[GeoBen]

been doing Celtic design stuff for awhile. Moving into more traditional drawing/painting and, many of the forums i belong to having become moribund, was looking for a new place to get ideas and critique. Dunno if this is the right place, but I did find some great works here, so...

[Awetopsy]

personally I think this has potential. It does however scream photoshop. I'd like to see the original sketch. I've always been really intrigued with celtic design so Id like to see more.

[GeoBen]

not photoshop... no pixel based apps. This is vector drawn and all original.

thanks,

geo.

[Tinusch]

It's an interesting design, but like Awetopsy said, it screams digital. Those gradient fills aren't doing it for me - I'd like to see a more organic method of coloring this, something with more texture and maybe some more negative space.

[GeoBen]

To wit: sketches

[GeoBen]

yes, Tinush, they ARE digital.

I find no need to hide that.

a good picture is a good picture, whether it was made with a wacom tablet or a stick dipped in the blood of slaughtered prey.

but, i get your point. I will soon post some pictures that better resemble more traditional methods.

geo.

[Tinusch]

[Awetopsy]

I 100% agree with Tinusch. from what I know of celtic design, the texture really makes the design.

Our critique here is to help you make a good design better not to tear it down.

[GeoBen]

ah, no worries...

i didn't take it as a personal affront. I just disagree is all.

That a motif is ancient does not, to me, imply that the treatment be. The monks that created the masterwork Book Of Kells were working with design motifs that were ancient then, but employed the most modern and sophisticated methods available to them and in the process, bringing the motifs forward, incorporating pagan imagery with the sparkling new religion.

The alternative is to simply replicate what has already been done... far better than I could do myself. I can certainly understand that many viewers will find incongruity in what they would see as an inconsistent combination of form/content... style/substance, but, this is a matter of habit, what we are used to. Hopkins embraced such incongruities when he modified early anglo-saxon form to produce modern (for the 19th c) poetry. Picasso incorporated ancient african themes in his early works and developed a distinct and powerful personal style from it (see below, one of my personal favorites). Both suffered the slings and arrows of outraged art fanciers... at least until they became recognized for reconfiguring their respective forms.



at the very least, we have a conversation... which is worth far more than this particular picture.

[CwStone]

Have you ever thought about importing the vector line work into photoshop and coloring it there? Making use of textured brushes as opposed to the vector gradients could take your designs to a whole other level (the line work itself is great). I think tinusch and awetopsy make a good point, digital isn't a bad medium at all but when a piece looks "too digital" it brings it down. Getting rid of that digital look doesn't necessarily mean actually going traditional but merely altering your methods within the digital realm.
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-Chase

[Novacaptain]

My opinion is that the gradient fills look really tacky. They create a weird patchwork of tonal values and fuzzy edges everywhere. It would look better in just plain black and white if you ask me. Or maybe light red and white, green and white...whatever. The design itself is interesting, though it looks a little messy when it comes to the four horizontal/vertical "petals". The swirls and straight lines seem to be getting in the ways of eachother at odd angles. I liked the first version of the central part much better than the final too.

You don't have to agree with people's opinions of course...but if you ask for it and consistently disagree maybe that's a sign, no?
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It's nice to be important, but more important to be nice - Scooter

[GeoBen]

yes Nova, it might be a sign that I am resistant to criticism.

it might also be a sign that i disagree with the assessments.

as that old joke goes about opinions and anuses.. everyone has one. of course, what makes the joke work is that we all think ours is the only one that really matters.

thanks for the time you spent,
slainte,
geo.

[Sumaleth]

Another vote for gradient=tacky here. Sorry. I liked the flat-color version more than the shaded one, and with some good colors (and perhaps some really subtle shading) it could be quite an attractive piece of design art.
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Art Links Archive -- Artists and Tutorials

[GeoBen]

well, to be honest, these designs are used for a variety of things.... tshirts and such and there are usually several versions.... there is a 'vanilla' version of this too.

thanks for coming in... every 2 cents is 2 cents more!

geo.

[Freebooter]

Gradients are distracting but the designs are cool. I could wear that T-shirt.