Ribbon background effect.

[roxors]

Hey all,

Havn't been on here in a long time, just got a new job and I need to figure out how to duplicate an effect for the background.

Here is the example:

http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/1884/backgroundexampleos9.gif (http://imageshack.us)

This is what I came up with:

http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/5885/backgroundexampleminekt8.gif (http://imageshack.us)
http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/backgroundexampleminekt8.gif/1/w600.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img384/backgroundexampleminekt8.gif/1/)

Now I think I am pretty close, but the entire shape, colours, etc. seem off. Just doesn't look as smooth as the other picture.

Also, the entire background is that kind of design. I know I'm relatively close, but not quite the right thing.

I have photoshop, illustrator (CS3).

Please reply, time sensitive.

[beetlewing]

i think it looks off for 2 reasons...

1) don't go all the way to white on your gradients... go to a very light purple-grey. (compare the lower right of both images)

2) in the example image, it looks like there's another element that's not in yours: the "rays" (brushstrokes?) coming down off the top of the image

you might be able to solve both issues at once by adding a layer over top of everything that is purple-grey with white rays... then lower the opacity of that layer quite a bit so the entire image has a light overcast tone.

Also might try adding a very light dusting of noise to make the image look less polished. Yours seems a little newer or more glossy - where the example has an almost organic watercolor look to it.