New graphic design student needs advice!

[jackbrawn]

Hi guys, I am a first year student of graphic design at a college in Northampton, UK. I have just been given an assignment where I have to use as single piece of photography taken by myself, and convert it into a poster advertising a gig for a band or singer. The poster will be printed at A3 size and this is my first design for development, can I have your ideas so I can improve this and don't hold back (as long as it's contructive). Remember I am very new! Cheerz Guyz.

[morea]

Hi Jack. The link doesn't seem to be working for me. You might want to try imageshack:

How should I post my work?

The preferred method seems to be linking your image into your post, so that members who view your thread don't have to click a link to go view your image.

You can host images for free at www.imageshack.us, and also at our sister site www.thecreativeforum.com.

Once you have uploaded the image, you can link it into your post using image tags, like this:

http://img475.imageshack.us/img475/5733/untitled10av.jpg

[jackbrawn]

ok there ya go

[morea]

hmm, it's a good start. I'm not sure I get how the red fits in. Also, the space at the borrom almost feels like it is missing something to me... between their knees and their feet.

At first, the word "indiependence" looked like a typo to me, then I realized it was likely intentional. What about if you made "indie" all the same color as the 2nd "I" and then left "pendence" black? Or even hyphenated it as indie-pendence to emphasize that?

Just a couple thoughts. Looks good so far!

[EC]

Hi Jack,

I'm not a print designer but I would worry about the tight margins you've got for the text (even though we designers love to push margins like that, right?) -- unless you're planning on cutting these yourself I suspect that a printer might consider some of that in an "unsafe area" (a certain degree of margin is needed for variations that occur in cutting).

Overall I think it's an attractive piece and a great start. That's all I've got for now. Welcome to the GDF. :)

[Craig B]

A big nitpick for me, and most desigenrs is the proper use of quotes. I know this isn't a full-on critique, but I'd replace the straight quote in "two's" with a "smart quote"

And even though i can read it, I would probably consider adding more spacing between the words "two's a crowd", it's perhaps a little too tight at the moment.

[jackbrawn]

EC, yeh i know exactly what you mean and I only went right to the edges because I will only be printing one or two and cutting them out myself. Thanks to evertone for their comments, keep em coming I appreciate your advice!

[PrintDriver]

As long as you don't expect that kind of cut in the real world (unless you pay extra for it...)

[shadepics]

Not bad, I don't get the significance of the red O in two to be honest. If its gotta be there i'd use the same red as the other two.

You know of any decent printers around Northampton by the way?

[emmerse]

if you've got the time, I'd rubber stamp the grass running down the middle of the flyer so it doesn't look like a mirrored image. That was the first thing I saw.