New / Reworked Personal Portfolio

[Xtreme]

Hey guys, I posted this site in similar form a while back. Before it was just a big jpeg layout behind flash animations; now it's fully coded in HTML, waiting for me to integrate PHP and the like. So far, no real content, but it will follow soon after I finalize the layout and design. It's all ready to go on, as much of it is on the site I currently have up.

HTML and CG-graphics done by hand in notepad, TextEdit (Mac OS X "notepad" application), Paint Shop Pro, and GimpPad (gimp on OS X).

It's at http://cbautista.l2p.net/new for now.

For reference, the website is to be primarily professional, but not too stiff-necked; that is, I want it to give a very crisp impression while staying away from being rigid. It is also to put functionality and ease-of-use very high-up on the priority list, which is why I switched from flash to HTML.

It is designed to properly resize for any screen resolution without stretching anything except some empty space. I may also modify the background to a degree, not sure yet, though.

PHP will be integrated to make everything dynamic and such.

All the images are either PSP (Paint Shop Pro) or personal photography. I'm trying to figure out the best way to work a picture of me into the layout in a professional, but catchy way (i.e., not just in a rectangular box) but that's not quite ready yet.

It's going to be more colorful once I work some of my own photography into the layout somewhere. Suggestions on where or how are welcome and appreciated.

Looking for any and all suggestions, crits, etc.

Also, any feelings when comparing it to the style of site I currently have up? (http://cbautista.l2p.net)

Thanks in advance for replies!

http://cbautista.l2p.net/new

[Rashy]

It is looking really good! I like the background how it is.

For cross-browser compatibility, are you going to try and make the layout in Valid XHTML with table less CSS, or are you going to stick with tables? It isn't a big deal if you don't do this, as there is only one small problem so far in IE (go figure...):

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/545/uhohin2.jpg

Its just something I like to strive for

The text at the very bottom, the copy right notice, is a little hard to read, and unless that is what you want then maybe you should change it to a gray or white.

As for working your picture into the layout, you could make a gray scale cut out of your face in place of the trumpet in the header, with the neck fading out.

Nice job working the tan into the blue of the background, and of course the black is always sexy combined with the tan. Keep working on it, you are doing a good job
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Rashy!

[Xtreme]

Thanks for the comment, and yeah, I should have checked it in IE... just checked it in Safari and the background doesn't show up! Never seen that happen before...

[Rashy]

Honestly I am still a complete n00b on tableless layouts. I have made one or two through the complete deconstruction and reconstruction of a CSS layout (I believe they were both originally from http://andreasviklund.com/ , whom is a really good HTML/CSS person).

http://www.cssplay.co.uk/layouts/index.html is another good place to start, along with http://www.glish.com/css/

Basically just a bunch of reading and sorting through code in order to get it. Like I said, I am still not 100% confident in CSS yet.
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Rashy!

[HD]

Looking good so far. Simple, relaxing but cool. There are a few things that can probably help you improve. First of all, the trumpet from that header, in my option, would look better brown. You can also set the opacity index of the reflection of "Christian Bautista" to a lower number. (It looks like a mirror) The background color looks all right but try some darker kind of blue. Hope it helps.
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[img:1125b12b7f]http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/2860/evsimplesm9.jpg[/img:1125b12b7f]

[drath]

From what I remember, not too much has changed in the sense of a color-scheme. Not that, that's a bad thing, just a statement.

It seems to be rendering perfect in the newest Opera browser. The only criticism I can really give is maybe the font choice for the "Navigation", "News" and "Quick Information". Is it really neccessary for people to download an image for those three things just for a closer feeling of the main logo text - which I don't actually think is closer, but further away from. Perhaps just the standard font with increased size and the same blue font would actually match better? I know it would look more professional at least. Perhaps try replacing them with just text and see if you like it.
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The Gamer's Journal | Online Portfolio | Half-Life Library | UNDATA

[Xtreme]

Some updates

http://cbautista.l2p.net/new

--PHP-i-fied almost everything. All data that will change is now php'ed in from more simple external files, making the site easy and safe to update on the go.

--Redid most of the behind-the-scenes layout things, making the site show up properly in all browsers (as far as I know) and load faster.

--Added a place holder for all pages so far to let the navigation system be more extensively tested and such.

To do:

--Will probably take some of the advice from this thread that you guys posted, haven't had much of a chance to implement cosmetic changes right now as I've been working on the coding side of it lately. On and off.

--Content. Duh.