I finished the shirt. Finally. I called my parents in to have a look (they've been following my progress and are very impressed), and my brother followed.
His comment (after a long pause)?
"It's quite reasonable, actually."
Thank God for colour theory, which helped me figure out a good colour to use as a temporary background while not completely ruining the mood of the picture.
ETA: I guess that I'm now making these entries public for the sake of those who come here via
akaihikari. :P