Critique my layouts I drew in school

Well I got bored today in class and decided to start drawing some layouts and came out with some pretty cool looking designs for my art site, I know they are not drawn well but it was just for an idea..

Here is the first layout, I wanted a futuristic design with a spiky and sparky kind of a feel. The colors will be yellow, black, grey, and some blue. Please tell me what you think, and if you want to take a go at it to tell me what you could do with it I would love to see it. Also the spikes will all be beveled and looking nice with transparency all over the place. I think I could do a good job with it.

DESIGN 1

Here is the second layout, I was looking for a red, black, chrome kind of metal interface. Also with the spikes. The menu would be all chrome with red lights for mouseover (those little boxes on the nav buttons would have lights) I think it would look cool but may need some work, seems a bit to jagged to me,

DESIGN 2

C&C is appreciated, by the way I am very new to web design I have only been doing it for about 2 weeks, but I have been working with photoshop for a while now. Would this be to hard to do for a person of my experiance? Thanks guys let me know what you think, even have a go at them if you want!

well can i say i cant really judge a picture, get a moc up off it, the second one i dont like and the first one looks like a winner its just a case of desiging it,

"chrome kind of metal interface. Also with the spikes. The menu would be all chrome with red lights for mouseover"

you have good ideads the only problem can u code/slice and design?



Edit _

wats wrong with me! sorry welcome aswel

Well I am learning to slice and code the design (slice and crop in photoshop and then code in dreameaver 4) I just would have to learn to have the lights come on and such.. For the 1st one, I like it better too but what are some things in which I can make it better?

Would you give me any tips on slicing and mouse overs?

ALSO, I am planning on starting to create the layout of the site in photoshop and I was wondering what size I should make that sucker.. I can't figure it out..

well it looks like a gd solid design, can only tell u wat to improve wen i see the actual pic of it, because more than likely the design wont turn out like the drawing

I will make this a good one trust me, also I have seen some things you made on the forum and your pretty damn good for a 15 yr old, I am only 16 so we both got a lot of time to learn.

What is a good size for the layout? I was thinking 780x600?

Also should I make those spikes chrome? Or a yellow plastic? What would you recommend for the spikes? The other parts I have all mapped out for colors and textures, but those damn spikes are stumpin me..

most people use 800x600, i hate it but thats because im a 1024x768 dude, lol

the spikes u could just have a solid color with a shadow, no bevel bevel is naff, lol,

"The page you are attempting to access has been removed because it violated Angelfire's Term of Service."

I am having a REALLY tough time making the spikes and I dont know how I am going to do it, I want them to be black or grey kind of plastic or metal looking and round looking. If anybody would be kind enough to create them for me as a GIF so I could use them in my layout I would really appreciate it!

If you have any suggestions about how I could make them, let me know! Just make them how you would like them and postem here please. Thanks!

And I fixed the links..

Do layouts in 800x600 to make sure they fit the vast majority of resolutions.

Also, a good point to remember is to have all important content above the 400 pixel mark so you are positive people see what you want them to right away.

Dont make them 800 pixels wide - then 800x600 can't see it. I do mine like 770 or 780 most of the time. Maybe 760 if I'm designing primarily for 800x600.

Those are some nice layouts, but you need to know what you're doing in order to make and code stuff like that. And I doubt anyone is going to make you some spikes so you can use them. Then it wouldn't be your site, would it?

Good luck, and post in graphic check if you need some help.

tom