The Good Critique Check list: [] Is my critique easy to understand? [] Are my reasons based on technical mechanics and not personal opinion? [] Have I told the applicant why their icons aren't technically sound? [] Have I been specific? [] Have I also told the applicant what they're doing correctly? [] Have I pointed the applicant toward sources of inspiration and/or useful resources that they can use to make what they're already doing better? [] Have I used adjectives or nouns that could be insulting? (i.e bad, awful, ugly, wrong, etc.) [] Have I avoided phasing that could be easily perceived as condescending, judgmental, or arrogant (i.e 'The way I do it is the only correct way')?
First of all, icon #4 is part of my inspirational folder and I adore it!! *.*<3
Your icons are very unique. I love that you're not afraid of trying out new things, but sometimes I think that the textures you put on your icons don't really fit the pictures (like on icon #1 and #3). Icon #1 - for example - is pretty dark and the colourful texture looks out of place.
I like the colouring in icon #2 a lot, but I'm not too fond of the way you placed the picture. I think if you had cropped the picture differently, the icon would have looked very great!
#4 is Perfection, like I said and I also like #5 a lot, even though I think the little pic wouldn't have been necessary.
1. I really like what you did with this one. The different color rectangles at the top are cool. 2. This one also has really neat coloring. The crop is interesting, but I'm not sure that it's working as well with the graphic as it could be. 3. This one is great. I wouldn't change it. 4. I don't have a lot to say about this one either--the coloring and layering are cool and are working pretty well. 5. This one might be a little too grainy. I like the coloring on the base photo, but the overlay with the guy isn't working with it. It's a little awkward in terms of placement, and its coloring/sharpening/etc. are too different.
Don’t be terrified - it is fun to get concrit, but at the end of the day the most important thing is that YOU are happy with what you make (but of course it is fun when other people like the same thing). I see it as a way to learn more and get better at making the icons *I* want to make. :) If you don’t agree with what I’m saying just ignore it! And where I’m talking about sharpening - if that is what you were aiming for - success! This is my general idea about concrit :) (sorry for the rant, it has just been bothering me lately, how so many people take these things so seriously, like there is actually a right and wrong when it comes to creativity
( ... )
I love the last one! I think it looks very creative and artistic! The crop is great and the frame around the picture looks very good too!
I think your icons as a whole look very creative and there is really one thing I have to "criticise": I think your icons are a bit too dark and you can't really see what's going on in them. Like in icon #1 - the texture you placed on the icon kind of makes the background and the face of the person disappear completely. The same goes for icon #4 - I like the red colour, but maybe you should have brightened up the picture as a whole a bit.
But if that's your way of working then it's totally fine. I think when it comes to these things then it's all about personal preference. ^.^
Icon #2 is really nice - the blending is great and the colour/texture work very well too! Icon #3 looks good too, but I think the background is a bit plain. Maybe you could put some sort of texture on it. I like to use grunge textures a lot when it comes to plain backgrounds!!
Your cropping/composition is overall great. I think in general your texture/overlay may be a little too heavy though. I like the first one's crop and coloring, but it's right on the border of where it becomes hard to see what's going on. 2 and 4 are well-composed but the red overwhelms the image. The third one is really cool, but again I think the color/texture layer is too heavy. 5 is really really neat, but I don't know if cutting off the image like that is really working for it.
Overall, I really like the first and third one of these! Your style is so creative and the textures you pick are really pretty. The only changes I can think of are ... 1. The colouring looks great, but the textures here are a little heavy, so perhaps reducing the opacity or contrasting the light and dark a bit more would help to bring extra depth to the image. 2. It took me a while to notice the eye in the background of this one, but it definitely makes the icon really interesting. For the lighting I think possibly lightening areas of his face that are already highlighted might have worked better than the white coming off the side. The red definitely captures the intense emotion, although I'm not sure if the white lines are adding anything to this icon for me. 3. I love the lighting at the bottom! The only thing I would maybe change a tiny bit is the colouring on the man's face (maybe adding pink/yellow in areas) would make him stand out, because with the textures, for me, he's flattened into the background.
Your crop work is really neat, especially in icon #4. Your colouring is nice too, even when I think you could try out more colours (just go crazy with them! XD).
The only thing I really want to point out is that your icons look very blurry. I guess you work with "Soft Light" and "Gaussian Blur"?! I do this too, but I also sharpen my icons after I used these two actions. I think the blurry effect works well on some icons (like your fourth one), but it looks strange on icon #1 and #3!
Comments 48
Ask them here!
Reply
The Good Critique Check list:
[] Is my critique easy to understand?
[] Are my reasons based on technical mechanics and not personal opinion?
[] Have I told the applicant why their icons aren't technically sound?
[] Have I been specific?
[] Have I also told the applicant what they're doing correctly?
[] Have I pointed the applicant toward sources of inspiration and/or useful resources that they can use to make what they're already doing better?
[] Have I used adjectives or nouns that could be insulting? (i.e bad, awful, ugly, wrong, etc.)
[] Have I avoided phasing that could be easily perceived as condescending, judgmental, or arrogant (i.e 'The way I do it is the only correct way')?
Reply
( ... )
Reply
Your icons are very unique. I love that you're not afraid of trying out new things, but sometimes I think that the textures you put on your icons don't really fit the pictures (like on icon #1 and #3). Icon #1 - for example - is pretty dark and the colourful texture looks out of place.
I like the colouring in icon #2 a lot, but I'm not too fond of the way you placed the picture. I think if you had cropped the picture differently, the icon would have looked very great!
#4 is Perfection, like I said and I also like #5 a lot, even though I think the little pic wouldn't have been necessary.
Reply
1. I really like what you did with this one. The different color rectangles at the top are cool.
2. This one also has really neat coloring. The crop is interesting, but I'm not sure that it's working as well with the graphic as it could be.
3. This one is great. I wouldn't change it.
4. I don't have a lot to say about this one either--the coloring and layering are cool and are working pretty well.
5. This one might be a little too grainy. I like the coloring on the base photo, but the overlay with the guy isn't working with it. It's a little awkward in terms of placement, and its coloring/sharpening/etc. are too different.
Reply
Reply
Reply
I think your icons as a whole look very creative and there is really one thing I have to "criticise": I think your icons are a bit too dark and you can't really see what's going on in them. Like in icon #1 - the texture you placed on the icon kind of makes the background and the face of the person disappear completely. The same goes for icon #4 - I like the red colour, but maybe you should have brightened up the picture as a whole a bit.
But if that's your way of working then it's totally fine. I think when it comes to these things then it's all about personal preference. ^.^
Icon #2 is really nice - the blending is great and the colour/texture work very well too! Icon #3 looks good too, but I think the background is a bit plain. Maybe you could put some sort of texture on it. I like to use grunge textures a lot when it comes to plain backgrounds!!
Reply
Reply
1. The colouring looks great, but the textures here are a little heavy, so perhaps reducing the opacity or contrasting the light and dark a bit more would help to bring extra depth to the image.
2. It took me a while to notice the eye in the background of this one, but it definitely makes the icon really interesting. For the lighting I think possibly lightening areas of his face that are already highlighted might have worked better than the white coming off the side. The red definitely captures the intense emotion, although I'm not sure if the white lines are adding anything to this icon for me.
3. I love the lighting at the bottom! The only thing I would maybe change a tiny bit is the colouring on the man's face (maybe adding pink/yellow in areas) would make him stand out, because with the textures, for me, he's flattened into the background.
Reply
( ... )
Reply
The only thing I really want to point out is that your icons look very blurry. I guess you work with "Soft Light" and "Gaussian Blur"?! I do this too, but I also sharpen my icons after I used these two actions.
I think the blurry effect works well on some icons (like your fourth one), but it looks strange on icon #1 and #3!
Reply
Haha, yes, I am addicted to Gaussian Blur and Soft Light layers. I am not very good with the sharpening after bit. :P
Reply
http://bel-perdente.livejournal.com/28207.html
http://fan-cifully.livejournal.com/17155.html (some of the links in this post are not working anymore, but maybe you still find some interesting links that still work!)
http://wonderous-stuff.livejournal.com/12669.html (scroll down a bit!)
You also might want to give these tutorials by sarisafari a try, because she is awesome! <33
http://foretmagique.livejournal.com/21524.html#cutid1
http://foretmagique.livejournal.com/21871.html#cutid1
Reply
Leave a comment