Critique

[voidsource]

While im new here and im a photoshop enthusiast ( not sure if i spelled that correctly ) I ran into ur site. U guys seem to be updated and active. I have brought some of my work to see where you guys think i stand as far as level of skill that i have. My goal is to know and try to bump my game up some more so that by, hopefully, this summer i can start applying to agencies on working in either post production, graphic design, or retouching. All of those 3 which i have had a minor experience in. Attached are a few images of my work please let me know what my level of skill is based on your own standards. ty.

Ostrich & Giraffe crossbreed

Me w/ a different type of background
note: this picture of me was taken with a webcam; I dont own a real camera :/

some jewelry retouching

Some shadow/highlights correction w/ minor color corrections

Also not sure if u guys have an introduction section where one introduce's themselves, couldnt find it.

[voidsource]

Re: Critique

does anybody have any feedback?

[JMcCloud1979]

Re: Critique

Hi voidsource,

I'm new here too. Just wanted to say I think they all look great!

I'm more of a retoucher/editor than a graphic design artist but I think the Ostrich & Giraffe crossbreed looks good. The blending of the two looks realistic. Great job there.

The picture of you looks good too. Good job in blending color to make you and the scene match. I would say though that for this one, the image's quality of you does look less than the background. I would maybe either try degrading the quality of the background somehow to match the foreground, or maybe try using something like the surface blur or mixer brush tool to smooth out that kind of.... posterization effect on your skin and cloths, maybe even try playing with oil paint filter if you have photoshop cs6.

I would say you did an excellent job on the jewelry piece. Might want to make sure you can make it look just as good without a shadow or reflection.

For the last photo of the old guy... it looks good but to me, I'm thinking maybe it's a little bit too sharp.... I'm not really sure, as I've seen other photos of older men and women look just as sharp, but maybe it's just not my style.

Anyway, those are just my opinions, but maybe they will help.

Good luck!

-Jeremy

[mattschuenke]

Re: Critique

Looks pretty good! Here are a couple notes for you.

The giraffe/ostrich has some haloing going on where the background gets blown out behind it. Notably the top of its back, bottom of the neck (where it connects) and the top of its head. Also the bottom of the neck gets bright as it goes down which doesn't seem to be an effect of the lighting on it, but maybe that's what you're going for. Same thing with the ostrich feathers on the edges of the body. Their detail is getting lost and rounding off, but you might have done that on purpose to coincide with the background. Up to you but I love those edge details and would try to keep them.

The portrait is my favorite. Love the way the light carves your face. Wonder what that original image looks like. The lights on the water might be too spot light like. Compare the lights on the horizon to those in the water and the water ones might need to be broader and more feathered. Or you could go the other way. The orange spot just right of center coming through the trees is distracting to me. I don't think there would be such a saturated spot of color coming through only there without a new light source coming through right there.

Great work on the jewelry! Glad you kept the original shadow instead of making a new one.

Nice detail brought out in the last image. The spots of beard coming through is what sells it here. I like the color/contrast of the original hat and background. For my taste they show the mood of the bright sunny day more successfully. The man's face gets awfully cool, I might tone that back to somewhere between the two versions. Glad you kept all the wrinkles too.

These are just my opinions, but hope that helps
-Matt

[voidsource]

Re: Critique

Giraffe/ostrich:
@JMcCloud1979 thanks for the feedback. Im also going a starting freelancer. I'm trying to either do retouching or graphic design. But i really would want to do movie posters :P.

@mattschuenke Thanks for the feedback. I was going for the giraffe's to be blown out. I was going for more of sunlight on its body. noticeably on the edges of its body because i have notice that on other images, so i was trying to go for that feel. I do see what you mean that some details do get lost. Ill remember that for the next time.


Portrait:
@JMcCloud1979 thanks, I will try to remember that for the next one. The picture was taken with a webcam at home. Like i said under the link, I dont own an actual camera. So the next best thing was the webcam.

@mattschuenke thanks. I had forgotten to actually remove the orange spot because as i was working on it i first though it looked weird but then after looking at it for a while i realized that i looked interesting as it is the only spot that is orange. But i do see what you mean. Here is what the original look likes http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2..._Source/me.jpg


Jewelry
@JMcCloud1979 & @mattschuenke Thanks. I took my time on it. I later realized when i had my jewelry internship that, they liked it but wanted me to do it their method which was kinda cheap and more of bringing levels way up. Not cool. But i like how this one came out. thanks.


Old Guy
@JMcCloud1979 & @mattschuenke Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it.