self-promo-tional

man thats some wild stuff...very intriguing

While stylistically neat...it's damn near impossible to read. Don't forget that design is a form of communication. If your audience can't interpret your message you've essentially wasted both your time and your viewer's.

I like it. It makes me want to explore.

I admit, although modern design is usually trying to achieve simple clean interfaces and messages - sometimes I just want see something a little more artsy. I love when there are more colours, patterns, and textures than just white space or a gradient.

However, I think you could have stopped sooner on this design and it would have been more powerful. I think there is just too much, and it seems like some of the elements could be taken out and been more of (to quote tlarson2k) "a clear message."

To me, the initial feeling I got from this design was a "Da Vinci", "Renaissance", "Old Book" feel. The cherub-looking image reminded me of the ceiling paintings, as did the worn text. Then I began looking more at the elements of the picture. You have dilapidated text (which I love) in the serif fonts you have, but the sans-serif look incredibly out of place (more speficically, the word "Flash" beneath the cherub), and immediately took away the reality of what seemed to be something out of that time period.

The most distracting part of the entire image would have to be the small aliased white text on red stating your name - right in the middle (almost appearing to be pasted after the fact) of the text to the left of the cherub. I don't think it's needed, and it looks awkward there. I happen to love the text underneath it, and how you've blended it into the piece - so I think the small text on top distracts from it.

There is also a set of numbers towards the top left - do those have any significance? Again, it looks to be too modern for the piece. I understand trying to mix modern and futuristic elements into something older or corroded, but it feels like it's just has too much. Maybe take a few elements out - see what stands on it's own.

Overall, I think you have a great start for a home/introduction page, and just a little tweaking will get you there. Keep it up!

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Perfectly Lost Designs

You've made a good artistic piece here, but it doesn't say anything. Do you want these art directors to contact you? Make sure you make that more clear...

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Powerpoint is not a design application

Thank you all for comments with many things to think about. I totally agree with seraphim that I went too far, I was having fun forgetting everything else.

I hope it's OK to defend my design a bit. I understand the importance of communication and clear delivery of messages. In this case, however, I thought my message was my design and style, not the actual contact info or profile or sets of skills. That's why I went crazy with design/artistic expression, and at the same time had clean contact info at the bottom. I hope this will work since people will be seeing it either on my website or in my email message.

Anyways, thanks again, I hope to be able to show my new website design soon to have more feedbacks.

Well, your point is well taken from a purely artistic point of view, but what about from a business perspective? What prospective art directors and studios hiring you care about most is communication, then aesthetics, not the other way around; just keep that in mind. Their bosses and sales departments drive this. This is how money is made.

You do have contact information, but it should be more prominent, I think, than it is now. Your call to action needs to be obvious, not just artistic.

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Powerpoint is not a design application

I'm reminded of the story, many years old now, about a study in which something like 6 out of 10 people thought the product being advertised in the "Energizer Bunny" TV commercials was Duracell.

So when it comes to promotion -- even self-promotion for an illustrator -- creativity that doesn't get the point across isn't really all that creative, is it?

A lot of publishers and editors use their eyes so much, and for such long stretches of underpaid time, that they can become seriously strained. If they have to crack the Da Vinci Code just to find your phone number or a "Contact" link to click on, I can pretty much guarantee that a lot of them will pass you by.

I agree with both of you, Mara and Natobasso, however; it looks to me that this piece isn't for contact information like a business card, rather an artistic illustration piece for a homepage. I do think that you will need much more prominent navigation when this actually goes up (call to action, as previously stated), but I think for now, the piece is just that - an illustration.

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Perfectly Lost Designs

Sorry, Seraphim; I'd gotten the impression from the designer of this piece that it was indeed intended to convey the basic contact info etc., albeit creatively. I understand a revision is forthcoming. I'm interested in seeing how it comes across.

Thank you again. I'll definitely keep your comments in mind. And I should be able to post updated/revised version soon.