Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Thinking of a New Blog Design

Looking at all these old magazines made me want to go for a retro look on the blog. Not a big change, really, more just the header.

I may do some artwork of my own eventually, but for now I may just go with public domain. Here is an early version of the design, with an illustration from The Strand from 1915. (Even if I don't go with this for this blog I might do it for Daring Adventure Stories....)


I chose the colors purely to go with the existing template. I could end up changing the colors on the whole blog.

Feedback would be appreciated.

(Tonight I'll post that second productivity post.)

See you in the funny papers.

7 comments:

jnfr said...

I like it. The colors are good for the current template, though the impact of the pic calls out for something orange or red or something more aggressive. You do retro so well, though.

Anonymous said...

Nice image

The Daring Novelist said...

Thanks, Mary. (Although I hardly take credit for it other than browsing through old public domain work and then cropping and filtering the image accordingly...)

Jnfr: The aggressive color that kind of image really needs is black line. The template was not designed to go well with any warm colors, but I'm thinking I will adjust that eventually -- and I like the split complimentary deal better than the colors chosen and recommended by the designer.

(The advantage of the color I chose, for the moment, is if I put the banner over that "background" image that shows at the top, it may not require any more adjustment until I'm ready to do more.)

Jamie D. said...

I love it! The style strikes me as very much "you", just from what I know of reading your posts. And of course that image is perfect for a "daring novelist". :-)

The Daring Novelist said...

Thanks!

I'm thinking of making the frame a dark red-orange (i.e. chestnut). I have to do a little research to find the name of the original artist so I can credit him/her.

(I'm also thinking of using that illo as a jumping off point for one of my own. I was going to do some sort of collage abstract related to time and words and writing and adventure -- but I just love the lady with the sword -- and I'm even beginning to like the guy she's holding it on.)

ModWitch said...

Nice giggle when I clicked in - I also love the lady with the sword!

The Daring Novelist said...

Thanks. And I think the caption is just the touch it needed. I have tweaking to do, but I'm happy.