+ Grand Opening Poster +

[Naked Dave]

Hey everyone, this is my first post here, I am an ameture, and I am 15, almost 16 years old. All that I know I have figured out myself. I have just opened a new site on my friend's domain, because mine just expired. I will be there untill I get my domain back. My site is called "David Funk Productions", in which I offer my services (non profit of course) like video editing, web design, graphic design for ameture bands and things like that. Anyway, this is the sample poster that I made to show what I can do to anyone that comes onto me site. The URL is http://wherefoodishappy.com/davidfunkproductions.

Here it is:
http://wherefoodishappy.com/davidfunkproductions/graphicdesignforumshowcase/reapergrandopening.gif

Thank you for reading and I really hope i get some positive feedback. And just a little notice, I did not draw those grim reapers, I simple edited them and made brushes out of them. The background grunge grid I did myself, but the brushes are not made by me either. I would give credit to whoever made them, but I forget who it was, so thank you to whoever made them. So basically, I just "assembled" this image using google image search and some brushes I found on the internet, and Photoshop CS2.

I hope you like it!

[PrintDriver]

As with many youngsters doing this for fun, you need to know one very basic concept. It is not legal to use Google image search, download images and use them in your own work. That is called plagiarism, theft, violation of copyright or all of the above.

A lot of sig sites have 'Font Swaps' which are considered 'software piracy'. There are free font and brush sites out there. As there may still be some free image sites out there. But using Google Image search is not the way to find them.

I'm not quite sure why these image search engines exist. Anybody?

To offer your services using downloaded, unacknowleged, unpermissioned images is inviting a possible lawsuit on you and whoever you do the work for.

[Kool]

I'm not quite sure why these image search engines exist. Anybody?

So we can type the word "biguns" in and see what comes up. :D

[PrintDriver]

Oh, oh yeah. Forgot that part.
Don't you have all yours bookmarked yet?

[AlexNJ210]

some advice to you would be to research where you got those images and give credit visibly on the site. Or, change them to make the artwork your own, use the images as templates to create other designs. That shows more talent than just doing some cutting. I hope that helps.

[AlexNJ210]

you also might consider saving for Illustrator, its a very powerful tool for creating unique poster and logo designs. Remember, try to copy as little as possible if at all in your own work. If you have to for something else, then it would be something to incorporate. But otherwise, try to be as individual as possible. Look at other artists work for INSPIRATION, but dont take others designs or photographs and use them as your own, even though you give credit, it just makes you look like a bad designer. Good luck and welcome to the GDF!

[Kool]

mmmmmm..... Hot Elf chicks with giant boobies :)

Hi Naked Dave, welcome to the forum. Sorry about the off topic comments. Cool image for a certain audience. You can't really use it though for the reasons stated above.

By "Non Profit" do you mean you don't charge for your work? If so don't do it, charge em something even if it's just a token $20. Believe me people will respect you and your work a 1000% more if they paid a little something for it.

[typographics]

I'm not quite sure why these image search engines exist. Anybody?

i use google image search all the time. just recently, i needed to make a logo that incorporated a 'bee', so i google image searched 'bee logos' to see how other people had incorporated this honey making creature. google image search can be a powerful research tool.

matthew~

[crowda]

im new and sorry this has to be my first post, but i was just cruising through and noticed those reapers. i used it for my friends paintball team logo...
thats actually the logo for a tattoo shop.

http://66.49.161.126/DIDone.jpg

this is real amateurish piece but its from about 2 years go when i started with graphics, im still a rookie so im not too embarassed.

[Navian]

That might work ^ , because you changed quite a bit of the reaper.

But it is still a fine line for copyright infringement and plagerism, not sure on the percentage changed.

It's just one of those fine lines, you really don't want to be walking on. It can be finacially dangerous.

[PrintDriver]

It's called Derivative Work and is usually a copyright infringement.
That 'percentage changed' thing is a myth perpetuated by 100's of college and high school design professors.

[Navian]

It's called Derivative Work and is usually a copyright infringement.
That 'percentage changed' thing is a myth perpetuated by 100's of college and high school design professors.

Ah, good to know. ;)

[PrintDriver]

Here's a pdf of the actual copyright law regarding derivative work.
http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ14.pdf

[tZ]

I would recommend:

A.) learning to draw
B.) learning to use a camera
c.) learning to trace your own photographs

Compositionally... not all to bad for a beginner.

However, nothing can detract from the fact that your work is fraud- there for, its no better then trash- regardless of how aesthetically pleasing it "could" be/is- not to be harsh.

-Just to lay down the facts.

That might work ^ , because you changed quite a bit of the reaper.

But it is still a fine line for copyright infringement and plagerism, not sure on the percentage changed.

If you are using some elses work within your own without permission or due credit you have no right in this industry. It just gives us a bad name and shows lack of integrity- regardless of the what the law states.

Thats my personal opinion.

Even if you "can't" learn to draw design isn't about being able to draw its about the concept and clarity in communicating that concept- not how "detailed" or "complex" the illustration/parts associated are.

So take that into consideration next time.

Its also a process- the concept comes before the computer. the computer is just a tool.

Without regards to your illegal acts the composition is dependent on computer manipulation alone.

What is the concept?

A grim reaper on the front- herray!- what is that suppose to say?

Furthermore, Its been done over and over with the whole grim reaper thing and what not... a fetus would say that your approach is cliche its been done over so many times.

Not to say cliche is a bad thing. Sometimes the most cliche idea result in the most sucessfull designs given the correct audience and concept.

However... for your piece- its not working at all.

All it says is herray I have a grim reaper so my comapny is cool- hey- thats it. There is nothing remotly intelligent about that- nothing!

So before you bring your work into the computer at least find a concept that is worth manipulation... at least.

Hopefully... I wasn't to harsh there, but its all the truth.

printdriver wrote:
I'm not quite sure why these image search engines exist. Anybody?

Actually... I find them quite usefull for research. However, corbis, istockphoto and stockxchange are by far the best when it comes to that aspect.