(Nit)Pick Me!
Another meme to keep your spirits up. Ever made an icon you loved but not many cared about? Why did that happen? Which kind of style you dabble with your watchers like better? What's your best icon, steel cage match style? Let's find out. This meme can work in many ways, post and see.
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And actually the brightness and sharpness of #3 really could have benefited #4. The dark yellow wash doesn't compliment the image well. It could have used some variation the same way the red/greens give a little extra to #3. I do however love the light on the hair. It really stands out as a focal point; although I'm not sure that's what you were going for in terms of focus. Also to add on to the first anon's comment about the sharpness...it is possible whatever coloring method you used added the graininess we see. Blacks are the worst offenders in my experience. A soft blur (coupled with a layer mask, if you've got it) just on those edges, and the sharpness would have been fine, overall, I think.
BUT! My least favorite is actually #5. There's something about the awkward crop (you've cut off half the face, but I can still see part of her other eye + whatever is in her mouth is partially cut off as well, and I get the feeling you were trying to emphasize that object so having it cut off seems awkward) here that doesn't work as well as the awkward crop in #3 or #1 for that matter. Cutting off straight in the middle (down the nose maybe?) might have worked better in terms of balance.
I also think it suffers from the same murky coloring that #3 does. I do like the light in the background (around and behind her hair once again); it comes across as strong and interesting. However, it does distract from the face which seems shadowed in comparison. I think it is just a matter of deciding, for sure, where you want our eye to look and then using light to emphasize that. Once again layer masks would come in hand here so you could brighten the face without changing the depth and brightness of the light around her hair. That would even it up a bit.
All that is definitely nit picking though because you know I am a fan (even if I am new) of your work and I think you have amazing talent. These examples are all great in their own way especially the first three!
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For #3, I'm glad to know that the crop is working as well as the sharpness: it looked a tad over-sharpened to me, and I'm always a bit unsure about my close crops. :)
For #4, the problem is that I didn't noticed the sharpness of the hat at all! I often blur over-sharpened edges, but I also often fail at noticing them so this is something I have to pay more attention to, from now on.
I do however love the light on the hair. It really stands out as a focal point; although I'm not sure that's what you were going for in terms of focus.
Somehow, it was. I wanted to add some interest to the obvious center crop, so I added some light on her hair.
For the coloring, I didn't realize how dark it was, actually!
I blurred the sharp edges of the hat, brightened the whole icon and worked a little bit more on the coloring.
Is it any better?
And I can't thank you enough for the concrit on #5: I didn't get comments for that one at the rumble, and it made me wonder why, if it was just not interesting or else if it had some actual flaws.
And now I see its flaws, thank you so much for pointing them out!
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But, yeah, I totally get what you mean about sharpness. It's really hard to judge because you've got your own preferences, everyone else's, and the monitor differences on top of something that's just difficult to balance just right anyway. But I like what you've done with the edges of the hat. The top right corner has a softness to it now that adds a dreamy quality to the light and contrasts nicely with the sharper lines of her face.
And I'm glad you found some of my comments helpful. ♥
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You write very detailed and exhaustive concrits and you're amazingly sharp at noticing flaws and pointing them out! ♥
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