I posted some abstract works that I did lately and I'd like to get some constructive critique on them. I need to better understand why they rendered such bad ratings so I subsequently can get a chance to learn how to do it better. ^_^

The images are: Eyes and Ink Blot Test.

Thanks for any help. :)

Hello, in fulfilling your request, I have my honest oppinions:

I actually think these pieces make an appropriate wallpaper as far as the simplicity and ease on the eyes. I have a few theories about the possible reasons why the ratings are so low. As you may know, this site seems to be more aimed towards photography and 3D computer graphics. Fractals are popular, but in a ways it is limited in that area. Because of this, the crowd seems to like things that look like objects that they could compare to real life or that they could possibly touch or identify.

The two images that you posted are not readily identifiable. In "Eyes", I am having quite a bit of difficulty finding these Eyes that you speak of, and in "Ink Blot Test", I can't seem to picture what the original photo looked like, which apparently was manipulated to look like that.

People on this site, correct me if I am wrong anyone, seem to really be attracted to things they can identify. Even if it is a rather odd object, it still interests most if it looks like you could hold it in your hand or something along those lines.

All in all, I think they are nice images... The color is calm and nice for desktops, but I think for future reference, try to make something that everyone could have a common oppinion about. Also, it is rather homogenous, meaning it is pretty much the same and rather repetative thoughout the image. That's not a bad thing in my oppinion, but I am trying to speak for the general population...

Hope this helps, and for the record, I say nice work.

IMO both these images probably received low scores due to people looking only at the preveiw and writing them off as filter experiments in PS or similar. At the small res the patterns look very similar to lots of other images uploaded to caedes (some of them rather bad and obviously with little time spent on them). At full size they are more interesting, especially the textures in the first example, but I still think they may be too subtle for many people (ie not enough color to hold interest). Personally I wouldn't use the second one as a background, I thought it was a bit flat. The first is more interesting but again personally I would continue working on it and try to add some interest to it. But maybe it's just the color; if it was blue I might like it better, the yellow doesn't appeal to me personally. Hope this is helpful.

in most fractals and abstracts quite a bit of contrasted is needed...either that or a centrally identifyable figur-ish thing. In Eyes there really isn't either one. The blurring and the colors that make it up generally aren't very appealing colours.

The mood itself made by the picture is also quite dark. As raziel said on the pics themselves this is primarily a wallpaper site and people tend to prefer pretty and happy-ish over dark and hostile.

That being said, in my opinion Ink Blot is quite good just because it has more of a textured sharpened feel, which I tend to prefer over blurred abstractions. It also has a central figure attached to it.(the center)

Also I believe on this site alot of the people look at images for face value and for what would make a nice flashy desktop rather than for its artistc merit. In my personal gallery here I had much more sucess colorful oversaturated images regarldless of the image quality, while images that use nuetral tones or darker mood influence tones tend to be less sucessful IMO. Perhaps they would have higher c-index's with a rainbow gradient color adjustment layer over top of them :p

Thank you guys for the honest input. I'll see if I can manage to make something out of it. :) Both images are based on my previous rather (too) plain autumn shot "Honest forgery". (Multilayered mirrored (in two planes) details from it that I displace inorder to create a reverberation of the patterns.) I was going for something rather uniform but at the same time varied piece. I guess I overworked it slightly. ^_^ (It was obviously not worth the hours put into it. :p)

The eyes in the first one are, I suppose, not at all an obvious feature, Just something I myself can make out near the slight off center middle that I see as the focus of the piece. (It sort of looks like the cartoon-like drawing of a Persian cats face...)

I'll try out some new colors and move the patterns around to see if I can make it a bit more appealing.

having looked only at the preview of these 2 images i find them very dark and unapealing ... not enough intrest to go to the larger image ... perhaps some point of intrest to focus on might be better ... something that is easily seen and can lead to another point of intrest in the larger image ... if you can follow what i mean .. i am only an amateur myself but the way i try to create an image is to visualise what other people would like to see and mix that thought with what is in my mind to create.. keep up the great work and hope that my thoughts help
Russell

^ see

Thanks for the input Russell. I'm not sure I got that last post Anthony. (Not that it's that important... did you agree with Russell or comment on my answer above?)

me: "Also I believe on this site alot of the people look at images for face value and for what would make a nice flashy desktop rather than for its artistc merit"

Russell: "i find them very dark and unapealing ... not enough intrest to go to the larger image "

Thanks for clarifying. :)

just a thought ... have you tried looking at various artists favourites galleries? it might give you an insight as to what people like
Russell

Good idea, but I doubt I have the time for such thorough research.

I'd like honest opinion on two images that were alot less succesful then I expected.

Number 2 by gabi
Haunted, a manip of number 2 by me

Well, I do not know why those are so low...but I can say that maybe the "2" on the ladder takes away from the look. Because it's in B&W, it should look like something that could be older, and with the "2" there, it seems to take away from the authenticity somehow. Maybe if you took that out, it would look better. I also think that maybe it should have some color rather than just black and white. Only because it is a nature shot and maybe it could have some brown in it. I'm not really sure, but I am surprised that it has no comments.

On the second one, it's the same thing about the "2". It would be much better without it. It is also a little fuzzy and maybe too much contrast. That's only my oppinion though, see what others have to say :)

Ok, you said honest right? *takes deep breath*

Personally, I think this scene just isn't interesting enough. The only object that stands out is the ladder, the landscape really doesn't have anything going for it and is not visually appealing (looks rather messy to me). The ladder isn't really interesting enough to make up for the rest of the scene. Maybe if you couldn't see where it led or something that might be more interesting.

The second image might have been better (it does add some sense of mystery) but the ladder is too fuzzy and it is obvious it has been manipulated. Again, personally I just can't see anything appealing about it. To be honest I don't think there's much you could have done with this particular photo to make it "popular".

I don't see how any of this will be particularly helpful to you but you wanted an honest opinion so I have given mine. Hope it isn't too harsh.

i c, the opinions are great. The scenery is probably overall uninstresting, I was hoping that the old out of place ladder in the scene, and the black and white (its originally in B/W btw) would make for a somewhat mysterious, enticing scene, guess not. I believe the 2 was in the original photo (which isnt by me btw). I think the image was taken looking off a path rather than the ladder leading to a path? Once again i'm not sure, not my photo. I can see why its not successful. I was hoping the manip would be a bit more interesting since the nature part was basically turned into negative space and the interesting part of the scene was brought out more. Ya the manip is pretty obvious, all I did was some dodging of the ladder while darkening the image. Took all of 3 minutes haha.
Thanks a ton for the input - and its very helpful Sam, lets u know what people want to see, ie. what to and not to present in the future.

hi noobguy
i have looked at your pics and found them very dark ... spose because they are in bw
submit the same pics again in colour and i think that the response would be a lot better
i come from the bush and can imagine the colours that would be in this pic and i think that they would be winners
Russell

perhaps the color versions may be better
but these images were originally black and white, I didnt desaturate them
sorry