Round 16 - Challenge 03 - Results
ROUND 16 - CHALLENGE 3 - RESULTS
* There was a four-way tie for third place. Typical tie breaker procedure, explained below, was used.
1ST PLACE [5 points]:
Colleen Hoover with +9 votes.
2ND PLACE [4 points]:
H.P. Lovecraft with +6 votes.
3RD PLACE [3 points]:
Stephen King with +4 votes (and the most first place votes).
BEST INTERPRETATION [2 points]:
,
, &
Miss Read, C.S. Lewis, & H.P. Lovecraft with +3 votes.
MOD'S CHOICE [1 point]:
Philip K. Dick
[For the vibrant coloring alone, this icon is a standout. So the fact that it has creative cropping and figure layering (which is a wonderfully technical way of displaying the theme; doubly so because you used a silhouette) as well as amazing text work as well? This icon definitely wins in my book!]
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
Stephen KingPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ Gorgeous use of text and great coloring.
+++ Great contrast and sharpness. The text also works well, it's not too attention-stealing even though it's pre-dominant.
+++ The high contrast and the purple/pinkish tones combine really well with each other, and the placement and composition of the text works perfectly with the rest of the icon.
+ I love the colouring and I really love the way the text complements the whole icon!
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ Lovely crop. And although I like the placement of the text, I had a hard time reading some of it (specifically on the subjects right cheek) as it is a similar colour to white tones - maybe if you chose a slightly lighter colour it would stand out a little more.
+ I like the coloring and the choice of cap. It fits the theme very well. The font is really hard to read, though. Adding a dark spot with a soft brush on low opacity behind the text would set it off from the subject behind it. Maybe use a different font entirely.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The contrast in this icon is fantastic, I love the deep shadows on his face and in the background. The typography is nice too, but I think the text would look better if it was white, or at least brighter than the rest of the icon - it would stand out more, and give the icon a focal point.
+ I absolutely love the coloring! I think the typography gets a little bit lost where the cap has more lines at the bottom, so perhaps discreetly painting over some of those portions would help. But overall, I really like the icon.
Cornelia FunkePOSITIVE VOTES
++ I like the softness and slightly glowy effect on this icon, the simple composition is really neat.
+ I really like the simple elegance of this icon, there's not an element out of place, everything looks smooth and classy, and the b&w coloring was a good choice.
+ The composition and contrast of this icon is so lovely!
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love the simple colouring and blocking of the icon. It gives the icon a very elegant look. However, I think the top half of the icon got a little too washed out, though maybe on close inspection, that seems like your intention. Either way, its a very pretty icon!
+ I like the softness and slightly glowy effect on this icon, the simple composition is really neat.
Miss ReadPOSITIVE VOTES
++ Gorgeous use of texture, it's really beautiful together with the screencap.
++ I adore this icon, it's the epitome of stylish. I love how the flowery texture is placed around her face, and the rose coloring adds to the impression of a flower.
++ The texture use here is simply amazing, it immediately caught my eye when I first opened the post. A texture like this could easily overwhelm the icon, but combined with monochrome coloring and a simple crop, it works really well.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
+ No reason given.
+ I love the use of textures in your icon! I think sticking to a monochromatic color scheme was a great choice since it keeps the subject from being overpowered.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I love the effect of the layered texture - i would up the contrast a little more (or maybe use a darker purple/pink) as it looks like the white flower texture has washed it out a little. Maybe even mask parts over her face too?
+ Coloring and cropping are really good on this icon but the texture over is very overwhelming.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
Philip K. DickPOSITIVE VOTES
++ Your creative use of typography really makes for an eyecatching icon. The bright colors are also really pretty.
+ I love your colors and your text use. Great job!
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I really love this icon. The coloring is beautiful, the image in the background complements the figure well, and the way the font seems to grow out of her arms is great.
C.S. LewisPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I love the composition, text, and colors here!
+++ The composition is amazing and gorgeous. I love the chosen color palette. The sharpening is perfect.
++ Beautiful composition. The colour palette you chose really compliments the caps.
++ The duetone and composition of the icon is stunning, the red shadow and the textures in the background work perfectly with the subjects. And don't forget the awesome composition of the text, it compliments the icon without looking too heavy.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
+ No reason given.
+ I think you pulled off the lyrical + layered theme very well.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The composition of the icon kicks ass. Also, I love the colour scheme and the neat text placement.
+ The use of textures and colors is really bold and beautiful, and I love the typography at the bottom. I do wish the "you are" was a little bit less pronounced so that the subjects would stand out more.
+ I like the composition of this icon, and the limited color scheme is well executed, but I think the typography is not quite on the same level. Both parts of the quote are well placed, but I'd recommend a blockier font for 'you are'- the rounded edges disturb the vertical lines of the composition; a font where Y and A have straight vertical sides would fill the space better. Also, the colors you chose for 'dangerous' match the rest of the icon a bit too well, and the text blends with the background in places. I think a white shadow would help make the text more distinct from the background, and since there already are white elements in the icon, it wouldn't look out of place.
Mary ShelleyPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The double exposure technique was an interesting approach to the theme, but I think the second image gets a little lost within the hair, and causes the icon to feel a little bit muddy. Maybe painting over some of the base cap to allow the secondary one to stand out a bit more.
+ I like the concept of the icon, that is, using caps of the subject that depict two very different sides of her. I do think however that the blending could have been a little more cohesive as it looks a little more murky in the centre where the two images overlap.
+ I really like the idea behind this icon, it's both a clever way of fulfilling the theme requirements, and an interesting visual effect that makes the icon stand out from the rest. However, I think the screencap choice for the overlay doesn't work - the dark blood looks like a hole in her face, which makes it rather hard to guess what's going on at first glance. Similarly, the bottom part of the screencap is hard to identify as jewelry and blood without looking at the original screencap, and looks rather like a random collection of grainy spots. I'd suggest changing the second screencap to something simpler, with fewer details that might end up looking messy on the icon, or adjusting the contrast and brightness of the overlaid screencap to even out the problematic areas and make it clearer what's going on.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
Sarah KayPOSITIVE VOTES
+ The combination of different colored blocks and text really create a lovely composition. The sharpening is perfect.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love the colouring and blocking of the icon. However I think the text is a bit distracting, in that it takes focus away from the neat composition.
+ You used such beautiful colors, and the blocking is really well done! The use of light textures and typography to help keep the focus centered was a great touch and shows great attention for detail.
+ Really cool colors and composition, but it's bugging me that I can't read the text! It could be something that I'd know if I were familiar with the fandom, but right now it's hard to tell what the icon is about.
+ The blocking in this icon is very well done, I like the different background colors and the fact that the number of colors is limited, so the icon is not overloaded with them. However, the divided text is hard to read; rather than cutting it in half vertically, I'd recommend separating the lines horizontally, with 'to be' in one corner and 'setter' in the other.
Franz KafkaPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I really like how the subtlety of this icon; the almost-there city backdrop, the light wash of orange in the top right corner, the understated brightness of the subject. It all comes together to form a very visually satisfying icon.
++ I love your unique coloring and the the sparkly-grunge feel of the icon. I also love that even though this icon is vibrant, the colors don't oversaturate Amy.
+ Great cutout and texture use. Love the coloring as well.
+ Lovely pink coloring. The background also looks great with the cap.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love the colouring of the icon. It gives it a very pretty, warm, romantic look!
+ The bright colors are really pretty, but the color burn effect behind the character on the right side feels a little bit off. I think if the orangy light came all the way to the bottom of the icon it would blend more seamlessly.
+ Great coloring, I love the combination of pink and orange and how it's vibrant, but not eye-burningly neon. I think it might be a bit too dark though, especially Amy's skin. Using Curves or Levels to add some brighter highlights could really make this icon pop.
+ I love the colors on this icon, but I think it really needs some lighting work to pop - the subject doesn't stand out from the background because there's not really a difference in brightness or saturation. The whole thing just looks rather flat and a couple of gradients or light textures could do wonder.
Zelda FitzgeraldPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ Wow! I love the coloring that makes it look like it's handpainted. It's oversharpened so the contours are pixelated but I like how you chose a background texture that makes the pixels seem like part of the background, so it's not that noticeable. Last but not least, I love how the white texture goes half behind, half in front of the subject.
++ The coloring is so bright and pretty. The texture use is gorgeous.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The coloring is really pretty, but it looks a little bit over sharp on my monitor. I would blurry it a bit.
+ Although the icon has a great coloring, the icon looks really oversharpened on my screen, making it look LQ. I'd recommend smoothing the edges, when doing the cutout. The white brush (or texture?) is also a bit distracting, it takes the focus out of the character, I think it would have worked better if it was only the painted texture.
+ I love the bright colouring and background texture work on the icon. However, the one aspect of the icon that is a little jarring for me is the jagged lines of the subject. They look overly sharp and are a little distracting. By blurring the lines, or even smudging them, I think the icon would look very nice.
+ The subject is cut out really well and the texture in the background compliments the whole icon, but the edges of the subject are really sharp and even pixelated. I'd recommend to smooth out those edges with the blur tool.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The outline of the character on the left seems a little bit over-sharpened, but I absolutely love the color-on-color effect and the movement from the textures you used.
+ Lovely colors and texture use in this icon, but the whole thing looks way too sharp on my monitor.
+ The vibrant colors here are good, however her silhouette looks a bit over sharpened.
+ The combination of blue, yellow and white looks very elegant and airy, and the scribbly lines fit that look well. The icon is a bit too sharp though - the edges of the subject are very jagged in some places, particularly her neck and hat, where you can see a line of darker pixels; I recommend duplicating the image before sharpening, and then masking the sharpest areas.
Colleen HooverPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I love the animation in this icon so much, what a brilliant idea! The technical aspects of the icon are all great, the coloring fits the animation,and the simplicity of the composition keeps the animation from making the icon too busy.
+++ ahhh this is such a beautifully composed icon! I love the gradual fade away animation. It makes for a very poignant icon. I also love the simplicity of the background and also how the subjects stand out against it!
+++ The animation is well done. The background work done behind the disappearing character is incredible. This is a good choice of color as opposed to the b&w for characters.
++ The animation effect here is amazing! And I really love the b&w coloring against the red background, too.
++ i love the colouring of this icon and the fading effect is very nicely done
++ This icon is SO COOL! The only different I would make is take the vibrance of the background down a little bit because especially when the guy is the only one in the icon, he looks really overwhelmed by all the bright color.
++ The animation effect is great, love how to woman fades and then disappears, it's so creative. The colors are great, the purple background works really well with the b&w characters.
+ This is such a creative idea! I love how the bold colors and simple composition allow the animated effects to shine without being too over the top.
+ I love the concept here and the use of animation + the contrast in b/w and color is gorgeous!
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love this! I wouldn't have recognized what it's from without the caps, but now that I do, I love it even more. She vanishes from the icon like she vanishes from his memory. The coloring also fits so well.
Adrienne RichPOSITIVE VOTES
+ Beautiful cropping and coloring!
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The brown tones in this is very pretty but the foreground text seems just a little sharp.
+ I like the motif and the coloring, it's sharp and well contrasted. There is nothing wrong with any of it. Only the text in the middle looks like it's not anti-aliased. The steps in the italics are clearly visible. Sometimes small fonts are rendered very badly (in Photoshop). I suggest creating the font in a larger size, then rendering and resizing it back down. Sometimes it also helps to duplicate the font layer and choose two different anti-aliasing methods.
+ The coloring of Tatiana is really pretty, but the background color washes her out. Her edges and the text are both oversharpened.
+ The coloring and lightning is pretty. The only thing that bugs me is the text. Maybe another font would works better. Or just being a textless icon, it would be more powerful.
+ The sepia tone of the icon is very beautiful, it gives that sophisticated look to the icon, but some parts look too sharp on my screen, mostly the edges of her face and the text. It could be improved using the blur tool to smooth the edges and gaussian blur at 0,1 or so for the text.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love the colors and lighting. The decorative type in the back is a nice touch. I like how it adds emphasis to the quote in the foreground in a subtle way. I will say, the "I'm a mess" text does seem a little pixilated to me.
+ This is really beautiful but I'd take out the text over her face, it doesn't complement the icon at all. Maybe in a different font would look better.
+ All the elements in this icon goes well together - the sepia coloring fits the screencap, as do the text and the simple composition. The sharpening is rather inconsistent though - the edges of the image are very crisp, to the point of being jagged in some places, especially her hair, but the image itself is rather blurry. Same with the text - the word in the background has soft edges, but the text in the foreground is one of the sharper parts of the icon, possibly due to the thinness of the font, so I'd recommend setting it on bold, or switching to a font with thicker lines.
Charles BukowskiPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ Love everything about this! The contrast, shadows, and negative space are just excellent.
+++ I love the minimalism look on this icon, the prominent dark coloring combined with natural tones makes it a really elegant icon.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
+ No reason given.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ This is so classy, so simple, and so dramatic! I do think his skin tone feels a little bit oversaturated, but overall this is really well done.
+ Very simplistic yet beautiful. On my monitor, the background and half his face is completely black, but I've learned since the start of this challenge that this is definitely a problem on my side, and I'm trying to fix that.
+ I think this icon is a very good example of character blending into the background done well - the contrast is in point, the center crop created just the perfect amount of negative space, and the coloring matches the elegant simplicity of the composition. Great job!
Douglas AdamsPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The coloring and composition of this icon are really good, but the light textures are a little distracting, and the way the text is cut off at the side makes it a bit hard to know what it says. If the text had been a little bit more towards the center, I think it would have worked a lot better.
+ The fact that almost the entire first word is cut off on the side of the icon makes it kind of confusing at first, maybe making those first two words a smaller size or putting them on different lines so they could all be read would have made it easier. I also think the darks are a bit muddy in color - a levels or color
+ I like the concept here but I think the blending is a bit awkward. I'm not sure what you can do to improve it, though I do like the way you cut off the top of her face in the bottom half. The coloring is also very lovely and fits the mood well! I think you can do without the text though, or maybe move it to the top right corner where there's a lot more empty space and the text can be readable and not look so squashed into the corner.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love the blending and the soft colouring of the icon. Beautiful use of texture too!
+ I'm impressed by the coloring work you've done here, it's such a major change from the coloring of the screencaps, and yet you've managed to keep the image from becoming LQ! And the coloring itself is beautiful too, I love the wintery tones. The blending looks slightly awkward though, with how the bottom image seems to be growing a second head; using just one screencap, or combining the two with blocking rather than blending might have been a better choice.
+ Great job lightening up those dark caps! I think the whiteness is really dramatic and pulls the focus to the subject's eyes which is a really cool effect. I think the typography could use a little bit more space between the lines, it looks a little cramped as-is, and I can't help but feel that the "it" in "it's" has been cropped off on that top line, even though I'm sure that was an intentional choice.
Charles DickensPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I really like the simplicity of this icon and the two crops work perfectly! However, I think the man's layer looks a bit abrupt there since the darkish bg doesn't look so good on top of the light, glowy part in the woman's layer. I think it'd be a bit more balanced if you placed the light gradient/texture on top of the entire icon, so that both layers have that bit of light to tie them together!
+ The first thing my eyes are drawn to in this icon is the big grey area of the top screencap. Making the cut smaller, so you don't see as much of it could help making the icon more balanced.
+ I think this icon would look a lot more cohesive if the two parts were more similar in color and lighting. The back part of the icon is really bright at the top and dark at the bottom, where the part in the front is opposite, and the lack of the blurry/glow feel in the front part makes it look like it doesn't belong in the same piece as the back cap. I also think the girl's skin could use a bit of color work, as there are some really red splotches.
+ The composition of this icon is simple, but nice, and I like how each of the images is colored. Unfortunately, there seems to be little connection between the two images - the front image is on the sharp side, with muted coloring and flat lighting, while the background is smooth, has very strong lighting and much more vibrant coloring. Separately, both images look great, but put together, they don't form a cohesive whole. One way of solving this could be to move the lighting texture (if that is indeed a light texture, and not part of the background screencap) to the top, so there would be something connecting the two images. Alternately, the background image could be given a 'flat' effect to match the front.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The blocked effect is really cool, but I feel a disconnect between the two images. Perhaps changing the gray background on the top block to one of the colors in the base image, or adjusting the coloring so that his skin tone was more similar to hers, it would feel more tied together.
Emily BrontëPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I think the white decorative elements on the right are a little bit distracting. I do like the split color effect, but I think the red could pop a little bit more.
+ The coloring and contrast here is really great, but the stark, white texture on the side is somewhat distracting, and takes the focus off Sweeney.
+ The texture on the right seems random and does not add anything to the icon, it's just taking the attention from the subject. The icon would look more complete without it.
+ The way the subject is cropped, makes the icon lose focus, there's no balance between the left and right part of the icon. It would have worked much better, if the subject was either center cropped, or half face cropped. The texture on the right part looks very random, it would have been much better if it was put on both sides, making it looks somwhat like a frame.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The monochrome coloring has potential, but I think the icon needs more contrast to really make it work; as it is, there are too many medium gray-ish areas. If you're using Photoshop, I suggest adding a black & white Gradient Map adjustment layer and setting it on Soft Light or Overlay. Also, the white texture/brush on the right side is more of a distraction rather than a decoration. Adding something to fill the negative space was a good idea, but the lines of that texture are slightly too heavy; a more delicate frame texture might have been a better choice.
H.P. LovecraftPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I love the composition on this, it's so beautiful and elegant. The blending of the 3 caps is really well done.
+++ The composition is amazing, I love how it tells a story. The limited palette was a great choice, since it ties all of the elements together.
++ The composition is so amazingly done. The blending gave a powerful atmosphere to the icon.
+ I like how the three images seem to tell a story. Combining the large hands with the small figures is very creative.
+ The layering and style of this is absolutely gorgeous.
+ The composition is very simple but truly beautiful.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
+ No reason given.
+ Great composition!
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I really like the composition of this icon! it's a really good effect - perhaps you could utilise the use of different colours and textures to separate the two layers a bit more to make it more distinct and eye-catching?
+ This composition is really gorgeous, but I think it needs brighter coloring with some vibrance.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love the concept of this icon, but I think i could benefit from a bit more color. The reds are very deep while the other colors are very low saturation. Having more brightness throughout the lights in the icon would really make it pop and add some great contrast against the blacks.
+ I love the composition of this icon, it looks like it could be a poster for the series! I think the muted coloring doesn't quite work here though - against a dark, empty background, the colors seem faded and murky. Adding some saturation and maybe a couple of glowy light textures would offset blackness of the background, and could make this a truly beautiful icon.
Alexandra BrakcenPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I love the composition and the use of colour is so spot on
++ Beautiful composition. The colours and the star texture give the icon a lovely touch of whimsy!
+ The background coloring, the coloring on the girl and the textures are working all so well together.
+ The levels are just gorgeously done, I love that the lines between the levels are not completely straight, they're a little curvy and it looks amazing. Also the colors chosen work perfectly with each other.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I really like the composition on this icon, however the edges of the levels separation and some parts around her face look really sharp on my monitor.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The coloring is really beautiful, and I especially like the tiny stars all over everything. That's a really effective addition.
+ I love the colorful blocked effect, and that they're slightly uneven. It has a whimsical feel that I really love. I think the subject could use a little more saturation to match the brightness of the background though.
+ Nice composition, and I like how the uneven lines and bright background give the icon a playful look. However, compared to vibrant backgrounds, the coloring on the subject seems gray and dull, especially her skin. Consequently, the icon looks somewhat unfinished, as if you forgot to adjust the coloring on the subject. Raising the saturation of the image to match the rest of the icon would make the coloring more consistent.
Spreadsheet will not be linked until the end of the round.
* There was a four-way tie for third place. Typical tie breaker procedure, explained below, was used.
1ST PLACE [5 points]:
Colleen Hoover with +9 votes.
2ND PLACE [4 points]:
H.P. Lovecraft with +6 votes.
3RD PLACE [3 points]:
Stephen King with +4 votes (and the most first place votes).
BEST INTERPRETATION [2 points]:
,
, &
Miss Read, C.S. Lewis, & H.P. Lovecraft with +3 votes.
MOD'S CHOICE [1 point]:
Philip K. Dick
[For the vibrant coloring alone, this icon is a standout. So the fact that it has creative cropping and figure layering (which is a wonderfully technical way of displaying the theme; doubly so because you used a silhouette) as well as amazing text work as well? This icon definitely wins in my book!]
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
Stephen KingPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ Gorgeous use of text and great coloring.
+++ Great contrast and sharpness. The text also works well, it's not too attention-stealing even though it's pre-dominant.
+++ The high contrast and the purple/pinkish tones combine really well with each other, and the placement and composition of the text works perfectly with the rest of the icon.
+ I love the colouring and I really love the way the text complements the whole icon!
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ Lovely crop. And although I like the placement of the text, I had a hard time reading some of it (specifically on the subjects right cheek) as it is a similar colour to white tones - maybe if you chose a slightly lighter colour it would stand out a little more.
+ I like the coloring and the choice of cap. It fits the theme very well. The font is really hard to read, though. Adding a dark spot with a soft brush on low opacity behind the text would set it off from the subject behind it. Maybe use a different font entirely.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The contrast in this icon is fantastic, I love the deep shadows on his face and in the background. The typography is nice too, but I think the text would look better if it was white, or at least brighter than the rest of the icon - it would stand out more, and give the icon a focal point.
+ I absolutely love the coloring! I think the typography gets a little bit lost where the cap has more lines at the bottom, so perhaps discreetly painting over some of those portions would help. But overall, I really like the icon.
Cornelia FunkePOSITIVE VOTES
++ I like the softness and slightly glowy effect on this icon, the simple composition is really neat.
+ I really like the simple elegance of this icon, there's not an element out of place, everything looks smooth and classy, and the b&w coloring was a good choice.
+ The composition and contrast of this icon is so lovely!
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love the simple colouring and blocking of the icon. It gives the icon a very elegant look. However, I think the top half of the icon got a little too washed out, though maybe on close inspection, that seems like your intention. Either way, its a very pretty icon!
+ I like the softness and slightly glowy effect on this icon, the simple composition is really neat.
Miss ReadPOSITIVE VOTES
++ Gorgeous use of texture, it's really beautiful together with the screencap.
++ I adore this icon, it's the epitome of stylish. I love how the flowery texture is placed around her face, and the rose coloring adds to the impression of a flower.
++ The texture use here is simply amazing, it immediately caught my eye when I first opened the post. A texture like this could easily overwhelm the icon, but combined with monochrome coloring and a simple crop, it works really well.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
+ No reason given.
+ I love the use of textures in your icon! I think sticking to a monochromatic color scheme was a great choice since it keeps the subject from being overpowered.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I love the effect of the layered texture - i would up the contrast a little more (or maybe use a darker purple/pink) as it looks like the white flower texture has washed it out a little. Maybe even mask parts over her face too?
+ Coloring and cropping are really good on this icon but the texture over is very overwhelming.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
Philip K. DickPOSITIVE VOTES
++ Your creative use of typography really makes for an eyecatching icon. The bright colors are also really pretty.
+ I love your colors and your text use. Great job!
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I really love this icon. The coloring is beautiful, the image in the background complements the figure well, and the way the font seems to grow out of her arms is great.
C.S. LewisPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I love the composition, text, and colors here!
+++ The composition is amazing and gorgeous. I love the chosen color palette. The sharpening is perfect.
++ Beautiful composition. The colour palette you chose really compliments the caps.
++ The duetone and composition of the icon is stunning, the red shadow and the textures in the background work perfectly with the subjects. And don't forget the awesome composition of the text, it compliments the icon without looking too heavy.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
+ No reason given.
+ I think you pulled off the lyrical + layered theme very well.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The composition of the icon kicks ass. Also, I love the colour scheme and the neat text placement.
+ The use of textures and colors is really bold and beautiful, and I love the typography at the bottom. I do wish the "you are" was a little bit less pronounced so that the subjects would stand out more.
+ I like the composition of this icon, and the limited color scheme is well executed, but I think the typography is not quite on the same level. Both parts of the quote are well placed, but I'd recommend a blockier font for 'you are'- the rounded edges disturb the vertical lines of the composition; a font where Y and A have straight vertical sides would fill the space better. Also, the colors you chose for 'dangerous' match the rest of the icon a bit too well, and the text blends with the background in places. I think a white shadow would help make the text more distinct from the background, and since there already are white elements in the icon, it wouldn't look out of place.
Mary ShelleyPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The double exposure technique was an interesting approach to the theme, but I think the second image gets a little lost within the hair, and causes the icon to feel a little bit muddy. Maybe painting over some of the base cap to allow the secondary one to stand out a bit more.
+ I like the concept of the icon, that is, using caps of the subject that depict two very different sides of her. I do think however that the blending could have been a little more cohesive as it looks a little more murky in the centre where the two images overlap.
+ I really like the idea behind this icon, it's both a clever way of fulfilling the theme requirements, and an interesting visual effect that makes the icon stand out from the rest. However, I think the screencap choice for the overlay doesn't work - the dark blood looks like a hole in her face, which makes it rather hard to guess what's going on at first glance. Similarly, the bottom part of the screencap is hard to identify as jewelry and blood without looking at the original screencap, and looks rather like a random collection of grainy spots. I'd suggest changing the second screencap to something simpler, with fewer details that might end up looking messy on the icon, or adjusting the contrast and brightness of the overlaid screencap to even out the problematic areas and make it clearer what's going on.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
Sarah KayPOSITIVE VOTES
+ The combination of different colored blocks and text really create a lovely composition. The sharpening is perfect.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love the colouring and blocking of the icon. However I think the text is a bit distracting, in that it takes focus away from the neat composition.
+ You used such beautiful colors, and the blocking is really well done! The use of light textures and typography to help keep the focus centered was a great touch and shows great attention for detail.
+ Really cool colors and composition, but it's bugging me that I can't read the text! It could be something that I'd know if I were familiar with the fandom, but right now it's hard to tell what the icon is about.
+ The blocking in this icon is very well done, I like the different background colors and the fact that the number of colors is limited, so the icon is not overloaded with them. However, the divided text is hard to read; rather than cutting it in half vertically, I'd recommend separating the lines horizontally, with 'to be' in one corner and 'setter' in the other.
Franz KafkaPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I really like how the subtlety of this icon; the almost-there city backdrop, the light wash of orange in the top right corner, the understated brightness of the subject. It all comes together to form a very visually satisfying icon.
++ I love your unique coloring and the the sparkly-grunge feel of the icon. I also love that even though this icon is vibrant, the colors don't oversaturate Amy.
+ Great cutout and texture use. Love the coloring as well.
+ Lovely pink coloring. The background also looks great with the cap.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love the colouring of the icon. It gives it a very pretty, warm, romantic look!
+ The bright colors are really pretty, but the color burn effect behind the character on the right side feels a little bit off. I think if the orangy light came all the way to the bottom of the icon it would blend more seamlessly.
+ Great coloring, I love the combination of pink and orange and how it's vibrant, but not eye-burningly neon. I think it might be a bit too dark though, especially Amy's skin. Using Curves or Levels to add some brighter highlights could really make this icon pop.
+ I love the colors on this icon, but I think it really needs some lighting work to pop - the subject doesn't stand out from the background because there's not really a difference in brightness or saturation. The whole thing just looks rather flat and a couple of gradients or light textures could do wonder.
Zelda FitzgeraldPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ Wow! I love the coloring that makes it look like it's handpainted. It's oversharpened so the contours are pixelated but I like how you chose a background texture that makes the pixels seem like part of the background, so it's not that noticeable. Last but not least, I love how the white texture goes half behind, half in front of the subject.
++ The coloring is so bright and pretty. The texture use is gorgeous.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The coloring is really pretty, but it looks a little bit over sharp on my monitor. I would blurry it a bit.
+ Although the icon has a great coloring, the icon looks really oversharpened on my screen, making it look LQ. I'd recommend smoothing the edges, when doing the cutout. The white brush (or texture?) is also a bit distracting, it takes the focus out of the character, I think it would have worked better if it was only the painted texture.
+ I love the bright colouring and background texture work on the icon. However, the one aspect of the icon that is a little jarring for me is the jagged lines of the subject. They look overly sharp and are a little distracting. By blurring the lines, or even smudging them, I think the icon would look very nice.
+ The subject is cut out really well and the texture in the background compliments the whole icon, but the edges of the subject are really sharp and even pixelated. I'd recommend to smooth out those edges with the blur tool.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The outline of the character on the left seems a little bit over-sharpened, but I absolutely love the color-on-color effect and the movement from the textures you used.
+ Lovely colors and texture use in this icon, but the whole thing looks way too sharp on my monitor.
+ The vibrant colors here are good, however her silhouette looks a bit over sharpened.
+ The combination of blue, yellow and white looks very elegant and airy, and the scribbly lines fit that look well. The icon is a bit too sharp though - the edges of the subject are very jagged in some places, particularly her neck and hat, where you can see a line of darker pixels; I recommend duplicating the image before sharpening, and then masking the sharpest areas.
Colleen HooverPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I love the animation in this icon so much, what a brilliant idea! The technical aspects of the icon are all great, the coloring fits the animation,and the simplicity of the composition keeps the animation from making the icon too busy.
+++ ahhh this is such a beautifully composed icon! I love the gradual fade away animation. It makes for a very poignant icon. I also love the simplicity of the background and also how the subjects stand out against it!
+++ The animation is well done. The background work done behind the disappearing character is incredible. This is a good choice of color as opposed to the b&w for characters.
++ The animation effect here is amazing! And I really love the b&w coloring against the red background, too.
++ i love the colouring of this icon and the fading effect is very nicely done
++ This icon is SO COOL! The only different I would make is take the vibrance of the background down a little bit because especially when the guy is the only one in the icon, he looks really overwhelmed by all the bright color.
++ The animation effect is great, love how to woman fades and then disappears, it's so creative. The colors are great, the purple background works really well with the b&w characters.
+ This is such a creative idea! I love how the bold colors and simple composition allow the animated effects to shine without being too over the top.
+ I love the concept here and the use of animation + the contrast in b/w and color is gorgeous!
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love this! I wouldn't have recognized what it's from without the caps, but now that I do, I love it even more. She vanishes from the icon like she vanishes from his memory. The coloring also fits so well.
Adrienne RichPOSITIVE VOTES
+ Beautiful cropping and coloring!
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The brown tones in this is very pretty but the foreground text seems just a little sharp.
+ I like the motif and the coloring, it's sharp and well contrasted. There is nothing wrong with any of it. Only the text in the middle looks like it's not anti-aliased. The steps in the italics are clearly visible. Sometimes small fonts are rendered very badly (in Photoshop). I suggest creating the font in a larger size, then rendering and resizing it back down. Sometimes it also helps to duplicate the font layer and choose two different anti-aliasing methods.
+ The coloring of Tatiana is really pretty, but the background color washes her out. Her edges and the text are both oversharpened.
+ The coloring and lightning is pretty. The only thing that bugs me is the text. Maybe another font would works better. Or just being a textless icon, it would be more powerful.
+ The sepia tone of the icon is very beautiful, it gives that sophisticated look to the icon, but some parts look too sharp on my screen, mostly the edges of her face and the text. It could be improved using the blur tool to smooth the edges and gaussian blur at 0,1 or so for the text.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love the colors and lighting. The decorative type in the back is a nice touch. I like how it adds emphasis to the quote in the foreground in a subtle way. I will say, the "I'm a mess" text does seem a little pixilated to me.
+ This is really beautiful but I'd take out the text over her face, it doesn't complement the icon at all. Maybe in a different font would look better.
+ All the elements in this icon goes well together - the sepia coloring fits the screencap, as do the text and the simple composition. The sharpening is rather inconsistent though - the edges of the image are very crisp, to the point of being jagged in some places, especially her hair, but the image itself is rather blurry. Same with the text - the word in the background has soft edges, but the text in the foreground is one of the sharper parts of the icon, possibly due to the thinness of the font, so I'd recommend setting it on bold, or switching to a font with thicker lines.
Charles BukowskiPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ Love everything about this! The contrast, shadows, and negative space are just excellent.
+++ I love the minimalism look on this icon, the prominent dark coloring combined with natural tones makes it a really elegant icon.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
+ No reason given.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ This is so classy, so simple, and so dramatic! I do think his skin tone feels a little bit oversaturated, but overall this is really well done.
+ Very simplistic yet beautiful. On my monitor, the background and half his face is completely black, but I've learned since the start of this challenge that this is definitely a problem on my side, and I'm trying to fix that.
+ I think this icon is a very good example of character blending into the background done well - the contrast is in point, the center crop created just the perfect amount of negative space, and the coloring matches the elegant simplicity of the composition. Great job!
Douglas AdamsPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The coloring and composition of this icon are really good, but the light textures are a little distracting, and the way the text is cut off at the side makes it a bit hard to know what it says. If the text had been a little bit more towards the center, I think it would have worked a lot better.
+ The fact that almost the entire first word is cut off on the side of the icon makes it kind of confusing at first, maybe making those first two words a smaller size or putting them on different lines so they could all be read would have made it easier. I also think the darks are a bit muddy in color - a levels or color
+ I like the concept here but I think the blending is a bit awkward. I'm not sure what you can do to improve it, though I do like the way you cut off the top of her face in the bottom half. The coloring is also very lovely and fits the mood well! I think you can do without the text though, or maybe move it to the top right corner where there's a lot more empty space and the text can be readable and not look so squashed into the corner.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love the blending and the soft colouring of the icon. Beautiful use of texture too!
+ I'm impressed by the coloring work you've done here, it's such a major change from the coloring of the screencaps, and yet you've managed to keep the image from becoming LQ! And the coloring itself is beautiful too, I love the wintery tones. The blending looks slightly awkward though, with how the bottom image seems to be growing a second head; using just one screencap, or combining the two with blocking rather than blending might have been a better choice.
+ Great job lightening up those dark caps! I think the whiteness is really dramatic and pulls the focus to the subject's eyes which is a really cool effect. I think the typography could use a little bit more space between the lines, it looks a little cramped as-is, and I can't help but feel that the "it" in "it's" has been cropped off on that top line, even though I'm sure that was an intentional choice.
Charles DickensPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I really like the simplicity of this icon and the two crops work perfectly! However, I think the man's layer looks a bit abrupt there since the darkish bg doesn't look so good on top of the light, glowy part in the woman's layer. I think it'd be a bit more balanced if you placed the light gradient/texture on top of the entire icon, so that both layers have that bit of light to tie them together!
+ The first thing my eyes are drawn to in this icon is the big grey area of the top screencap. Making the cut smaller, so you don't see as much of it could help making the icon more balanced.
+ I think this icon would look a lot more cohesive if the two parts were more similar in color and lighting. The back part of the icon is really bright at the top and dark at the bottom, where the part in the front is opposite, and the lack of the blurry/glow feel in the front part makes it look like it doesn't belong in the same piece as the back cap. I also think the girl's skin could use a bit of color work, as there are some really red splotches.
+ The composition of this icon is simple, but nice, and I like how each of the images is colored. Unfortunately, there seems to be little connection between the two images - the front image is on the sharp side, with muted coloring and flat lighting, while the background is smooth, has very strong lighting and much more vibrant coloring. Separately, both images look great, but put together, they don't form a cohesive whole. One way of solving this could be to move the lighting texture (if that is indeed a light texture, and not part of the background screencap) to the top, so there would be something connecting the two images. Alternately, the background image could be given a 'flat' effect to match the front.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The blocked effect is really cool, but I feel a disconnect between the two images. Perhaps changing the gray background on the top block to one of the colors in the base image, or adjusting the coloring so that his skin tone was more similar to hers, it would feel more tied together.
Emily BrontëPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I think the white decorative elements on the right are a little bit distracting. I do like the split color effect, but I think the red could pop a little bit more.
+ The coloring and contrast here is really great, but the stark, white texture on the side is somewhat distracting, and takes the focus off Sweeney.
+ The texture on the right seems random and does not add anything to the icon, it's just taking the attention from the subject. The icon would look more complete without it.
+ The way the subject is cropped, makes the icon lose focus, there's no balance between the left and right part of the icon. It would have worked much better, if the subject was either center cropped, or half face cropped. The texture on the right part looks very random, it would have been much better if it was put on both sides, making it looks somwhat like a frame.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The monochrome coloring has potential, but I think the icon needs more contrast to really make it work; as it is, there are too many medium gray-ish areas. If you're using Photoshop, I suggest adding a black & white Gradient Map adjustment layer and setting it on Soft Light or Overlay. Also, the white texture/brush on the right side is more of a distraction rather than a decoration. Adding something to fill the negative space was a good idea, but the lines of that texture are slightly too heavy; a more delicate frame texture might have been a better choice.
H.P. LovecraftPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I love the composition on this, it's so beautiful and elegant. The blending of the 3 caps is really well done.
+++ The composition is amazing, I love how it tells a story. The limited palette was a great choice, since it ties all of the elements together.
++ The composition is so amazingly done. The blending gave a powerful atmosphere to the icon.
+ I like how the three images seem to tell a story. Combining the large hands with the small figures is very creative.
+ The layering and style of this is absolutely gorgeous.
+ The composition is very simple but truly beautiful.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
+ No reason given.
+ Great composition!
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I really like the composition of this icon! it's a really good effect - perhaps you could utilise the use of different colours and textures to separate the two layers a bit more to make it more distinct and eye-catching?
+ This composition is really gorgeous, but I think it needs brighter coloring with some vibrance.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love the concept of this icon, but I think i could benefit from a bit more color. The reds are very deep while the other colors are very low saturation. Having more brightness throughout the lights in the icon would really make it pop and add some great contrast against the blacks.
+ I love the composition of this icon, it looks like it could be a poster for the series! I think the muted coloring doesn't quite work here though - against a dark, empty background, the colors seem faded and murky. Adding some saturation and maybe a couple of glowy light textures would offset blackness of the background, and could make this a truly beautiful icon.
Alexandra BrakcenPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I love the composition and the use of colour is so spot on
++ Beautiful composition. The colours and the star texture give the icon a lovely touch of whimsy!
+ The background coloring, the coloring on the girl and the textures are working all so well together.
+ The levels are just gorgeously done, I love that the lines between the levels are not completely straight, they're a little curvy and it looks amazing. Also the colors chosen work perfectly with each other.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I really like the composition on this icon, however the edges of the levels separation and some parts around her face look really sharp on my monitor.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The coloring is really beautiful, and I especially like the tiny stars all over everything. That's a really effective addition.
+ I love the colorful blocked effect, and that they're slightly uneven. It has a whimsical feel that I really love. I think the subject could use a little more saturation to match the brightness of the background though.
+ Nice composition, and I like how the uneven lines and bright background give the icon a playful look. However, compared to vibrant backgrounds, the coloring on the subject seems gray and dull, especially her skin. Consequently, the icon looks somewhat unfinished, as if you forgot to adjust the coloring on the subject. Raising the saturation of the image to match the rest of the icon would make the coloring more consistent.
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