I'm working on the colors and over all design of the Joomla portal. There's a bunch of new things I need to learn, so it might take a while to get it right. The front page might change a lot while I'm experimenting.

I'll go with a very simple layout design for the front page for now, then add components as I go along.

I'm experimenting with what color palette to use, I want something dark and muted which does not have too sharp/bright contrasts. I'm thinking grays, brown, orange and blue. Right now I'm using the color palette from The Tango Desktop Project.

I'm not happy with the theme for these forums. Eventually I'll have to create/edit a theme to fit the look of the website, but for now I'll just add a few themes, so users can pick their own for now. If you find a phpBB theme you like, let me know and I'll add it to the pool.

Edit: I've changed the max size of the avatar image to 100x100 px and increased the byte size allowed.

I've added a few themes to the boards. You can choose among a small selection. You'll find it under the User Control Panel --> Board Preferences

Here's a quote from a post  I made in the previous board, regarding the look.

I'm still thinking we should go for a bit Steampunk like theme. Torchlight is very Steampunk in it's design already, particularly the engineer and the dwarfs. So I'm thinking, we're Torchlight modders, which means we are (software) engineers of sorts. Thus the Steampunk theme of the Engineers fits perfectly. Runic also use this in GUTS with the Engineer splash screen.

What I envision is that the website could look sort of what a Torchlight Engineer website would look. With a muted color palette, using, brown, grey, black, orange and blue.

The new logo looks cool and is very Steampunk, but in my view it's a bit too "feminine" and leans more towards the romantic cowboy/western style of Steampunk. Perhaps if you use it as a base and add some elements to it. A few more gears or something.  I'm thinking more industrial and closer to the Torchlight Engineer class, Steampunk. if that makes any sense? Like this website (community) is a Steampunk workshop rooted in the Engineer class.

I'll try to find some Steapunk images I like the look/feel/style of, to give you an idea of my aesthetic preference. I'm no trying to over ride you, or force ideas up on you here. Just trying to add ideas to our common creative pool and see what comes out.

Edit:
BTW. There's nothing wrong with the current logo, using the Torchlight font. But the texture and colors could perhaps be changed to something like rusted/brown metal with rivets or similar. Might be cool with some added Steampunk elements too, like gears, hoses, wires, etc.

Found some cool fonts, which might be worth looking into: http://www.howtogeek.com/72406/desktop- ... unk-fonts/

Some other good stuff from the same site: http://www.howtogeek.com/70072/desktop- ... ation-set/

The Wiki colors are quite good now Phanjam. Looks like a nice start template we can work on later.

I've changed the default appearance of these boards once again. Sorry about that. You can switch the style back if you like under your User Control Panel. I'll try to refrain from tweaking the look and start focusing on groups and such.

Some forum logos...

500px wide


450px wide


400px wide

=)

Once the logo is ready, I'll use it as template for the color palette to use on the website.

There's a handy tool to do this here:

Here's an example using TL art.

Hi! What do you think of this logo?...

I like it,  I like it. 

I'd love to see a more cartoony version of it. If you get me? I like the way it looks and the direction it's taking, but to me it's a bit too "hard" and realistic. Does that make any sense? I'd also like to see a background or a badge or banner behind it.

Am I being a dick now? I don't know you in RL and communication can be a bit "flavor less" in the written format, so I'm afraid to come across wrong.

I have a very particular aesthetic sense. (Or so I like to think) And I can get a bit obsessive about details. So I can go on and on about things related to design and art. This is a community, and the logo is for all of us, so I hope more people will comment.

Also. I'm curious Phanjam. What would the logo look like if you made it just like you picture it. You're the artist after all. And as far as I know the one who came up with the name. What's in your mind when you visualize the logo for this community?

Edit:
One thing that strikes me, is that tool you've got on the letter H. It makes it a bit hard to read the letter R between the gear and the ting. And it looks a bit like it's supposed to be the letter G instead of C. Spelling TorghModders. Perhaps it could be moved out a bit, closer towards the left edge of the letter H. Placing the H and the rest of the letters a bit more to the right. Giving it a bit more room to make out the C shape better.

OK, good. 

Yes I guess I mean more hand  drawn and a bit softer textures. In my mind it's very close to the original art in Torchlight, that kind of cartoony. I'd also picture the same kind of color palette, brown, orange and blue.

I just picture something simple as background, but just go with what you find in your study and do what feels right. Some structure or simple machinery which it's connected to sound cool.

It's defiantly a big improvement to readability with that tool upside down. It reads much more like a C now. However the logo as whole doesn't flow quite right. When I try to read it, buy just scanning my eyes across it quickly  I can't make out what it says. My vision always seeks the middle of the word with the where the letters C,H, M and O are. Because most of the "weight" or boldness is in that area.

I think there are too many elements going on with all the gears and the tool. It looks much better in a dark background though, like it's meant to be. When it's in your signature in the Runic forums it's easier to  read, it still doesn't flow quite right.

There are some "rules" to logo design and I found random website witch sums it up quite well:

Bottom line. I think it needs to be simpler, or with less elements. It has to work in just black and white too, and in small size.