Nice job on the logo! The Rayquaza in the background do well to fill in the open space of the shield container shape, and the actual illustrations of each Pokemon within just look nice. Maybe the text could use a bit more consideration, as it's fairly flat compared to the other elements of the logo, and the thick outline around it separates it a bit too much from the parchment it should be resting on. But in general, I think the logo is attention-grabbing and works nicely for that team.
Also, I really like the perspective on that Palkia illustration, and having the hold items sitting in those rifts is a clever way to illustrate the content of the article it was made for. I watched the recording of your shading job, and I like the way you cover the whole drawing in the darkest color, then carve the highlights out from the shadows. I can't say I've seen the shading process other digital artists go through, but I haven't seen or thought of that technique before. Interesting way to get the job done!
Thank you for the wonderful comment! It was certainly a lovely thing to wake up to.
I agree, in hindsight I probably would have altered it and made it blend more with the piece. Text is something I have always struggled with and in this piece in particular everything I tried didn't seem to work. I had a lot of bother in terms of designing the concept and actually making the piece, meaning it took me far longer than I really wanted to actually finish it. While I am overall happy, the text is something I am definitely not happy with. Additionally, I didn't have time to really alter the design as my client needed the piece. With every logo I learn something new, however, so I know what I need to work on for next time!
As for the Palkia piece, I can say for sure it's probably the most fun I've had with a piece in a long time. I wanted to make sure it was done to a good standard (since it was for an article), and be eye-catching but informative so that people who see it will know what the article is going to be about. It's funny you mention the hold items, as that wasn't my initial plan. I had drawn out the palkia pose and was happy with the perspective, I then was trying to come up with ideas for the background. I didn't want it to be too detailed or intrusive that it would detract from the Palkia itself, so I thought it'd be cool if Palkia was kinda flying/floating between rifts in space to other dimensions as it were, since Palkia resides between dimensions. Then, as I was reading the article I thought "oh! I could include the held items being pulled into each dimension as Palkia passes by them, kinda indicating Palkia's journey through
time and space the meta.
The shading process is something that I have always recieved a lot of feedback on, with people often asking how I go about doing it. I used to do shading with a light base then adding the shadows, this is what I was taught in high school in my graphics design class. But, I always felt that didn't capture the value of an object correctly and often just kept the image looking flat. Also, I would always tend to go for very dark/striking shading as I felt this created a nice dynamic to my work. So, I started experimenting with covering the entire image in shadow and then adding where the light would reach and highlight. I feel I had a better understanding of where light meets a surface and how it interacts by creating shadows than adding shadow to where light wouldn't reach...if that makes any sense. I guess it's just what works for me, I feel it helps me capture lighting more easily and creates the impact I desire in my shading - especially since I like to think shading is something I am quite good at, though I do still have a lot to work on.
Sorry for that essay of a reply, I tend to ramble at times ^_^; But again, thank you so much for the comment, I will definitely work on the areas you noted for next time!