MD's App

[MD]

Your Name: MD

What kind of program do you use? Elements 4.0 usually, but sometimes Photoshop CS3 and rarely CS4.

How long have you been doing photomanipulations? Mnay many years.

Are you willing to be as active as possible on Mayhem Studios? As possible yes.

How many requests do you think you can complete per month? 1-2, because I go to school full time and am about to enter finals week boo.

Why do you think you should be chosen as a graphic designer for Mayhem Studios? I love yalls work and wow I want to be a member of a community that rocks it out. That would be epic I think I can fit in here..hmm we'll see.

Have you ever worked at an online studio before? If so, what is the name of the studio? Yes.. over many years doing all kinds of jobs, any where from image finder, html, photo manipulation, and drawing. I could dig up some names for you if you want?, but I really don't remember off the top of my head. I'm in and out as often as these sites come and go. The last place I worked was Mystic Academy and I think before that Windscape Academy as a Teacher.

Please give me some examples of your work:

• majikdragon.deviantart.com/art/Jekyll-181723556?q=gallery%3Amajikdragon%2F897846&qo=0
  
• majikdragon.deviantart.com/art/Kladdan-174055253?q=gallery%3Amajikdragon%2F897846&qo=2
  
• majikdragon.deviantart.com/art/cliche-172879701?q=gallery%3Amajikdragon%2F897846&qo=3
  
• majikdragon.deviantart.com/art/Ramiro-113705981?q=gallery%3Amajikdragon%2F897849&qo=6
  
• majikdragon.deviantart.com/art/Dear-Isabella-113576702?q=gallery%3Amajikdragon%2F897849&qo=7
  

Do you have a website that shows your art? If so, please put the link here: majikdragon.deviantart.com/

[MudBug]

I'm going to kindly decline for the time being.

`Reason

While your manips are lovely and I do see talent, they are very novice, in my eyes. Simply, more practice is all I can say. Consider yourself lucky, many need far more than sheer practice. ;)

[ambrosia]

Decline, for now.
I think you've got a lot of potential! I just think you need to practice some more and work on a few things, like blending the subject into the background and smudging manes and tails and whatnot. ^^ But really, I do like your work and I think with a bit of practice you'll improve a lot. (:

[MD]

Wow um okay. Do you have any suggestions then MudBug?

[MudBug]

I believe ambrosia hit the nail on the head. ;) You should focus on making your subject really mesh with the background, to make it really flow like one image rather than 2 images cut'n'pasted together. I'd also suggest gathering some information on manipulating the lighting on your subject. Lighting is a VERY important part of really putting the subject in the background.

[Emma]

Well,
I'm gonna completely disagree with Mugbug if that's alright. I think that although some aspects of your work could be improved (who's couldn't?) I think the idea behind your images and the general composition are very sophisticated. I can't see anything copycat - they all look incredibly original.
If you're looking to specialise in eqine design, I would work up a bigger portfolio of equestrican manips, and maybe concentrate your work on manes and tails to show off your horsey-skills.
Other than that - blending. Colour balance is brilliant, but you need to work on getting the subject into the background - with shadows, dust clouds, splashes, hoof/foot prints etcetera etc. For example, in your image 'Ramiro', the general flow of the tails in relation to the background looks a smidge unnatural - the hair would probably float on top of the water, not sink under it like it was in air. But that's just a little thing - lemon squeezy to fix.
Generally, I love your stuff. You got some class skills, girl.
I say .
Hope I could help. =)

[kangatoo]

I'm going to be the devils advocate here and agree with Mudbug and ambrosia.
I'll have to decline.

While I do see a huge amount of talent in your work it's not quite up to par with the kind of quality I like to see from designers. I think Mudbug, Emma and ambrosia covered most of the points that could be improved upon. All I can say is keep working at it. I'd love to see another application from you in the future and be able to accept it c:

[MD]

While I agree with the points made about what I need to work on, I have to disagree with being declined. I've viewed the other applications on this site and compared my work and I am confused. Obviously I can disagree all I want, but the things I need to work on are the little details that make an image pop and those come with learning with each image - which is the point of being declined right? Yes I completely understand, but being called novice.. that hurt. I think my blending skills are exceptional, that alone won't make an amazing image, but I have some excellent qualities that I feel are being over looked.

With that said I am not arguing with yalls comments, I agree with what was said, I just feel like Emma gave me a fair shot and the rest of yall didn't and not because she accepted me, but because she didn't just write out my faults.

As for my application examples I pulled those for different reasons. The first one I unfortunately lost the file and am not able to fix the hard edges, but I pulled not because it was awesome, but because it showed my coloring talents (if you compare to the original wolf image). The second one I pulled because it was one of my more recent manipulations, which not only shows my coloring skills (if you look at the original horse), but also my typography skills. I pulled the third one, because it shows a different style from my usual work - it's dirty and grudgy and purposely stylized to look like a cookie cutter cut out. Ramiro, please note the date. It's a very old manipulation, but I pulled it because it's my favorite to date and while yes it lacks certain details such as a hair and shadowing, it's beautifully blended and the typography sits well with the image, it's also an example of background blending. Yes it's not perfect, but I didn't pull it because it was perfect I pulled it because I love it. And the last one, as a manipulator you are expected to be able to manipulate different images at least this is my opinion. I chose this image, despite how old it is, to show that I'm not afraid to do people. The lighting actually isn't bad, sure it's on the dark side and I could have lightened up on the texture, but I was only trying to show that I can do more then just horses.

I agree with the opinion that Applications should be your best work, but they should also show how versatile you are and that was my goal going into this. Of course you have my link to my gallery and I am known to be inconsistent with my art, regardless I don't know if you are just judging the images I selected or if you're looking at my images as a whole. I don't suppose it really matters.

However, several of the graphic designers accepted, could easily be cited on the same things yall have told me I need to work on, such as shadows, mane and tail drawing, and fitting the subject more clearly into the background. I would be lying if I didn't admit I'm not sore about being declined, but I don't feel like my work is so lacking that I cannot compete/keep up with the current designers on this site. Unless your standards have changed.

Thankyou for your comments and I will work on smoothing out my weaknesses perhaps I will be back in the future.

[Lady Entice]

If i may add a few words
As all others whom have commented on here..I think you have alot of potential, and in regards to your comment about showing how versatile you are..I think the examples need to show all that you listed, included into one..such as colouring/colour balance/blending to show your full ability
I would suggest you make a few more recent artworks and repost later.
I will also add that i adore Ramiro ^-^

[jelide]

A few other tidbits of advice

Burn/Dodge tool is a beast.
Adding simple things like highlights and shadows can really make your artwork pop, and not be so flat.

Play with colours.
My favourite thing to do is just pile on layers of colour and play with the settings, whether it be overlay, colour burn, linear dodge, pin light, multiply, so on and so forth. Trust me, these effects can make your artwork go "from drab to fab!"
>__>

Body smudging.
Is just sexy. End of story.


All you need is more practice and some experimenting. Don't be afraid to get crazy.You've got exceptional work; so keep it up! Whether you've been accepted or denied doesn't matter, /everybody/ can improve.

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[MudBug]

I am very sorry if I offended you with the word "novice". That really was not my intention, at all! Also, Emma, I think you misunderstood my second comment. I never meant "copycat", in any way. I'm very sorry if something I said was misconstrued to mean that MD's work lacked originality. I absolutely did not mean to come off with that impression.
My only intention was to say that MD perhaps needed some more practice to finely tune their talents before becoming a designer.

Again, sorry for any offense taken. It was not meant..

[ambrosia]

It is good to learn with each image, but as far as any other applications I have accepted, I wouldn't give them the same advice as I gave you. And I wasn't trying to be rude if anything I said offended you either! I think your manips have lovely potential. It's always a matter of opinion when it comes to these types of things, so it's difficult to compare one artist to another. However, in my opinion it's always best to take any constructive criticism given and try to work upward from where you are, after all, everyone can improve. And I don't think anyone who gave you some criticism meant harm by it, we're all trying to help! And I agree with MudBug, it's about getting practice on a couple things and improving before becoming an actual designer, we weren't saying decline just to be mean!
After all, your manips are much better than anything I could do, being a skinner. I just think that all the artists who gave you some tips were genuinely being kind and trying to help. And I'm sorry if anything I said came off as inconsiderate.

[Emma]

*pops in*

Um. No, Mudbug. I didn't misunderstand anything you said. I wasn't saying that as a dig towards you, it was just an honest compliment.

*pops out*

[MudBug]

I'm sorry. This thread seems to just have turned into one giant misunderstanding. xP

[`Poet.]

Okay, I'm assuming that the majority of you declined, so I'm going to go ahead and move this thread.

However, MD, I really love your work -- I see a huge amount of talent. Just take into consideration some of the other members gave you, and please re-apply soon!

Thanks very much! <3