don't have anything bad to say about it. It is great. Way to go, Carrie!

[hi-C]

Check the edit.

[technicolour]

Mm, I like the first one. It seems more balanced and that the content is stretched across the canvas with minimal negative space. Yes, the second may seem bit more organized but the first seems to match the collage feel from the Africa collage.

[manny-the-dino]

I like the first & third ones.

[schizo]

I LOVE how you used the shape of Africa for the pictures. The only thing that bothers me a bit is the balance. The Africa part is so large and vibrant but then the other half is smaller and much duller.

The second one is probably my favorite. The beige is better than the pattern.

[hi-C]

I LOVE how you used the shape of Africa for the pictures. The only thing that bothers me a bit is the balance. The Africa part is so large and vibrant but then the other half is smaller and much duller.

The second one is probably my favorite. The beige is better than the pattern.

I know what you mean. Originally, it was going vertical so the spacing was much better, but since it would be for a table, I had to change it up. I should do a vertical one, though, for a poster.

And, you guys, the first image doesn't have a pattern. It's a watermark.

[markmejia]

Nice job, Carrie. I like it.

In terms of neatness, I'd prolly pick the last one.

[hi-C]

Update, with how I really wanted it to look.

[markmejia]

Update, with how I really wanted it to look.

Yeah, that updated version looks a whole lot better. I'm assuming they wanted it to be horizontal or something?

[hi-C]

That's what I'd assume. It's supposed to go along the length of a table for an outdoor fair or something. My view is to have a big banner of the logo across the table and then the vertical poster on top of the table in an easel.

[manny-the-dino]

I love the vertical version. More than the horizontal version.

Your edits keep getting better & better.

[hi-C]

They liked the concept, but they wanted me to make some edits. Check the first post for two new versions.

[Blaqheartedstar]

The original vertical one looks great. The sepia tone also doesn't look bad either, but its a little too orange. Not digging the blue and pink hue of the very last one. Browns and beige look a lot better.
I actually like the outline and style of the products, the much larger one looks a little weird, the lighting makes it stand out oddly.
Fonts are great, outline of the continent also looks great, same with the blending. I don't know why but for some reason it just looks like it can use more to it. But i have no clue what. Just the surrounding area of the continent.

Perhaps some sort of background or low opacity image to blend into the background?

[Maccabee]

This one is my favorite:

click to enlarge

I think you should soften the edges a little. And maybe give it a little unoticable black border or light drop shadow or something.

Here i took it into gimp and played around a little.

click to enlarge

That is my favorite. I just added a light blur to the borders and a light drop shadow and I made the background on the tree the same color as the reast and moved it up and moved the text to the left.

[none345678]

^The blur dosen't look good to me....

I like the fourth one the best. The 5th one is really nice with the browns

[hi-C]

The original vertical one looks great. The sepia tone also doesn't look bad either, but its a little too orange. Not digging the blue and pink hue of the very last one. Browns and beige look a lot better.
I actually like the outline and style of the products, the much larger one looks a little weird, the lighting makes it stand out oddly.
Fonts are great, outline of the continent also looks great, same with the blending. I don't know why but for some reason it just looks like it can use more to it. But i have no clue what. Just the surrounding area of the continent.

Perhaps some sort of background or low opacity image to blend into the background?

I, too, think it's missing something, but I can't really do much to the background. It's going to be printed and in order for it to be cheaply done, it has to be minimalistic, which is why the latest two don't retain the original coloring. I agree with the orange comment, too, I'll try to make it more brown.

In regards to the lighting, that's in the original image. I tried so hard to decrease the shine but since the whole image is shiny, I can't do retouch with the clone tool and when I used a feathered brush at a lower opacity, that didn't look good either. I'll work on it some more, though, and get rid of the shadow.

This one is my favorite:
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/8793/shea...en2vertical.png

I think you should soften the edges a little. And maybe give it a little unoticable black border or light drop shadow or something.

Here i took it into gimp and played around a little.

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/8793/shea...en2vertical.png

That is my favorite. I just added a light blur to the borders and a light drop shadow and I made the background on the tree the same color as the reast and moved it up and moved the text to the left.

While I don't like the blur, I get what you mean about the edges. I, too, think it looks a bit pixelly. I'll work on it. I do like how you re-did the placement of the bottom elements, thanks for your input.