Carnal Carnival (Needs your input!)

I need some ideas or some elements you think would work. I am trying to cultivate a creepy carnival theme.

It is a work in progress by the way - there are a few elements that needs worked on.

Also, a suggestion on how to convincingly add a lighting source would be cool. Thought about throwing in some lighting stocks into the mix, but I thought it would throw the theme off. Just trying to something different.

V2:



Tweaked the background, erased around the edges.

V3:



Noticed I had forgot to lay some sharpens over and erase a little shadowing around the letters.

 

Hmmm I don't know about the lines on the actual background (the thick bars) you could probably use some type of circles instead. Also the background's edges are cut off too harshly. I think you could find some rotten tree or vine type images, render them out and place them around the text. That would help with the depth as well (currently it looks just a little too flat). That would be my next step without a doubt. Oh and maybe a bright metalic type texture to give JUST the top of the text some light.

 

I started to do some tree branches reaching into the image but changed it because it didn't turn out right, but I see what you are saying. Have them drape over the image and cover up some of the edges. I started going and then hit a creative roadblock and was like what to do now?

 

More so weaved between the text. Some branches going in front and behind some of the letters would look cool.

http://browse.deviantart.com/resources/stockart/?q=vines#/d1qh48l
http://browse.deviantart.com/resources/stockart/?q=vines#/d4kiblf

Something like those maybe.

 

The font is nice, but you need to change the texture or whatever you used on the font itself, it completely ruins it. You could also try making it transparent, since the background on it doesn't fit it at all.