Art Utena banner--advice needed

[Dagger]

I was bored this afternoon and started playing around with some Utena-related scans. I finally settled on the banner below, but although I'm pleased with the basic composition, I'm at a loss in the sense that I have no idea what kind of finishing touches I should add.

[IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=21376&stc=1[/IMG]

A border is obviously needed; however, I can't decide whether to make it simple or elaborate. I might try turning the banner into an animated GIF if I'm ever able to settle on a relatively decent (and free!) program.

EDIT: While I'm at it....

[img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=21388&stc=1[/img]

~Dagger~

[AzureWolf]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Hmm..., well, for a free animation program, I remember there being a "GIF Construction Set" that would nag you everytime you opened and closed it to buy it, but it was shareware and therefore technically free. I don't know what has become of it nowadays, haha.

As for the banners themselves, I'm not fond of the artwork in the first one, but that doesn't mean the banner itself is bad. Just keep that in mind while I comment. The background seems fine until the end where it kind of breaks and gets that less vivid pink. In addition, I think petals would have done better than actual, full-blown roses. Maybe one rose and a bunch of rose petals. Cliched, yes, but I think it'd do nicely. Aside from that, I think the BG blends very well with the character.

Elfen Lied one looks like it doesn't need a border. Instead, it looks like one of those that should have transparency so it doesn't look like it's boxed at the sides. You know, those shadows of her feet should be like the end of the banner. Aside from that, I refuse to comment about anything else in the banner, heh.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]If you could move that pink background behind them a bit more to the left, so we get a more even balance of pink/dark pink that'd be good. Or, perhaps even better, move it to the right, so we only get the vivid pink.

Personally, I feel that that character is not suited to the banner. Perhaps a different shot of them would do it greater justice?

Anyway, the border for this could well be more elaborate, with several layers. Perhaps black outline, double or 1.5 width maroon line, and a white one? Or something. That might look good.

As for that second banner...I didn't really feel that the border matched it, but it works considering it's matched to the avatar [which is great].

But please, stop chopping and changing avatars/banners o_O

lol.[/size]