Artwork opinions and advice

[swdhead]

I’ve decided to go with a Fallout theme for my recently completed cabinet and I’ve almost got the artwork done.  I’m looking for advice on grouping the controls and making them stand out against the control panel.  If anyone has any ideas I’d love to hear them.  Any comments/criticisms are welcome also. 

Thanks

[Zero_Hour]

I like it. I'm not really familiar with Fallout to dive into any specific game related critiques.

One thought though - since you say you want to do something to Group together the Controls on the CP, maybe you could choose elements or a color palette from the marquee to do those elements, since the CP and Sideart seem to have more of a Gray tone, and the Marquee looks to have more Green/Blue tones to it. That might tie everything together nicely. Another idea, though I don't know how well it would scale, would be to use the little Thumbs up guy to denote your P1 / P2 Buttons, putting one icon under P1 and and two under P2, or even just modding in photoshop to have the Thumbs up guy to have two thumbs up for P2.

Boy, that last sentence reads like a train wreck, hope it makes sense.

***Edit*** When words fail... Just use pictures. 

[Austin.Wolff]

Man, good job!

[Flip_Willie]

Wow, I love it.  (I am a big fan of fallout 1, and 2 myself.  Fallout 3 looks like it is going to be a disaster though, in my opinion)

No criticism on it from me. (Except that fallout doesn't have much to do with arcades)

The controls layout looks good, and the art looks pretty sharp too.   I will definately be interested to see how it turns out.

On another note, I actually made a Fallout themed mamewah layout a while back.  I even made a "3d" intro movie.

EDIT: If you are interested: 

Just as it is,
Flip Willie

[bfauska]

I also have know familiarity with fallout, but I think I have an idea that may make your already great looking art seem less repetitive and allow you to group the controls.

I would leave the marquee as is.

I think it would be cool if your side art was either the full size of the cab (probably way expensive), or fit into a more pleasing shape than the rounded rectangle.  I would suggest that it be cut right along the edge of the symbol, but then what to do with the cool blood?  Maybe you could make the side art background more poster-like and fade the edges to the same color as your cabinet?  Or maybe move the blood to the CPO and cut away anything that is the gray background stuff leaving just a little bit as an outline around the rest of the art.  Mostly I just think that the rectangle makes it look like a sticker on the side of a cabinet, not part of the design of the cabinet.

I would take the title and thumbs-up-guy off of the CPO, and use the wings from the side art to wrap around the trackball.  To make the control groups stand out I would put them in outlined areas that look like the title graphic, it's already the right shape even, just backwards.  I think that the colors and patterns would make the whole thing work together and seem cohesive, while removing the title and guy from the CPO would keep it from being redundant, or over used.  I do like the idea of using the guy for the player buttons though, you could even just use vinyl cutouts of a thumbs up for P1 and two thumbs up for P2.

I think I'm going to have to check out fallout, if the idea of your artwork was to advertise a game I think it would work great, I think with or without my suggestions you will have a cool finished product.

Edit: spelling and to say that the website for that game has some cool graphics, I like the mix of retro propaganda cartoon and nuclear aftermath.

[swdhead]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions guys, I really appreciate the help.

I decided to drop the side art.  My cabinet is a Woody/Arcade Mania clone (such a great design ) and there just isn’t enough depth for side art.

Fallout 3 looks like it is going to be a disaster though, in my opinion)

I hope you’re wrong, but you’re probably right.  What’s the fun in having awesome graphics when you can’t pistol whip children in the Wasteland .

No criticism on it from me. (Except that fallout doesn't have much to do with arcades)

It was either a Fallout theme or a Street Fighter: The Movie theme  .

On another note, I actually made a Fallout themed mamewah layout a while back.  I even made a "3d" intro movie.

That’s sweet! I’ve always used GameEx, but I may move to Mamewah just for this skin.  Can you pm me the files or send me a link?

I made some changes based on the input in this thread.  The marquee fits the control panel better…but I still like the first one more.  I added some button markers to the cp, but the controls still feel like they’re just floating.  I’m thinking about adding some rusty metal plates to group the controls and then making the markers look like they’re etched in.

[bfauska]

I like the first marquee better too.  The CP is looking better but I do think it would be even better with some sort of panel/shape behind the buttons.  The rusty metal idea would work, or (it may be tough to do) a similar shape/style box like the one around the "fallout" title.

[Flip_Willie]

It was either a Fallout theme or a Street Fighter: The Movie theme  .

You made the right choice.

Just as it is,
Flip Willie

[swdhead]

So many choices...I'm leaning toward the rusty one.

[Flip_Willie]

That's sweet! I've always used GameEx, but I may move to Mamewah just for this skin.  Can you pm me the files or send me a link?

PM sent.

Just as it is,
Flip Willie

[Zero_Hour]

So many choices...I'm leaning toward the rusty one.

Rusty FTW!