Teal Ice Skin (Update Aug 2)

[calisphere]

Update: I think I've finished the basic setup of the skin. If you could give another look, I'd really appreciate it.

calispheres-teal-ice.freeforums.net/index.cgi

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I am working on my first skin in over six years (not that they were great back then either). This is is a Work-In-Progress and mostly a learning skin. Though, if it ends up turning out decent, I may use it on my real forum that I am still creating.

First, I would like opinions on the color scheme. I don't want to work on graphics and CSS until I get the colors right. I'm not very artistic, so it takes a lot of effort to make graphics. So, what do you think of the color scheme as it stands?

Here is a screenshot:

http://i1233./ff391/LookOfWinter/Teal%20Ice%20Skin/ScreenShot2012-07-05at15930PM.png

And here is the test board. Please note that as I work on the skin, the test board will change. That's why I'm giving screenshots as well.

calispheres-teal-ice.freeforums.net/index.cgi

>>changed your images to links as they are stretching the page for IE users<<

[Former Member]

I would make the skins background a tad lighter shade of gray.

[calisphere]

Thanks. I've tried two other colors, one just a tad lighter and the other that is the base color of the original hex color. I have not altered the live board yet, so there are screenshots of the two new colors. The "tad lighter" isn't much different and the base color is really light. I've added the hexes to the screenshots so that I can keep it straight. The original background is hex 5C6F73.

On a side note, I did discover a site that should help me with my future color schemes. It provides a nice monochromatic selection that may work in my favor. Yay!

http://i1233./ff391/LookOfWinter/Teal%20Ice%20Skin/ScreenShot2012-07-14at15342PM.png

http://i1233./ff391/LookOfWinter/Teal%20Ice%20Skin/ScreenShot2012-07-14at14900PM.png

[calisphere]

I've updated and possibly finished the skin. Please see first post. Thanks.

[Rick Ace]

There are no images (graphics)?

[calisphere]

That's strange. It's showing up for me when I'm not logged in at all. Here is a screenshot anyway. Lol

[Tumbleweed]

While I'm here changing your big images to links... I thought I'd give you a quick critique.

The not so good first:

The name of the skin is deceptive. I really don't get a feel of ice anywhere. The head/base images look more like static electricity in a teal color. I think this skin would work if you renamed it.

The 2nd background just looks like clouds in teal and doesn't surround the forum. Just a big square partially behind the forum and with all the business going on with the head image and tossing out the ice idea, I think a darker solid border around the forum would be better.

The tan links color doesn't really work and again, tossing out the ice idea, maybe in the same dark border color I suggested would work.
A skin that is complete, I think should include something to replace the default menu buttons and icons and perhaps a bit more thought into something that will make this a unique skin.

The good:

The head images are kind of cool. I'm sure someone would love them and may love the look you created. (After-all, I'm just one person.)

The forum width is a nice size. Not too big and not too tiny.

I like the color teal and I think you did well picking the same shades of teal so nothing clashes.

That's about it but if you are really set on creating a "ice" looking forum I'd suggest you go much lighter and create some images that look like a little more like ice.

[calisphere]

Sorry about the big images. They didn't look too big on my computer. Hazards of different resolutions. Lol.

I'm not set on the name for the skin. I just couldn't think of a name that had teal in it and wasn't exactly sure where the skin would end up. To be honest, I'm in need of a skin that would do decently on an ice aged themed board, so I think that's where I came up with the ice part. I have another skin in mind for that forum though.

The head/base images are the ones where you put the board categories like "Admin/News", "Game Play" and "Out of Character" right? And then you have the different forums/sub-forums under that? I'm still learning the different names besides what they would be called on another forum hosting site that I'm familiar with.

For those images, I used Gimp's Lava effect which is probably why it's not working. I just wish I was artistically talented enough to make glaciers in Gimp. I do like the lava effect but you might be right about it not working with the name. Perhaps I should keep it in the back of my mind for a different skin.

For the second background, you're pretty close. That's one of my galaxy brushes. It's funny that you could pick it out so easily. I was trying to go for a refracted/reflected ice look but I guess it didn't work out too well.

When you say

Just a big square partially behind the forum and with all the business going on with the head image and tossing out the ice idea, I think a darker solid border around the forum would be better.

do you mean that I should take out the lighter cloud looking pattern and just make it one color? I was toying with the idea of adding a second border between the square of teal under the forum and the cloud pattern.

For the text colors. The majority of the text (all non-link text) should appear as hex E2FFFF or web-safe CCFFFF, which is a light blue color. The tan should only appear as links and is hex EEE8CD, also called Cornsilk2. I was in search of a color that stood out enough to make a difference because I have a growing dislike for text that matches the background so well that I have to highlight it to read. I've been on many many forums like that. I also like seeing the difference in links and text. Perhaps hex 99ffff looks better. It is just two shades darker than the text color as seen here:



I was also planning on getting some buttons done after the skin was complete and I didn't have to change anything. Less work for the person who struggles with graphics anyway.

I'll put together a few different backgrounds to see if we can't get the right one and mess with the images. I'm just so glad that I was able to find a website that helps me with the color selection. I'd be completely lost otherwise! This is coming from a person who used to wear a purple shirt, pink pants, and yellow socks throughout elementary school.

[Tumbleweed]

The images you posted were only big for IE users.

I don't know why I was under the impression this was a template for others to use and not just the members on your own forum. I wouldn't have been so hard on you. Sorry.

What you have now is fine, I just think you need to think of a different name for the skin name. Save Teal Ice for one that really looks like ice. You should do some seaches for making ice and snow on Gimp. I have Gimp too and people don't give it enough credit. I admit, I only use it for select things but it is a pretty awesome little progam for free. I bet if you practice you can come up with a cool ice theme to suit that name.

My biggest issue with your background is that it is just a square behind your forum. I think it would look better to repeat-y rather than no-repeat, although it does repeat pooly on the right but still, I think it looks better.

I think the color you have now is better than the tan color. I too am not a fan of hard to read text and I also get that you were tying to bring in another color. That's kind of hard to do. Maybe you should think about a banner that has the teal and then some other colors and THEN you can bring those other colors in select text on your site.

I'll be interested to see how it looks after you complete some buttons for it.

[calisphere]

No, no! Hard is good. I was aiming at having it on my own forum but if others like it, then I don't see much reason to tell them no. I know that I'm on the bottom rung as far as professional skins go seeing as this is my first one in a long long while so giving tough love is good!

I spent several hours yesterday trying to get scripts to install on Gimp but it just refused to work. There was a nice little ice logo script I was wanting to use. I just updated to Gimp 2.8 for Mac. I grew up learning on Paint Shop Pro 7, which I miss terribly because I could do things blindfolded. Lol

Now for that background. I think I just figured out what you were trying to say. I came across a site that tests at different resolutions and while viewing at 800x600, the background shows solid, which isn't a too terrible look. Here's an example:



And here is at 1024x600, which after looking at what my laptop is set at explains why I have a problem not getting the image to go all the way across my screen. My resolution is 1440x900. I threw on a wallpaper I had that was the same size and that solved the problem. Lol



So I guess the question is which size should I make the background? I've been reading 1024x728 or so but with Macs and the newer PCs getting up to 1900+ by whatever pixels, perhaps it's time to up that size again? Also, I have switched the background from no-repeat to repeat-y. I don't see a difference but you may have a bigger screen than I do.

I think I'm going to split this skin into three skins: one with the ice theme, one with the lava head/base images as a theme, and one with the background. At least the first two anyway. Maybe one will be worth keeping around.

Also, people still use IE? Really? Well, I do know someone who still uses AOL, so I guess it's not completely crazy....

[Tumbleweed]

To answer your last question/statement first. I work in coding support, for the most part, so I need to view things in all major browsers. I'm sure, for your member base, IE isn't so much of an issue as probably most of your members don't use it. Still, there are probably some that come from a household with one computer (rare these days) but probably would never admit to you they are using IE because their parents like it. lol <<Speculation on my part.

Just to touch a bit more on this I consider Wikipedia stats represent whole ranges of ages whereas W3Schools are more likely peope who want to have the lastest of technologies and the majority being a younger crowd. Your site probably falls in the W3School range.

My screen res on my pc is 1280x1024, which explains why the background just stopped for me. Adding the y makes it looks much better.

As far as the width of your background, I think your width you have now is just fine. The key to a background like yours is to make it seamless, which is a little tricky with what you have now.

Anyway, thanks for not minding the tough love...ha ha.

[Former Member]

I really like this one!