#1 I like the coloring of this one, and I think the text matches the overall mood of the icon. However, I'm a bit unsure about the crop: it's not a bad crop, but she looks a tad "boxed in": maybe a slightly closer crop would have worked better here. In terms of emotion though I think you did a good work :)
#2 I love how you worked on the middle section of this one. Colors are vibrant without being oversaturated and she looks meditative and perhaps a little worried. I'm a bit unsure about the b/w background picture: the middle section cuts it in two halves and makes them look a little awkward. However, I think it's a minor issue, because my attention is constantly drawn to the picture in the center and the background isn't distracting from the focal point of the icon.
#3 I love the crop! Composition-wise, this icon is very well executed and has a perfect balance. The coloring is very nice too, especially the deep blue of the background. Her facial expression is quite unreadable because of the far crop, but I think this choice adds an extra-interest to this icon instead of detracting from it.
#4 This one looks a tad dark on my monitor. I would have brightened it up a little more, to match the cheerful look of the lower cap. The pale yellow borders don't compliment the muted colors of her skin, also, perhaps white would have been a better choice - combined with a brighter and more vibrant coloring.
#5 This one is my favourite. The crop, the coloring, everything is perfect. You captured the emotion and enhanced it with this slightly dark, vibrant coloring. I also like the contrast between the intense colors of her figure against the bright sky behind her.
Thanks so much, it helps a ton! I totally agree with you, especially with the awkwardness of the crop on #2 and the coloring/brightness on #4 - it's always so frustrating when I know an icon looks a little off and I can't tell exactly why.
I generally avoid giving concrit as I'm so new to icon-making myself that I feel like I'm not ready to critique others, but as this meme is so quiet one could hear the crickets, I guess I'll give it a go.
1 - I think this icon is really good, especially the text. The bottom right section of her hair looks a bit pixelated on my monitor, possibly from over-brightening? Maybe try blurring it a bit? Emotion-wise, I'd gravitate towards a closer crop, maybe ending at her nose or something similar, because I think it would focus the eye more emotion of the face, made up of the right eye (well, her left I suppose) and the slightly parted lips) and less on the general facial features (nose and shadowed eye). If you're not a close crop fan, maybe it could be cropped with the whole face visible and then use the fact that one side is shadowed to add to the overall emotion of the icon? I'm not familiar with the fandom, so I'm not sure if she's surprised or dismayed, etc, but the text seems to indicate there's some sort of angst going on, so using the shadows might suit.
2 - I really love the way you mixed color and black and white in this one. Again I don't know the fandom but I can tell from the composition that you're emphasizing the way she's tensed her mouth/jaw and the way she was holding her hands. I can see how the top two thirds indicate the character's emotion but, for me, her hands in the bottom third are a little too small. I can't really tell whether her hands are pensive or anxious or something else. Maybe move the middle third up a few pixels and use that extra space on the bottom to enlarge her hands? This might be something that people familiar with the scene wouldn't need, so if this scene is well known in the fandom, I think I'd just keep it as is. I think you could also do some interesting things with text on this icon if you wanted too. The upper right corner is a bit emptier than the rest of the icon. You could keep it as negative space, but I think you could add text, maybe with color text on the black and white top and black and white text on the middle third? Just to add more interest.
3 - I love the colors in this one. To me, the lighting looks a bit strange though, as though there's sort of a bubble of like on Annie and then it suddenly gets darker? I might try to make that change more gradual, so that the focus is still on Annie but the sky is a more even shade of blue.
4 - Donna looks a little dark in this one, so I think it might be better if you brighten her up. Emotion-wise, I'm a bit confused. In the top cap she looks anxious, and in the bottom cap she's relieved but I feel like the icon is missing something that shows what calmed her. If the icon is telling a story, it's like it's missing a piece. Is this one of the times when she's talking to Josh? If so, maybe try adding a cap of him on the phone to her? That way the icon tells more of an emotional story.
5 - Yeah, for this one I've got nothing. I love the crop and the coloring. The emotion jumps out on this one. Well done!
I hope some of this is useful, but take it with a grain of salt because, as I said, I just started making icons a few months ago. :/
First of all, you totally don't need the disclaimers - your critiques are really thoughtful, useful and well-written. (And the two fandoms you recognized are two of my favorites, so nicely done XD)
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, and I definitely agree with you on most of your points. 1 and 2 probably would benefit from different crops, and the lighting on 3 is from my overusing spotlight gradients on my icons, LOL. I'm not totally sure what's going on with Donna in that scene - I think it might be election results - but I agree that the shift in emotion is a little jarring.
Thanks in advance!
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#2 I love how you worked on the middle section of this one. Colors are vibrant without being oversaturated and she looks meditative and perhaps a little worried. I'm a bit unsure about the b/w background picture: the middle section cuts it in two halves and makes them look a little awkward. However, I think it's a minor issue, because my attention is constantly drawn to the picture in the center and the background isn't distracting from the focal point of the icon.
#3 I love the crop! Composition-wise, this icon is very well executed and has a perfect balance. The coloring is very nice too, especially the deep blue of the background. Her facial expression is quite unreadable because of the far crop, but I think this choice adds an extra-interest to this icon instead of detracting from it.
#4 This one looks a tad dark on my monitor. I would have brightened it up a little more, to match the cheerful look of the lower cap. The pale yellow borders don't compliment the muted colors of her skin, also, perhaps white would have been a better choice - combined with a brighter and more vibrant coloring.
#5 This one is my favourite. The crop, the coloring, everything is perfect. You captured the emotion and enhanced it with this slightly dark, vibrant coloring. I also like the contrast between the intense colors of her figure against the bright sky behind her.
Hope it helps :)
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1 - I think this icon is really good, especially the text. The bottom right section of her hair looks a bit pixelated on my monitor, possibly from over-brightening? Maybe try blurring it a bit? Emotion-wise, I'd gravitate towards a closer crop, maybe ending at her nose or something similar, because I think it would focus the eye more emotion of the face, made up of the right eye (well, her left I suppose) and the slightly parted lips) and less on the general facial features (nose and shadowed eye). If you're not a close crop fan, maybe it could be cropped with the whole face visible and then use the fact that one side is shadowed to add to the overall emotion of the icon? I'm not familiar with the fandom, so I'm not sure if she's surprised or dismayed, etc, but the text seems to indicate there's some sort of angst going on, so using the shadows might suit.
2 - I really love the way you mixed color and black and white in this one. Again I don't know the fandom but I can tell from the composition that you're emphasizing the way she's tensed her mouth/jaw and the way she was holding her hands. I can see how the top two thirds indicate the character's emotion but, for me, her hands in the bottom third are a little too small. I can't really tell whether her hands are pensive or anxious or something else. Maybe move the middle third up a few pixels and use that extra space on the bottom to enlarge her hands? This might be something that people familiar with the scene wouldn't need, so if this scene is well known in the fandom, I think I'd just keep it as is. I think you could also do some interesting things with text on this icon if you wanted too. The upper right corner is a bit emptier than the rest of the icon. You could keep it as negative space, but I think you could add text, maybe with color text on the black and white top and black and white text on the middle third? Just to add more interest.
3 - I love the colors in this one. To me, the lighting looks a bit strange though, as though there's sort of a bubble of like on Annie and then it suddenly gets darker? I might try to make that change more gradual, so that the focus is still on Annie but the sky is a more even shade of blue.
4 - Donna looks a little dark in this one, so I think it might be better if you brighten her up. Emotion-wise, I'm a bit confused. In the top cap she looks anxious, and in the bottom cap she's relieved but I feel like the icon is missing something that shows what calmed her. If the icon is telling a story, it's like it's missing a piece. Is this one of the times when she's talking to Josh? If so, maybe try adding a cap of him on the phone to her? That way the icon tells more of an emotional story.
5 - Yeah, for this one I've got nothing. I love the crop and the coloring. The emotion jumps out on this one. Well done!
I hope some of this is useful, but take it with a grain of salt because, as I said, I just started making icons a few months ago. :/
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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, and I definitely agree with you on most of your points. 1 and 2 probably would benefit from different crops, and the lighting on 3 is from my overusing spotlight gradients on my icons, LOL. I'm not totally sure what's going on with Donna in that scene - I think it might be election results - but I agree that the shift in emotion is a little jarring.
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