Preserved Topic: Pad lock

Looking for critique on an image I'm working on. What do you think? Suggestions? Constructive criticism? Thanks, guys!

Click me...

First up, I'm not keen on the background (sorry if that sounds a little harsh).
The padlock sits just on the edge of realism, and the wood just throws it out.
(It just reminds me of a stock Lightwave 'wood' texture - and doesn't quite do it)

As for the lock, it's quite stunning but there are 2 areas, which hint at needing some work.
Firsy off, the colour seems a little 'gold', not brass. (Maybe a little too much yellow in there?)

It also feels like there should be some nicely embossed, if slightly worn text.
Scratches even.
The lock has a slightly distressed feel to it, but there is no evidence of physical wear and tear to reinforce this.

Hope this helps.


[This message has been edited by Dufty (edited 07-17-2002).]

I like it. The lock itself looks great, and I can absolutely picture in my head what you're working from. I don't think the yellow is too much; they make padlocks like that.

I do think you should either make the background more realistic, or use something else. The padlock is very realistic, but looks less realistic on the wood texture.

Thanks for the comments! Most of the people I've shown said the background was the best part which really worried me because that's the only thing I didn't design myself. I plugged it in because I figured it'd look better than just a gradient or something. Your comments that the pad lock looks better than the background is encouraging. As for the color, it's very close to the color of the model I used. Took a picture of it with my digi-cam. It looks like fake gold. I agree that I should add some scratches and stuff. I'll work on it and post the result. Thanks again!

edit: (bad english. blah.)

[This message has been edited by Kine (edited 07-17-2002).]

This look better?

click please.

I really like it! Only problem I see is with the ... um, what do ya call it ... the gray bar ... um curved metal bar ... yeah, that! Anyways, the black outer edge of it looks way too sharp and fake. Maybe just touch up that outer edge to make it look more rounded.

Sorry if I'm not too clear ... brain housing group is shutting down on me ...

Cell Number: 494

tone down the BG, put a logo on the lock face.

the steel looks really good IMO

Something just isn't... dunno... maybe it needs context.

Tone down the shadow and the highlighting. If you have that intense of a light falling, it'll illuminate more than just a strip down the front of the lock. The "gold" (brass) of the lock is too yellow/orange. Work some green in there, and dull it down a bit. The brushed metal of a lock isn't grooved, so tone those brush marks down too. Remember you need to paint what you see, not what you think is there.

Shape looks good, lighting looks good, now work on the details. A few flaws would be great, and yes a "Master" stamp in the front would help a ton.



Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate

Your lighting is off.

The single dark shadow shows us the light is coming from above. The highlight on the hasp is from the close vicinity of the camera. There is a highlight on the rim surrounding the keyhole that also implies a light coming from camera vicinity or lower. The highlight on the body of the lock could be from above, below, or anywhere between (due to the shape of the lock). The highlights on the hasp and the keyhole rim look wrong, given that the shadow shows that the light is much higher than the highlights 'point'.

To justify the one dark shadow with no secondary shadows, you'll have to move the highlight to the upper part of the curve of the hasp, and remove the highlight on the keyhole rim.

Since the keyhole rim really needs a highlight, you'd be better served by adding another light from below, and adding another shadow to match. You'd have to add another highlight to the hasp as well, of course.

The metal textures themselves are very good.

Actually, I'll have to disagree with the lighting source comment. I think it pretty much lines up as realistically as one would hope for.

Good job, Kine!

njuice42 Cell # 551
icq 957255

Thanks, Njuice! Actually, aside from a few highlight exadurations on the metal (chrome) part, the lighting is just about right, unless my digital camera is messed up. On the gold part of my lock, the highlight is a bit thick also, but the part where you insert the key looks to be pretty much identical to the image I got from my camera. Maybe I'm wrong! I just recreated what I saw.

I know this is a silly question to ask, but I've been using Photoshop for about 6 months now and I was wondering, from the work you've seen from me thus far, do you think I have the potential (talent) to do some really nice work if I keep at it for a long time? I know some people try to do something for a long time and no matter how hard they practice, they just don't have the right touch. I'm doing this because I love it and I'd like to possibly make a career out of it in the future. Do you think I'm wasting my time? Should I just keep it a hobby? I figure you guys are the best to ask because many of you have been doing this kind of thing for a long long time and have seen many people come and go. I'm at a point in my life in which I can go several ways and I don't want to make digital art my top priority if I don't have a future in it. Am I being rediculous? I'll never stop doing it because I love it, but I'm going to be a bit pressed for time in the next few years. Your thoughts? I dearly appreciate your criticism, as it's very constructive, so please don't feel that I'm complaining. I'm just asking for your opinions. Thanks!

Yeh, actually the lighting is slightly off. Extremely well done, but slightly inconsistent. The brass part has a highlight from the reflected light of the surface it sits on. The steel part needs that same reflected light. That's what makes the shading on the steel part seem slightly unrealistic now. You can't just compare it to the digital camera shot because there's no context for us. You only did the lock. I would like to see the original photo though. At first glance this padlock is very realistic. Just maintain the same softer shadow as you did near the bottom of the steel part as on the top of it and it'll help as well. You did a great job. Very impressive. I've admiring your 1/4" MDP sig, good to see other work of the same quality.


[dis]contempt+[.org]

I'm saying the lighting is off because your shadow is off.

All the lighting on the lock is or could be from the vicinity of the camera (which is probably the case, if you used the camera's flash).

The shadow you have 'says' that the light is from way way up above.

If you want to use lighting that comes from the close vicinity of the camera, you can't use a shadow that long and have realistic lighting.

If you were to post the original photo, I imagine the shadow would be very nearly invisible (since it would be mostly 'behind' the lock, from the viewpoint of the camera).

Sorry I wasn't clear.

Is anyone going to answer my question? *View my last post*

Anytime time spent in earnest(sp) is time well spent. Especially in photoshop. You have talent. That's not the question. It is whether you have the resolve and determination to persue anything at all. I've only seen small work. Nothing as a whole, but you definitely have the talent. True, there aren't many jobs for people who can only airbrush Pad Locks, but if you can produce something of that high quality you can definitely take it to the next step, which is the demands of the job at hand.

Though, I'm not trying to say go for it all out. Take what comes in terms of oppurtinities for graphic design work and don't quit day job quite yet.


[dis]contempt+[.org]


[This message has been edited by fallen (edited 07-20-2002).]

Hey, fallen. Good advise ^^^ Good to see ya around again.
Have you still got that image/poetry thing going on ? I was thinkin , maybe I`d like to do another.


Cell245

Yeah, Bob thanks, it's good to be back. I've been outta of the loop for the last few months with school, band practice, work, etc...hard to believe I'm living only one life with everything going on at once. I've got my site running still, in fact I'm moving servers tomorrow hopefully so I can get a fresh start, and I won't have to pay 14 bucks a month for space I don't use when I can spend 4 bucks a month instead (thanks to fourbucks.net). So I'm open to any material, especially by others, because I'm going to be including my personal portfolio in the site since I've become a one domain man (RIP netmosis.com). I'll hook you up with a poem, and you know the drill, make a nifty wallpaper and send it on over. Thanks a lot. Email me at fallen@discontempt.org as well.


[dis]contempt+[.org]

Even better.