The final look!!!! "whew"

[geminiguy]

Hey guys & gals,

Alright, here's the .xar for the logo. Notice I applied the mould effect here as suggested? I worked with it several diff ways and it never looked right... it always ends up having the effect it would with a source of light positioned behind it and looks more like a shadow.
I find however, that just the slightest mould effect, (inward at the bottom of the reflection) does give it more depth and realism.
Another area I noticed... The background, where the floor meets the wall.... in this image, I have it feathered.... (I feel this brings out the logo more (centers the eye's attention to it)
I have tried it with no feathering.... but it sees to draw the attention there?? Make any sense to anyone??
I left it at the original size so as to not lose anything... Hopefully it's not a problem?
Anyways, Thanks everyone... and have fun with this....

PS, I just tried to check the link, and it failed to work here so, if anyone has a problem getting the image, please let me know, and let me know "how" to upload it the right way?? Thanks
Never mind, all set... I just figured out how this works....

[MarciaB]

Very nice logo GG !
The feathering has that effect of making depht because in 'real life' that's the same. The horizon is never a sharp line. When I painted a landscape (I stopped painting since I've discovered computer graphics) I always made a straight line over the horizon with a broad dry brush in half dry paint. This gave the landscape more depht

BTW did you create the colored circle yourself ?

[geminiguy]

Hey everyone,
You know what drives me crazy (and is my weak point) Just when I really feel I have something, just the way I want it... and it's perfect.... I mess with it more, and I just can't stop....
And it often becomes a problem for me, as I am never quite sure that a project is finished. And then, I may list it as "finished"... then wish I had not (it's gotta be the gemini in me?)
I find this both a blessing, and a curse at the same time....

This is one of the wallpapers targeted for boys from 5th or 6th grade and up.... But now that I've worked on this... I find myself wanting to go back and change the last one I posted....
Anyone else often struggle with this same problem?? Anyone here have any ways they use to try to curb this constant feeling that "that piece really needs just a little more tweaking...." that never seems to go away (even when others tell you "it's perfect, leave it alone")

Thanks
Paul

[Soquili]

Paul here is an attempt to achieve the effect Marcia described.

I don't have the font you used, but I think the substitute works well.

[Soquili]

I think most of us always have that feeling of if I just tweak this or that the previous image would have been better (or simply more complete).

Art is never finished. It is simply allowed to venture into the world and become what it can be.

[geminiguy]

Marcia,
Thanks for looking. Yes, it's always been amazing to me how something so (what often would seem as unimportant) can either make or break the entire idea. But it definitely is a fact... If you want to attract the eye's attention to the foreground / blur the background... and it is also very effective vice-versa....
No, I did not design the "pin-wheel". (wish I had) It is a logo from an open-source "GPL" icon set from Gnome (which is a desktop environment for Linux/Unix) But, even though it is free for any and all to use... I like to follow a code of respect and ask the originator (or as close to such if they are unknown) for the "o.k." to utilize it in my designs

Soquili,
Thanks. I had feathered it, very slightly after going back, and back looking at it and thinking "something is really wrong here".... It took me quite a while to remember this basic theory / technique.
On this particular piece though, I am trying to be careful not to lose the effect/appearence of the floor. I like what you did though, and glad you took the time to work on it. Thank you

Paul

[raynerj1]

okay... I pway with your file a bit...

1. Made the floor/sky 1 piece... named a few colors...

2. Molded the reflection...

3. Made the letters 3d

4. put a shadow behind em...

Somebody else turn to tune the crap I did and make it look good.

Now Paul... you want help... Post a 600 wide pic, and the .xar so they see what needs done, and have the file dere to pway with... I think you will get much more action if everyone can see what needs to be done and have the work there in front of em...

I personally don't like the shadow... Maybe I will try to fiddle with it more tonihgt if I have time... Or somebody can fix it.. is should be a dark boo I think and be just the opposite of the reflection... instead of to the right...

[David O'Neil]

In nature, the text would reflect more like the following:

[raynerj1]

Dat's why I do more photography... then drawing these days...

[geminiguy]

O.k., here are two actual pictures of an item reflected on a plate of glass. I wish I had a better camera but.... Hopefully this will show what I am saying.
The RAM chip is actually tilted back quite a bit, leaning on the eraser (behind it) and the reflection is still almost 100% straight up and down.