Round 16 - Challenge 01 - Results

[absolutelybatty]

ROUND 16 - CHALLENGE 1 - RESULTS



For anyone confused, we'll be breaking out tie-break exception #2 which is outlined below. If you have any questions regarding our, admittedly convoluted, tie-break system, gimme a shout in the comments.

1ST PLACE [5 points]:


Colleen Hoover with +9 votes.

2ND PLACE [4 points]:

&

Mary Shelley & C.S. Lewis with +8 votes.

3RD PLACE [3 points]:

&

Franz Kafka & Zelda Fitzgerald with +7 votes.

BEST INTERPRETATION [2 points]:


Mary Shelley with +5 votes.

MODS CHOICE [1 point]:
absolutelybatty


Adrienne Rich

[The crop is incredibly eye catching and definitely a point of strength for this icon. What I like is that the crop alone conveys that darker, tense atmosphere where even the color doesn't necessarily. An outstanding and creative way to use cropping!]

TABLE KEY:
+++ = 1st Place Vote
++ = 2nd Place Vote
+ = 3rd Place Vote | Beginning of a new comment.

Note: Votes are not weighted in this round. Meaning a 1st, 2nd or 3rd vote will only give you 1 point when tallying the votes. [Tiebreaker procedure:]Except in the case of a tie - then the icon with the most 1st place votes will be given first. This is upheld in all cases unless 1) the amount of votes is equal in all cases (i.e. 3 first place, 2 second place, and 1 third place) or 2) breaking the tie would result in an icon with enough first place votes to place being knocked out of a placing spot (i.e a third place tie between two icons). In these cases, ties will stand as is in order to maintain a sense of fairness for all participants.


ICON VOTES



Mary ShelleyPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ The cropping here is solid. The blue coloring gave a serious atmosphere to the whole icon. It fits the theme pretty well.
+++ I like the use of shadow and light. The highlight on the lapel is subtle enough that it doesn't detract from the icon's focus, but is noticeable enough that it provides a nice contrast to the shadows.
+++ Gorgeous shadow/lighting work and a perfect amount of sharpness.
++ I like the combination of muted tones with dramatic lighting, also the grunge texture really complements the icon.
++ The texture compliments the theme and I like the use of color.
++ I love your use of shadows and muted colors to match her tired/overwhelmed expression. The only thing that's weird to me is the part of her shirt that's lighter, near the bottom right of the icon - since everything else is so dark, it really draws the eye even though it shouldn't be a focal point.
+ The main thing that attracts my attention is the greyish texture at the bottom which gives light to the icon, bringing out the subject's face. The center crop is perfect for the image as it gives it relevance. Light, dark and contrast are balanced perfectly.
+ The shadows on this icon are great, as are the muted coloring and the sharpening.

BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
+ No reason given.
+ Great use of screencap and technique to match the theme requirements
+ I know nothing of the show this icon is based on but I can really feel the serious and dark tone from it.
+ shows how an icon can look dark but also shows the person's face to not be blocked/obscured

CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ while I love the dark somber tone of the icon, i do think the icon could do with some more lightning, especially on the right side of her face. A black and white gradient would not only add more light to the icon, it would also increase the contrast.

ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I like the great use of light and shadows here!
+ I love the somber colors in your icon, and the subtle use of textures. I do find the black bar on the left to be slightly distracting. Perhaps repeating that effect on the left side would balance it out a little better.
+ Great job taking advantage of the lightning & coloring of the original screencap, I like how you took what was already there, but enhanced it to give the icon a more polished look. The only place where it doesn't exactly work is the left side of Annalise's face - the dark blob added there to deepen the shadows is a bit too strong and too big - it extends beyond her hair and into the background.



C.S. LewisPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ The simplictic look of each individual element gives the icon a very unique look, which reminds me in some ways of a dark fairytale illustration. Everything is so well composed, and shows a lot of technical skill in how you handled the extraction, coloring, and keeping things minimal without letting the icon feel bare.
+++ The composition on this icon really stands out. The coloring, cropping and texture choice are really neat, especially with such dark cap. I like the effect of one of them blended with the red color of the background, pulling the other guy, in a lighter color, to the dark.
++ The achievement done with the original cap is pretty amazing and seriously impressive.
++ While I can't tell what this icon is of the composition, color and use of space is really nicely done.
++ Great composition, the reds and whites make a great combination and looking at the original cap, the icon looks like a masterpiece.
++ this has a really interesting composition and i love the use of colour juxtaposed with black and white. it's lacking a little contrast on my monitor however.
+ I like the minimalist approach to this icon. The choice to have a mostly solid background was well made - it maximizes the attention to the two figures. The white texture was also a very nice touch.
+ I love the minimalism in this icon and color choices in this icon and the way you interpreted the theme is also very clever. Kudos on the neat extraction job - that original cap looks super difficult to work with! (voter carried vote over into the concrit section.)

BEST INTERPRETATION
+ Stunning composition.
+ No reason given.

CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I love the coloring and contrast here, but I think the white texture/brush on the red background is awkward and draws attention away from the subjects. I think it'd be better to just have a solid background.
+ The vast color and lightness difference between the two subjects of the icon, coupled with the white paint swatch texture, makes the darker subject get lost in the composition of the icon - my eye is drawn to the bright white of the paint, and then the subject in front of it, and the other one almost looks like a part of the background at first. I would move the background texture over just a bit so the two subjects are both silhouetted against it, at least in part, and have more equal footing in the icon.
+ (part 2 of voter's third place vote.) However, there's something about this icon that kept me from giving it the top 2 vote and I'm not quite sure what it is - it feels a bit flat and lacking to me? The bit of the white texture coming out of Will(?)'s back also throws off the balance in the icon. Perhaps adding a grunge texture or some kind of patterned texture on top(or in the background) of the icon will help.

ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I was very close to including this icon in my Top 3, because it looks great, especially considering the screencap you used. The composition is creative in its simplicity, but unfortunately it's a bit unbalanced - Hannibal blends into the background a bit too much. I think moving the white element behind Hannibal would have made him stand out more, and created a more symmetrical composition.
+ The icon really draws the eye. I like the coloring and the contrast between the two figures. The only distracting thing is that, at first glance, it looks like a tiny skull or a mask, not like two persons. I'm not sure this was intentional, and if not, it could be broken up with a slight change of the white texture.
+ I like how creative this icon is, with the use of silhouettes, the background and the texture. I might have made the subjects slightly lighter just to put more emphasis on them though.
+ I clicked on the original cap and omg! It is sooo dark and just not easy to work with, so congrats! Because you made an awesome icon with a not at all easy screencap.



Alexandra BrakcenPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I love the greens in this icon and the contrast between light and dark! Your cropping works particularly well in framing Marina with the coils(?) in the original cap. I'm especially impressed by how light the original cap was too.
+ Lovely lighting and shadows.

BEST INTERPRETATION
+ The way you've used the elements of the image and additional lighting to create a textured effect is really pretty. I love how it appears that the subject is hidden within the icon even though it's basically a center crop.

CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.

ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ love the dramatic lighting!
+ The coloring and lighting in this icon are great. But I think they're too strong on the subject's face - masking some parts of the layers you used to achieve this effect would make her skin look more natural.
+ I really love your icon, the greens are so deep and pretty. However, it looks like some of the color work you did started to turn the skin of your subject green in some places, where it's really red in others. I think masking out your selective color and saturation/vibrance layers (if you used those?) over her face would help her skin look more consistent in tone. Even if your mask was only semi-transparent, or you used other color adjustment layers just on her face, it would help her face look like one piece instead of being half orange-yellow-green and half red-magenta.



Stephen KingPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ even though a large part of the icon is "just" black, it doesn't feel overpowering, and the subject is still clearly visible. His serious, almost sad expression makes it look very melancholy.
+ The texture compliments the theme.

BEST INTERPRETATION
+ it has a very melancholy atmosphere, dark and serious.

CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.

ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Nice crop and use of shadows here! The monochrome colors adds a nice wistful mood to the icon, but I think you'd benefit from adding a bit more contrast to his face.
+ I think the subject's face could use a little more contrast in order to pop a bit more, but I love the depth you've managed with monotone color scheme!
+ I like the crop and coloring here, but this icon lacks contrast - there are no highlights and nothing stands out, which makes the icon look rather flat. If a multiply layer was used to achieve the dark coloring, I would suggest masking out some of it to create highlights on the subject's face; alternately, a few strategically places light blobs could also work here.



Cornelia FunkePOSITIVE VOTES
+++ love the lighting and the crop of the icob. The gradient of light to dark brings focus on the subject's face very nicely.

BEST INTERPRETATION
+ i love the combining of a quite distressing scene with dark and muted colouring, it really adds to the mood of the icon.

CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.

ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Nice coloring and use of shadows! The grunge texture is a nice touch but I think it makes the right/lighter side of her face a bit awkward - I can clearly see the lines in the grunge texture.
+ The crop here is nice, and the warm coloring works well with the screencap, but the right side of the icon is rather washed out, so I'd suggest lowering the opacity of the texture/gradient that was used here. Also, the subtle grainy texture looks like .jpg artifacts in some places, especially on the subject's shirt. I think the graininess could look good if it was more pronounced, so there would be no mistaking it for image quality issues.



Charles DickensPOSITIVE VOTES
None.

BEST INTERPRETATION
None.

CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The coloring here is very pretty, but I think the icon needs more sharpening and contrast. I think a black and white gradient set to soft light would really help.
+ i love the obscure crop of the icon, it seems to capture a fairly intense moment between the two subjects. However, i think the subject on the forefront could have done with some sharpening. The subject looks blurry (to me at least ) and it is throwing me off.
+ i really love how shiny this icon is and how well it juggles muted and vibrant colours. the cropping is interesting as well. it's a little blurry on my monitor though, i'd suggest playing around with smart sharpen if you work in PS.

ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ This is a very solid icon; the natural coloring and the lighting are great, and I LOVE the screencap choice - caps like this can be tricky, but I think you absolutely made it work with the crop and the light textures. The only thing that I'd suggest here is making the woman's face a bit sharper, especially her eye.
+ Your concept with this icon is really cool, but I think the subject is a little on the blurry/unfocused side. Making sure the subject and the one in the foreground are separated enough is really what makes this style of icon work.
+ Interesting crop! I would perhaps recommend placing the gradient in a diagonal or vertical position on the left side of the icon though, instead of directly at the top, where it makes the man's face look uneven and is a bit distracting around his hair.



Miss ReadPOSITIVE VOTES
+ Love the graininess and the lighting.

BEST INTERPRETATION
+ Everything in this icon fits the theme to a T. The screencap choice - especially the way the subject is turned away from the light, the b&w coloring, the grainy texture; they all work together well, and definitely give the icon a darker & serious look.

CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The lightning is beautifully made, but perhaps it could've been improved its quality erasing the grain on the image because it washes out the icon.
+ The aspect ratio seems a bit off on this icon, not sure if it's a resize problem or the cap position that makes it look that way. I'd suggest to go a bit further to an almost extreme crop and cut half of her face on the right. The grainy texture looks okay but I'd lower the opacity just a bit.
+ The grainy texture over her face make the icon look very LQ, it would have been better if the part of the texture over the face was masked. I'd have also enhance the shadows over the left part of the icon and the lights on the right in order to achieve better contrast.
+ Although the close crop is quite nice, I feel like the grainy look is a bit distracting and makes it hard to focus on the icon. Also, I feel like the light should be more on Amélie's face rather than her neck, so that our eyes can concentrate on that.
+ I like the crop, I just would change the texture use. The grainy effect can be great but keeping it so definite on the subject's face kind of makes it look like it's truly grainy and not a texture. Maybe keeping this kind of powerful texture off her face might be helpful or maybe just lowering the opacity.
+ The cropping and overall coloring is interesting. It just is a bit too grainy in my opinion.
+ How the shading of the icon is left this to feel grainy and maybe decreasing and shapening this would leave this icon to not be so grainy

ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Nice crop and use of noise, which really gives your icon a nice vintage look. I would recommend making the noise monochrome though - the rainbow colors take a bit away from the mood!
+ I love the crop on your icon, but I do think the grunge texture is a bit overdone - I would mask it, or take down the transparency, where it covers the subject's face beacuse right now the graininess makes the icon look LQ.
+ The static effect in your icon is actually pretty cool! The way you've cropped to highlight the lighting was a great choice.



Douglas AdamsPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I love your colouring and lighting. The red tones are a perfect contrast to Dean's black eyes. His features are also very distinct, which makes the icon loaded with emotions.

BEST INTERPRETATION
None.

CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The monochrome coloring is great, however the icon looks slightly blurry on my screen. I'd have sharpened it a bit. The icon could use also more contrast, I'd recommend adding a b&w gradient layer on soft light in order to increase the contrast of the icon and enhance the lights on the left and the darks on the right side of the icons.
+ I think the monochrome coloring was a good choice here, it often works well on darker icons and this one is not an exception. However, the crop is not very flattering - the way Dean's face fills the entire icon without including some of his shoulders makes him looks a bit like a disembodied head floating in space. I'd suggest making the crop wider or moving it down, so that more of Dean's body is visible. Also, the icon could use a touch of sharpening, especially around his mouth & hairline.

ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ His teeth are so nice and white *w* The subject/cap choice fits really well with the "dark" theme here! The light, almost pink light is a bit awkward though - I'd suggest making it a bit darker by applying a black->white gradient on soft light to darken up the left/pink side of the icon.
+ I think you're onto something here, but the icon would really benefit from a bit more contrast. I would also like to point out the grayish area by the subject's chin, which feels a bit out of place.



Sarah KayPOSITIVE VOTES
None.

BEST INTERPRETATION
None.

CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ It's just a bit too bright, washing out his face. A dark color on soft light could fix this.

ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I think this icon is technically well done, it's crisp and the colors are clear. I just think the rainbow-like texture doesn't convey "dark" or "serious". It even seems like the character is smiling (even though at a closer look they aren't), because the colors are so warm and uplifting, they make me expect a smile.
+ I like the crop here and the color choices are interesting. However, I'm not sure if this fits the theme very much. The only "darkness" we see is in that corner on the right and it's asymmetrical from the left side, which feels a bit unbalanced from the rest of the icon. His expression is serious but the bright and warm sunset tones detracts from that. I suggest balancing out the top of the icon/his face with the bottom of the icon and perhaps playing around with light gradients instead of using light textures.
+ The soft, dreamy coloring here looks great, but the method you used to achieve it washed out some parts of the icon. If you're using Photoshop, adding a Levels adjustment layer and dragging the middle marker to the right could help with this issue. I would also suggest rotating the image a few degrees, or moving the crop a bit to the side, since the screencap doesn't allow
+ I like the colours used and how they make the icon quite bright and eye-catching.
+ The colors are really pretty in your icon, but I feel that the use of textures has masked some of the contrasts from the facial area, and the hairline. I've found that erasing portions of the texture around facial features really helps, or sometimes just playing with the contrasts again after you're satisfied with the way the textures look.



Colleen HooverPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ Gorgeous composition and texture use.
+++ Absoutely stunning coloring, cropping, and use of negative space!
+++ The muted colors, the contrast between the white hair and black background and the grunginess make an absolutely georgeous icon!
+++ The stark contrast the white of her hair has against the dark of the background is really nice and makes it pop out. The grungy texture also helps it not become too 'one note'.
++ I love the stark contrast of the subject's white hair and pale skin against the dark background, it reminds me of a cameo. The texture use is great too!
++ Great job extracting Lady Gaga from that super dark cap! I love the simplicity of this icon, how the grunge texture adds a classy feel to the overall icon and the way she almost blends into the background, without being overwhelmed by the darkness.
++ I love the crispness and high contrast. It's dark enough to fit the theme but the face is so well lit it jumps out at you.
+ I love love love the texture use on this, it's so gorgeous! It gives a magical feel to the icon.
+ The composition is working pretty well: the profile (with the cold hair color opposed to the dark background), the grunge texture, the muted coloring.

BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
+ No reason given.
+ No reason given.
+ No reason given.

CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ the composition in this is amazing, however, it's very sharp on my monitor and single pixels are visible along the edges of her face especially. gently smoothing those edges out with a small blur brush set to a low opacity helps with that.

ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The coloring is really pretty, and I love the floating profile effect that you have going on. I do think that the textures are slightly distracting since they're colored. Perhaps desaturating them would help give the vintage ambiance without drawing attention away from your subject.



Emily BrontëPOSITIVE VOTES
None.

BEST INTERPRETATION
None.

CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The colors seem to fall a bit flat here due to a lack of contrast. You were definitely on the right path for nice muted colors, but the lack of shadows/contrast on her face just makes it seem flat.
+ I think your icon would be a lot stronger if there was a little differentiation between the character and the background. As it is now, your subject appears to be a floating head. Perhaps a colored background, or even just some subtle textures would do the trick.
+ The icon definitely has a creepy vibe going for it which is cool but I think she would have 'popped' out more if the background had been a little lighter so you could see her hair and perhaps been a little more centered, perhaps even centered over the texture used.
+ The dark negative space is great, but maybe it could've been improved without the background texture becuse it's a little distracting.
+ The coloring is a bit dull, it'd look better with more contrast, and the white cracks on the left don't add much to the icon, I would either left the space empty or add a grunge texture that fills the whole icon.
+ I like the darkness and the blood, but I think it would work better if it was less blurry. I would also work on the contrast between her skin and the blood to make it stand out more.
+ At first glance, it was hard for me to tell what was going on with the subject's face in this icon because the color of her skin and the red of the blood are not very different. If you're using Photoshop, a selective color layer could really help separate the reds and the yellows to make them pop; if you're in another program, it sometimes helps to take a brush to a blank layer and paint over something with the color you want it to be and then set that layer to soft light. For instance, on this one, I probably would have made the blood a bit darker and more purple to pop against the vibrant orange-yellow of her skin.
+ The idea behind this icon is interesting and I think it has potential, but a few aspects need work. You didn't provide the original screencap so I don't know if it's possible, but I'd suggest making the background lighter, so that it doesn't blend with the subject's hair. Sometimes this technique works, but here, with a solid black background, it makes the icon look rather empty. The white decorative texture was a good choice for balancing the empty space, but it's not visible enough - the thin lines seem to emphasize how dark and empty the left side of the icon is, rather than fill it. I would also suggest upping the contrast on the screencap to add some highlights to the subject's face and clothes.
+ The offset cropping is a nice choice. Though, I feel as though the texture (lightning, I think?) to the left looks a little out of place.

ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I like the mood you went with here and the contrast created by the crop you've chosen is very nice! However, the tree branch on the left side of the icon is a bit distracting and I would nudge the subject over the left more so that her ear isn't cut off awkwardly by the corner there. The blood coming out of her mouth is very interesting and it looks a bit like you drew it yourself? It looks a bit translucent though, so I'd recommend setting it to darken or multiply (or if it's not on a separate layer/part of the original cap), painting over it w/ the brush tool (a dark color) on a separate layer then setting that layer to soft light (and adjust as needed). Interesting start though!



Philip K. DickPOSITIVE VOTES
+ the composition in this is really wonderful. i adore the text work and the way you made elizabeth blend in with the text while also letting her stand out enough to not entirely let the icon lose a focus. the colouring is beautifully vibrant too. the text is a bit sharp on my monitor in some parts though.
+ Great use of text and interesting crop and composition. It's a bit hard to see what it's about at first glance but I like how creative the icon is, the text, the background and the subject all seem to complement each other very well.
+ The text is gorgeously made, the composition of it and the colors are just perfect, and it compliments really well with the circle shape and the colors in the background and subject.

BEST INTERPRETATION
None.

CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I like the composition but I think making the subject more centered would have attracted eyes more. This cut makes it look like it was actually and not so it is difficult to focus on the icon as a whole.
+ Really neat composition!! The font choice and colour of the text is really well done, but I had a bit of a hard time understanding what it said exactly.
+ The text is really sharp, which could be fixed with some smudging or blurring. The text is also a bit too much and overwhelming, stealing the focus away from the character.
+ The icon is very creative and I really like the coloring and how she seems to be popping out of the circle. I think I would have had her more centered and in full frame within the icon and perhaps the text behind her so she is more of the focal point.
+ I really like the colors here, but it's kind of hard to decipher what the text is saying. The sizing is perfect, but the composition of it makes it a little difficult to read.
+ The text seemed to be cut off where the body is placed and I would rather like to read what the quote is saying.

ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ love the text! It is very dramatic.
+ this is horrible. you should have submitted the other icon you made for this theme. what were you thinking. (maker submitted this comment for themselves. I left it in because it's amusing.)
+ FOR SOME REASON I THOUGHT THIS ICON WAS OF THE BEE MOVIE AFTER I LOOKED AT THE ORIGINAL CAP? I don't know why I thought it was the bee movie. I've never actually watched the bee movie. ...Anyways, I really like the composition here! The typography is also great. I'm a little confused as to how this fits the theme, aside from the dark background, since the coloring, color choices in the text, and the word "hope" makes it look like a pretty bright and hopeful icon. But of course, I can't read what the second word says, so the entire sentence may actually be not so hopeful. I'd recommend duplicating the text layer for that second word, then setting to screen on top of the subject. Otherwise, great job!
+ I really like your text work here, but the 3d effect (?) just makes it look blurry to my eyes, and it's hard to read because of it. There are also a couple of lines on your subject- the cuffs of her sleeves against the dark, her knuckles on the hand that's over her arm - that look too sharp on my monitor, I'd suggest masking your sharpness layer or taking a blur/smudge brush to those places.
+ I absolutely adore the typography. The 3D effect is really well done, and gives your icon a ton of depth! The subject does get a little bit lost amongst the other elements though.



Charles BukowskiPOSITIVE VOTES
++ Great purple tones and use of brushes, the subject is just light enough, and it's hard to see where he fades into the background, making it quite fascinating.
++ Beautiful colouring and texture usage. The darkening out of the background is smoothly done, especially for a cap that is naturally quite light.
+ love the dramatic purple tones of the icon and the slightly painted quality of it.
+ The colors are so beautiful in this icon, you did a wonderful job with the contrasts, and really making the subject pop. I'm especially struck by the fact that your texture usage is flawless in that you kept them from totally swallowing up the subject as many dark + texture icons tend to do. Awesome job!

BEST INTERPRETATION
+ I love the mood I get from this icon - it's like he's about to walk into a haunted house and takes one look back before stepping into the unknown. The deep purples add a great richness to the icon too. (voter expanded this vote into the concrit section.)

CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ (part 2 of voter's comment) However, the house steps blended into his shoulder/clothes is a bit awkward looking and distracts from the rest of the icon. There are also a few bits of stray purple still on his ear and face + the dark spot between his jaw and his collar that's slightly distracting. It's just me nitpicking though and I think this icon has a lot of potential! Good job.

ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Love the purple coloring! Also who is the figure suppose to be?
+ Your icon is gorgeous, but some of the lines where the contrast is highest (such as the collar of his shirt, his eyebrow, and the edge of his face) look too sharp on my monitor. Great texture use, though.
+ The texture use here is great, I love how they subtly frame the subject without overwhelming him or drawing the focus away from his face. The coloring is nice too, but I think the subject's face could be more saturated - the rich purple background makes him look unnaturally pale in comparison.



Franz KafkaPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ The texture really compliments the theme and the shadows ratio is perfect for this theme
+++ I really like the muted tones used in this icon. It compliments really well with the gorgeous cropping and great sharpening.
+++ This icon is easily my favorite from the entire table. The crop is great, the muted coloring and the lighting complement each other and the crop, and the sharpness is absolutely on point.
+++ The icon is dark without having the shadows overpower the character shown. The light in the right part of the icon brings out the subject nicely so that while it is still dark, it balances the contrast and it catches my eye.
+++ I really love the crop on this, the way the lighting just draws your eye to the corner of his eye before it's lost in the shadows. I also think you did a great job of using his already-light hair to be the bright point of the icon. It makes the dark shadows make sense.
++ Beautiful crop, lighting, and coloring.
+ Stunning cropping and excellent use of shadows here!

BEST INTERPRETATION
+ The crop and the lighting really give this icon a darker tone. I like how the shadow is on his face. Usually we see the opposite in icons.

CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.

ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ beautiful crop and lighting!
+ I like the crop and coloring here and how nicely sharpened it is!
+ Love the crop and the way his white hair sticks out within it.
+ Great close crop, the soft colouring is very nice as well.
+ The cropping, lighting, and coloring in your icon are really beautifully done. The muted coloring is especially lovely because you managed to get so much depth within a limited color scheme and without going too far into grayscale.



Adrienne RichPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ the framing in this is incredible. the cropping captures so much emotion and the shadows and light play each other off perfectly and create just enough contrast. it's also perfectly sharpened on my monitor, just edging on crisp but not oversharpened. i like the muted colouring as well.

BEST INTERPRETATION
+ Great close crop and use of light, I feel that it conveys the idea of a dark and desperate tone very well.

CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The crop is really interesting. The only thing that is a little bit disappointing is that blue light on the hair. I would have put a little bit more contrast here to avoid that.

ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Lovely cropping!
+ I love the colors in your icon, but moreso the crop because a lot of the emotion is actually driven by the mouth, and I think you really highlighted that.
+ Great crop and coloring, and I really like how the deep shadows on the right contrast with subtle lighting on the left. I think this icon could use a bit of sharpening though, especially her hair and mouth area.
+ I really like the crop of this icon and the depth of field here! However, I think it'd be better off without the grunge texture - it makes the dark/right side of the icon look awkwardly grainy and unevenly distributed on the left side/her hair. The not quite muted coloring works well here and I'd suggest setting a few merged layers+soft blur on soft light to give it a nice soft look, to add to the already nice depth of field here.



Zelda FitzgeraldPOSITIVE VOTES
++ Love the green tones in this icon, and the muted colors.
++ The monotone and dark coloring works well with the image.
++ The green/vintagish coloring work really well with the general mood of the icon, I find it very powerful.
++ The texture work is beautiful here. The icon is dark but sharpened to perfection so I can see the subject but I can notice the color and the light and the gritty texture which just compliment the rest of the icon really well.
+ The muted greens are gorgeous on this icon, really adds up with the cap.
+ even though everything in this icon is dark, the facial features are still clearly recognizable. The gradient is so subtle, I'm amazed at the amount of detail you could coax out of it even with so little contrast.
+ The darkness of the icon is really nicely done and doesn't disappear into the background and the slight light at the left is a nice touch for that and the green coloring is great.

BEST INTERPRETATION
+ I don't watch that show, but for what I've heard, it's a dark and serious character, and it works perfectly with the greenish color and the overall grunginess, all of this makes it perfect for this theme.

CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I voted for this icon because even through the darkness, the subject is really well brought out against the background. Right now it looks very dark on my monitor, though, almost like Hannibal is underwater. I think it would work even better if the contrast were a little higher, making his face a little lighter.
+ I feel that the icon is too dark as Hannibal is blending a bit too much with the background. Just a little bit more light and contrast might do it.
+ I assume the grainy effect in your icon was done on purpose, but I feel the effect is a little overdone. The shoulder area seems somewhat pixilated rather than chalky, and the suit being more smooth than the rest of the icon makes it even more apparent. I do love the lighting and the colors though.

ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I really like the simplicity of this icon and the classy vintage mood I get from it! The green tones are really soothing (the opposite of what I should feel around Hannibal, lol) and the grunge texture is a great touch! The positioning of the lighting bothers me a bit though - it draws my attention to his shoulder, which feels a little random. I'd recommend moving the direction of the gradient so that it lights up a side of his face, instead of his shoulder. Otherwise, nice work!
+ I like the monochrome coloring and the graininess of this icon, they fit the character and the theme well. And while I think the sharpness here is quite perfect, I'd suggest slightly blurring Hannibal's shoulders - that's the only part of the icon where the subject and the background look disconnected.



H.P. LovecraftPOSITIVE VOTES
++ I love the inverted technique you used with the background and floral elements from the image! I'm also really impressed with the colors, since black backgrounds can sometimes feel very one-dimentional, but your icon has a lot of depth, and beautiful colors.
+ This icon is so creative, inverting parts of the image was a fantastic idea! The result is so great that the icon really doesn't need any additional decoration, it works just as it is. The only thing that bothers me here is that the subject's hand is rather hard to see; I'd suggest painting over it with a dark color and setting the layer to screen, or raising contrast to make the lines brighter and more pronounced.

BEST INTERPRETATION
None.

CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.

ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.

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