2010 - favourite icons of 2010
I'm not going to pretend to have some amazingly artistic background where I learned how to describe all the intricate details of artwork and then transferred that knowledge into icons. I'm just an average person with an average background (who was actually pretty dismal at art!) who enjoys making icons, and flailing over the pretty icons others make. So that's basically what this is - me flailing over some stunning icons that were made by some amazing icon makers in 2010 (and flailing over some of my own as well!). I'll be the first to admit, this is highly fandom based - my own personal preference played a large part in what I loved this year. But in the spirit of sharing, if your favourite icon/s of the year, or your favourite makers of the year aren't represented here, please feel free to share. The more love, the merrier, and it's always good to have a happy icon making post, as opposed to a sad icon making rant!
WOW ICONS OF 2010
1-6 absolutelybatty | 07-08 adina_mpj | 09 antedka | 10 bam_87 | 11-12 bossygenius
13-15 calikalie | 16-17 colormayfade | 18-19 darlingbones | 20 darlingheart | 21-23 dreamfloat
24-26 everybody__lies | 27-28 feel_the_fire | 29 foreign_origin | 30 fromperdition | 31-32 hellododger
33-35 helloteacups | 36-41 hopeitallaway | 42-45ieatstickers | 46-50 katekills | 51 kirbyed
52-54 letsey-x | 55-56 liquidlights | 57-59 megaminerva | 60-63 motorized | 64-65 neversleeps
66 nikkidot | 67 orangelusik | 68-78 pale_ink | 79-80 pandavirus | 81-82 rabidline
83-84 selline_s | 85 stacylk | 86 streetlites | 87-88 thecoysmile | 89-90 ullaaa
91-94 wild_sibyl | 95 wildalyss | 96 wildpages | 97-100 xmaidelx
Favourite Icon Makers of 2010:
pale_ink @ sheeptree
Why: Two words: Composition and colouring. I think pale_ink has an amazingly unique and creative style that really shows in all of their icons. Each one is a little different to the last, and each one manages to capture the scene completely. Actually, I could have put them in several categories beneath (someone to watch AND someone I wish would post more) but I feel as though they deserve to be here the most, because hot damn, I loved almost every single icon they made this year!
absolutelybatty @ reflexive_verb
Why: I don't think I've ever enjoyed an evolution of an icon maker quite as much as I have watching absolutelybatty evolve this year. She isn't afraid to try out things that you wouldn't expect, and I cannot flail enough about how she uses light and colours to enhance the feel of an icon to make it stand out like woah. And to top it all off, she doesn't only make amazing icons as well. She writes amazingly detailed tutorials, and gives the most amazing constructive criticism you will ever get.
xmaidelx @ sinequaicon
Why: Who doesn't love themselves a good xmaidelx icon? Seriously. The colors achieved in these icons are just flawless over and over. AND HER DISNEY ICONS PRETTY MUCH MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY. EVERYWHERE.
Icon Makers to Watch in 2011:
hopeitallaway @ nachtgeister
Why: OMG, the way hopeitallaway removes backgrounds, flawless. But also, the colours and the composition. These icons give a new meaning to the phrase less is more, because the simplicity of these icons is just so stunning, and basically, I could stare at them for hours on end.
megaminerva @ needtorewind
Why: There's something to be said when a relatively unknown (in the best possible way) icon maker steps outside the boundaries of typical icon making and creates their own very unique style. And I definitely think that's what megaminerva has done. There is something so, interesting about their icons that I literally spent a while picking out my favourites. There are colours and textures have an amazingly intricate feel to them, I think each icon really stands on it's own as a little 100x100 box of amazingness.
Icon Makers who missed the list because tinypic hates me:
flatlined @ nextlives
Why: I am super sad I cannot see anything more than the teaser images for flatlined's posts, because the colour on these is just so freaking amazing. Again, it's another example of when less is more, because these icons are all about the colour, and the colour contrast, and I sincerely wish tinypic would stop being douchey for me.
born_butterfly @ violetclouds
Why: Another example of someone who knows how to use colour in the most amazing ways. I think born_butterfly would probably be on lots of peoples favourites lists this yeah, which makes it even more devastating that I cannot witness more than the previews of their awesome icons.
Icon Makers I wish would post more:
bossygenius @ karteikasten
Why: Generally, I'm a fan of vibrant icons, but the way bossygenius uses the softer colours to compliment her amazing composition is just wonderful. Needless to say, I flail pretty hard when a post arrives does post (even in elite icon comms, when there are one or two icons a post, it's just amazing!).
dreamfloat @ saturdaysocials
Why: Oddly enough, I think dreamfloat has a very similar style to bossygenius, but it's also very different as well.There is some amazing texture use in their icons, as well as some wonderful colouring for shows *cough*TVD*cough* that is astounding, because I find the show a pain in the ass to colour.
Icon Makers who inspire me:
darlingbones @ ohbambi
Why: I think it's the fact darlingbones can make anything look amazing - any image or any technique, that makes them such a wonderful maker. Seriously - black & white, colour, texture use or no textures, everything always turns out having that wow factor. And each icon always looks complete or polished, which I find is the hardest thing to achieve with icons.
motorized @ imotorized
Why: If I could do what motorized can do with images and colours and textures I think I could one day, die a very happy person. Honestly, there are probably few words I could use to describe the amazing, unique, individual, creative style of motorized, so if you haven't seen their icons yet, GO AND LOOK. AND FLAIL. I generally think you won't be disappointed.
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And of course, it wouldn't be an icon makers celebration post, if I didn't post some of my own icons that I've made this year, and really, truly love.
ICONS I'M PROUD TO HAVE MADE IN 2010
With this happy note, I will wish all the watchers of aintafairytale, and anyone who happened to stumble upon this community by whatever means,
Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year!
And remind anyone if they happen to snag any of the icons posted above, please remember to credit the correct maker.
WOW ICONS OF 2010
1-6 absolutelybatty | 07-08 adina_mpj | 09 antedka | 10 bam_87 | 11-12 bossygenius
13-15 calikalie | 16-17 colormayfade | 18-19 darlingbones | 20 darlingheart | 21-23 dreamfloat
24-26 everybody__lies | 27-28 feel_the_fire | 29 foreign_origin | 30 fromperdition | 31-32 hellododger
33-35 helloteacups | 36-41 hopeitallaway | 42-45ieatstickers | 46-50 katekills | 51 kirbyed
52-54 letsey-x | 55-56 liquidlights | 57-59 megaminerva | 60-63 motorized | 64-65 neversleeps
66 nikkidot | 67 orangelusik | 68-78 pale_ink | 79-80 pandavirus | 81-82 rabidline
83-84 selline_s | 85 stacylk | 86 streetlites | 87-88 thecoysmile | 89-90 ullaaa
91-94 wild_sibyl | 95 wildalyss | 96 wildpages | 97-100 xmaidelx
Favourite Icon Makers of 2010:
pale_ink @ sheeptree
Why: Two words: Composition and colouring. I think pale_ink has an amazingly unique and creative style that really shows in all of their icons. Each one is a little different to the last, and each one manages to capture the scene completely. Actually, I could have put them in several categories beneath (someone to watch AND someone I wish would post more) but I feel as though they deserve to be here the most, because hot damn, I loved almost every single icon they made this year!
absolutelybatty @ reflexive_verb
Why: I don't think I've ever enjoyed an evolution of an icon maker quite as much as I have watching absolutelybatty evolve this year. She isn't afraid to try out things that you wouldn't expect, and I cannot flail enough about how she uses light and colours to enhance the feel of an icon to make it stand out like woah. And to top it all off, she doesn't only make amazing icons as well. She writes amazingly detailed tutorials, and gives the most amazing constructive criticism you will ever get.
xmaidelx @ sinequaicon
Why: Who doesn't love themselves a good xmaidelx icon? Seriously. The colors achieved in these icons are just flawless over and over. AND HER DISNEY ICONS PRETTY MUCH MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY. EVERYWHERE.
Icon Makers to Watch in 2011:
hopeitallaway @ nachtgeister
Why: OMG, the way hopeitallaway removes backgrounds, flawless. But also, the colours and the composition. These icons give a new meaning to the phrase less is more, because the simplicity of these icons is just so stunning, and basically, I could stare at them for hours on end.
megaminerva @ needtorewind
Why: There's something to be said when a relatively unknown (in the best possible way) icon maker steps outside the boundaries of typical icon making and creates their own very unique style. And I definitely think that's what megaminerva has done. There is something so, interesting about their icons that I literally spent a while picking out my favourites. There are colours and textures have an amazingly intricate feel to them, I think each icon really stands on it's own as a little 100x100 box of amazingness.
Icon Makers who missed the list because tinypic hates me:
flatlined @ nextlives
Why: I am super sad I cannot see anything more than the teaser images for flatlined's posts, because the colour on these is just so freaking amazing. Again, it's another example of when less is more, because these icons are all about the colour, and the colour contrast, and I sincerely wish tinypic would stop being douchey for me.
born_butterfly @ violetclouds
Why: Another example of someone who knows how to use colour in the most amazing ways. I think born_butterfly would probably be on lots of peoples favourites lists this yeah, which makes it even more devastating that I cannot witness more than the previews of their awesome icons.
Icon Makers I wish would post more:
bossygenius @ karteikasten
Why: Generally, I'm a fan of vibrant icons, but the way bossygenius uses the softer colours to compliment her amazing composition is just wonderful. Needless to say, I flail pretty hard when a post arrives does post (even in elite icon comms, when there are one or two icons a post, it's just amazing!).
dreamfloat @ saturdaysocials
Why: Oddly enough, I think dreamfloat has a very similar style to bossygenius, but it's also very different as well.There is some amazing texture use in their icons, as well as some wonderful colouring for shows *cough*TVD*cough* that is astounding, because I find the show a pain in the ass to colour.
Icon Makers who inspire me:
darlingbones @ ohbambi
Why: I think it's the fact darlingbones can make anything look amazing - any image or any technique, that makes them such a wonderful maker. Seriously - black & white, colour, texture use or no textures, everything always turns out having that wow factor. And each icon always looks complete or polished, which I find is the hardest thing to achieve with icons.
motorized @ imotorized
Why: If I could do what motorized can do with images and colours and textures I think I could one day, die a very happy person. Honestly, there are probably few words I could use to describe the amazing, unique, individual, creative style of motorized, so if you haven't seen their icons yet, GO AND LOOK. AND FLAIL. I generally think you won't be disappointed.
-----------------------
And of course, it wouldn't be an icon makers celebration post, if I didn't post some of my own icons that I've made this year, and really, truly love.
ICONS I'M PROUD TO HAVE MADE IN 2010
With this happy note, I will wish all the watchers of aintafairytale, and anyone who happened to stumble upon this community by whatever means,
Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year!
And remind anyone if they happen to snag any of the icons posted above, please remember to credit the correct maker.