[Opinions / Critiques / Suggestions] Storm trooper Bar top Art

[yamatetsu]

I think the red is too prominent. And yep, the styles clash. I would ditch the logos and the red frame, so that the eye is caught by the 'Classic STORMTROOPER Arcade' bit, and not by a red frame.
Also, I would move the 'Classic' to the 'Arcade', so that you get STORMTROOPER - Classic Arcade, which would make a bit more sense. Finally, I would move the stormtroopers to the sides of the  STORMTROOPER - Classic Arcade bit, placing pics under it looks to busy IMHO.

I have fiddled around a bit. I am unable to do the outline for the Classic Arcade text, otherwise I would have done it in the style you used.



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And something that definitely has the wrong style, but IMHO looks cool :

[efp9teen78]

I think the red is too prominent. And yep, the styles clash. I would ditch the logos and the red frame, so that the eye is caught by the 'Classic STORMTROOPER Arcade' bit, and not by a red frame.
Also, I would move the 'Classic' to the 'Arcade', so that you get STORMTROOPER - Classic Arcade, which would make a bit more sense. Finally, I would move the stormtroopers to the sides of the  STORMTROOPER - Classic Arcade bit, placing pics under it looks to busy IMHO.

I have fiddled around a bit. I am unable to do the outline for the Classic Arcade text, otherwise I would have done it in the style you used.



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Wow that turned out nice. Not the troopers from the sides that this has been based on so not sure if that clashes. and I had just been using the Echo Base marquee as the template for this. With your blessing I will do some mods to this but defiantly like what you have done in a matter of no time this stuff takes me hours upon hours spread of days lol

And something that definitely has the wrong style, but IMHO looks cool :

Yeah this one is kinda cool even with the Norte Dame fighting Irish inspired Trooper and Lord Vader. Big U of M fan so cant justify using it lol

[yamatetsu]

With your blessing I will do some mods to this but defiantly like what you have done in a matter of no time this stuff takes me hours upon hours spread of days lol

Heh. I only could do it 'in a matter of no time' because I basically traced your pic. Were I to do this completely on my own, I would probably not be able to.
Mod merrily away, there is always room for improvement 

[efp9teen78]

Heres what I have come up with. I really like this hopefully we have a winner but if any changes need be made to make it that much better so be it. Thanks to yamatetsu for his quick rendition and blessing to modify it definitely got me thinking in another direction. Took some time cleaning up the classic arcade surround border made it more of a solid line 




As always helpful critiques or all out that sucks throw it out and burn it  start over are welcome

[yamatetsu]

I would make the red border a tad thinner, it's a bit too dominant for my taste. No other niggles, this looks good.
Keep in mind though that if you use marquee holders, they will obscure the upper and the lower part of the marquee.

[BorgDog]

I used some aluminum edge similar to the pic below on my last couple builds, only about 1/8" overhang so minimal art coverage.  I also angle cut the wood behind it so light could also get almost all the way to that are.  Found at my local home center, came in 8' lengths.

[efp9teen78]

I would make the red border a tad thinner, it's a bit too dominant for my taste. No other niggles, this looks good.
Keep in mind though that if you use marquee holders, they will obscure the upper and the lower part of the marquee.

Thats is an easy fix. And I was or am aware that the marquee retainers will block some the art. Should only lose the top of the empire cog and the waist line of the troopers or i could shrink the art a tad and add blank space above and below it. Gonna be a few weeks still be4 I will be able to search out a print on this plus still have to tackle the control panel.

I used some aluminum edge similar to the pic below on my last couple builds, only about 1/8" overhang so minimal art coverage.  I also angle cut the wood behind it so light could also get almost all the way to that are.  Found at my local home center, came in 8' lengths.

This is all for a widescreen bartop ordered from the great Haruman Customs which he kindly included a couple  black plastic L brackets to use as marquee retainers but thanks for the option
 

[efp9teen78]

Reduced the red border in the marquee it does look better. Control Panel is little better too not sure what direction to go with it

[yamatetsu]

CP.




Bezel.




Everything combined.

[efp9teen78]

CP.




Bezel.




Everything combined.

Man this is awesome thanks very much for helping out I will have to modify the button surround colors a tad I have Black buttons but thats an easy enough task.  Now I have to try and find some Imperial Cog speaker grill covers to pull it all together

[yamatetsu]

I have Black buttons

I figured that from your CP version. This is my subtle way to point out that since the stormtrooper armor and the 'stormtrooper' text in the marquee are white, white buttons and joysticks with white balltops / black dustwashers IMHO would fit better 

If you use white buttons, you could take both the black and the white buttons apart and put the white plungers into the black buttons, so that on the CP you only need a white/red outline instead of a black/white/red one. It would make the outlines a bit smaller.

[opt2not]

I've been lurking since I last gave you feedback to see where you're heading, as well as get others to chime in. Seems like a decent path, but I have a few more pointers.

Marquee
- Title font looks too vertically stretched. Try reducing the vertical scale so that each letter has a more 2:3 ratio. Right now it's more of a 2:1

- I'm not a fan of reusing the same visual elements of the sides here. Is there another image you can try? How about a forward facing, close-up of a Stormtrooper's helmet? Doesn't even need to be the full face. You could crop half of it on the edge.

- Symmetry is lazy. You can find balance with a different image without have to copy/mirror the same element to both sides. How about a storm trooper carrier ship on one side? Or something else that equally as big and has the same "value" of the other image.


CP
- Try thinner grid lines. Right now it's a bit too heavy and overbearing. Play around with matching the button halo line width as well.
- give the grid a fade to black the further away in perspective it goes
- increase the perspective a little more as if it's going off into the distant horizon. Try lowering the horizon too
- I'm not a fan of the matrix light things on the CP, but if you like them who am I to judge?

Hope this helps.

[yamatetsu]

I'm not a fan of the matrix light things on the CP, but if you like them who am I to judge?

I added those because they occur on the sides and on the marquee, so they become the element that ties everything together.

[opt2not]

I added those because they occur on the sides and on the marquee, so they become the element that ties everything together.

I see what you were trying to do. But you can tie the theme together without hitting the audience over the head with one visual element. Using elements over and over for separate parts trying to tie things together comes off bland and shallow in the design. I would try to progress those elements, evolve them more into something that still maintains the basics of the thing but is different enough to not seem lazy

[yamatetsu]

Using elements over and over for separate parts trying to tie things together comes off bland and shallow in the design. I would try to progress those elements, evolve them more into something that still maintains the basics of the thing but is different enough to not seem lazy

Well, unfortunately this is not laziness but the extent of my abilities 

efp9teen78 : If you like my design, use it, but I strongly advise you to listen to opt2not's comments, he is a great artist and he knows what he is talking about.

[efp9teen78]

efp9teen78 : If you like my design, use it, but I strongly advise you to listen to opt2not's comments, he is a great artist and he knows what he is talking about.

I do like what you have done and will take opt2nots advice to heart and see what I can do to make it better. Like you my skills are about maxed out but with all the playing around I like to believe I have been improving.

I cant thank you enough for all the work you have provided to this point

[efp9teen78]

Did some work to modify the marquee good bad or burn it lol

[yamatetsu]

I cant thank you enough for all the work you have provided to this point

Glad that I could help.

Did some work to modify the marquee good bad or burn it lol

- Symmetry is lazy. You can find balance with a different image without have to copy/mirror the same element to both sides.

#bad

A completely different idea. I don't know if it's possible, but how about only using the logos, drilling a big hole in the middle, six smaller holes inside the logo and putting the speakers behind them?

[markc74]

Why not scrap the graphics on either side of the marquee and just use the "Stormtrooper/Classic arcade" text with the border as you have it. There's already graphics all over the cabinet, I'm not sure it needs more iconography. White space (or in this case black!) would make the name stand out more. I always thought the Star wars logo looked pretty good as is. Sometimes less is more...

Just my 2p.

[Mike A]

What he said^^^

[krangbrain]

Looks like you still have a few adjustments for the marquee and CPO, but I'm happy that you settled on the stormtrooper in the last rendition. Definitely better than the others IMHO. Looking very nice!

[n3wt0n]

I like what you had done in post #47 as far as the sides and the control panel are concerned but personally I would try Marks advice and just put the title of the game in the marquee area using the non-stretched out version of the title. I am definitely a less is more person so I think losing the characters or glyphs that have been used elsewhere in the marquee area would be a good thing but Opt and yamatetsu make some great points and provide some good options.

Did some work to modify the marquee good bad or burn it lol

[efp9teen78]

Ok I did just the the name marquee. I used the classic arcade that way I could use some of the work yamatetsu helped me with. Let me know if the scales are off in either direction

[efp9teen78]

 

I like what you had done in post #47 as far as the sides and the control panel are concerned

Did some slight modifications to the CP mostly color swaps added a slight "Easter Egg"

 

And the newest bundle to see how it all goes and flows or doesnt?? together

[n3wt0n]

I think that looks like a nice artwork package when you put it all together like that but honestly, I liked the old control panel better before you switched the grey/black around the joysticks and added the red circle... but again, less is usually more to me.

[efp9teen78]

Another edit I know its endless but wanna get it right. The just title marquee seem to blah for me. Only thing thing with this one is the double Trooper Cog not sure what else I could use for the other side. Kinda has to be a circle cause Ill admit is it just the Echo Base Marquee with color swaps and title swap

[Mike A]

You were headed in the right direction...until you swerved into a ditch and hit a tree. An explosive tree. Doused in gasoline.

[efp9teen78]

You were headed in the right direction...until you swerved into a ditch and hit a tree. An explosive tree. Doused in gasoline.

LOL that bad huh at least its still in the work out all the kinks steps and not been sent off to the printers yet.

What in particular is so bad the newest marquee edit or something else?

[Mike A]

I was just being a smart ass. I really liked the super simple marquee.

[Mike A]

I think the proportions were still a little off on it, but I am no artist. The new one is not objectively bad. I just prefer the other one.

[efp9teen78]

I was just being a smart ass. I really liked the super simple marquee.

Its all good I am just playing around with this stuff before work every day. Kinda throwing darts at the wall till something sticks.

And i just resized the new marquee to the actual size of the marquee its going to be in and it looks like garbage and worse yet doesn't flow with the whole set I placed in the bundle pic

I think the proportions were still a little off on it, but I am no artist. The new one is not objectively bad. I just prefer the other one.

Yeah I am not sure its scaled right either but thats easy fix with all the saved templates I have for it

[yotsuya]

Don't fret, bro. As long as it plays Galaga...

[efp9teen78]

Don't fret, bro. As long as it plays Galaga...

It will I am not very good at that one but it will play it

did some more tweaking of the marquee and combined it it with the CP that n3wton liked



bundle

[yamatetsu]

The forum does not allow me to post the pics in their original size, so these look shittier than they actually are. I have attached the original pics so that you may see them in all their glory.

[yotsuya]

I don't like the Storm Trooper on the control panel.

[Mike A]

Yeah. It looks like the Storm Trooper is photobombing the CP.

[yamatetsu]

I don't like the Storm Trooper on the control panel.

Yeah. It looks like the Storm Trooper is photobombing the CP.

Mike A. Yotsuya realized that he was lost in space. His brothers in arms had left him behind. A single tear ran down his cheek.

[Mike A]

Eh?

[yamatetsu]

Eh?

A stormtrooper, all alone in space. Nobody likes him. He is sad. His name? An amalgam of the people who want him gone.

[n3wt0n]

I like the addition of the starfield in the background but agree that the storm trooper on the CP is out of place. I also think it all comes together better with the grey things around the joysticks.