Imperial insignia for the SF setting I am working on:





Dragon is based on this one: http://openclipart.org/detail/168398/bl ... -ivoermejo

Originally posted on my blog: http://enderra.com/2012/10/25/imperial-dragon/

I am fairly happy with it, but it's not nearly good enough, which is why I am calling it a "WIP".

Feedback - especially suggestions on how to improve it - very much appreciated, as always!

- Nils

Nice work so far.
Perhaps you could try to make it work without any outline?
(something like the third/bottom one on the first example)

Mhh, you are right, the thick outline kinda doesn't match the style of the interior. If I just switch it off I get this:



Removing the outline from the interior nets us this:



(For some reason the stars in the circle of stars change when I ungroup that stuff, no idea why but it's not a big deal I guess.)

Nils,
I'm browsing the forum, since I've been away for a while, and reading some threads that are less than completely new,but they're new to me.... so I'm responding to one or two.
I liked the dragon medallion better with the outlines. Without them one element fades into the element behind it a bit too much. That's just my personal taste. I'm curious about the SF environment your working on. Would you mind telling us a little about it?

As to whether to use outlines or which ones to use, so much depends on how the image will be used. Will it be part of a larger image, or stand alone? And also, the only scenario you haven't tried, is outline on dragon, with no outline on stars in the background. I think I would like -- black dragon w/gold stroke, then stars in background without strokes.

Perhaps vary the legs a bit so they look more individual? Also noticed that the throat starts out rough outline but then quickly changes to a fairly smooth underbelly. This might be what it should be like, especially when this dragon is in normal upstanding pose. With the wrap-around design though the change from rough throat region to underbelly region could be improved a bit?
Overall very impressive imperial dragon.