Here are the final results. Firstly, I apologize for taking so long to get them up. I've been gone for a week. I also apologize for those who don't agree with the results. I promise that the next competition will be way better and more fair. I'm glad you all participated, and I hope to see everyone partake in the second contest, as it's going to be a blast.
Before you scroll down, please listen. I don't want anyone giving us judges a hard time with the critique we've given you. We wanted to include everyone else. If you don't agree with what we said, don't be a snot about it. If you can't accept it, just smile and nod. It's that simple. Thanks.
((Note: To look at the other sig entries, go here: http://thefinalfantasy.net/forums/ar...est-v-1-a.html))
1. Omega Weapon - !!!!WINNER!!!!
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/1...aginarycg4.png
Congratulations on winning, Omega. Here is the champions banner, made by Violet:
http://i34.tinypic.com/11mezgp.png
http://i34.tinypic.com/11mezgp.png
Hope to see you in upcoming contests.
(CRITIQUE)
Violet: The background made the main image and the font stand out, which is great. The colors were blended well with each other and the border is the perfect size. I really don't see any flaw with this. It's truly a masterpiece.
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Chez: Whilst I must admit, I grow tired of seeing Amy Lee everywhere, I can't help but really like this piece. The background colors are amazing! The huge flowery explosion of pink, purple, peach, blue and red are a real feast for the eyes. Nice work.
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Silver: I was expecting your entry to be good as most if not all of your sigs I have seen in the past have been great, but this is just stunning. Well layered, well made, a pleasure to look at. No real criticisms at all on my part.
2. Doc Rocco
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...FreyaSiggy.png
Violet: The image is very clean and cut well. The only thing that I didn't like about it was how Freya's green blended in with the background green too much. You probably could have made the font a little bigger so it doesn't look so "alone", but it is really easy to see and isn't boring. Good job.
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Chez: Three words: Too much green.
Lovely piece of work, and would've been lovelier if you'd used less green, or maybe a bigger variety of greens. Cute to look at and nicely blended, but I personally thought the green was a tad too much. Very intricate, though. Good work!
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Silver:I like it. There isn't much you could do that would make it all that much better. Some slight artifacts showing (such as those around the inside of Freya's left arm), but those I had to really focus on the image to nitpick.
3. Djinn
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...moff/first.jpg
Violet: The font wasn't very interesting, but it was at least readable. The image you chose was very solid and crisp and the background is awesome. The only thing I could say against this piece is that it made a similar mistake as Rocco's -- too much of one color. You want the main image to stand out. When everything's the same colors, it takes away from the image you're trying to focus on.
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Chez: This is a real thriller. The size matches the image and leaves to the imagination. The font, I thought, was well-fitting because of the computer-like atmosphere it holds. There is something very pleasing to the eye about this image. My only complaint is that there is a little too much red for my personal liking.
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Silver: I love it. Picture and background both look very well done. I feel you might have been better off experimenting with some other fonts, but it's still a great signature either way.
LocoColt04
Violet: The image you chose for this is really pretty. The whole sig is perhaps a little too simple, but it has an overall elegant appeal. The font is a little botched up, as it's really thin. Thinner fonts don't go too well on transparency.
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Chez: What a cute girl. Very stylish piece, and I love the border and font. It is a simple piece and doesn't appear to have been overworked on, which I like. It speaks it's own piece in a pleasant and light way.
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Silver: A great entry, with a little pixelation of the text. I feel the main drawback for me is part of my tests involved viewing sigs on differently colored backgrounds, and the thin white text sticking out at the left and bottom became obscured when displayed on paler backgrounds.
Tiger Lily
Violet: First of all, I liked the border and how the font stands out without needing any filters. It's relaxing, but maybe too relaxing. It's a bit bland as there's not much happening in it. All it is is a flower with text and some filters. However, the hidden meaning you included was very nice.
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Chez: I like this. The purple is very nice, and the flower image goes well with it. I think the border was too dark and the font too light, though. I also believed it might've looked better if they had been the same colour. I think this is very pretty, though. Very nice little gem.
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Silver: It does look pretty good, but the message your sig conveys doesn't seem readily apparent. The transparent inner sig border can also look messed up on a site that incorporates an image as it's background which I see as a flaw.
Merlin
Violet: I think the background is taking too much appeal away from the image as it's extremely bright and distracting. The "M" text looks like it's needing a dark outline, as it blends in too much. Don't get me wrong, I think you did a good job on the background itself and the image choice is good, I just don't think they belong together. It also is in need of a visible border. Maybe with a thick dark(purple, blue) or white border, it would've brought the image out more.
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Chez: So cute. I'm not sure how I feel in terms of the immense usage of bright coloring in the background (although nice, I think I would've preferred it a little duller, still to each his own)... I like the girl. AMAZING coloring you've done with her. Love the way you've worked on her. Definitely deserves a mention.
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Silver: Firstly your background looks awesome. It could use a border though, especially if it were used on lighter layouts. There's also that some of the female character's hair seems to have a few pixels around it. Whether that's truly the case or it's a trick of the light, I found it noticeable.
Unknown Entity
Violet: The font stands out well and the border is perfect. It's good for a banner to use in your own sig, but in order for it to be up to par with the top three winners, you could've added more effects to it besides the blood.
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Chez: I liked the choice of font as I think it matches well with the image you have chosen. Colors have been added and taken away in order to create a dark, somewhat Gothic image. Admittedly, the blood on the wings looks cheesy as Hell when closely observed, however when glimpsed at for a moment or two, it looks fine. An all around nice image, although the blood needs more blending.
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Silver: For the better part, I love it. My main concern though is that which I believe is blood? On the wings it does appear to be semi-regularly stamped with some tool and looks faker than the rest of it. Excellent choice of text and concept.
Dark Squall
Violet: Now, with this one.. it looked WAY better when it was bigger. The thing is, it was too big, so I told you to re-size. You could've remade the whole thing so it didn't look so shrunken as it does right now. The only other thing I can think of is the font.. it doesn't really stand out.
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Chez: I really like this piece. The colors are a really nice blend of red, orange and pinks. I thought the cutting job you did was awesome. All around, I think this is a very skillfully made piece of work. Would like to see some more of your stuff in the future.
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Silver: I love the main part of your sig (Dante and the background), but the font seems rather bland, especially when you've shown such flair in the rest of the sig. Also, the border looks a little odd, but it might just be the color. It seems to be thicker (whether or not it is) on the right side of the gun than the left.
Anachlirium
Violet: It's a nice sig, but the text is molding with the rest of the white. It's good, but it's not impressive.
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Chez: I think more time could've been spent on this. I like the whole feeling of "nullness" I get from the colors. I didn't like the font and border, believing those to be boring and not fitting to the rest of the image (particularly coloring and font type). I like the butterflies, though, and the coloring is pleasant.
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Silver: While I love the layering, I feel it also lets your entry down just a bit. Just as several overlapping items are pale in color which means they blend together a little too much. Still, a great concept.
Mistress Sheena
Violet: Now, I really liked how it looked when I first saw it. However, the more I look at it, the more I realize how much the font is taking up too much room. If you had left it with just the Aria font, it would've looked way better. The black cursive font looks pixelly and takes away a lot of the appeal.
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Chez:This is quite a simple, but pretty little piece. The colors are light and your character of choice fits the image quite well. Whilst I might've usually found the amount of font somewhat suffocating, in this case, I thought it matched well. Smart little piece of work, all around pleasant to look at.
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Silver:A solid entry, though there is some noticeable pixelation, especially in the thinner font you've used. I find the white glow around the ARIA seems to fit in rather well, but the blue glow around the smaller font seems to not fit the sig so well.
Chaos Weapon
Violet: It's pretty cool. I like the overall background appearance and the image. However, you probably could've used a more interesting font and definitely a border.
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Chez: Whilst I found it interesting, it confused me to look at. Although your technique of choice is a well-known one, you made it work for your own piece in a unique way. It's a good piece of work, but I personally didn't find it an overly new or amazing piece.
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Silver: A nice design, it could use a border though. Also, while barely noticeable, the edges on Chaos seem slightly jagged.
Xeim
Violet: I think this piece needed a more effective border around it. The images look a little shoved together. I think if you made an interesting pattern for the border like in some sigs(Omega's new one), it could've looked really cool. Oh, and a better font. The font choice isn't exactly the best as it seems a bit pixelated due to its thin-ness.
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Chez: I love the usage of animals... But I don't really get why you stuck the woman in there. Pretty little thing, sure, but I don't really understand her relevance and feel she spoils the image a little. Because of her, I believe the image becomes too busy. I'd love to see a version of it without her.
I love the blending of the surroundings, and the colors work very well together.
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Silver: I'm getting some pixelation with the thin text, it could possibly use a border and the big cats don't seem to really fit together as they're of different styles. But I do love the concept, and personally feel with a few changes it could have been one of the best here.
Spiral Architect
Violet: With this, yours has a font problem. Using a white font outlined with black would've been a better pick, because us using the Dark forum skins can't see the black.
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Chez: I like this. My question is, did you use any shading or coloring for the character? I can't tell. The only thing that bothers me is that I don't think enough work was done to the background of the image. Whilst I realize it is supposed to be the lesser of focus, I don't feel the same passion in the background as I do with the back of your character. Another thing; I didn't like your choice of font. I don't believe it matched the image whatsoever. Still, I liked this.
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Silver: Good design overall, but Kratos' head is a little pixelated, and Eternal Damnation doesn't stand out so well on darker backgrounds because of it being black and slim/elegant.
Mona Lisa Overdrive
Violet: Although you may have done a lot to the image(as you have mentioned in another art thread), it looks like all you did was plop an image down and put some text. It's not bad, but it doesn't compare with the top three.
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Chez: As I have said many times before, I absolutely adore this piece. The amount of differences you have fitted into it is amazing. She reminds me of a character from a Japanese horror movie. Love it. Just the right amount of everything in my opinion.
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Silver: Looks rather well done, but there are noticeable pale lines around the top and bottom sections of the border. There's also something artificial looking about some of the gray on the face, particularly nearer the tip of the nose.
Halie
Violet: Although I appreciate that you made the background yourself, it's a little messy. There's too much glowing effects and the background is in need of more things.. there's too much blank space.
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Chez: Again, I'm so sick of Evanescence, but I find my likeness of purple satisfied. The little leaf effect is well-known and they are displayed in different types of purple. The lily (?) and dove are very fitting to the image. Whilst it is a little plain around the middle, I find this pleasing to the eye.
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Silver: It looks magical, but the emptier space in the middle seems to stand out a little too much. I also wonder how it might look with some relevant text? It could have possibly plugged the middle to make the sig seem more complete.
Dark Wolf
Violet: The images are pixelly, the font doesn't look good against a red/orange background..and there's no border. The center image is the main focus point here, or trying to be. If you hadn't toned down the opacity on it, it would've been brought more.
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Chez: I like the meshed blending of color here. The characters and red moon suit the image perfectly. I believe the lining above the male in the middles' head takes too much focus, though. I would dull that down a little. The outline of the arms look better because it is meshed in more with the color of the sky. I don't really think the font matches the image in the sense that the colors for it were much too rough. I think for such a piece which involves a great deal of shading and blending, it should also have some amount of blending (or dulling down slightly.)
Still, in terms of font, it isn't actually that bad. I would dull down the black verrry slightly, and it'd be spot on. In all, I think it looks great.
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Silver: Some slight pixelation, and the red of the font blends with the background enough to make the sig look a little less polished. Great layering though.
Grizzly
Violet: Well, first of all, there's no border, so it looks somewhat messy. The red and orange font is totally not working against the red and orange background. With a better font/font-color and a nice border, it would improve significantly.
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Chez: It's a good image. I like the usage of different colors. Whilst I have mentioned a usage of too much of the same coloring in other images, I don't believe it applies to your image. I could see it being an eyesore if you were to stare at it for long enough, but all in all, I find it pretty. I disliked the "a crown of bloody tears". I found that to be slighting over killing the image. The rest was good.
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Silver: No border and the text seems to not stand out enough due to how well it blends in with the background.
Edmisster
Violet: There's really not anything going on in this one. The image looks morphed. Maybe a proper background and better text..but there's really nothing you could do except start over and hope to make it better.
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Chez: This doesn't appear to have had anything done to it, (unless you count the possible red scaling?) I like the fading effect around the edges, but the lilac and red don't really go together at all in this case.
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Silver: Looks a little plain, and the plain text doesn't help disprove that assessment. I'd recommend firstly that you make future sigs in a higher quality format as well.
joesteel64
Violet: This one doesn't look like you did anything to it. To us, it looks like all you did was take a screen shot of Sonic and claim it as yours. I think Sonic is awesome and all, but besides that point, the sig isn't exactly creative.
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Chez: It's very cute, I can't deny that. And very old skool. I bet it took quite a bit of time to make? It's a cool piece, yes. However, the sheer similarity between a sonic game and your image frightens me. I'm not overly keen on such reconstructions, just because I find them to be similar to originals, but I have to say this image was a giggle to look at.
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Silver: Cool concept, but I dislike the more real textures looking pixelated, most notably the cliffs adjoining the sky. There's also that some textures go past the line of pixels at the far end of the sig and some don't leading to a feel of inconsistency.
Last edited by Violet; 09-27-2008 at 04:23 PM.
Ah, I knew he was going to winhaha. It was a stunning sig. Congrats, Omega ^^.
Thanks for the criticism, by the way. I agree about the middle, it was very plain. I did try sticking some text there, but it looked off, so I just left it. Hopefully I'll have better luck next time, though, eh? Hehe.
Which reminds me, when will the next one be? I'm not rushing you or anything, just wondering ^^; haha.
I was thinking some time in October so we can make it Halloween themed. That'd be pretty kickass.
Last edited by Violet; 09-27-2008 at 05:56 PM.
I'm not arguing with the decision since frankly I haven't made a sig in years. I am just curious about a few things and would like honest opinions on any questions I ask, thanks.
Yeah the bright foreground image is kinda washed out by the background. I'm assuming that is what you are refering to. If not, I am confused, since the color temperature of mine was muted in comparison to the winner's sig by quite a lot. The main difference is he used a high-contrast image, which frankly didn't go with the color pallete at all, but I digress. Actually, I considered taking the foreground out all-together as it's probably not needed.Violet: I think the background is taking too much appeal away from the image as it's extremely bright and distracting. The "M" text looks like it's needing a dark outline, as it blends in too much. Don't get me wrong, I think you did a good job on the background itself and the image choice is good, I just don't think they belong together. It also is in need of a visible border. Maybe with a thick dark(purple, blue) or white border, it would've brought the image out more.
The "M" blends in the way it does because it is a watermark. Author branding is not supposed to be emphasized with outlines, etc. That would defeat the purpose of it being a watermark. And yes, I forgot the border. I design site graphics and using borders is considered a cardinal sin... so honestly I didn't think about it when switching gears to sig-creation.
Thanks, I spent a good amount of time on making sure the foreground image was immaculate.Chez: So cute. I'm not sure how I feel in terms of the immense usage of bright coloring in the background (although nice, I think I would've preferred it a little duller, still to each his own)... I like the girl. AMAZING coloring you've done with her. Love the way you've worked on her. Definitely deserves a mention.
Thanks. The BG is quite complex. The char has zero pixelation. I use a number of methods to ensure that literally every stray pixel is gone. I'm OCD on that kind of stuff. I could post the proof, but that'd be kinda pointless, I would presume. Perhaps the bg is playing tricks on your eyes... lol.Silver: Firstly your background looks awesome. It could use a border though, especially if it were used on lighter layouts. There's also that some of the female character's hair seems to have a few pixels around it. Whether that's truly the case or it's a trick of the light, I found it noticeable.
~~~~~~~~~
I have some questions on your actual method of judging for future reference. Do you use some sort of point system, weigh things based on different categories, or just pick your fav? I'm just curious, because for instance, honey-comb patterns and their derivatives died a hard death years ago. It became unoriginal after the first few million forum-goers used the technique.Originality seemed to be missing as a category from what I can see.
Anyways, congrats Omega Weapon for winning. I really liked yours the best. ^_^
Last edited by Merlin; 09-28-2008 at 05:17 AM.
We all judged differently, though I presonally ran a few tests such as viewing the sigs at different resolutions, looking for things that just didn't look right, changing the backgrounds that appear behind the sig etc.Originally Posted by Merlin
I have some questions on your actual method of judging for future reference. Do you use some sort of point system, weigh things based on different categories, or just pick your fav? I'm just curious, because for instance, honey-comb patterns and their derivatives died a hard death years ago. It became unoriginal after the first few million forum-goers used the technique.
I basically wanted to see which would look the best, and which would hold up in as wide a range of conditions as possible, whether or not that was the intention of the artist.
In terms of you mentioning my comment for you, I did feel it was the background, but either way I noticed it and it affected my reaction to it. It was really just a bit of white touching the central character.
As far as originality goes, if I felt a sig looked too bland, I marked it down compared to other sigs. That said I don't really feel originality is that big a deal for this round as it was for the best sig and not the most original sig.
victoria aut mors
Wow! I mean, words cant describe my happiness! I never expected to be the champion of this signature contest!
Violet, Chez and Silver, thank you so much for your criticism, there is nothing I can say but I agree with everything you said. xD
Violet, I really appreciate the time you spent working on that banner, it looks absolutely great. And thank you so much for running TFF first signature contest.
Congratulations to Doc Rocco and Dijin by the way. Your sigs were absolutely brilliant.
PS: I'll be waiting for the next signature contest patiently! ^^
Last edited by Omega Weapon; 09-28-2008 at 09:50 AM.
Thanks for the info Silver. You obviously put a lot of thought into your choices and I commend you for that.
Based on some of the comments I edited my current sig. I personally like it a lot better without the foreground image. Maybe I should've made the sig when I wasn't so exhausted... haha.
Note: What happened to IMG code in this forum? Is there a particular reason it was disabled again? Of any of the forums, you'd think the Art forum would have it left on. O.o
Yay, congrats Omega!
Another congrats to Doc Rocco and Dijin! They were pretty damn good!
Thanks for the comments fine judges - I'm gonna go off and improve it kinda at some point. The blood DID look like a stamp tool... because it was... erm... yeah... *runs*
"I used to be active here like you, then I took an arrow in the knee."
>>>------------->
Suddenly... clutter.:
Warning free for over eight years. Feels good.
I am bored so ima just rant on kay? thanks.Violet: With this, yours has a font problem. Using a white font outlined with black would've been a better pick, because us using the Dark forum skins can't see the black.
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Chez: I like this. My question is, did you use any shading or coloring for the character? I can't tell. The only thing that bothers me is that I don't think enough work was done to the background of the image. Whilst I realize it is supposed to be the lesser of focus, I don't feel the same passion in the background as I do with the back of your character. Another thing; I didn't like your choice of font. I don't believe it matched the image whatsoever. Still, I liked this.
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Silver: Good design overall, but Kratos' head is a little pixelated, and Eternal Damnation doesn't stand out so well on darker backgrounds because of it being black and slim/elegant.
All didn't like the font, I didn't want it as a very visible part of the sig. I wanted for it to be there but make you look back to see what it was.
As for Kratos's head that is a problem I tried to resovle but couldn't :S
Chez the background took me the most work lol. No it is a natural picture of Kratos and I made the background from scratch so it did have most of my attention.
So summary: Font not meant to be bold, Kratos has a head that shows no mercy and background was hardest part.
Now I will recite the dictonary.
A- A, Aback, Abandon... No I am going to stop now as this hasn't got anything to do with art.
Wu Tang Killa Bee's, We On The Storm.
I actually agree, when looking at it, with a lot of what's been said. I'm definitely going to continue working on it, and see how well I can improve it
Can't wait for the next one! This time I won't wait till the last minute XD
(TFF Family):
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