Some wallpaper/background feedback

[tannercampbell]

http://tannercampbell.com

When I made this site it was my very first attempt at a Worpress theme. I was going for something simple and refined – naturally, in the vein of Ron Burgundy I thought of leather bound books and decided to create my own leather wallpaper using a series of filters in Photoshop based on the mosaic filter. It came out okay I guess, but the more I look at it the more it looks like a dried up desert than it does a piece of leather.

I’ve always struggled with backgrounds in my personal designs … I was wondering if any of you might have some creative ideas for a background that would go well with the site. I’ll admit, I’m a web designer first and a graphic designer … third. Any input or ideas?

[Brightonmike]

Tanner

When I loaded your site, I thought, this is great!

And then your background image loaded…and it ruined everything.

Here is one I found:

http://www.fmleatherdesign.com/leathers/12.png

Personally, I think leather is a little bit difficult, especially fullscreen. Why not try wood? It’s a little “done a thousand times before” but it looks good…

e.g.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?um=1&hl=en&biw=1680&bih=949&tbs=isz%3Al%2Cic%3Aspecific%2Cisc%3Awhite&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=wood+texture&oq=wood+texture&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=5019l5727l0l6l4l0l0l0l2l216l441l0.2.1

[TheDoc]

Definitely a bit busy for the background.

Don’t want your users to be looking at the background!

[chrisburton]

Right outside the white of this comment background, there is a lighter shade of gray, almost silver. Use that with a pattern, set the pattern opacity to roughly 5%.

[chrisburton]

Yes, it looks to be #eee. Here is an example of a slight gray background with a pattern at 2% opacity.

[TheDoc]

haha better!

I would make the header a little more prominent though – I feel like it’s missing some important branding.

[OniLinkCR]

Tanner, just an observation, but you see the cut on large monitors from your nice looking background to the actual body color of the document. Changing the body color will do.

[TheDoc]

I suppose I’m more thinking about the text you have for your name. I did something up here to give you an idea of what I was thinking:

http://grab.by/akz0

I did a few things:

1. Obviously, I update the text on the header to give it a little bit of a modern feel
2. I added the twitter wraparound banner in the corner. I think it’s unintrusive but eye-catching at the same time. Free corner PSD – http://www.brankic1979.com/2011/04/corner-ribbon/
3. I updated the headers used in the content area – that’s sort of just personal preference. The font I used is a Google webfont which can be used/found here: http://www.google.com/webfonts/family?family=PT+Sans&subset=latin
4. I added a radial gradient to the background. A very simple and minor gradient can add great flavour to a background!

Any questions just let me know!

[TheDoc]

It’s a font called ‘Rage Italic’. Your name is in Myriad Web Pro with a slight gradient, stroke and dropshadow.

[Author]

Posts