o u guys. :|
Would it make you guys happy if I:
1. Forbade SwampertTrainer and Color Me Evil from posting after each other/talking to each other in this thread.
2. Made a minimum of how much you have to rate for each banner above you, like I had to do with the kindergarteners in the roleplay section,
and
3. Forbade any talk about anything but the banner above you in this thread?
I personally don't really like any of those three ideas. So. For what better be the last time: This discussion is over.
Next time either SwampertTrainer or CME decides to blow their guns at each other, the one who started it will recieve a three point permanent red infraction, and if the other is so very wise as to shoot back, they will also receive the same punishment. Is that enough to please everyone? Or should I make it four? Y'know, just to emphasize how old this is getting?
Yeah.
And if anyone wants to complain about the length of the rates, I want to see you get down and dirty and do a rate-spree. If you don't know what a rate-spree is, shut up, watch, and learn.
Anyway to any GRT veterans that still remember this: Feel free to jump the bandwagon. Newer people, just the same to you.
I'll drag up some tradition and do a demonstration of a rate-spree, but I'm only doing the banners that I like. :| Usually I'll do the entire page, and some on the page before, but I have homework to be doing, so this'll be a pretty short rate-spree.
Out of all the ones you posted, this is my favorite. I'm kind of conflicted on how to begin, because I want to give you some 'gratz for nailing depth, but you only have good depth on the right side, in that spirally thing. Depth is kind of like, how 3D it is, for example, a banner with good depth would look like it goes away from you into your monitor. (Sorry if you don't need explaining, but you don't seem to know many graphical terms, and I figure this is a good chance for you to get acquainted with them. xD) Basically, everything on the right looks awesome. I love it, and it's definitely your best work so far, in my opinion, but when we start moving left....
The text detracts from the focal. (The focal would be where you want viewers to look FIRST, and it isn't usually text, unless the banner is a typography banner, or unless you're Originality Fails. :x) Basically, it sticks out waaaay too much, and I tend to look at the text way before I even consider the red thing on the right, which in this tag, would be the more likely focal. So I'd suggest maybe toning down the opacity? Anyway, the gun-aim-circle thing behind your text is SWEET. Excellent effect right there. The splatters aren't too great, because they make the banner look flat, which really... contrasts the depth on the right. It doesn't look good, so I'd suggest getting rid of them entirely. xD The little starry things in the back are cool, but they're a bit too sharp. (They don't really look like they're glowing.) So maybe add a really light outerglow on them, or lower their opacity.
I can't say I like the yellow-ish orange lines on the bottom left corner either. :|
ARGHHHH, HARUHI. <_< Anyway, I like it, but… I'm not 100% sure about the surplus of sparkles. I read in a tutorial with starry brushes, "Be careful not to go overboard with sparkle/starry brushes, because it'll look tacky if you do". And it really shows in this particular tag. I'd suggest getting rid of all of them. And after they're all gone, go back and add them again, making them a lot more spread out this time. The colors are great, the placement is awesome, the text reminds me of Shiranui for the lulz, and I love the uneven borders. I'm not really sure about the blending, either. The smudge doesn't really seem to fit Haruhi's
obnoxious personality. I liked the one you gave away in the GFX Giveaway thread better, but this one isn't so bad either. Just needs some touching up. Maybe burn the edges, so that your focal works a little better?
First things first; Not a fan of the muted colors. :| Second: The light source is… alllll wrong. See look how on Ironman's mask the shine is on the upper left? That would mean the light is coming from the upper left. Just something you might want to pay attention to next time, since your lightsource is behind him on the right, which is like, on the opposite side. o_o You could probably keep that effect by putting a satin over him, actually. That's what I did for one of my tags that was in the same situation as this one. Anyway, the green thing at the bottom is gross, like someone else said. xD; It doesn't match your warm colors at all, so I'd suggest maybe changing it to yellow? Since you've already got quite a bit of 'red' in there… Oh, and I'd seriously suggest you do some brightness/contrast, levels, or curves on either Ironman himself, or the background, so we get a little variation in the shades of red. Because the thing is, he's blended well on the left, but not so well on the right, so might as well make the whole thing unblended; it'd probably help with the effect that he's kind of like, flying out of an explosion anyway. I think you need to do a little burning on the upper left, as well. And I don't really like how that cloudy yellowish-white that I think might be smudging ends so abruptly on the right. Maybe smudge it out more, so that the transition to the negative space is a little smoother? (Not too much, otherwise it won't look like he's flying out.)
And I'd suggest erasing whatever it is over a little of the left side of his mask and his left eye. That red… thing. :| I vote it off the island, because it doesn't look good, and it's getting in the way of your focal. Or what might be your subfocal, actually, since the light is so painfully strong. Speaking of the light, I'd suggest you either add some more colors to it, or turn it down. It kind of hurts my eyes. xD;
Well, before any rating gets done, welcome to the GRT, where people are frequently tearing off others' heads over the stupidest reasons. :D [/me included.] But yeah, read the rules of this thread, be cool, and we'll be savvy.
Anyway, as for your tag, I would've said you have focal down, due to the concentration of darker effects on the outside and brighter ones in the middle, but I don't really like the fact that Hitsugaya isn't obviously behind the green-brown border things. I'd suggest doing a really really light drop shadow on the green effects encircling Hitsugaya. And then, I'd suggest cranking down the brightness of everything behind the green effects down about, oh, a lot. xD It's very blinding, as a whole. And then I can't say I'm a fan of those random little flecks of red on the right side. Anyway, yeah, your subfocal (the sword, I presume) would be great, but I can barely tell it's a subfocal because the whole thing is just so bright that the light on his sword is impossible to distinguish. :| Turn the lights off, and then I'll have more to comment on. :< Oh, and the text opacity needs to go way down. :| It's too conspicuous as it is now, and it's annoyingly distracting. xD;
Give me paragraphs, or don't complain. Don't be a n00b and reply to this message here, thus defeating the purpose of this post.
If you want to say something to me, do it on my profile. That way I can chew you up and not look like a witch to the rest of the forum, mmk? <3 No more mention of this, or somebody gonna get a can busted up their butt.
Edit: Oh by the way.
For a Code Geass WSAC. Whaddya kiddies think?