Round 01: People's Choice Showcase
Showcase time again! This post includes People's Choice winners. Next showcase will feature all the icons submitted to this contest and their makers.
WARNING: This is a image-heavy post, and is not friendly towards dial-up users.
Round 01 People's Choice
round 01 challenge 01: tales of phantasia
darkenedsakura (Presea)
[+] I love how your cropping focuses on Cless' sword, for one thing. Then there comes the coloring, which, while quite subtle, is really good, with the 'exclusion look' being very subtle and although noticeable, it doesn't get over the top and is pulled out really well... The only thing I'd get rid of is the border, because it's too small to notice at first and doesn't really add anything to the icon.
[+] Unique in its own way, the sharpness of the icon is just right.
[+] Love the coloring! It's such an actiony-pose, too. You pulled it off really well.
[+] Look, someone didn't use the picture of Arche! That aside, the icon is really realy nicely done and it jumped out at me right away (which may be because it's the only icon of that image). It's very simple, but looks finished. The soft lighting on the right and colours really blow me away; the tiny text was a nice touch. My only problem with it would be how difficult it is to make out Cless's (?) face -- I think that could have been touched up a little with some sharpening.
[+] I find the rotation and position of Cress and his sword very nicely done, with a foggy white border to frame the icon.
[+] no comments
[+] no comments
[+] no comments
[+] This icon is completely different from 01, but I still adore it. I really love the crop, how Cless surges from one corner and into the next. It gives the icon a sense of movement, which is very appropriate for that particular picture. The coloring is very simple and elegant; it's very nostalgic. The barest hint of a light texture gives the blue background of the original image a bit more interest -- it could be a bit more, but I like how it's not. The tiny text draws the eye into that blue area, which is also a plus. It's a shame that the nice contrast between Cless' red cape and the blue is sort of lost because of that, but it's still a nice touch. My only complaint about this icon is that the lower left area is a bit too plain, and the blue streak there is a bit out-of-place; it may have been better to just get rid of that bit of texture, so that area would at least be consistently plain. Nevertheless, I still love this icon. :3
[+] I love the cropping for this one.
[+] no comments
[+] The croping on this ones is just gorgeous, I love the colors and the angles, the tiny text makes it look even lovelier. A really nice job.
[+] The cropping is wonderful and the whole design and coloring really blends together nice.
almateria (Ion)
[+] Love the bright lively colors~
[+] It's so bright and colourful! I'm not sure what else to say besides it's pretty, and the colours work well together. The tiny text is just right for it, too, I think. Oh, the cropping. Gorgeous cropping, I loves it.
[+] Colorful! The cropping is also nice. Although, you may want to tone down the color juuust a tad in the future. I like bright colors, but I can see how it might be too much for others. But aside from that, fantastic!
[+] The coloring and use of light textures are great, and it looks nice without looking too sharpened, blurred, or crowded.
[+] Whee! This one's probably the most technically sound icon there is. It's got an interesting crop, something covering up Cless in the background (is that a texture, or just some orange and blue put down with the paint bucket/polygonal lasso tool?), and some neat "circular" light textures. The coloring is solid, and really brings out some beautiful bright colors. The bright lime green is a hair distracting (probably because it pops out so much in that sea of warm colors), but it's not so bad, and I like how it looks. So, yeah. If I had to pick a favorite out of this batch, I think #1 would have to be it.
[+] Beautiful coloring!
[+] I love the bright vibrant colors and sharpness of the icon.
round 01 challenge 02: tales of destiny
lazuli_reikou (Arche)
[+] The cropping is interesting and the text fits the icon.
[+] no comments
[+] Love the colors, the text, and the feel the icon gives.
[+] Okay, I have no comments besides O-M-G AWESOME for that. Hope that counts? >_>;;
[+] Goddamn, those are some nice colors.
[+] no comments
moonnkeh (Regret)
[+] I love the coloring and the scratch textures really adds to the icon.
[+] While the speckle effect is usually sort of jarring, here it neatly fills up the extra space left at the bottom. The coloring was done very nicely. I had to glance at the other icons to see if that red line was tiny text or not though - white or a gradient-ized one would've worked better. But overall, really liked the crispness of this one. And the cropping. Awesome.
[+] I love the color scheme and the textures making it look like an old photograph ~♥
[+] I just love this colouring style! *____* The red blur in the bottom corner goes so well with the purple and warm tones of the image, and the tinytext is placed perfectly. It's so good-looking, I can't get enough of it!
round 01 challenge 03: duplication
fujitsubo (Zelos)
[+] This icon doesn't look overly flashy, and the coloring is nice.
[+] The colors and cropping are very nice. The only thing I didn't like was the fluctuating opaqueness of some of the white. But that was only after I looked at it very closely :3
[+] no comments
[+] I love the cropping and how both of the images fade near the bottom of the icon. The coloring of the manga images is also wonderful and vibrant.
[+] This icon jumps out every time I look at the voting table; it's very colourful without being too bright. I like how the doubled-image part sticks out by being larger -- the only critique I have for the icon is the font colour, which I think is too pink for the reds in the rest of the icons.
almateria (Ion)
[+] This icon immediately pulled my attention because of it's coloring and then later the cropping and the quality of the image. I really like it.
[+] I really love the pinkish tone to the images, and how the flower texture behind Mint's head makes it unique from other icons using this image. The duplicate is also very well-done *__*
[+] I really love the bright colors in this one. The cropping was done well also.
[+] I love how the whole icon is bright and stands out. Also the positioning of Mint is wonderful and interesting. I think by having no text for this particular icon makes it quite nice and simple.
round 01 challenge 04: greyscale
almateria (Ion)
[+] This image looks better in black and white than I thought it would, and you made me realize that xD The contrast is just perfect, and the notebook texture + tinytext are nice touches. Great job!
[+] Lovely and clear. Despite the lack of colour, each line and tone is nicely rendered and nothing is lost in the transition to black and white.
[+] It's a very nice icon. It has nice cropping, contrast, and you can tell who the character is!
[+] While very simple, this icon is very, very, very creative and catches eye INSTANTLY, which makes it really awesome. Good job!
round 01 challenge 05: rev 22:20 (lyrical)
downburst (Anise)
[+] Really love the coloring and the style of this icon; both the text, the light texture and the scratchy texture blends with each other nicely.
[+] Ooo, I love the coloring on this one! It's really creative; I like the use of both light textures and scratch brushes. The text is hard to read, but it does fit the image.
[+] Oh hawt, this was my favourite icon from the second I looked at the table! Forcystus is win personified, and the textures used are so stylish and work well to make an all-around amazing icon~ ♥
[+] The text is very appropriate for this icon - it draws the eye across the icon, and the image draws the eye back to the other side. The colors are nice and bold, too. Well done.
round 01 challenge 06: your ex-lover is dead (lyrical)
inquisitory (Jay)
[+] I'm sorry, maybe it is just my fangirlism for Legendia love, but the effects on this icon were really well made! Not only is this scene wonderfully cropped, but the use of a side text and black stripe adds intensity to it. Plus, the nice red dot texture adds some color variation to a mostly blueish icon. My only critic is that it is still a bit bright, but I think making it darker would kill it though.
[+] Wow, this icon really stands out in this week's batch *__* The red texture is a hair distracting, but once you sit and take that in, it offsets the blues really nicely. The text is sort of jarring, but it fits and it really works with the image and the scene in question.
[+] I absolutely love the effect of the purposeful scratchiness in the textures and the font, and the way the blue was brought out in the icon. It took a bunch of stylistic elements that I find normally hard to use and brought them together well.
[+] I love just adore the coloring. It’s nice and bright yet you can still see lots of detail! Also the scratch textures and the placement of text makes it interesting and overall very pretty.
round 01 challenge 07: tales of symphonia
silvie_chan (Arietta)
[+] I think the icon looks nice and the cropping makes it look more dramatic compared to icon #5, I also think the image quality is decent considering how LQ the original picture looked.
[+] Excellent cropping with good colours.
[+] This one caught my eye right away. The colors are vivid and the light texture at the side is blended in seamlessly. And the crop's a nice bonus, too - it includes a lot but doesn't look excessively busy. The yellow's almost slightly iffy, but otherwise, it's a great bold icon.
[+] Fantastic colors and use of texture. The crop is good as well.
[+] Considering that the base image quality was absolute ass, I think you did a nice job of cleaning it up. The colors look decent, too.
round 01 challenge 08: tales of eternia
almateria (Ion)
[+] I really like the colors on this one. They're so pretty and soft, and I love how the blue of Meredy's eyes really stands out in her face.
[+] This sticks out because out of all the Meredy icons, it has the most natural-looking skin tone coloring, and the blues and purples work well with that.
[+] I love that a lots of color was brought out in the icon and it seems really soft with nice use of light textures!
[+] This one really stands out to me in the table. The colours and bright and vibrant, but not blinding at all. The image has taken on a 'shiny' appearance which makes it look sleek and interesting. Good job!
round 01 challenge 09: non-100x100
lazuli_reikou (Arche)
[+] As soon as I saw this icon, I thought "oh snap this is too awesome!" I lovelovelove the box format, the colours look great (yay chibi Phantasia), and the text is such a nice touch~ This is the way icons should be done, people!
[+] Out of all the icons, this one has the best use of negative white space. The composition is very nice, with the four faces and the centered text, too. Great icon :D
[+] The coloring and placement is really creative and nice. I really like how you incorporated the four characters and the colors are very cheerful and fit very well. :D It's also nice and simple, while not TOO simple. Great icon overall~
round 01 challenge 10: dotlight
lazuli_reikou (Arche)
[+] What lovely coloring effects! I love the red glare in the icon center, plus the white text in the bottom never lose any love. The crop itself is very lovely also.
[+] Great artwork used and it fits the icon perfectly perfect XD
[+] The black background/frame and tiny text work really well with the image, and the colors are lovely.
round 01 challenge 11: hey pretty (lyrical)
inquisitory (Jay)
[+] Although something about the typograph slightly irks me (I think it looks a bit fuzzy and the red text is positioned a bit too...weirdly to be considered the white text's 'shadow'/reflection), I quite like the layout/cropping and think the coloring is rather nice.
[+] I think the cutting was great, the red dotlight was nice, and Colette was wonderful. Beautiful icon~!
[+] I really like the coloring on this one! (I think that image is from the manga? xD;) And I love the text - it's not real dark, but it stands out nice. Overall, a very creative icon. :)
[+] I think the black part's a little too thick, but I like the contrast in the coloring of the image, and how the text matches nicely. The doubling effect of that is really nice. :D
Congrats to our People's Choice winners! Your banners will be made and up shortly :D
WARNING: This is a image-heavy post, and is not friendly towards dial-up users.
Round 01 People's Choice
round 01 challenge 01: tales of phantasia
darkenedsakura (Presea)
[+] I love how your cropping focuses on Cless' sword, for one thing. Then there comes the coloring, which, while quite subtle, is really good, with the 'exclusion look' being very subtle and although noticeable, it doesn't get over the top and is pulled out really well... The only thing I'd get rid of is the border, because it's too small to notice at first and doesn't really add anything to the icon.
[+] Unique in its own way, the sharpness of the icon is just right.
[+] Love the coloring! It's such an actiony-pose, too. You pulled it off really well.
[+] Look, someone didn't use the picture of Arche! That aside, the icon is really realy nicely done and it jumped out at me right away (which may be because it's the only icon of that image). It's very simple, but looks finished. The soft lighting on the right and colours really blow me away; the tiny text was a nice touch. My only problem with it would be how difficult it is to make out Cless's (?) face -- I think that could have been touched up a little with some sharpening.
[+] I find the rotation and position of Cress and his sword very nicely done, with a foggy white border to frame the icon.
[+] no comments
[+] no comments
[+] no comments
[+] This icon is completely different from 01, but I still adore it. I really love the crop, how Cless surges from one corner and into the next. It gives the icon a sense of movement, which is very appropriate for that particular picture. The coloring is very simple and elegant; it's very nostalgic. The barest hint of a light texture gives the blue background of the original image a bit more interest -- it could be a bit more, but I like how it's not. The tiny text draws the eye into that blue area, which is also a plus. It's a shame that the nice contrast between Cless' red cape and the blue is sort of lost because of that, but it's still a nice touch. My only complaint about this icon is that the lower left area is a bit too plain, and the blue streak there is a bit out-of-place; it may have been better to just get rid of that bit of texture, so that area would at least be consistently plain. Nevertheless, I still love this icon. :3
[+] I love the cropping for this one.
[+] no comments
[+] The croping on this ones is just gorgeous, I love the colors and the angles, the tiny text makes it look even lovelier. A really nice job.
[+] The cropping is wonderful and the whole design and coloring really blends together nice.
almateria (Ion)
[+] Love the bright lively colors~
[+] It's so bright and colourful! I'm not sure what else to say besides it's pretty, and the colours work well together. The tiny text is just right for it, too, I think. Oh, the cropping. Gorgeous cropping, I loves it.
[+] Colorful! The cropping is also nice. Although, you may want to tone down the color juuust a tad in the future. I like bright colors, but I can see how it might be too much for others. But aside from that, fantastic!
[+] The coloring and use of light textures are great, and it looks nice without looking too sharpened, blurred, or crowded.
[+] Whee! This one's probably the most technically sound icon there is. It's got an interesting crop, something covering up Cless in the background (is that a texture, or just some orange and blue put down with the paint bucket/polygonal lasso tool?), and some neat "circular" light textures. The coloring is solid, and really brings out some beautiful bright colors. The bright lime green is a hair distracting (probably because it pops out so much in that sea of warm colors), but it's not so bad, and I like how it looks. So, yeah. If I had to pick a favorite out of this batch, I think #1 would have to be it.
[+] Beautiful coloring!
[+] I love the bright vibrant colors and sharpness of the icon.
round 01 challenge 02: tales of destiny
lazuli_reikou (Arche)
[+] The cropping is interesting and the text fits the icon.
[+] no comments
[+] Love the colors, the text, and the feel the icon gives.
[+] Okay, I have no comments besides O-M-G AWESOME for that. Hope that counts? >_>;;
[+] Goddamn, those are some nice colors.
[+] no comments
moonnkeh (Regret)
[+] I love the coloring and the scratch textures really adds to the icon.
[+] While the speckle effect is usually sort of jarring, here it neatly fills up the extra space left at the bottom. The coloring was done very nicely. I had to glance at the other icons to see if that red line was tiny text or not though - white or a gradient-ized one would've worked better. But overall, really liked the crispness of this one. And the cropping. Awesome.
[+] I love the color scheme and the textures making it look like an old photograph ~♥
[+] I just love this colouring style! *____* The red blur in the bottom corner goes so well with the purple and warm tones of the image, and the tinytext is placed perfectly. It's so good-looking, I can't get enough of it!
round 01 challenge 03: duplication
fujitsubo (Zelos)
[+] This icon doesn't look overly flashy, and the coloring is nice.
[+] The colors and cropping are very nice. The only thing I didn't like was the fluctuating opaqueness of some of the white. But that was only after I looked at it very closely :3
[+] no comments
[+] I love the cropping and how both of the images fade near the bottom of the icon. The coloring of the manga images is also wonderful and vibrant.
[+] This icon jumps out every time I look at the voting table; it's very colourful without being too bright. I like how the doubled-image part sticks out by being larger -- the only critique I have for the icon is the font colour, which I think is too pink for the reds in the rest of the icons.
almateria (Ion)
[+] This icon immediately pulled my attention because of it's coloring and then later the cropping and the quality of the image. I really like it.
[+] I really love the pinkish tone to the images, and how the flower texture behind Mint's head makes it unique from other icons using this image. The duplicate is also very well-done *__*
[+] I really love the bright colors in this one. The cropping was done well also.
[+] I love how the whole icon is bright and stands out. Also the positioning of Mint is wonderful and interesting. I think by having no text for this particular icon makes it quite nice and simple.
round 01 challenge 04: greyscale
almateria (Ion)
[+] This image looks better in black and white than I thought it would, and you made me realize that xD The contrast is just perfect, and the notebook texture + tinytext are nice touches. Great job!
[+] Lovely and clear. Despite the lack of colour, each line and tone is nicely rendered and nothing is lost in the transition to black and white.
[+] It's a very nice icon. It has nice cropping, contrast, and you can tell who the character is!
[+] While very simple, this icon is very, very, very creative and catches eye INSTANTLY, which makes it really awesome. Good job!
round 01 challenge 05: rev 22:20 (lyrical)
downburst (Anise)
[+] Really love the coloring and the style of this icon; both the text, the light texture and the scratchy texture blends with each other nicely.
[+] Ooo, I love the coloring on this one! It's really creative; I like the use of both light textures and scratch brushes. The text is hard to read, but it does fit the image.
[+] Oh hawt, this was my favourite icon from the second I looked at the table! Forcystus is win personified, and the textures used are so stylish and work well to make an all-around amazing icon~ ♥
[+] The text is very appropriate for this icon - it draws the eye across the icon, and the image draws the eye back to the other side. The colors are nice and bold, too. Well done.
round 01 challenge 06: your ex-lover is dead (lyrical)
inquisitory (Jay)
[+] I'm sorry, maybe it is just my fangirlism for Legendia love, but the effects on this icon were really well made! Not only is this scene wonderfully cropped, but the use of a side text and black stripe adds intensity to it. Plus, the nice red dot texture adds some color variation to a mostly blueish icon. My only critic is that it is still a bit bright, but I think making it darker would kill it though.
[+] Wow, this icon really stands out in this week's batch *__* The red texture is a hair distracting, but once you sit and take that in, it offsets the blues really nicely. The text is sort of jarring, but it fits and it really works with the image and the scene in question.
[+] I absolutely love the effect of the purposeful scratchiness in the textures and the font, and the way the blue was brought out in the icon. It took a bunch of stylistic elements that I find normally hard to use and brought them together well.
[+] I love just adore the coloring. It’s nice and bright yet you can still see lots of detail! Also the scratch textures and the placement of text makes it interesting and overall very pretty.
round 01 challenge 07: tales of symphonia
silvie_chan (Arietta)
[+] I think the icon looks nice and the cropping makes it look more dramatic compared to icon #5, I also think the image quality is decent considering how LQ the original picture looked.
[+] Excellent cropping with good colours.
[+] This one caught my eye right away. The colors are vivid and the light texture at the side is blended in seamlessly. And the crop's a nice bonus, too - it includes a lot but doesn't look excessively busy. The yellow's almost slightly iffy, but otherwise, it's a great bold icon.
[+] Fantastic colors and use of texture. The crop is good as well.
[+] Considering that the base image quality was absolute ass, I think you did a nice job of cleaning it up. The colors look decent, too.
round 01 challenge 08: tales of eternia
almateria (Ion)
[+] I really like the colors on this one. They're so pretty and soft, and I love how the blue of Meredy's eyes really stands out in her face.
[+] This sticks out because out of all the Meredy icons, it has the most natural-looking skin tone coloring, and the blues and purples work well with that.
[+] I love that a lots of color was brought out in the icon and it seems really soft with nice use of light textures!
[+] This one really stands out to me in the table. The colours and bright and vibrant, but not blinding at all. The image has taken on a 'shiny' appearance which makes it look sleek and interesting. Good job!
round 01 challenge 09: non-100x100
lazuli_reikou (Arche)
[+] As soon as I saw this icon, I thought "oh snap this is too awesome!" I lovelovelove the box format, the colours look great (yay chibi Phantasia), and the text is such a nice touch~ This is the way icons should be done, people!
[+] Out of all the icons, this one has the best use of negative white space. The composition is very nice, with the four faces and the centered text, too. Great icon :D
[+] The coloring and placement is really creative and nice. I really like how you incorporated the four characters and the colors are very cheerful and fit very well. :D It's also nice and simple, while not TOO simple. Great icon overall~
round 01 challenge 10: dotlight
lazuli_reikou (Arche)
[+] What lovely coloring effects! I love the red glare in the icon center, plus the white text in the bottom never lose any love. The crop itself is very lovely also.
[+] Great artwork used and it fits the icon perfectly perfect XD
[+] The black background/frame and tiny text work really well with the image, and the colors are lovely.
round 01 challenge 11: hey pretty (lyrical)
inquisitory (Jay)
[+] Although something about the typograph slightly irks me (I think it looks a bit fuzzy and the red text is positioned a bit too...weirdly to be considered the white text's 'shadow'/reflection), I quite like the layout/cropping and think the coloring is rather nice.
[+] I think the cutting was great, the red dotlight was nice, and Colette was wonderful. Beautiful icon~!
[+] I really like the coloring on this one! (I think that image is from the manga? xD;) And I love the text - it's not real dark, but it stands out nice. Overall, a very creative icon. :)
[+] I think the black part's a little too thick, but I like the contrast in the coloring of the image, and how the text matches nicely. The doubling effect of that is really nice. :D
Congrats to our People's Choice winners! Your banners will be made and up shortly :D