How's my new and improved thumbnail style?

[HoraryHellfire]

How clickable is this thumbnail if you were searching for the video game in this thumbnail?
(Modern Warfare 3)
Comment and poll answers are both accepted!

I have created a thread about my thumbnails before with the title "What is the likelihood of you to click on these thumbnails?". I got pretty good responses and I still have been going for a style that is more like me. Previously, all I did was Blur a good background (in-game cinematic view), mask, glow around masked entity/object, text (occasional), and use a color curves (specific contrast editor) to edit the contrast. Now, I do all that plus I am adding color correction to further "glow" my masks, shadow (occasional on certain masks), add a cartoon chibi "me" (with effects like glow and color correction), and messing with the saturation/color on the background image. Also a glow effect to my Username whenever I put it in the thumbnail. I do not always, only whenever I think it is necessary.

Any and all feedback is appreciated! I still am tweaking each new thumbnail a certain way until I get high quality ones with consistent channel branding style that I will like.​

 

[Jawad Soomro]

Amazing... U r doing great job. Love this thumbnail. Keep up the good work

 

[HoraryHellfire]

Amazing... U r doing great job. Love this thumbnail. Keep up the good work

Thanks, spent a lot of time on this one, actually. I want to say about 1 through 2 hours.

 

[ccarpe1989]

Awesome Job!

 

[Ian W.]

Just because I do graphics/thumbnails myself I feel like I should be completely honest and say that it needs work. Rather than having your name on it I would focus more on catchy titles and attractive designs. You could made a logo rather than having your name and it would look more professional, as for spacing it also needs work, I'm not trying to be mean by critiquing you I just know that I myself improved by simple experience and also from looking at other graphic designers who make great thumbnails, I see an effect that someone else has done and I ask myself could I do that? Often times the answer is yes, I've only been using Photoshop for about 6 months so I'm a quick learner. Don't worry though, you'll get better with practice. If you look at my earliest thumbnails they were really bad and you can just see them constantly improving over time so just keep at it and I promise they'll get better over time

 

[HoraryHellfire]

Just because I do graphics/thumbnails myself I feel like I should be completely honest and say that it needs work. Rather than having your name on it I would focus more on catchy titles and attractive designs. You could made a logo rather than having your name and it would look more professional, as for spacing it also needs work, I'm not trying to be mean by critiquing you I just know that I myself improved by simple experience and also from looking at other graphic designers who make great thumbnails, I see an effect that someone else has done and I ask myself could I do that? Often times the answer is yes, I've only been using Photoshop for about 6 months so I'm a quick learner. Don't worry though, you'll get better with practice. If you look at my earliest thumbnails they were really bad and you can just see them constantly improving over time so just keep at it and I promise they'll get better over time

I don't use Photoshop. All is done from Sony Vegas Pro 11.

However, getting a logo that fits well is an issue. I do not know how to make a good one, and Sony Vegas is a video/picture editing program, and not a GFX creation tool. Getting a good logo would require money because free people are A. Not realiable, and B. poor work (usually). I would be able to make something better with Sony Vegas than free GFXers. The "logo" (emblem is a better word) I use now was made in the Black Ops 2 Emblem Editor and is not the work of Sony Vegas. I masked the clock and added text in the and worked on some form of background that is minor.

Personally, I don't feel like looking at someone else's thumbnails for effects. I am almost just about wrapped up for my thumbnail type style. I don't need any other effects. Spacing does need work, though, I must admit. Kind of difficult to get that just right without making it look cluttered.

The username glowing green along with the Chibi and the Player Model is implied that the player and the Chibi is me. A logo could do just that, but reasons for not using a logo have already been stated.

 

[Ian W.]

I don't use Photoshop. All is done from Sony Vegas Pro 11.

However, getting a logo that fits well is an issue. I do not know how to make a good one, and Sony Vegas is a video/picture editing program, and not a GFX creation tool. Getting a good logo would require money because free people are A. Not realiable, and B. poor work (usually). I would be able to make something better with Sony Vegas than free GFXers. The "logo" (emblem is a better word) I use now was made in the Black Ops 2 Emblem Editor and is not the work of Sony Vegas. I masked the clock and added text in the and worked on some form of background that is minor.

Personally, I don't feel like looking at someone else's thumbnails for effects. I am almost just about wrapped up for my thumbnail type style. I don't need any other effects. Spacing does need work, though, I must admit. Kind of difficult to get that just right without making it look cluttered.

The username glowing green along with the Chibi and the Player Model is implied that the player and the Chibi is me. A logo could do just that, but reasons for not using a logo have already been stated.

Ahh, I didn't know you used Sony Vegas to make this, I thought it was Photoshop dude, like I said in my original comment I wasn't trying to be mean, as for what you said about free GFXers that's not true (for the most part), I've never charged for GFX and I've done quite a lot of free stuff for people who have always been extremely satisfied with what I did for them, I also know that there is others out there like me who make good high quality GFX for free.

 

[HoraryHellfire]

like I said in my original comment I wasn't trying to be mean

I didn't take it as rude.

as for what you said about free GFXers that's not true (for the most part)

I said this through personal experience. I once had a GFX guy promise a short intro and waited a year. Nothing for that entire time. Once he finally did deliver, it was of low quality. Now this came from a guy who was supposedly a decently skilled GFXer. That was only one example. Everyone else I met was almost the exact same. No updates, no reply for a bit, extremely low quality return, and no reliability. I don't mind that people are bad at it, because I am. I just don't like people who promise a said time, a said skill, or both, and do not deliver by that criteria.

 

[FlashToroGaming]

If you concern yourself over free services I can see due to your bad experiences from the past of why. I would say this muc, LEARN, if you cna learn you can do it all yourself, by yourself, at your time, and how you want it. I used to be terrible at GFX now it's amazing, if you want a software for GFX get Gimp, I use Photoshop but I won't imply for you to do anything you don't seek fit if you prefer to purchase it.