SOTM 2010 - January (Kimono/Yukata) - Entry Thread

[Solace]

!!!Welcome to the SOTM!!!

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~Congratulations to Beruko08 for winning the December Contest!~

The theme chosen for January is - Traditional Clothes (Kimono/Yukata).
What is that? See here for details.

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About the SOTM:

The Signature Of The Month contest is open to all members of the Animesuki Forums. The goal of the contest is to provide a fun and competitive way of showing off and improving the signatures and personal skills of contestants. The winner of each months contest is given the privilege of choosing the theme for the next month.

The contest begins on the first of each month and consists of roughly two weeks of entry creation/submission, one week of voting, and one week off. The entry and voting periods may be extended or shortened slightly as needed.

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About the SOTM Theme:

Each month prospective contestants are given a theme to base their entries on. This theme is decided by the winner of the previous contest. The theme can be anything, as long as it does not break forum rules regarding inappropriate material. At the end of the month, voters choose which entries they liked best out of all submitted entries and a new winner is decided. Themes cannot be used twice in a row.

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The Rules of the SOTM:

1. Contestants are allowed to create, work on, and submit their entry from the start of the contest until two weeks from the start date. This period of time is specified by the organizer every month. Once the entry period expires, all submitted entries are gathered up and sent to the Voting Thread.

2. Contestants must submit original works. This means you cannot simply cut a picture out, slap your name on it, and call it your own. Claiming someone else's work as your own is also not allowed. Anyone caught doing this will have their entries removed from the contest.

To further expand on this rule:

2A. Unless proven otherwise, all entries made by contestants are derivatives of works made by someone else. Thus, no claim of "ownership" shall be made in reference to the image(s) used in the signature entry.

2B. Misrepresenting someone else's signature work for your own is prohibited and will result in an immediate expulsion of the entry and disqualify the contestant from the current month's contest.

2C. In the spirit of originality, "crop" sigs are frowned upon, but not discouraged; however, the contest organizer can call upon all contestants to show the source of their entry(ies) at any time.

2D. Also in the spirit of originality, new signatures are encouraged. However, if you feel one of your older signatures is perfect for the theme and wish to enter it, you may. Just remember that the signature still has to follow the rules stated above.

3. Contestants are allowed to create as many entries as they wish, but are only allowed to enter one. To submit an entry officially, the contestant must mark the post in the Offical Entry Thread containing that entry with the words "Final Entry", or they can submit the signature to the contest organizer using the private message function.

4. Contestants who wish to keep their entries private until after the submission period can private message the contest organizer with their entry. The entry will not be displayed until submissions are closed, unless the contestant displays that entry publicly.

5. Entries must comply with Animesuki rules regarding signature size. This means each entry can be no larger than 500 x 160, and must be less than 50,000 bytes. They must also comply with forum decency rules. If you think your entry will be offensive or reported to the moderators, don't post it, even as a joke.

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About the SOTM Entry Process:

Every month, a new entry thread is created. Each month's entry thread is a central spot meant to give contestants a chance to create and improve their entries as well as their skills, in addition to providing them a place to post their official submissions.

The thread is solely about helping contestants with entries, and as such these things will not be tolerated:

1. Nonconstructive and negative criticism (if you truly dislike something about an entry, be polite and helpful)

2. Comments, questions, or complaints about General SOTM affairs

3. Flaming, trolling, and other uncivil behavior that breaks Forum Rules

Anyone disrupting the thread will be asked to take it privately, to the SOTM Generic Discussion Thread, or if the offense is severe enough - reported to the moderators.

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This Month's Entry Period::

This months entry period officially starts Wednesday, January 6th, 2009 and lasts until Friday, January 22nd, 2009. Entries will be gathered and put up for voting on Sunday, January 24th, 2009. Voting will end on the following Sunday.

The due date ends at 11:59 (midnight basically) UTC/GMT. The polling will be up one day later after 11:59 (again, midnight). I will try to be as lenient as I can with last minute submissions but only slightly.

It is up to you as a contestant to know what your time zone is in relation to UTC/GMT. I cannot do this for you.

Here is a site that can help you figure that out: http://www.worldtimeserver.com/convert_time_in_UTC.aspx

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Good luck to all contestants, and most importantly, have fun!!!

[katiemirmo]

First Draft:


C&C Please

[ganbaru]

Katiemirmo What did you writed ?, I can't really read the first word. BEside the moon feel weird ( too near the render and going over the ribon ).

A question, if there's more than one person on the sig , do they have to be all in kimono/yutaka or one is enough ?

[felix]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Katiemirmo What did you writed ?, I can't really read the first word. BEside the moon feel weird ( too near the render and going over the ribon ).

Talk about missing the hole point of it. The girl is holding the moon in her hand! I think the idea is brilliant.
That said, the text "Moon Goddess" is not necessarily bad but doesn't seem to fit with what is happening.

[Marina]

Pretty sure it says "Moon Goddess," and it appears that she is actually holding the moon, which is why it's so close to her and overlapping the ribbon.

D: Cats beat me! hehe

I agree that the idea is a good one, and that the text is a bit awkward in both font, placement, and wording.

[CMSensei]

First Draft~

[Ch3i]

Well~ I made a sig, but I don't really like it because I've gone too "off-theme". xD I still want to hear what others think though. :3 Most likely I won't enter this sig, and make another that puts more focus on the kimono.

Ver. 1,2

[CrowKenobi]

First draft:



C&C appreciated.

[Rhyel]

Final Entry

[Kana Futayo]

@Rhyel

Long time no see.

[katiemirmo]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Katiemirmo What did you writed ?, I can't really read the first word. BEside the moon feel weird ( too near the render and going over the ribon ).

A question, if there's more than one person on the sig , do they have to be all in kimono/yutaka or one is enough ?

I wrote Moon Goddess, I made her holding the moon because I want her hands to appear like she's holding something. The moon is also going over the ribbon because the moon is luminescent.

Originally Posted by Marina

I agree that the idea is a good one, and that the text is a bit awkward in both font, placement, and wording.

Originally Posted by Cats

That said, the text "Moon Goddess" is not necessarily bad but doesn't seem to fit with what is happening.

Do you suggest me to change the font type and text or to write no text at all? What do you think?

[JRendell]

Originally Posted by katiemirmo

Do you suggest me to change the font type and text or to write no text at all? What do you think?

Font type. I can read the text, it's just a bit hard to work out.

[ganbaru]

CMHerrera there isn't much to catch my attention
Ch3i I would say they are too chaotic
CrowKenobi Maybe more firework ?
Katiemirmo keep the text, the problem is than the is mixing too well with the others line over it.

[CrowKenobi]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

CrowKenobi Maybe more firework ?

Better?

v2

[Evil Rick]

Hold it people I'm back!

Originally Posted by katiemirmo

First Draft:


C&C Please

We need to control the elements a bit here, you have the moon on her hand, this is the main idea of the sig, then focus on it, get rid of all those lights that appear beneath the render, they make the sig confusing, hard to notice and drag away the atention from the important point of the sig, try a smaller text with a font a bit more mystical than the actual one.

Originally Posted by CMHerrera

First Draft~

We have the woman smoking, that's our main idea, the black lines that go behind and in front of her are really good to focus the idea of "smoking", my only problem here is the text, is to big and doesn't feets properyu the sig.

Originally Posted by Ch3i

Well~ I made a sig, but I don't really like it because I've gone too "off-theme". xD I still want to hear what others think though. :3 Most likely I won't enter this sig, and make another that puts more focus on the kimono.

Ver. 1,2

The idea is okay, but looks a bit too much chaotic, to many colors in oposite parts, the yellow lights are flashing and distracting, the render itself has many colors as well, it's hard to notice, I'm not saying that adding many colors is bad, it can work but I sugest you to work with the wheel of colors to match up them so the sig can stay balanced.

Originally Posted by CrowKenobi

Better?

v2

I notice a bit that the rendering work looks a bit rough, the border gives the feeling of a potrait wich is good for the idea of the sig.

[Drake]

I couldnt decide on an image to use so I made 2...

1.

2.


Help me choose =/

[JRendell]

Originally Posted by Drake

I couldnt decide on an image to use so I made 2...

1.

2.


Help me choose =/

Hmm, that's a difficult one. I think I will go with #1. I like the brushes use in this one as well as the colour scheme. #2 just seem to be slightly chaotic with all those vivid colours. Nice borders aswell Planning on adding any text?

~

Anywho, could I get some C&C on this please. It's a V2, V1 is located here.



Edit: I've just realised that the border completely blends in with the background of the forum I will ammend that later.

[NorthernFallout]

@Drake: I'd say #1. It's sharper, has a better composition and better colors.

@JR: The end of her hair looks slightly pixely. It's very tiny, but since the rest of the sig is very clean (vectors etc) it comes with power against the background. Otherwise I think it's very nice, good epth and quality.

[CMSensei]

Final Entry



@Evil Rick - Thats a guy by the way

[ganbaru]

CrowKenobi ,yes, it's better .As Evil Rick said, maybe reworking the renders.
Drake, I might be crazy, But I prefer 2, at the limit to being too chaotic and her face look better
JRendell great one, not really fan of those colors but it's just personal taste...

I am still working on my first version trying the partial transparency than escimo showed in his last tutorial ( even if I can't find the proper tools )