Frustrated...A little

A forum post is a good way to get help.  Good on you mate!  Don't spam the forums here but if you want to post in the "What are you working on?" thread, you'll likely get feedback.

I've seen it many times that new skinners get rated higher than they might be due as "encouragment" to keep going.  then, when the luster is off and teh "real" ratings show up . . a skinner is left deflated.

Skin because you like it.  If other people like it, great.  If not . . still great.  You did it for you.

 

Well...since you ask...its hard to impress the wallpaper crowd.They have already seen every swirlie looking wall in every color there is...and yours have some bad jaggies.You need to learn good antialiasing techniques.(tutorials)

Even good walls get few comments and sometimes nobody rates them at all(cept for the initial mod rating)

Google some PS tutorials and put in some time...I've been at this for good while and my walls didnt get any respect til just recently.  (and they still are not just whiz bang popular)  

For what it's worth . . this site isn't about the walls.  My download count on walls is miserable compared to blinds and stuff.  Every once in a while I'll get a referral to boost my numbers but they just don't happen.  You have to be cool with that.

now  . . . to plug my latest wall (with a whopping 11 downloads [lowest on the Wall gallery], and single comment) : ZuTree

Comment welcome (but not expected)

 

Just keep skinning for fun. Don't worry about ratings.
Rating have no meaning when so many people rate thing for different Reasons.

Some of my lowest ratings have been downloaded more then my higher ratings.( why that is?) No one really knows.

So again skin for fun and Keep on skinning.

I tend to disagree with Zubaz to some extent, I think this site is equally about wallpapers as it is about any other customization tool. A wallpaper can be a massive part of your theme as is evidenced in the screenshot section, where, if you don't get the right wallpaper with your skins it can just look totally wrong. Same goes for DesktopX themes.

Uploading wallpapers here can be a little frustrating. It's hard to know whether you've created something that many people will like until you actually put it on the site and see what kind of reception it gets. I've been making walls for years now and have 800,000 downloads in that section, but I still don't know what people like. (Well, if you write vista on it you will double your download count)

All I would say to you is, try not to use the standard Photoshop filters too much, if at all. Choose your colors very carefully, use a color wheel if necessary. And, as someone else said, search the web for good tutorials, follow them, and then put your own spin on things.

Don't get too downhearted, I used to get work rejected constantly when I first started, but I persevered, and now I'm the number 3 wall artist on here.

Patience Grasshopper!! haha.

Good luck...... don't give up.

To clarify, I know that the wall is critical to a theme.  But walls are treated differently than many other galleries.  So much has to do with the individual skinner and user.

Me, I almost never use "abstract" walls.  I don't run most windows full screen so I see chuncks here and there. . . I don't need distractions.

In any case . . keep skinning.  Do what you like and you may either get better or develop a following that likes what you do.  As long as you enjoy making them.  it's all good.

That pretty much sums it up quite nicely.

Zu, I think your quote should be posted on the front page of the site and on every skin category page as well. It's not a bad reminder to have.   

cf, ratings will never please you or most everyone else on this site so don't skin for the ratings, skin for yourself.

Thanks Rom . . you'll need to take that up with Zoomba.  

Still  .  .  somedays I think I've made walls just for the stories in my descriptions.   

Wallpapers are hard since they're the closest thing we have on the site to pure aesthetic art.  People are very picky on them, and one person's opinion is different from someone elses.

A wallpaper may not be considered to be skinning in the true sense of the word, but it is the first thing people usually change on their desktop. You could say it is often the first step on the road to customization.

Besides, no customized desktop would be complete without a wallpaper   

If I am going to browse art (I consider wallpapers art), Download counts are not going to impress me. I don't even think I look at the counts.

Because you can isn't good enough. Swirly colored funnelly swirl thingies do not impress me at all. Wheres the vision? Wheres the talent? You could program a bot to make those wallpapers for crying out loud.

Look into a mirror. Ask yourself if you are an artist. If you are concerned about download counts then you are not imho.

Wow.  Great post.  'nuf said.

Novices with tools the likes of Bryce, etc. do just that.

It's the 'gee-wiz' factor of finding something new.

Sadly it is not new to others and will be treated with disdain.

All graphics proggies are only as good as their user....same with 'physical media'....eg. the world's most expensive brush will NOT paint a briliant image....the mind holding it will - maybe.

The biggest 'problem' with wallpapers is that every computer has MSPaint on it [or non MS equivalent] so every computer user has the 'tool'....but it is a safe bet not every user has the 'eye' ...

Not a good wall = not a good desktop... I don't personally come to this site to find walls but to me is the first step for inspiration to put together something great.
  

Thanks everyone for the comments and suggestions...and your right skinning is about art and being an artist within...Being new at this whole graphic design thing I'm learning more each day and I would like to be able to get to the point of making professional looking skins like the master skinners doI appreciate the feedback and I'm looking forward to getting better and I don't mind being known as the grass hopper for now lol..thanks again

Great conversation!