006.
I know I know, three posts by me in a matter of a week, what is this! This is something I've wanted to do for a while but I'm such a slackerrrrr. A recent post somewhere on lj though reminded me and well it's not like I'm doing anything else though I should be. So I bring you one of those Icon Progression posts, mine spanning from 2006 to present. There are a few yet-to-be-posted icons in the very last section so feel free to sneak a peek even if River Song wouldn't appreciate the spoilerssss. Comments would be great but really I just did this for me since five years is a nice little milestone I think. :) Warning: I ramble and semi-img heavy (90 icons).
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2006 - 2007
Started very early in '06 with PSP8! Very first icons I ever put up for public sharing were a batch of Friends icons at the main community (didn't have an icon journal). From then on I volleyed back and fourth between iconning Friends and Charmed, the latter easily being my most iconned fandom to date. I actually think I progressed really quickly being that there is only 3 months difference between when icon #2 was made and icon #6 and on.
Very very early on I found sky textures and to this day they are still my favorite thing ever :B Also looking at ALL of the icons as a whole, center crops are my jam lol. Years later and still can't help using it. I remember this is when I started posting tutorials as I essentially made it my life mission to prove that you could get that selective coloring look that was popular back then (#15) without PS. Looking back I'm also really shocked into how okay I was with text! I mean here I am five years later and still groan at the thought of having to deal with it on icons and just suprised how willingly I would put text on icons.
A few months into iconning I found challenge communities and I can honestly I'm where I'm at because of that. charmed_test and friendsicontest were my two main communities where I entered come hell or high water and then later worked my way up to places like icon_crack. I never went into challenge communities for the possibility of placing, but as a way of experimenting new methods.
Looking back I don't regret or cringe much at icons from these years, although I do think I could have went a little easier on the brush used in #20 because you can't see it here but I used that brush like my life depended on it lol.
05
10
15
20
25
30
2008 - 2009
There was an impromptu break apparently between end of '07 and beginning of '08 when it came to making graphics, about six months or more. Looking at icons from this period of time in comparison to the previous section I think I became "rusty". I just felt uncomfortable in everything I did and something wasn't gelling. In a way I think I took a few steps back and I could easily swap this section with the one above and it would make more sense. I wasn't entering icon challenges any more however I did do a few icon battles around this time.
I think my text usage digressed but I did begin to work on negative space and played more with textures. Also happy with my black and white icons as I always struggled with a good balance of contrast. Around this time I iconned Ghost Whisperer fairly often as well One Tree Hill. As a whole for these two years I didn't icon much let alone post. Meh.
35
40
45
50
55
60
2010 - Present
There was another impormptu hiatus in icon making! Quite a few months actually. Instead of it hurting me though I came back rejuvinated. I look at this section as a whole and just feel really really happy. I'm in no way up there in the ranks of people like darlingbones, hopeitallaway, or like anyone ever mentioned at icon_praise, but at this point I'm just happy and proud and I don't go into iconning for the sake of having to get a post up and thus making stuff I don't like.
As far as techniques... still abusing that center crop and sky textures like there is no tomorrow. I'm trying to incorporate text more though I question whether I pull it off every time. TEXTURES ARE NOW AN OBSESSION. I blame whoever linked me to slayground.tumblr.com because while I assume she made them for larger tumblr graphics in mind I still find a way to incorporate them into any icon I can. I'm also just now getting into gradients though I do not think it's showcased much here. About 85% of what I've iconned in this year alone I know has to be Harry Potter which is all thanks to hogwartsishome and the points I want to earn for my fellow lions. Alsooooo B&W icons are finally something I feel comfortable with and I have to stop myself from making every icon in B&W.
As happy as I am with where I'm at, kinda worried I could stall which is why I'm pulling a page from my 06/07 iconning self and have gotten back into challenge communities. I've been fortunate enough to be accepted into a few elite ones and I know being surrounded with so many of those makers will definitely help me continue to grow. Also communities like 20inspirations is a godsend and I suggest everyone check it out!
65
70
75
80
85
90
Sorry this was so long (but if you've met me you know that's apparently the only way I roll). I'd like to thank icon_talk for the motivation to stop slacking and finally do this. If you're into discussing anything re: iconning at all, I definitely suggest you check out that community.
P.S. If you haven't checked out the battle between Sara (shrimpy_19) and I, check it out here!
Feel free to snag anything, even the few icons in the last section that I've yet to post here (spoilers~) I just ask the usual...
+ COMMENTS ARE ♥
+ PLEASE CREDIT likealight NOT falloutoftrees.
+ WATCH COMMUNITY FOR MORE UPDATES.
- TEXTLESS ICONS ARE NOT BASES.
- PLEASE DO NOT HOTLINK.
» TABLE GENERATOR.
>>
>>
2006 - 2007
Started very early in '06 with PSP8! Very first icons I ever put up for public sharing were a batch of Friends icons at the main community (didn't have an icon journal). From then on I volleyed back and fourth between iconning Friends and Charmed, the latter easily being my most iconned fandom to date. I actually think I progressed really quickly being that there is only 3 months difference between when icon #2 was made and icon #6 and on.
Very very early on I found sky textures and to this day they are still my favorite thing ever :B Also looking at ALL of the icons as a whole, center crops are my jam lol. Years later and still can't help using it. I remember this is when I started posting tutorials as I essentially made it my life mission to prove that you could get that selective coloring look that was popular back then (#15) without PS. Looking back I'm also really shocked into how okay I was with text! I mean here I am five years later and still groan at the thought of having to deal with it on icons and just suprised how willingly I would put text on icons.
A few months into iconning I found challenge communities and I can honestly I'm where I'm at because of that. charmed_test and friendsicontest were my two main communities where I entered come hell or high water and then later worked my way up to places like icon_crack. I never went into challenge communities for the possibility of placing, but as a way of experimenting new methods.
Looking back I don't regret or cringe much at icons from these years, although I do think I could have went a little easier on the brush used in #20 because you can't see it here but I used that brush like my life depended on it lol.
05
10
15
20
25
30
2008 - 2009
There was an impromptu break apparently between end of '07 and beginning of '08 when it came to making graphics, about six months or more. Looking at icons from this period of time in comparison to the previous section I think I became "rusty". I just felt uncomfortable in everything I did and something wasn't gelling. In a way I think I took a few steps back and I could easily swap this section with the one above and it would make more sense. I wasn't entering icon challenges any more however I did do a few icon battles around this time.
I think my text usage digressed but I did begin to work on negative space and played more with textures. Also happy with my black and white icons as I always struggled with a good balance of contrast. Around this time I iconned Ghost Whisperer fairly often as well One Tree Hill. As a whole for these two years I didn't icon much let alone post. Meh.
35
40
45
50
55
60
2010 - Present
There was another impormptu hiatus in icon making! Quite a few months actually. Instead of it hurting me though I came back rejuvinated. I look at this section as a whole and just feel really really happy. I'm in no way up there in the ranks of people like darlingbones, hopeitallaway, or like anyone ever mentioned at icon_praise, but at this point I'm just happy and proud and I don't go into iconning for the sake of having to get a post up and thus making stuff I don't like.
As far as techniques... still abusing that center crop and sky textures like there is no tomorrow. I'm trying to incorporate text more though I question whether I pull it off every time. TEXTURES ARE NOW AN OBSESSION. I blame whoever linked me to slayground.tumblr.com because while I assume she made them for larger tumblr graphics in mind I still find a way to incorporate them into any icon I can. I'm also just now getting into gradients though I do not think it's showcased much here. About 85% of what I've iconned in this year alone I know has to be Harry Potter which is all thanks to hogwartsishome and the points I want to earn for my fellow lions. Alsooooo B&W icons are finally something I feel comfortable with and I have to stop myself from making every icon in B&W.
As happy as I am with where I'm at, kinda worried I could stall which is why I'm pulling a page from my 06/07 iconning self and have gotten back into challenge communities. I've been fortunate enough to be accepted into a few elite ones and I know being surrounded with so many of those makers will definitely help me continue to grow. Also communities like 20inspirations is a godsend and I suggest everyone check it out!
65
70
75
80
85
90
Sorry this was so long (but if you've met me you know that's apparently the only way I roll). I'd like to thank icon_talk for the motivation to stop slacking and finally do this. If you're into discussing anything re: iconning at all, I definitely suggest you check out that community.
P.S. If you haven't checked out the battle between Sara (shrimpy_19) and I, check it out here!
Feel free to snag anything, even the few icons in the last section that I've yet to post here (spoilers~) I just ask the usual...
+ COMMENTS ARE ♥
+ PLEASE CREDIT likealight NOT falloutoftrees.
+ WATCH COMMUNITY FOR MORE UPDATES.
- TEXTLESS ICONS ARE NOT BASES.
- PLEASE DO NOT HOTLINK.
» TABLE GENERATOR.