Round One - Challenge Five - Results
You guys are all so amazing! *hugs* I'm really pleased with the way everyone is taking risks & being creative, with fantastic results. ♥
OVERALL WINNER: snm_queen
Ugly trends battled prettiness, and pretty pwned them hard.
GUNSHOU's CHOICE: becbet
The combination of trends produces a pretty, emo effect that works well with the subject.
RUSALKATRIX' CHOICE: anniereckless
I love this coloring: an amazing blend of rockstar and angelic.
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: lufiamanaelf
The people have spoken!
RETIRED WITH HONORS: incubloss
A strong showing, especially that bright and lively L.A. icon in week four. We hope you'll continue to participate in the community, and you're welcome to sign up for the next round! ♥
COMMENTARY:
lufiamanaelf
GUNSHOU SAYS: The black and white photo is striking, and really well done. The blob placement and even color work for me, but it could be faded out a bit more so it doesn't look like the sun is setting in her armpit. I actually like Violation, and the text placement is in a great spot to bridge the visual gap between her face and the decoration on her arm. The grey double-border also works really well to frame the icon and give it a fashion-photo feel.
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: I like how this icon manages to be b&w and shiny at the same time--the diamonds in the image add the right touch of sparkle, and the contrast is perfect. I also like the blob! I suppose it wouldn't hurt to fade it out a bit more, but I don't think it's overly bright--I think it's actually very tasteful. The white text also looks great, & the loopy quality of the font complements the pattern of diamonds on her arm. The frame provides a simple, clean finish.
incubloss
GUNSHOU SAYS: A dotted border seems to work best with a light grey or white solid inner border; the grey fading effect is too soft for the black dots. Also the black text seems really oversharpened and sort of stuck in there for the sake of having text. I like the decorative boxes, though, especially with the blob behind them. The crop is odd, with most of the guys cut off and the strangest pose right in the center - there's too much going on with the right half of the icon, and dead space on the left.
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: I think this icon would be stronger if it were cropped to focus on the central figure. Right now we have these half-heads all around the sides: eyes, maybe an ear, part of a nose--too many disparate elements. Also, the coloring and the blurred & dotted border (put together) strike me as being a bit outmoded. And while I applaud your use of senseless text, I think it would have worked better if it were harder to read--a smaller, scribblier font, perhaps. Right now it draws a lot of attention, and just makes me wonder where Phil is.
becbet
GUNSHOU SAYS: The fuzzy and thick black borders, the purple blob, the squished Violation - they all scream emo!Jared. I really like how all these effects came together to produce the mood of the icon. The fugtastic text chunk is a little too sharp, though; Jared can almost cut himself on those edges. Blurring that a bit would echo the blurred borders nicely.
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: Very dramatic! The smudgy black border & circle outline perfectly complement Jared's moody eye makeup, and the text placement draws the viewer's eye to his gaze--which I think pulls the whole thing together. I don't have any strong feelings on whether the text is too sharp; but he's looking so emo . . . maybe he *wants* to cut himself on the text. ^.~ I also really like the pink blob--it contrasts nicely with the black, & doesn't overwhelm or make it look like he has an eye infection. Always a plus. ^.~
snm_queen
GUNSHOU SAYS: Everything comes together in this icon in such a nice way that the trends really become fresh looking again. Utada's face looks really oversharpened, though, so that her eyes look like holes. But I wonder if that's a product of my monitor/graphics card?
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: I love the ovals, the coloring . . . it all comes together to create this futuristic atmosphere (rings of Saturn?), which I think is evocative of Utada's music. I also really like the text effect. My only real complaint is that there's a bit too much sharpness in this icon--the edges of the ovals are a little jagged (which might be unavoidable; I'm not sure). But the overall feel of this icon is very "smooth," which is why that bit of jagged-ness stands out.
anniereckless
GUNSHOU SAYS: I think Avril came out really pretty, even with the strange multi-colored hair effect that selective coloring can produce. The grainy texture also does a good job of adding...well, texture. ^.^ The floral brush came out like a flat stamp over top of it, though, and distracts from the real-life photo. I'm not sure if the trend is floral brushes in general or that style of them in particular, but a more realistic floral - or even one of gender's watercolors - would have gone better with the delicate grain of the texture and Avril's coloring.
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: I think the use of selective coloring here is absolutely fantastic. I have seen *so* many icons lauded for their "gorgeous" coloring (when made with this technique), but they are almost all hideously over-colored and painful to behold. Your icon actually makes me want to give it a try sometime! I also love the combination of the grainy texture & the pretty flower brush--I will have to disagree with gunshou here, because I don't think it distracts at all. The lineart/unrealistic appearance makes it look like a tattoo--which, when combined with the grainy texture, seems very "rockstar." To me, anyway. ^.~
twisted_fruitie
GUNSHOU SAYS: I love the scratches, the inset, the texture, even that font (which I normally detest). But the selective coloring makes Karen look jaundiced, at least on my monitor. It's just a little too oversaturated in the yellow and blue.
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: You have a talent for taking multiple elements and weaving them together seamlessly, and this week's icon is no exception. Really great use of trends--that ugly font actually looks good for once! The image crop works especially well with the inset circle. I might lower the opacity on the scratch a bit (to keep the emphasis on the text), and tone down the yellow-blue coloring. Right now her arm looks like a weird stripe, which is a little odd. ^^;
OVERALL WINNER: irisxchan
The picture, text, and trends all come together to form a striking icon.
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: tartankilts
The people have spoken!
No individual MCs due to the number of participants.
COMMENTARY:
irisxchan
GUNSHOU SAYS: The scratchy texture and subdued light goes perfectly with the Kiera's forlorn expression. The text placement along the horizon nicely draws the gaze through that blank space on the right. A hint of a border along the top bounds the icon and keeps it self-contained, also echoing her pensive countenance. I think a little more in the way of scratch/decoration could be in that upper right grey area, but not so much it would distract from the mood.
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: You've done a wonderful job of capturing emotion in this icon. The text is subtle & meaningful, and the overall gray/rainy tones & the scratch texture contribute to the feel of sadness. The crop is lovely, too--the way her face is framed by the ropes, so she looks somewhat trapped. The text does a nice job of filling the empty space, and accenting the gray/white horizon.
dagas_isa
GUNSHOU SAYS: I like the composition of this icon - the placement of the inset and the smaller image of Austin's head with the close-up as background. I know you were going for simple, but the coloring is a little too simple, making the larger image look more like a cropped base than a finished icon, especially with the stark black borders. I also think I would have gone for more of a close-up shot in the background - maybe half the face instead of the whole, in order to create a less crowded feeling with the inset.
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: Omg, that expression! It's a perfect match for the text. And I love the way the little circle-inset Austin seems to be regarding his larger self, like, "oh, I *am* fabulous!" Both images are nice and bright and clear. But I think the white background with black borders is too stark. Cropping the main image to eliminate some of the white, or jazzing up the color, might help with that.
crazykeira
GUNSHOU SAYS: This is a good pose of David, and I like the repeating circles on the side. More could have been done with coloring; it looks sort of bland as is. The light blobs generally work best faded and set to screen or lighten over part of the image, but it's neat to use it as a backlight here to dress up that side of the icon. Placing the layer over the main image of David and reducing the opacity would help those two areas to blend better.
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: I like this composition; I think the circles add visual interest, the dashed line works to separate the two sections of the icon, and it looks great textless. I might do something to perk him up, color-wise--right now he looks like he could use a jolt of caffeine. ^.~ A little extra contrast might work wonders.
tartankilts
GUNSHOU SAYS: I like the circular theme here, with the dashed line border around the inset. I really love the little colored circles - they add a bit of brightness to the pastels. The text placement is nice and makes it a decorative element rather than a competing focus. I think more could have been done color-wise with the image of Jasmine - she blends into the pink background, which makes the focus all the decorative pieces instead of her.
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: The colors in this icon are really pretty, and I love the everywhere-circles and the sweet text--the whole frame is adorable. ^^ But I think Jasmine looks a little crammed in. A smaller/more distant picture of her (or even an extreme close-up) might take better advantage of the circular frame.
OVERALL WINNER: snm_queen
Ugly trends battled prettiness, and pretty pwned them hard.
GUNSHOU's CHOICE: becbet
The combination of trends produces a pretty, emo effect that works well with the subject.
RUSALKATRIX' CHOICE: anniereckless
I love this coloring: an amazing blend of rockstar and angelic.
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: lufiamanaelf
The people have spoken!
RETIRED WITH HONORS: incubloss
A strong showing, especially that bright and lively L.A. icon in week four. We hope you'll continue to participate in the community, and you're welcome to sign up for the next round! ♥
COMMENTARY:
lufiamanaelf
GUNSHOU SAYS: The black and white photo is striking, and really well done. The blob placement and even color work for me, but it could be faded out a bit more so it doesn't look like the sun is setting in her armpit. I actually like Violation, and the text placement is in a great spot to bridge the visual gap between her face and the decoration on her arm. The grey double-border also works really well to frame the icon and give it a fashion-photo feel.
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: I like how this icon manages to be b&w and shiny at the same time--the diamonds in the image add the right touch of sparkle, and the contrast is perfect. I also like the blob! I suppose it wouldn't hurt to fade it out a bit more, but I don't think it's overly bright--I think it's actually very tasteful. The white text also looks great, & the loopy quality of the font complements the pattern of diamonds on her arm. The frame provides a simple, clean finish.
incubloss
GUNSHOU SAYS: A dotted border seems to work best with a light grey or white solid inner border; the grey fading effect is too soft for the black dots. Also the black text seems really oversharpened and sort of stuck in there for the sake of having text. I like the decorative boxes, though, especially with the blob behind them. The crop is odd, with most of the guys cut off and the strangest pose right in the center - there's too much going on with the right half of the icon, and dead space on the left.
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: I think this icon would be stronger if it were cropped to focus on the central figure. Right now we have these half-heads all around the sides: eyes, maybe an ear, part of a nose--too many disparate elements. Also, the coloring and the blurred & dotted border (put together) strike me as being a bit outmoded. And while I applaud your use of senseless text, I think it would have worked better if it were harder to read--a smaller, scribblier font, perhaps. Right now it draws a lot of attention, and just makes me wonder where Phil is.
becbet
GUNSHOU SAYS: The fuzzy and thick black borders, the purple blob, the squished Violation - they all scream emo!Jared. I really like how all these effects came together to produce the mood of the icon. The fugtastic text chunk is a little too sharp, though; Jared can almost cut himself on those edges. Blurring that a bit would echo the blurred borders nicely.
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: Very dramatic! The smudgy black border & circle outline perfectly complement Jared's moody eye makeup, and the text placement draws the viewer's eye to his gaze--which I think pulls the whole thing together. I don't have any strong feelings on whether the text is too sharp; but he's looking so emo . . . maybe he *wants* to cut himself on the text. ^.~ I also really like the pink blob--it contrasts nicely with the black, & doesn't overwhelm or make it look like he has an eye infection. Always a plus. ^.~
snm_queen
GUNSHOU SAYS: Everything comes together in this icon in such a nice way that the trends really become fresh looking again. Utada's face looks really oversharpened, though, so that her eyes look like holes. But I wonder if that's a product of my monitor/graphics card?
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: I love the ovals, the coloring . . . it all comes together to create this futuristic atmosphere (rings of Saturn?), which I think is evocative of Utada's music. I also really like the text effect. My only real complaint is that there's a bit too much sharpness in this icon--the edges of the ovals are a little jagged (which might be unavoidable; I'm not sure). But the overall feel of this icon is very "smooth," which is why that bit of jagged-ness stands out.
anniereckless
GUNSHOU SAYS: I think Avril came out really pretty, even with the strange multi-colored hair effect that selective coloring can produce. The grainy texture also does a good job of adding...well, texture. ^.^ The floral brush came out like a flat stamp over top of it, though, and distracts from the real-life photo. I'm not sure if the trend is floral brushes in general or that style of them in particular, but a more realistic floral - or even one of gender's watercolors - would have gone better with the delicate grain of the texture and Avril's coloring.
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: I think the use of selective coloring here is absolutely fantastic. I have seen *so* many icons lauded for their "gorgeous" coloring (when made with this technique), but they are almost all hideously over-colored and painful to behold. Your icon actually makes me want to give it a try sometime! I also love the combination of the grainy texture & the pretty flower brush--I will have to disagree with gunshou here, because I don't think it distracts at all. The lineart/unrealistic appearance makes it look like a tattoo--which, when combined with the grainy texture, seems very "rockstar." To me, anyway. ^.~
twisted_fruitie
GUNSHOU SAYS: I love the scratches, the inset, the texture, even that font (which I normally detest). But the selective coloring makes Karen look jaundiced, at least on my monitor. It's just a little too oversaturated in the yellow and blue.
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: You have a talent for taking multiple elements and weaving them together seamlessly, and this week's icon is no exception. Really great use of trends--that ugly font actually looks good for once! The image crop works especially well with the inset circle. I might lower the opacity on the scratch a bit (to keep the emphasis on the text), and tone down the yellow-blue coloring. Right now her arm looks like a weird stripe, which is a little odd. ^^;
OVERALL WINNER: irisxchan
The picture, text, and trends all come together to form a striking icon.
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: tartankilts
The people have spoken!
No individual MCs due to the number of participants.
COMMENTARY:
irisxchan
GUNSHOU SAYS: The scratchy texture and subdued light goes perfectly with the Kiera's forlorn expression. The text placement along the horizon nicely draws the gaze through that blank space on the right. A hint of a border along the top bounds the icon and keeps it self-contained, also echoing her pensive countenance. I think a little more in the way of scratch/decoration could be in that upper right grey area, but not so much it would distract from the mood.
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: You've done a wonderful job of capturing emotion in this icon. The text is subtle & meaningful, and the overall gray/rainy tones & the scratch texture contribute to the feel of sadness. The crop is lovely, too--the way her face is framed by the ropes, so she looks somewhat trapped. The text does a nice job of filling the empty space, and accenting the gray/white horizon.
dagas_isa
GUNSHOU SAYS: I like the composition of this icon - the placement of the inset and the smaller image of Austin's head with the close-up as background. I know you were going for simple, but the coloring is a little too simple, making the larger image look more like a cropped base than a finished icon, especially with the stark black borders. I also think I would have gone for more of a close-up shot in the background - maybe half the face instead of the whole, in order to create a less crowded feeling with the inset.
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: Omg, that expression! It's a perfect match for the text. And I love the way the little circle-inset Austin seems to be regarding his larger self, like, "oh, I *am* fabulous!" Both images are nice and bright and clear. But I think the white background with black borders is too stark. Cropping the main image to eliminate some of the white, or jazzing up the color, might help with that.
crazykeira
GUNSHOU SAYS: This is a good pose of David, and I like the repeating circles on the side. More could have been done with coloring; it looks sort of bland as is. The light blobs generally work best faded and set to screen or lighten over part of the image, but it's neat to use it as a backlight here to dress up that side of the icon. Placing the layer over the main image of David and reducing the opacity would help those two areas to blend better.
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: I like this composition; I think the circles add visual interest, the dashed line works to separate the two sections of the icon, and it looks great textless. I might do something to perk him up, color-wise--right now he looks like he could use a jolt of caffeine. ^.~ A little extra contrast might work wonders.
tartankilts
GUNSHOU SAYS: I like the circular theme here, with the dashed line border around the inset. I really love the little colored circles - they add a bit of brightness to the pastels. The text placement is nice and makes it a decorative element rather than a competing focus. I think more could have been done color-wise with the image of Jasmine - she blends into the pink background, which makes the focus all the decorative pieces instead of her.
RUSALKATRIX SAYS: The colors in this icon are really pretty, and I love the everywhere-circles and the sweet text--the whole frame is adorable. ^^ But I think Jasmine looks a little crammed in. A smaller/more distant picture of her (or even an extreme close-up) might take better advantage of the circular frame.