[Project Complete] Due Jan 12th : $150 : Graphic for photography website required

[ABramley]

Admin code added by Abby - 9G107096B4250402D, 3BY788853G5723403

Hi all,

I'm a photographer looking to create a portfolio site from which I can sell a few prints and advertise myself locally.

In contrast to the majority of photography sites, which are incredibly plain, I'm looking to add some kind of flair in the form of a graphic/pattern.

From stock imagery I've knocked up this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35398335@N00/3123731558/

which I could continue to develop and would be happy with. However, I'd really like something along these lines:

http://flickr.com/photos/35398335@N00/3128225224/

The graphics would fit in the same area as currently occupied by the floral design - so a top bar and a small intrusion into the main frame.

Along the theme of a girl with flowing hair I'm fairly open to interpretations - maybe you want flowers in her hair, maybe you want her to be holding something in her hands, maybe you want to show her torso and head, maybe she's facing into the frame like on the snowboard, maybe she's facing out and her hair's trailing behind her...

The site is there to highlight my photography, so the design must not be dominating - we're talking flat outlines and muted colours rather than details and primaries. I'm very keen on the current dark chocolate/silvery blue colour scheme with browns, whites and blacks to highlight. As long as this scheme is adhered to the exact shades are up to the designer - although I'll certainly have an input. The design should blend into the background as much as possible without becoming invisible - it's an accent to the site rather than the site's purpose.

Slender rather than thick. Indy rather than stereotypically beautiful/hollywood. Hauntingly beautiful rather than pin-up girl, subtle, dark rather than candy, evocative but not emo...

My logo is currently non-existant and also needs to go in the top bar. A great design should leave plenty of space for this - I will design this myself. However if you wish to incorporate a logo into the graphic then this opens up more possibilities (and will command a higher fee) - how about a few strands of hair twirling around the text? If you would like to attempt to create a logo interwoven with the graphic then please use the Nyala font which comes free with windows Vista.

If you REALLY want to go to town then something with a touch of flash animation could blow me away - otherwise I'm looking for a vector file overlaid onto a PSD suitable for designing a site around 1024*768 resolution.

Hopefully you guys can let the juices flow with this one and have some fun - I look forwards to seeing your bids.

(Just to clarify - I am not asking for a template here - instead just the graphic upon which I will create the rest of the site that serves the purpose that the floral pattern serves in the example on flickr.)

[sglasgow]

Here is my first proposal.

Thanks,
Susan

[ABramley]

Hi Susan!

You're from glasgow? I study in Edinburgh

The first thing to note with your design is that almost nobody I showed it to realised it was a girl with hair - they saw it when I told them but atm it's a bit too abstract. The face is undefined and while I can see where the body is, it's almost disjointed compared to the position of the face. Her feet are also not realistic and hard to decipher. As well as a more definate initial body with hair then overlaid, I think keeping the colours a bit simpler could work, at the moment you've got different shades in the head, body and feet - the example uses only one shade for the entire body.

The logo isn't to my taste I'm afraid - too wacky. Would like something a lot simpler - if you can get it all on one line of text that would be great too. Feel free to play with the font on this one - the main site is daunpenh and I had envisaged nyala, but have a play.

Don't worry about the rest of the site such as the links - I'll be doing all of that myself.

Could we please base the next version upon the background colour shown here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3539833...n/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3539833...n/photostream/

(this applies to all developers!)

Currently I think the colours are a little too warm - too far shifted towards the autumny reds + oranges. I'd like them brought back towards the slightly cooler browns + blues/silvers. There's 2 variations on the scheme above - the plan is to mostly use the browns and then to use the tans/silvers to highlight - just one or two strands in those colours.

Finally, the hair occasionally gets too angular - the hooks are a bit too sharp for me - I really like the smoother hair, with spikeyness brought in by sharp points rather than hooks. I really, really like the design on the snowboard - you can 'almost' copy it - a straight copy would obviously be imoral and break copyrights, but I love the style.

A lot to work on there, but I think you've got the idea! I love the positioning and even though I've asked for a lot of changes, most peoples' opinions were definately very positive. I look forwards to your next submission, as well as those of other designers.

Cheers!

[ABramley]

Hi all,

This hasn't had much interest. Can I ask what the problem is? Christmas? Too little money? Too tricky a task? Just not interesting? I'm looking to crack on - if there's anything I can do to help the designers I'd be happy to look into it.

[sglasgow]

Here's a redo; I tried to get more of the style of hair as on the snowboard. I lightened the dark brown so you can see it more against the background.

Glasgow is actually my last name.

[ABramley]

Excellent work Mrs Glasgow!

We'll probably work on the exact shades in the revisions forum if that's ok? I think a bit more of the blue and the tan probably needs to change too. Can you please knock up your next version on the background colour shown here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3539833...n/photostream/

I prefer that neutral brown to the reddy one.

I've gone a bit hands on to suggest further revisions:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3123/...f4786844_o.jpg

Some of the hair is a bit thick - the 4 strands that I've highlighted can you thin down a bit? or maybe split them into 2 or more strands - would look especially cool if you then went for the highlighting wiht the blue.

One strand I've scribbled out - just don't think it needs to be there.

There's also 3 arrows - could you expand a little into the space around there? I'd love one strand really coming into the space where the main frame's going to go, and one or two floating over the top might be good too. It's fine if they end up leaving the frame.

Finally, can you stretch her body a little? She looks a little stumpy right now - without going to extremes I think we can make her a bit taller Her thighs are also a touch thick - lengthening her might help too.

Finally finally, the right arm looks a bit odd - can you have a re-think there? Either re-draw or re-position. If it helps I'm probably going to shift the entire piece up and right into the corner when I use this, again no worries if some parts go off the screen - it's supposed to be organic

Great job, I'll delay the final selection until after the new year but I'd definately be happy with this with a bit more work done to it. Would still like to see different submissions, maybe a bit different on the same theme?

Cheers all.

[ABramley]

Another thought on the arms - in the capita version she looks kind of like she's vulnerable, protecting herself. In your version she looks a bit light she's flexing her muscles!

[BlueCherryGraphics]

Just to clarify, is the design on the snowboard your own artwork?

[ABramley]

Nope - not at all. Reckon this is a bit close for copyright purposes?

[sglasgow]

I am changing up the design to make sure she is more unqiue.
Thanks-

[sglasgow]

Still too similar??

Still working on getting the arms to look more relaxed rather than "flexing her muscles", but maybe her arms will have to be placed differently so she doesn't look so much like the one on the snowboard?

[ABramley]

Hi again sharon.

First point - please, please use the background colour I've supplied for your next revision :E Here's the hex for you: #120806

The blue I'm using is #d3eef5 - please use that instead of the lighter blue you've got at the moment. I quite like the darker blue you've introduced

Finally, here's a very rough mockup of how I'll use the design:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3264/...16983084_o.jpg

So tbh don't even worry about the 2nd arm - it's gone

The legs - I'm not keen on the pose at the moment - not sure about the knees being together. I far prefer the previous version with the knees apart, maybe we can revert to that?

Still one clumpy strand of hair up at the top - please get your thinning scissors to work on that

And finally - the logo. I'd love you to have a play with that. Use the same position I've used, keep it very simple and just let the hair interact with the text a little, maybe you can loop some around the Y or through the Gs? Not too much, and keep it on the low side, use it mostly to underline, but just one or two pieces of contact...

Looking really good - I'm very pleased. Thanks!

[sglasgow]

Here are the revisions.

Thank you for the hex #'s; my dropper tool was not getting the accurate colors.

[sglasgow]

Another version of the logo.

[ABramley]

Hi Sharon.

I've looked at the latest version and I think that at this point it's fair to tell you to stop working on versions and give me a little while to make a selection. There's minor tweaks that I'd like to make but I'm able to get a very good idea of how the site would look with this design, and I'm 90% sure that I'll be happy to choose it.

However I was hoping for a little more in the way of a selection of ideas. The deadline is the 12th Jan, so I think I'll just leave the thread open for a little while and see if anything else comes up. Another submission or two with a different take on the theme would be lovely!

If there's no submissions before about the 6th Jan I'll 90% go with you Sharon, and we'll work through the details. If there are I'll give them to the 12th to get their proposals to a similar level of refinement as your own and I'll make a selection there!

Cheers and have a happy new year

Adam

[ABramley]

Hi all.

24 hours notice on this - if you've got anything done in any stage whatsoever, or even if you've got an idea that you'd like to begin to develop, now's the time to say. Otherwise I'll choose between developing my own design or going with Sharon's. Cheers!

[MediaGord]

I'm creating something. Please give me until tomorrow to show you.

Thanks,
Gord.

[MediaGord]

Here's my concept:

[ABramley]

Thanks for your submission Mediagord, but I'm going to go with Susan's design.

Susan, there's still a few changes I'd like made - not huge but moving a couple of pieces of hair, changing a couple of colours, using transparancy to fade it all into the background. Shall we take this to the revision forums? Would like to chat you through the changes - skype would be great, but something like MSN would do too - I'll give you my details when we're on the revision forum.

Cheers!

[sglasgow]

Thank you! Sounds good.

[sglasgow]

Hello,

I have added the final revisions. Please check to see that they are to your liking.
I have grouped the hairs by color, yet also into levels (top, mid, and lower) to keep the proper overlapping.

I have sent the file to your email as well.

Thank you,
Susan

[ABramley]

Hi Susan.

A single further revision - we've got confused with our versions somewhere. Can you please add those revisions to the 1st version of the logo as shown in post 13 - there's a difference with the white underline. All your revisions are fine

Many thanks for your work once more.

[sglasgow]

Sorry about that.
Here is with the correct version.

[ABramley]

Fantastic - job done. Admins, I've received the final files - please let Susan collect the money. Thanks all!

[BlueCherryGraphics]

PROJECT UPDATE: moved to archives