The Winter 2006-07 Banner Contest!

[Catgirls]

Originally Posted by Kurochiisaineko

Please tell me what you think?

Personally I think it's pretty darn cute. Thumbs up from me.

[Daniel E.]

Originally Posted by Maxon

Is the text okay? I'm not sure if everyone can read it. I'll probably do some alterations, so this isn't my first entry.

That's Saber, right?

Anyway, I think the text is readable, but maybe with a different color so that it may stand out more from the background.

Oh yes, I also have a similar doubt with mine. Is the text readable?

Any feedback will useful.

[Maxon]

Originally Posted by Daniel E.

That's Saber, right?

Anyway, I think the text is readable, but maybe with a different color so that it may stand out more from the background.

Oh yes, I also have a similar doubt with mine. Is the text readable?

Any feedback will useful.

Sure is. Even though other colours would help them stand out more, the colours I've used have helped created a cool ice effect for the letters. I could try doing something to the background because I really like the ice font and will find any excuse to keep it.

Your text is a lot easier to read than mine. Are those traces? They're pretty cool.

[Pellissier]

Originally Posted by Daniel E.

Oh yes, I also have a similar doubt with mine. Is the text readable?

Any feedback will useful.

It is indeed, but I wanted somehow to confirm your doubt. The text , while still readable, doesn't have a strong enough (imho) contrast with the BG. Especially since you chose to go with "outglowed" letters. That white surrounding the letters kinda goes matching with the light background. So I'd say that the text is not crisp, thus not totally outstanding.

Again, that is just my very humble opinion, anyway

[Klashikari]

EDIT : this entry is no longer used.
refer to this post for the registered entries.

1.


(alternate):
-upper snowy layer : http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/9...intera2uk2.jpg
-previous snowflakes and nayuki blending :http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/3327/aswintera1ub1.jpg

really hard for me to decide which of them will be the first entry (the original has more contrast, the second has a better "snowy" impact ~~)
EDIT : first one will be taken, until some fix is applied, i will update again if so.

2.

altenate :
previous snowflakes and radiance on Fate/Nanoha : http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/5...interb1wq8.jpg

Magical Lyrical Deadly moe duo. (i will try to fix the right side of the tree... the blending is not finished i think)

EDIT : Edges of the second banner fixed. slight brightless change previously like this

[Maxon]

A better attempt. No longer my first entry.

[npal]

@ Klashikari I'd take the first one, I think the clearer picture is better, and since its colors are just right, it doesn't need to get blurred for the snow effect. I'd vote for the first one.

The second one... Well, if I wasn't voting for your first one, I'd vote for the second, although I think Fate and Nanoha need a bit more contrast. I think they're more blurry than they should.

[Klashikari]

thanks for your feedback, i will try to twink the nayuki banner for its sharpness, but the colour scheme was already good so. (in fact, i added a slight bright white layer on it, it wasn't supposed to blur even more the banner, X_X )

for the second, i fixed the edge and the center brightness

@maxon : better font setup. i dunno if "animesuki" shouldn't be straight with only 1 capital letter. (in fact i feel that the S is unbalancing the word but well, this is only my opinion ^^; )
the "forums" position is a bit awkward IMO, dunno really why ~~
the snow is pretty well balanced ^^

[npal]

What I meant was that the first nayuki try banner was ok as it was. I don't know whether it needs further enhancement, but I think it's fine the way it is. I just thought that the second version blur was unnecessary, since the first one has a good degree of snow effect, while Nayuki's image is sharp enough to be clearly distinguished from the background. Colorwise, the first try is more vibrant.

[Klashikari]

you are confirming what i thought, but i guess my sentence was really confusing (the colour won't be touched. i will probably try to make some smoother blending for her right side if needed (but the whole picture is blended as expected). i would also change the left side of the big tree, since it's a bit too sharp i think. etc etc.)

i guess the nayuki banner is near of its permanent state. i will edit the previous post, it will lighten the thread (sorry again for this fixing "in live" XD)

[jedinat]

Here's my really sucky noobish attempt.


Someone who knows what they're doing should make a nice xxxHolic one

[Klashikari]

i love your pictures (poor watanuki XD)

perhaps you should use a picture as a background instead of this straight white.


honestly, yes, it can be better, but you shouldn't start with "sucky" esteem. (it could be worse, and at least, you have a good idea to begin with, with no problem in cutting)

i would say : yuko is a bit small, you should shrink the original picture a bit less, but putting yuko just from the bottom of her chest would be enough (her face and her right arm are the most importants parts of the picture i guess)

same for mokona : try to use a bigger picture.

maybe another smooth font would be nicer.

but seriously, you can have a nice result with some work, try to keep on this path.

[Maxon]

Originally Posted by Klashikari

@maxon : better font setup. i dunno if "animesuki" shouldn't be straight with only 1 capital letter. (in fact i feel that the S is unbalancing the word but well, this is only my opinion ^^; )
the "forums" position is a bit awkward IMO, dunno really why ~~
the snow is pretty well balanced ^^

Cheers for the feedback.

Do you mean I should have it as "Animesuki" rather than "AnimeSuki"?

I had some trouble deciding where to put the words and how to arrange them. Any suggestions?

[Klashikari]

Originally Posted by Maxon

Cheers for the feedback.

Do you mean I should have it as "Animesuki" rather than "AnimeSuki"?

I had some trouble deciding where to put the words. Any suggestions?

yup yup, "Animesuki", instead of "AnimeSuki".
in fact, the font itself is kinda... splitting the word in 2, while you didn't put any space (the S curve let so much void in the left i guess :s)

try to use both and see which would be better according you (my opinion isn't really common XD)


also, the problem with the position would be...there aren't really a lot of possibilities :s.

since you have put the main part of the banner at the right, it would be obvious the 2 words would be put together at the left.
now, i would say "animesuki" on the center (so slighty above its current place), and just under it, "forums".

but again, it's a bit classic, and you could try something fancy with the space you have.

it would be different with another font/size I think... again, it's only my opinion ^^;

[Daniel E.]

Originally Posted by Maxon

Your text is a lot easier to read than mine. Are those traces? They're pretty cool.

Yes they are. Both are posted in the Kanon image thread. (wallie versions)

Originally Posted by Pellissier

It is indeed, but I wanted somehow to confirm your doubt. The text , while still readable, doesn't have a strong enough (imho) contrast with the BG.

Yes, I can see what you mean. I'll try a different color on the next update.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Originally Posted by Klashikari

really hard for me to decide which of them will be the first entry

Welcome to the club.

I end up making 6 banners during the last contest simply because I couldn't decide on my final 3 entries.

[Deathkillz]

heres my advice to fellow banner makers

@maxon ~ its pretty good...but i cant say that its the best saber pic you could have picked her hand looks awful >.< it seems a bit empty...maybe you can add something mor to the BG? and blending/bluring the snow can help a lot too ^_^

@Klashikari ~ well i preferr your first nayuki banner...but why are you making her so transparent? i think more solid colors would look better...i like the overall feel and the effects but just as a few snowflakes that arent blurred soo much...oh and btw the tree on the left, the bottom seems to be cutting off some snow halfway
your fate/nanoha one is also good ^_^ but again i think your blurring the pic too much...but i really love the BG!

@jedinat ~ i love the frost effect...just soften it up a little (looks to sharp >.<) ^_^ but using a diff color font would improve it...also the pic is a bit small...how bout enlarging it?

[Secca]

Originally Posted by jedinat

Here's my really sucky noobish attempt.


Someone who knows what they're doing should make a nice xxxHolic one

Ooooh, Yes! We don't have a xxxHolic banner yet. Maybe do a close up on Mokona. ^_^

[Maxon]

Originally Posted by Deathkillz

@maxon ~ its pretty good...but i cant say that its the best saber pic you could have picked her hand looks awful >.< it seems a bit empty...maybe you can add something mor to the BG? and blending/bluring the snow can help a lot too ^_^

You're right about her hand. *goes to find a better image*

I'm not good at filling large areas so anything I put in is gonna suck. Looking back on my entries for previous competitions, you can tell it's my weak point. Also, I like the snow as it is. Thanks for the feedback.

[Klashikari]

Originally Posted by Daniel E.

Welcome to the club.

I end up making 6 banners during the last contest simply because I couldn't decide on my final 3 entries.

6 different banners or sort of "alpha" "beta" etc like i'm suffering right now? XD (sheesh, correcting slight details can give a huge headache for the banner balance ~~)

of course, i'm not correcting them "obediently because of the feebacks" or "on a whim"... guess i'm really too nitpicking the matter too much XD

Originally Posted by Deathkillz

@Klashikari ~ well i preferr your first nayuki banner...but why are you making her so transparent? i think more solid colors would look better...i like the overall feel and the effects but just as a few snowflakes that arent blurred soo much...oh and btw the tree on the left, the bottom seems to be cutting off some snow halfway
your fate/nanoha one is also good ^_^ but again i think your blurring the pic too much...but i really love the BG!

-transparency/blurry girls : in fact, the transparency wasn't the main issue, but the blending itself. the 2 factors gave her a nice colour (her own, but not too sharp from her BG). i was able to fix it a bit, though i'm thinking how i should changer her left arm (the one in front of the rock, but maybe it's not required. the whole banner begins to be smoother, i will probably let it alone )
as for fate/nanoha, the blur effect comes from the "radiance" i put on them. the choice was hard, so i balanced both effects so the colours are less bright and the 2 mahou shojou are sharper. (since i lowered the radiance, i added some snow piles to balance a bit ^^ )

-snowflakes : yup, really blurry (first time i try this kind of thing XD), fixed for both banners. (and i changed the pattern a bit : slightly more discrete for nayuki, a bit more for fate/nanoha, with some piles on them)

-the left tree : I arranged it smoothly, so it "shouldn't" cut the snow straigthly, now again, maybe we saw different things

the banners are updated (no worry, i won't post the banners like mad at each change, and i will refrain to answer massevely like this too, i hope ~~)

[phoenixfire92983]

Here is my first entry Lemme know if anything should be changed.