(no subject)
meme: ghostygloom icons 2009
total icons posted: 946 (on nice_beam)
content break-down: (not including requests)
608 Arashi
40 Hamish & Andy
38 Psych
34 Pikanchi Double
13 Aoi Yuu
7 Kuriyama Chiaki
4 Eita
4 Yazima Beauty Salon
3 DJ Ozma
5 personal accomplishments
this is tough because, rather than some sort of self-indulgent brag about my skill, I want to look at what worked best and made me happiest this year. they may or may not be my "best" work: that's in the eye of the beholder!
Was made just recently, but I had a picture in my head and it came out just like I wanted it to. I think the black and white also actually works here.
Screencap icons are my absolute favourite kind to make, but they can be really difficult to negotiate; a lot of my least favourite icons come from low quality screencaps. This was a low quality video file but I feel like I managed to make the icon work and seem crisp; the balance of his face and the colouring matching his hat and expression also makes me pleased.
I like my cropping decision a lot for this one. Cropping's my favourite part of the process and I get really pleased when I feel like I finally nail it.
For me, this batch was one that I really experimented with colouring, and for the most part it didn't work, and the icons felt boring; but this was a moment when I felt like, through a simple technique, I could produce an icon with a completely different flavour than the image usually gave, which excited me again, when it comes to playing around with Photoshop.
I feel like the stars just aligned with this one, a little bit; I like this sort of choppy gif icon but find them so hard to create for myself. I think the colours of the image work, I like the way I made it a bit creamier than the original screencaps. It really doesn't hurt that Aiba is gorgeous.
5 biggest disappointments
is putting me in a whole world of hurt; there are so many that I'm disappointed in. I hope I don't offend anybody who has potentially liked & used the ones I've listed here, it's all personal opinion here!
Mostly because I love this set of photographs so much, and I don't feel like I did them justice; also, the effect is overblown and just ends up ruining the picture rather than adding something new and fresh.
The original video file was too low quality, so the screencap was blurry, and with too harsh a lighting effect upon a grainy cap, the result is just disappointing, given how gorgeous MatsuJun's smile is.
Again, I really liked the idea, and I wish I'd worked it out better (I'll probably revisit this picture with this idea), but I overdid it with the black & white + pink flush, and didn't quite crop it correctly, I think.
It's the same problem as the other ones: I often feel like my icons are way too boring, but when I try and add certain effects or layers, I sometimes go way overboard and ruin the icon.
I really don't know why I posted this, there are so many other icons out there with a similar picture, a similar crop, that just have better colouring, and lack the scan imperfections I was too lazy to smooth out (those stripes in the background). A really quickly done icon, and I think it shows the lack of time & effort I put in.
seemingly popular icons
Probably: because Aiba is beautiful; because Nino is sexy; because Ohno is a breath of fresh air.
looking back at 2009
Is this your first/only icon journal, and how long have you been posting here for?
It is! I used to post some icons in my personal journal, but woelvs invited me here, and I've been posting at nice_beam since 31 August 2009.
Which new technique(s) did you try out in 2009?
Basically: everything. Before 2009, I'd only ever done the most basic kind of resizing and cropping, and occasionally added a one-pixel coloured border, to random images. So I'm still starting from scratch, and have worked particularly on my cropping and colouring (which is about as advanced as it sounds: aka, not at all.)
What was your strongest area in 2009?
I'm still really only getting my legs, so there's not many areas for me to have worked on! But I feel like I've really managed to improve my colouring, I've played around with it so much and have a lot of fun with just that one simple aspect. I very rarely have a problem with my cropping.
What was your weakest area in 2009?
Everything else!
Lack of subtlety: I've tried my hardest not to rely on good images by making icons that are too close to the original scans; which unfortunately means that I often overdo techniques that I still haven't properly grasped.
Presenting variations, rather than variety: so, rather than presenting icons that all look different and use different techniques, crops, general effects, I often end up just doing the same icon with twenty different crops, or icons that all have the exact same colouring slapped on top.
Text. Any kind of text.
Gif icons.
looking forwards to 2010
Which new technique(s) do you want to try in 2010?
Textures! I've used them only a handful of times, and I can't figure out how to use them well; but I've seen textures used so nicely, that I want to figure out how to work with them, too.
Gifs! I wish that I could create quality gif icons, but I often don't have the patience. But I think it'd be worth it in the end.
Any icon making goals for 2010?
Really just to branch out and expand my tool kit! I want to spend more time on each icon that I make, rather than churning a lot out of the same things out at a fast pace. (For example, I have 280 in my "no good" folder to try again later, and at least double that went straight in the trash.) It'd also be nice to develop a unique style, I feel like I don't have the same sort of trademark that a lot of other icon makers do, so I'm waiting for that to develop organically through more practice. I hope 2010 is the year for it.
Also, in terms of graphics, I really want to expand beyond icons and try some banners and wallpapers.
admired icon makers
There are so many icon makers I adore, they are my inspiration and aspiration. Here are just a few that set me alight in 2009, and whose work I look forward to in 2010!
shaneen (@ verybigdanger)
What surprises me the most about shaneen's work, every time, is that when I see her icons around livejournal, I think they're fantastic, fresh and simple; and then when I download them, I see just how unique and bold her colouring is. She navigates colouring expertly, knowing exactly how to toe that line so that it is always strong, but never overpowering. Also, her screencap icons are rivaled nowhere else: I have no idea how she gives them such depth and three-dimensionality, so that they're warm and soft around the edges, but still very clear. Fantastic choices of snapshots, and beautifully crafted.
behoove (@ behoove, colony)
Great choice of images, behoove's icons are often unique in their sourcing. They're also really fresh and clean. I have so many of these icons on reserve, they're absolutely fantastic for really expressing something in particular, like an emotion, or a personality.
koreans (@ colony)
Clean and fresh icons with an always perfect balance. The negative space in koreans's icons is always clear, with subtle texturing and techniques. These icons are crisp. Sometimes, crisp and sharp icons can go over the top, but these rest perfectly on that edge so that they're striking in their clarity. Also, gif icons that can't be beaten. I mentioned before that I like those choppy gif icons? Here are where you can find some of the best examples of those. This might be a bizarre thing to say, but I really want to get into bands like 2pm after seeing these icons: I know nothing about them, but I want to use these icons, desperately! Instead, I admire from afar.
gyaku (@ chippugp)
Gyaku's icons have some of the most unique and fascinating ways of arranging icons. They have unfailingly gorgeous colouring, and use a lot of negative space while fitting a lot into the frame. Gyaku is a real master of tiling, using several of the same image or slight variations on a screencap, within the one 100x100 space. But there's always something new and unexpected in a post over at chippugp: it's a really exciting and inspiring journal to watch.
micodeavi (@ ze_vierce)
Without a doubt, these icons are the best doodle & crack icons around! Not only are the doodles always expertly done, the bases are gorgeously coloured. PLUS: THE DOODLES. Too, too cute, and funny! Clearly micodeavi has an amazing talent for drawing, and it's used very well and creatively to transform images into a whole story. There's really nowhere else to get icons like those available at ze_vierce.
starsystems (@ minorsport, werechihuahuas)
I can always find something I desperately want to use, right this second, in any post by starsystems. They're bright with crisp edges, without being overly pale or washed out. Another fantastic source for screencap icons, with a perfect selection of screencaps and great cropping applied to them. They always clean up really nicely. There's a red or orange tinge to a lot of these icons, which I personally really go for. Just divine.
sapah_fu (@ nice_beam)
Such gorgeous & warm icons I have never seen! She manages to inject any image with a depth that's really lovely.
hakka_candy (@ tishpaper)
Don't even get me started, because hakka_candy is quite literally who inspired me to start making icons; I remember flipping through tishpaper and downloading so many of the icons up there, and then wanting to try it out for myself. If I could have half of her talent, I would be over-the-moon happy. She has such a distinct style, and yet each icon feels really fresh and new. She uses textures expertly, so that they don't interfere with the image but add to them. Gorgeous colouring; interesting cropping; fresh, sharp, clean images; and yet an intense depth and warmth to all her icons. I am in constant awe of her work. And really embarrassed to have blurted it all out like this, but if you're not following tishpaper yet and only have room on your friends list for one more, I cannot urge you enough to check it out!
woelvs (@ nice_beam)
I have such a soft spot for the beautiful, lovely woelvs, MY BRIDE TO BE; but that doesn't interfere with my ability to see her talent objectively. I was a huge fan of nice_beam & her work before I met her, and was (still am) incredibly awed to be invited as a part of this crew. She has the most unique and unusual sense for cropping, & it works beautifully, every time. With the simplest twist -- like turning an image upside down -- she transforms a basic icon into something original and fascinating. Her icons are so creative and I am always excited to see more ♥
It'd be awesome to hear your opinions, on your own icons, or what I've said about my own! I'd love if anyone would recommend some of their favourite makers: I'm always on the look out for more, and I'm sure our other watchers are, too!
Thanks for a great 2009, everyone; & here's to a beautiful 2010!
total icons posted: 946 (on nice_beam)
content break-down: (not including requests)
608 Arashi
40 Hamish & Andy
38 Psych
34 Pikanchi Double
13 Aoi Yuu
7 Kuriyama Chiaki
4 Eita
4 Yazima Beauty Salon
3 DJ Ozma
5 personal accomplishments
this is tough because, rather than some sort of self-indulgent brag about my skill, I want to look at what worked best and made me happiest this year. they may or may not be my "best" work: that's in the eye of the beholder!
Was made just recently, but I had a picture in my head and it came out just like I wanted it to. I think the black and white also actually works here.
Screencap icons are my absolute favourite kind to make, but they can be really difficult to negotiate; a lot of my least favourite icons come from low quality screencaps. This was a low quality video file but I feel like I managed to make the icon work and seem crisp; the balance of his face and the colouring matching his hat and expression also makes me pleased.
I like my cropping decision a lot for this one. Cropping's my favourite part of the process and I get really pleased when I feel like I finally nail it.
For me, this batch was one that I really experimented with colouring, and for the most part it didn't work, and the icons felt boring; but this was a moment when I felt like, through a simple technique, I could produce an icon with a completely different flavour than the image usually gave, which excited me again, when it comes to playing around with Photoshop.
I feel like the stars just aligned with this one, a little bit; I like this sort of choppy gif icon but find them so hard to create for myself. I think the colours of the image work, I like the way I made it a bit creamier than the original screencaps. It really doesn't hurt that Aiba is gorgeous.
5 biggest disappointments
is putting me in a whole world of hurt; there are so many that I'm disappointed in. I hope I don't offend anybody who has potentially liked & used the ones I've listed here, it's all personal opinion here!
Mostly because I love this set of photographs so much, and I don't feel like I did them justice; also, the effect is overblown and just ends up ruining the picture rather than adding something new and fresh.
The original video file was too low quality, so the screencap was blurry, and with too harsh a lighting effect upon a grainy cap, the result is just disappointing, given how gorgeous MatsuJun's smile is.
Again, I really liked the idea, and I wish I'd worked it out better (I'll probably revisit this picture with this idea), but I overdid it with the black & white + pink flush, and didn't quite crop it correctly, I think.
It's the same problem as the other ones: I often feel like my icons are way too boring, but when I try and add certain effects or layers, I sometimes go way overboard and ruin the icon.
I really don't know why I posted this, there are so many other icons out there with a similar picture, a similar crop, that just have better colouring, and lack the scan imperfections I was too lazy to smooth out (those stripes in the background). A really quickly done icon, and I think it shows the lack of time & effort I put in.
seemingly popular icons
Probably: because Aiba is beautiful; because Nino is sexy; because Ohno is a breath of fresh air.
looking back at 2009
Is this your first/only icon journal, and how long have you been posting here for?
It is! I used to post some icons in my personal journal, but woelvs invited me here, and I've been posting at nice_beam since 31 August 2009.
Which new technique(s) did you try out in 2009?
Basically: everything. Before 2009, I'd only ever done the most basic kind of resizing and cropping, and occasionally added a one-pixel coloured border, to random images. So I'm still starting from scratch, and have worked particularly on my cropping and colouring (which is about as advanced as it sounds: aka, not at all.)
What was your strongest area in 2009?
I'm still really only getting my legs, so there's not many areas for me to have worked on! But I feel like I've really managed to improve my colouring, I've played around with it so much and have a lot of fun with just that one simple aspect. I very rarely have a problem with my cropping.
What was your weakest area in 2009?
Everything else!
Lack of subtlety: I've tried my hardest not to rely on good images by making icons that are too close to the original scans; which unfortunately means that I often overdo techniques that I still haven't properly grasped.
Presenting variations, rather than variety: so, rather than presenting icons that all look different and use different techniques, crops, general effects, I often end up just doing the same icon with twenty different crops, or icons that all have the exact same colouring slapped on top.
Text. Any kind of text.
Gif icons.
looking forwards to 2010
Which new technique(s) do you want to try in 2010?
Textures! I've used them only a handful of times, and I can't figure out how to use them well; but I've seen textures used so nicely, that I want to figure out how to work with them, too.
Gifs! I wish that I could create quality gif icons, but I often don't have the patience. But I think it'd be worth it in the end.
Any icon making goals for 2010?
Really just to branch out and expand my tool kit! I want to spend more time on each icon that I make, rather than churning a lot out of the same things out at a fast pace. (For example, I have 280 in my "no good" folder to try again later, and at least double that went straight in the trash.) It'd also be nice to develop a unique style, I feel like I don't have the same sort of trademark that a lot of other icon makers do, so I'm waiting for that to develop organically through more practice. I hope 2010 is the year for it.
Also, in terms of graphics, I really want to expand beyond icons and try some banners and wallpapers.
admired icon makers
There are so many icon makers I adore, they are my inspiration and aspiration. Here are just a few that set me alight in 2009, and whose work I look forward to in 2010!
shaneen (@ verybigdanger)
What surprises me the most about shaneen's work, every time, is that when I see her icons around livejournal, I think they're fantastic, fresh and simple; and then when I download them, I see just how unique and bold her colouring is. She navigates colouring expertly, knowing exactly how to toe that line so that it is always strong, but never overpowering. Also, her screencap icons are rivaled nowhere else: I have no idea how she gives them such depth and three-dimensionality, so that they're warm and soft around the edges, but still very clear. Fantastic choices of snapshots, and beautifully crafted.
behoove (@ behoove, colony)
Great choice of images, behoove's icons are often unique in their sourcing. They're also really fresh and clean. I have so many of these icons on reserve, they're absolutely fantastic for really expressing something in particular, like an emotion, or a personality.
koreans (@ colony)
Clean and fresh icons with an always perfect balance. The negative space in koreans's icons is always clear, with subtle texturing and techniques. These icons are crisp. Sometimes, crisp and sharp icons can go over the top, but these rest perfectly on that edge so that they're striking in their clarity. Also, gif icons that can't be beaten. I mentioned before that I like those choppy gif icons? Here are where you can find some of the best examples of those. This might be a bizarre thing to say, but I really want to get into bands like 2pm after seeing these icons: I know nothing about them, but I want to use these icons, desperately! Instead, I admire from afar.
gyaku (@ chippugp)
Gyaku's icons have some of the most unique and fascinating ways of arranging icons. They have unfailingly gorgeous colouring, and use a lot of negative space while fitting a lot into the frame. Gyaku is a real master of tiling, using several of the same image or slight variations on a screencap, within the one 100x100 space. But there's always something new and unexpected in a post over at chippugp: it's a really exciting and inspiring journal to watch.
micodeavi (@ ze_vierce)
Without a doubt, these icons are the best doodle & crack icons around! Not only are the doodles always expertly done, the bases are gorgeously coloured. PLUS: THE DOODLES. Too, too cute, and funny! Clearly micodeavi has an amazing talent for drawing, and it's used very well and creatively to transform images into a whole story. There's really nowhere else to get icons like those available at ze_vierce.
starsystems (@ minorsport, werechihuahuas)
I can always find something I desperately want to use, right this second, in any post by starsystems. They're bright with crisp edges, without being overly pale or washed out. Another fantastic source for screencap icons, with a perfect selection of screencaps and great cropping applied to them. They always clean up really nicely. There's a red or orange tinge to a lot of these icons, which I personally really go for. Just divine.
sapah_fu (@ nice_beam)
Such gorgeous & warm icons I have never seen! She manages to inject any image with a depth that's really lovely.
hakka_candy (@ tishpaper)
Don't even get me started, because hakka_candy is quite literally who inspired me to start making icons; I remember flipping through tishpaper and downloading so many of the icons up there, and then wanting to try it out for myself. If I could have half of her talent, I would be over-the-moon happy. She has such a distinct style, and yet each icon feels really fresh and new. She uses textures expertly, so that they don't interfere with the image but add to them. Gorgeous colouring; interesting cropping; fresh, sharp, clean images; and yet an intense depth and warmth to all her icons. I am in constant awe of her work. And really embarrassed to have blurted it all out like this, but if you're not following tishpaper yet and only have room on your friends list for one more, I cannot urge you enough to check it out!
woelvs (@ nice_beam)
I have such a soft spot for the beautiful, lovely woelvs, MY BRIDE TO BE; but that doesn't interfere with my ability to see her talent objectively. I was a huge fan of nice_beam & her work before I met her, and was (still am) incredibly awed to be invited as a part of this crew. She has the most unique and unusual sense for cropping, & it works beautifully, every time. With the simplest twist -- like turning an image upside down -- she transforms a basic icon into something original and fascinating. Her icons are so creative and I am always excited to see more ♥
It'd be awesome to hear your opinions, on your own icons, or what I've said about my own! I'd love if anyone would recommend some of their favourite makers: I'm always on the look out for more, and I'm sure our other watchers are, too!
Thanks for a great 2009, everyone; & here's to a beautiful 2010!