Round 17 - Challenge 01 - Results (1)
ROUND 17 - CHALLENGE 01 - RESULTS (1)
I'd like to congratulate all of you for, in the first time in T-R history, leaving so much feedback that the result post was too big for LJ to handle. How incredible is that? Fantastic work everyone!
You'll find the result below as well as the first half of the feedback. A second post will go up momentarily with the second half of the feedback as well as the spreadsheet link.
1ST PLACE [5 points]:
nightbulbs with +9 votes.
2ND PLACE [4 points]:
shameless666 with +8 votes.
3RD PLACE [3 points]:
,
, &
naginis, spirits_rise, & jsfunction with +7 votes.
BEST INTERPRETATION [2 points]:
novindalf with +7 votes.
MOD'S CHOICE [1 point]:
julie_izumi
[The depth in this icon is mesmerizing to me. The composition is simple, but even so, this icon caught my eye and kept it for sure. The golden color and the subtle lights perfectly fit the theme, and I think the character/cap chosen fits the theme very well too. The balance of everything in this icon is just stunning-from coloring to lighting-and it simply outshone the rest for me, if you'll pardon the pun. ;)]
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
alisea_dreamPOSITIVE VOTES
++ First of all, I love the word pun. The subtle use of texture and quirky font give your icon an added burst of personality, too.
+ I really like the simplicity of the icon. It allows the text to take center stage. And I have to say, I really love the text too. The choice of font is a really great one because it gives some drama to the text without making it hard to read. Also, I really like the texture use, which makes it the text stand out!
+ Gorgeous icon with perfect sharpness and great text use - the slight rotation and fun font choice give the otherwise simple text a bit of extra that makes it interesting, and I love the texture that surrounds the text. My only nitpick is that the coloring of the character seems a slittle muted compared to the background - I would have picked a lighter shade of red to match the character better, or alternatively tried to color her clothes in more vibrant tones to match the background. But this is still one of my top favorites, because of the perfect text and texture use and very HQ overall look!
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ This icon has a lovely composition. The negative space, lighting and border are very nice, and the sun texture fits the theme in an original way. But the sharpening is very strong, especially on the text and the subject's edges, which lowers the image quality of the icon. Layer masking the sharpened layer on the edges and the text could have made it softer. Sharpening settings are also very useful. If you use Sharpen or Smart Sharpen on Photoshop you can preview the final result and adjust the settings until you find the right balance. Another option is to work on a bigger canvas (like 200x200px) and to sharpen before you resize your icon.
+ I do like this icon and feel it has a lot of potential! It just feels an odd mix of flat and unfinished--like the subject is a bit "disconnected" from the negative space background. I do think red is such a difficult color to work with, but maybe a different color would have worked better as the subject is a little more on the muted side, maybe a shade of green like the subject's clothing. The text as well feels a bit like this--like it was just pasted on top. Maybe integrating it a bit more with the subject--playing with placement, or picking a non-white color, like closer to red or green, would help make the icon feel more cohesive. The circle burst texture is lovely though, definitely keep that!
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I really like the text and texture work!
+ Really like your composition, how the textures, subject & text fit together
+ amazing coloring and composition, and the typography and texture/s are wonderful! The only thing that bothers me about this icon is that Max isn't exactly centered in the middle of the icon, but I know that's a personal preference and it doesn't take away from this icon's awesomeness!!
+ Lovely composition and coloring, and beautiful font choice. Just one tiny bit of critique: the T of "Time" touches her head, bringing the font visually to the front and distracting from the character. If the text was placed behind her, even just removing that tiny lowest bit of the T, it would return the focus to her.
ghanimasunPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I really love how yellow the subject's hair is and how the lighting lights the top of the icon.
+++ The more I look at this icon, the more I like it. Great contrast, love your use of colours, light & textures (especially the background)
+ Nice contrast and right amount of sharpness and I like how she seems to glow from the inside towards the outside.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ Very nice coloring and lighting in this icon! However, it looks super sharp to me, especially around her eyes and the edge of her face where it meets the background. I would mask out your sharpening layer or go over that bit with a blur brush so you can get a smoother transition.
+ This icon seems unbalanced to me. Maybe it’s because the bottom right corner is so dark? There’s a couple of things you could try to rectify that but the best option, IMO, is to probably use a less harsh gradient. The blues are super pretty though and I love how her hair is such a vibrant contrast to the background. The lighting is also really well executed, very eye-catching, so two thumbs up for that!
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Really is beautiful, the color of her hair and the way the icon's lighting is.
+ Love the lighting and colouring of the icon and I really adore the painted hair. The icon has a very soft and pretty look overall!
+ The glowy effect of her hair is really cool, but her hairline/face get lost a little bit. I think just adding a blob of a dark color on Soft Light to her skin, especially her forehead, would help. Otherwise, this is a really beautiful icon
+ the cap and crop are both very beautiful! The coloring is also very pretty, but it looks a bit too dark around her neck. Lightening the color/shade used with coloring or applying a light grey color (something like 9e9e9e) set on soft light will help this a bit
+ The coloring of this one is so cute and I really like the fact that the icon is somehow obscure, but it manages to have some shine on it.
+ I love the grungy background texture, and how the blue contrasts so well with the yellow hair. I especially like how everything below her face is in shadow but still saturated.
+ Love the bright coloring and her hair, her face looks a bit greyish compared to the vibrancy of the hair and background, but other than that lovely simple icon!
+ I really like the colour scene and the subtle painting of her hair, but the cut-out could do with a bit of work, especially around the back of her head/hair and by her mouth - I can see extra white pixels that are a bit out of place. Also, the whole thing seems just a tiny bit off-centre, but not deliberately to the left of the icon, so maybe shift her a little to the right?
naginisPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I really like the use of texture and color.
+++ the space/planet theme of this icon is really creative; the coloring works very well together, and the splashes of yellow help keep the icon from getting overtly purple/pink. The composition is also very nicely weighted; my eye isn't drawn to any specific part of the icon so it works together well as a whole
++ This is such a creative composition! The color composition is also really pretty.
++ The colours of this icon are stunning and so distinctive! The use of the planets adds extra depth, and I love how coherent the colour scheme is. My only issue is that some areas, such as the edge of the gold paint in the top-left, aren't as sharp as others, like her hair, but overall, great job!
++ The coloring here is just so pretty, the mix of purple and yellows just blends really well but what I really love about it, is that its not one shade of yellow or one shade of purple but several and each one layers to make the other pop.
+ I like the complex composition a lot, and the deep space theme fits Rose well, too. The colors are really well balanced, and I like their vibrance.
+ The composition of this icon is fantastic - there's a lot going on, but thanks to the limited color scheme and the textlessness, it really works. I like the coloring too, though I wish Rose's face was a bit brighter - the bottom half of the icon could use some brighter colors to balance the big white planet in the top half.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ I think this icon manages to combine both parts of the theme - the technical bright & shiny part, and the story about stepping into the unknown. Great fandom/character choice, in addition to a technically sound icon that fits the theme well.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ While I love the colors and overall composition, I find the planets at the top in white draw too much attention away from the subject. Perhaps if there was a white element down near her, maybe behind her shoulder, it would help the subject stand out without losing the "lost in space" look you have going.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ At 1st the icon looks a bit crowded & Rose's hair seems oversaturated (it seems to dissociate from the rest of her face) but love how creative this is
+ The composition in this icon is awesome, the contrast between the purples and the yellows is great and I love the planets background.
+ Love the color scheme of the icon! I'm a sucker for purple and yellow and I love how the icon mainly revolves around the two icons. Additionally, I also love the texture use! Given the theme of the show, the planets and the moon are nice nod towards the show!
+ LOVE the composition and color scheme of this icon - the pinks on her shirt, the purples on the background and the almost orange yellows all look absolutely delicious and give this icon an unreal, dreamy quality. However, her skin color seems off - it looks like it's part of a pink monochrome coloring and would work if the hair was also pink, but since it's yellow I get the idea that the colors are supposed to be natural-ish, so I'd make her face just a bit more naturally colored, that way the icon would be perfect.
+This icon is so cool in both composition and coloring, but Rose kind of blends into it because she's the same colors and luminosity. I think some work with lighting - making her either brighter or darker than the surroundings, or adding kind of a "halo" or shadow - by just taking a brush, doing a rough outline with either white or black, blurring, and then setting the layer to soft light - would help draw the eye to her so we don't get lost in Jupiter instead (it stands out as the current bright spot).
spirits_risePOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I love the contrast in colors here, it really makes the icon pop. Great job also using lighting to convey the theme. The only nitpick I have is that parts of this icon look a bit oversharp on my screen (especially around her nose and mouth), but that's an easy fix with a bit of masking your sharpen layer or a pass with a blur/smudge brush.
+++ I am mesmerized by the lighting on this icon! Not only that, I think the colouring is near perfect. The red and blue complement each other perfectly without competing with each other and the simplicity of the icon highlights the bright red of the hair!
+ The lighting is unbelievable and I really like the use of color.
+ I think the subject's hair is highlighted so well, so vibrantly, and the lighting gives both light and shadow.
+ You managed to make Merida look even more vibrant! Love what you did with her hair. The blue background complements everything very well.
+ The depth of colors in this icon are so pretty. The extreme reds of her hair contrast so nicely with the blue background. The lighting highlights everything really nicely.
+ So bright! So Vibrant! This icon is super pretty. Merida’s hair just immediately catches you attention and contrasts beautifully with the cyan/turquoise background. The only concrit I’d give is that the bottom part of her hair (from where it touches her shoulder to up around her ears) is a noticeably different hue to the rest of her hair. This might have been caused by the use of gradients or light textures with gradients. The red covers her skin as well and to me that lowers the quality of the icon slightly. One fix might be layer masks and brushes on lowered opacity. Or you might want to try editing/resizing your textures to make the colouring more uniform or suited to a particular icon. Oh, and before I forget, the sharpening on Merida’s hair is spot on. Her curls are really well defined.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Fantastic vibrant glowy colors here! The cyan-orange coloring really catches my eye and the lighting is gorgeous.
+ The colors are lovely, but the areas where the red/orange brushstrokes bleed into her skin get a little too saturated, especially on her chin and neck. A few small touchups with the eraser is all this needs to really look polished.
+ I love how you highlighted the color of her hair and made it stand out, and how you paired the red with a complimentary cyan color. The icon seems a little rough in terms of sharpening-her hair seems like one cohesive unit and not individual strands-so play around with sharpening techniques like high pass or auto sharpen
shameless666POSITIVE VOTES
+++ Great text use and composition.
+++ I really like the blues of this icon, the blending of both textures and the text use is spuer great!
+++ I love the composition of this icon! The proportions and placements of the caps are really well done and the text is brilliantly executed. If I absolutely had to nitpick I’d say the subject’s face is a little blurry on my screen but, really, it doesn’t detract at all from a great icon.
+++ Great use of two images, the background one is blended perfectly with the blue and the foreground image works well with it. The text is done well, and the lighting looks great.
++ The text composition with the different fonts is amazing. The background picture fits perfectly into the upper corner. The foreground character is not too blurry, not too sharp, and the colors match the rest of the icon.
++ The coloring is very pretty and the typography is fantastically executed! The blending paired with the overall composition works wonderfully, as well, and the quote is a really creative way to interpret the theme
++ The composition of icon is perfect; I really like text and the blending is amazing. Character is also cut-out really well.
++ The blending is well-executed, with the right amount of contrast on the background image to make it clear what's going on in the cap, but it's still clearly a background and doesn't distract the eye from the subject in the foreground and the text. Smart use of the light blob that's at its strongest on "sun", and of the glittery font for "shine". A bit more colour on the subject's face would have been welcome, in my opinion, but this is a solid icon overall.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
+ NO reason given.
+ I love the composition! The movement of the typography, the beautiful blue coloring, and use of the second image in the background are flawless.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I love the depth of using the two images, and the blending of colours is lovely and consistent. The text work is well-executed, but the cursive font of 'always' doesn't seem to fit with the other two fonts used, or the modern-day feel of the icon - maybe a less elaborate font would fit together better? Also, his skin and jacket look a little grainy - possibly could do with a little sharpening?
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I think the composition of this icon is brilliant!
+ Nice composition & text (perfect fonts)! The background works out surprisingly well, great blending! My only quip is that the subject at the foreground looks a bit too sharp on my screen, especially his face&jacket
+ I love the colouring and blending in the icon! It's done very smoothly. I also love the text work and am really digging the fact that you managed to incorporate the word 'shine' into your icon!
+ Great composition work and I love the huge text and the font choices for 'shine' (perfect to give a shiny disco vibe) and 'sun will'. I'm not quite sold on the slanted, narrow, decorative font on 'always', it seems to give a more delicate vibe that doesn't quite match the rest of the icon. I think it would look better in the same font you used for 'sun will', maybe in tiny capitals so the 'a' wouldn't go behind his head?
angelamariaPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I love how very bright the light at the top is without overpowering the icon. The clock texture fits her rushing motion really well, and the coloring is vibrant. I like the gradient from light to dark towards the bottom, bringing out the blue of her dress.
+ The coloring and lighting is very eye-catching and pretty.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I really like the idea. The clock texture is nice on the background and the colors are nice. But her face is little blurry and it is little difficult to see her. You should add more contrast and sharpening. You could use for example curves or levels to add contrast, and the sharpening tool to add sharpness.
+ I love the idea of this icon. The clock is a good idea for that feeling or movement or urgency that I think the maker was going for. To me, where the execution could have been improved is in the background colour and the use of the clock brush/texture. As it is, the graduated background doesn’t work well with brushes/white textures. They don’t show up very clearly against the light background and lower the overall quality of the icon. Personally, I feel like the icon would work better without the clock but if the maker wants to leave that element in then maybe a more solid background would work better? That being said, the colours and lighting in this icon are spot on. I love the vivid greens and blues and the idea, as a whole, is pretty great.
+ I really enjoy the flash of yellow lighting in the upper right-hand corner, as well as the yellow-to-green gradient colouring quality. However, the icon as a whole appears too sharp to me. The subject's face, collarbone (neck area), and even to some extent the one exposed arm -- appear much too sharp. It almost seems like too many sharpened layers. I would suggest sharpening on a layer mask, that way you can paint out the bits that become over-sharpened. Also, I wonder about the focus -- what is the clock texture's purpose? Is the focus of the icon the clock or the girl? Perhaps the clock being smaller would help draw the eye to the actual focus (if it is meant to be the girl). If the focus is the clock, perhaps having it set on another layer-setting (instead of screen or soft-light) would be more beneficial?
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The colouring is lovely, but her arm looks darker and less saturated than the rest of her (and indeed the rest of the icon), which makes it stand out a bit much.
+ I really like the idea. The clock texture is nice on the background and the colors are nice. But her face is little blurry and it is little difficult to see her. You should add more contrast and sharpening. You could use for example curves or levels to add contrast, and the sharpening tool to add sharpness.
+ Though I did not recognize the subject of the movie right away, the texture use and the positioning of the subject made me realise that the cap came from Cinderella! Love the colouring of the icon and of course, the texture use!
+ I adore the coloring in this, the yellows and greens are beautiful, and the contrasting blue makes a nice focal point. My only critique would be that the clock texture looks kind of blurry to me, which doesn't match up with the crispness of the rest of the icon.
+ lovely brightness and vibrancy! You got a lot of brightness out of a relatively dark cap; bravo! It's a little too bright around her face, and it causes her features to get a tad washed out, but overall a stunning icon!
+ This icon has such a cool concept: the combination of clock stock with a character running with a blurry background really gives a sense of rush. The bright coloring is absolutely beautiful, I especially love how the color of the shirt pops. I really wanted to give this icon a plus vote, because on a personal subjective level I find it really appealing, especially the colors, but I gotta be objective here and leave it out of my top3 for the slight image quality issues caused simply by the cap - I think you did a wonderful job sharpening it but there's only so much that can be done with a cap this blurry so the overall effect is still a bit LQish especially on her arm and clothes. But I still love this icon
tinnnyPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The texture doesn't seem to mesh well with his face, making it a confusing image and hard to recognize the person. The bright yellow lighting is well done. A simple lighting texture over the whole face to accent a part of it and give some shadows would help the icon, without the overpowering flowers texture on the face.
+ I'm not entirely sure about the texture/photo use on top of the subject's face. It's very daring and courageous but the result is kind of mottled, that instead of focusing on the subject and how they are lit/shiny, my eye is drawn towards the subject's skin. I do love the light outline and the golden lighting done, it would have been striking without the texture/cherry blossoms on top of the subject's face.
+ Even though I appreciate the creativity in this icon, the way the flowers overlap his face makes it appear quite uneven and unnatural. I suggest using the flower picture as a background in stead, to still keep with the theme of the icon.
+ The concept of this icon is so creative and brilliant, but very ambitious, and the execution falls a bit short. The coloring is lovely and the yellow glow on the right looks great, but the overlaying of the profile with the tree stock obscures his features a bit too much and it's hard to see what the overlayed image is, making it looks like a filter rather than a blend. I'd suggest erasing the stock image from some of his facial features a bit but making it brighter and more visible on his hair, to make it easier to understand the cool concept at one glance!
+ It's a really creative idea to overlay his face with the other image, but it introduces green-ish colours that look really out of place with the reds and yellows of the rest of the icon. Also I think it makes the icon way too busy, and my eyes struggle to find something to focus on. I do like the cracked face effect the image brings, but maybe reducing the extent by erasing some of the branches and tieing in the colour with the rest of the icon might look less cluttered.
+ The crop is lovely and I really love the use of coolor here. The yellows really pop. The flower texture over the character's face is very strong and hard to understand if that was the original icon or a texture. I think blurring the texture a small bit and then overlaying would have given the depth that you were looking for and given the character's face dimension.
+ I'm a huge fan of double exposure, so I like where you were going with the concept. The lighting is really pretty, but I feel that the textures you used are a little too busy, and make it difficult to distinguish the facial featrues. Enlarging the texture so that the impression is less dappled might help soften out the effect?
+ This icon is so creative! It looks a bit renaissance or impressionistic painting. The crop is a little odd, though, and with the added textures, it makes it feel a little too close to Ichabod's face and it offers little shadows to help define the jawline. If the crop were farther out and you could see more of his hair/neck, there could be more room for the impressionistic effect and for shadows, which would help define his jawline
+ I'm not sure your choice of doing this effect on the face of the subject is the best idea, the flower use as blending effect on the face is a bit distracting and we don't really get what's going on. Taking off this effect and cropping the face more on the right would have made a stronger icon imo.
+ The way the texture/picture is used is a little obscure and it's difficult for the subject to stand out against it. I'd recommend using it either on a different mode with low opacity, or just use it as a background, so the subject won't be lost and can stand out more.
+ The lighting of the icon is very beautiful and gives the icon a very glowy look. I took a look at the caps provided by you and I understand the idea behind the icon and like. However, I think a few issues prevented the idea from being executed to it's full potential. As of now, the flowers are quite a busy background. And blended with the other cap, they make the end result look a little murky. I think, if you had selected the outline of the subject's face and then pasted the flowers in that, it would have made for a neater look. This way, the flowers would have been easily visible, but the outline subject's face would have still been visible too! Alternatively, I would recommend choosing a texture that is not as busy as the current one and after you blend the two caps, masking away the more visible bits so that the icon would look more cohesive.
+ The crop doesn't really work here, his neck is cut off in a slightly awkward way and the left side of his face is a bit on the dark side. The crop also leaves too much space on the right side of the icon. The strong lighting was a great idea, given the theme, and the yellow hues are lovely. But the balance is off, the left side of the icon is too dark and the light on the right side is too strong, to the point where some pixels are actually white, which is usually something to avoid. A good way to avoid it and retrieve colour is to create a new layer set on soft light and paint a dark grey or black blob, which you can soften by using gaussian blur and reducing the opacity of the layer if needed. Layer masking the gradients, light texture or adjustement layers you used is also an easy and effective way to make sure the lighting doesn't overpower the icon. Finally, the texture on his face doesn't work with the composition and lighting choices. It's too strong and distracting, adding a grunge-y aspect that could have been interesting but here the texture lowers the image quality and gives an oversharpened and overcontrasted look. A good way to add a grunge feel on a vibrant icon is to use a grain filter on the whole icon, working on the opacity to keep it subtle. Grainy, grunge or patterned textures usually work better on icons used on an entire icon (with the possibility of using layer masks if they're too strong on a certain area) rather than only on the subject.
+ First of all, I love the idea behind this icon. The combination of screencaps is striking and sends a message without using any words or more obvious imagery. However, there are some problems with the technical side of the icon that need work. Using blending to combine the two images was a bold choice, but I think it doesn't quite work here - it's not immediately obvious that the texture on the character's face is flowers, partly due to the fact that the bright screencap did not provide enough contrast for the flowers to stand out, but also because the photo of flowers you chose is rather LQ, with quite a lot of JPEG artifacts, so the image is distorted and hard to see. For this icon I would suggest moving the crop to the right, to include more of the darker parts of the screencap - they would provide lovely contrast for the flowers, and for the brighter side of the icon too. Also, a HQ image is a must. From what I can see, under the flowers, the rest of the icon is nice and smooth, so there were no issues with the quality of the screencap, but overlaying a LQ photo on top of it created an overall LQ effect. I do like this icon a lot though, I hope to see an improved version of it someday.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Interesting crop & the bright light on the right looks nice. Unfortunately, the texture makes the subject really difficult to identify without seeing the cap, especially with his face so dark. You could lower its opacity or get rid of it and work on crop/lighting instead
gribouillePOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ the "shine" or light perfectly illuminates the subject's face in what I feel is perfectly balanced with the darker bits.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The color scheme is lovely, there are some great deep colors in the darker areas especially, and the contrast on his face is great. The background throws me off a bit though, since the shapes on it are so blurry that it almost looks like a weirdly smudged background, even though looking at the cap I caan see that's how it naturally is. The light shapes attract a lot of attention and take away from the split color effect that would be achieved if the sides were just solid colors of dark blue and red, or even if you painted on the lightest bits with a multiply layer mode to make the highlights darker.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The depth of colors and lighting is great, but I think the saturation in his face is a bit too strong. He blends into the background a little too much in my opinion.
+ the cropping and coloring on this icon are fantastic! The blue and red aren't overpowering and work together quite well. His features are less distinct around his nose/eyes zone, but it's only a minor hindrance to an awesome icon and can easily be fixed by a little sharpening
+ I really adore the deep colors in your icon. They're great and make it so fun to look at! I do think the effect might be better if you made both sides of the background that dark blue rather than one blue and one red - since the subject is colored in warm tones, having a background that's cooler makes him stand out more. Also, the eye tends to perceive warmer colored things as closer and cooler colored things as further away, so it would reinforce the foreground/background of the icon.
cool_spectrumPOSITIVE VOTES
+ The cap is really fitting of the theme! The sparks "shine" in the darkness, so to speak, and the colors are very soft but just vibrant enough to work with the theme. Great job!
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
+ Well the cap is so accurate and well chosen and also the use of light centred on the fireworks, the colours and all, its perfect. Great job.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I think this icon has potential - the off-center crop is really nice, and the simplicity was a good choice for this screencap. The problem here is that the coloring works against the screencap rather than enhancing it. By darkening the brightest parts of the screencap (i.e. the fire and parts of Howl's face and body illuminated by it), you removed one of the original screencap's most eye-catching features - the contrast. Instead, I'd suggest embracing it, emphasizing the light/dark parts with a Levels or Curves layer (if you're using Phothoshop), and maybe even adding some subtle light textures to make the fire even brighter. Similarly, the icon looks less vibrant than the original screencap, which also might not have been the best choice - combining a dark background with brilliant shades of orange, blue and purple would have helped this icon stand out much more.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love the double interpretation here - picking a cap that has something shining in it, and also adding some lighting to the icon. The purple shades of this icon are very beautiful. I'd add a bit more contrast by adding brightness to the highlights, but the shadows are perfect as they are, I quite like the lack of absolute blacks.
+ Love the negative space! Didn't realise you had coloured the blobs until I looked at the cap, it looks so great! The character disappears a bit into the background, but it's not that big a problem. You could make them pop out a little bit more by brightening them for instance
julie_izumiPOSITIVE VOTES
++ This icon just totally jumps off the page! The lighting is sublime and the richness of colour is really, really attractive. On my screen it’s a little on the dark side but it’s still super pretty and also really well sharpened!
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ Whether I really like the negative space and the centred crop, I think you should've added much more contrast between Arthur and the background, maybe not over smoothing the edges, that would make Arthur stand out, and not blend excessively with the bg. The light use is good but I would've added more in the top tight of the icon, and none in the bottom, maybe using a gradient mask or with a brush.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I like the simplicity and warm colors, but the yellows behind his neck on the right clash with the other shades of yellow in the icon. I also find the whiteish light blob at the top a little distracting. Adjusting the opacity, or maybe using a light shade of yellow instead of white would probably help everything blend a little better.
+ beautiful golden/yellow coloring! The crop is quite nice and the lighting works great, too! It's a little blurry around his nose/eyes area, but other than that, the icon is splendid!
+ The gold/yellows work well with this icon & the cut-out is well done. A bit more contrast could make Arthur pop out more, maybe using curves to add shade
+ I love this icon. Simple, perfect representation of the theme, nice choice of cap, well sharpened and perfectly cut out.
+ This icon is gorgeous. The lighting is so shiny, the golden tones over the entire icon look flattering, the contrast is great. I'd perhaps sharpen his face a bit more since currently the armor seems to be sharper than the face or hair, but that's a small nitpick, I really like this icon overall.
Second feedback post.
I'd like to congratulate all of you for, in the first time in T-R history, leaving so much feedback that the result post was too big for LJ to handle. How incredible is that? Fantastic work everyone!
You'll find the result below as well as the first half of the feedback. A second post will go up momentarily with the second half of the feedback as well as the spreadsheet link.
1ST PLACE [5 points]:
nightbulbs with +9 votes.
2ND PLACE [4 points]:
shameless666 with +8 votes.
3RD PLACE [3 points]:
,
, &
naginis, spirits_rise, & jsfunction with +7 votes.
BEST INTERPRETATION [2 points]:
novindalf with +7 votes.
MOD'S CHOICE [1 point]:
julie_izumi
[The depth in this icon is mesmerizing to me. The composition is simple, but even so, this icon caught my eye and kept it for sure. The golden color and the subtle lights perfectly fit the theme, and I think the character/cap chosen fits the theme very well too. The balance of everything in this icon is just stunning-from coloring to lighting-and it simply outshone the rest for me, if you'll pardon the pun. ;)]
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
alisea_dreamPOSITIVE VOTES
++ First of all, I love the word pun. The subtle use of texture and quirky font give your icon an added burst of personality, too.
+ I really like the simplicity of the icon. It allows the text to take center stage. And I have to say, I really love the text too. The choice of font is a really great one because it gives some drama to the text without making it hard to read. Also, I really like the texture use, which makes it the text stand out!
+ Gorgeous icon with perfect sharpness and great text use - the slight rotation and fun font choice give the otherwise simple text a bit of extra that makes it interesting, and I love the texture that surrounds the text. My only nitpick is that the coloring of the character seems a slittle muted compared to the background - I would have picked a lighter shade of red to match the character better, or alternatively tried to color her clothes in more vibrant tones to match the background. But this is still one of my top favorites, because of the perfect text and texture use and very HQ overall look!
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ This icon has a lovely composition. The negative space, lighting and border are very nice, and the sun texture fits the theme in an original way. But the sharpening is very strong, especially on the text and the subject's edges, which lowers the image quality of the icon. Layer masking the sharpened layer on the edges and the text could have made it softer. Sharpening settings are also very useful. If you use Sharpen or Smart Sharpen on Photoshop you can preview the final result and adjust the settings until you find the right balance. Another option is to work on a bigger canvas (like 200x200px) and to sharpen before you resize your icon.
+ I do like this icon and feel it has a lot of potential! It just feels an odd mix of flat and unfinished--like the subject is a bit "disconnected" from the negative space background. I do think red is such a difficult color to work with, but maybe a different color would have worked better as the subject is a little more on the muted side, maybe a shade of green like the subject's clothing. The text as well feels a bit like this--like it was just pasted on top. Maybe integrating it a bit more with the subject--playing with placement, or picking a non-white color, like closer to red or green, would help make the icon feel more cohesive. The circle burst texture is lovely though, definitely keep that!
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I really like the text and texture work!
+ Really like your composition, how the textures, subject & text fit together
+ amazing coloring and composition, and the typography and texture/s are wonderful! The only thing that bothers me about this icon is that Max isn't exactly centered in the middle of the icon, but I know that's a personal preference and it doesn't take away from this icon's awesomeness!!
+ Lovely composition and coloring, and beautiful font choice. Just one tiny bit of critique: the T of "Time" touches her head, bringing the font visually to the front and distracting from the character. If the text was placed behind her, even just removing that tiny lowest bit of the T, it would return the focus to her.
ghanimasunPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I really love how yellow the subject's hair is and how the lighting lights the top of the icon.
+++ The more I look at this icon, the more I like it. Great contrast, love your use of colours, light & textures (especially the background)
+ Nice contrast and right amount of sharpness and I like how she seems to glow from the inside towards the outside.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ Very nice coloring and lighting in this icon! However, it looks super sharp to me, especially around her eyes and the edge of her face where it meets the background. I would mask out your sharpening layer or go over that bit with a blur brush so you can get a smoother transition.
+ This icon seems unbalanced to me. Maybe it’s because the bottom right corner is so dark? There’s a couple of things you could try to rectify that but the best option, IMO, is to probably use a less harsh gradient. The blues are super pretty though and I love how her hair is such a vibrant contrast to the background. The lighting is also really well executed, very eye-catching, so two thumbs up for that!
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Really is beautiful, the color of her hair and the way the icon's lighting is.
+ Love the lighting and colouring of the icon and I really adore the painted hair. The icon has a very soft and pretty look overall!
+ The glowy effect of her hair is really cool, but her hairline/face get lost a little bit. I think just adding a blob of a dark color on Soft Light to her skin, especially her forehead, would help. Otherwise, this is a really beautiful icon
+ the cap and crop are both very beautiful! The coloring is also very pretty, but it looks a bit too dark around her neck. Lightening the color/shade used with coloring or applying a light grey color (something like 9e9e9e) set on soft light will help this a bit
+ The coloring of this one is so cute and I really like the fact that the icon is somehow obscure, but it manages to have some shine on it.
+ I love the grungy background texture, and how the blue contrasts so well with the yellow hair. I especially like how everything below her face is in shadow but still saturated.
+ Love the bright coloring and her hair, her face looks a bit greyish compared to the vibrancy of the hair and background, but other than that lovely simple icon!
+ I really like the colour scene and the subtle painting of her hair, but the cut-out could do with a bit of work, especially around the back of her head/hair and by her mouth - I can see extra white pixels that are a bit out of place. Also, the whole thing seems just a tiny bit off-centre, but not deliberately to the left of the icon, so maybe shift her a little to the right?
naginisPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I really like the use of texture and color.
+++ the space/planet theme of this icon is really creative; the coloring works very well together, and the splashes of yellow help keep the icon from getting overtly purple/pink. The composition is also very nicely weighted; my eye isn't drawn to any specific part of the icon so it works together well as a whole
++ This is such a creative composition! The color composition is also really pretty.
++ The colours of this icon are stunning and so distinctive! The use of the planets adds extra depth, and I love how coherent the colour scheme is. My only issue is that some areas, such as the edge of the gold paint in the top-left, aren't as sharp as others, like her hair, but overall, great job!
++ The coloring here is just so pretty, the mix of purple and yellows just blends really well but what I really love about it, is that its not one shade of yellow or one shade of purple but several and each one layers to make the other pop.
+ I like the complex composition a lot, and the deep space theme fits Rose well, too. The colors are really well balanced, and I like their vibrance.
+ The composition of this icon is fantastic - there's a lot going on, but thanks to the limited color scheme and the textlessness, it really works. I like the coloring too, though I wish Rose's face was a bit brighter - the bottom half of the icon could use some brighter colors to balance the big white planet in the top half.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ I think this icon manages to combine both parts of the theme - the technical bright & shiny part, and the story about stepping into the unknown. Great fandom/character choice, in addition to a technically sound icon that fits the theme well.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ While I love the colors and overall composition, I find the planets at the top in white draw too much attention away from the subject. Perhaps if there was a white element down near her, maybe behind her shoulder, it would help the subject stand out without losing the "lost in space" look you have going.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ At 1st the icon looks a bit crowded & Rose's hair seems oversaturated (it seems to dissociate from the rest of her face) but love how creative this is
+ The composition in this icon is awesome, the contrast between the purples and the yellows is great and I love the planets background.
+ Love the color scheme of the icon! I'm a sucker for purple and yellow and I love how the icon mainly revolves around the two icons. Additionally, I also love the texture use! Given the theme of the show, the planets and the moon are nice nod towards the show!
+ LOVE the composition and color scheme of this icon - the pinks on her shirt, the purples on the background and the almost orange yellows all look absolutely delicious and give this icon an unreal, dreamy quality. However, her skin color seems off - it looks like it's part of a pink monochrome coloring and would work if the hair was also pink, but since it's yellow I get the idea that the colors are supposed to be natural-ish, so I'd make her face just a bit more naturally colored, that way the icon would be perfect.
+This icon is so cool in both composition and coloring, but Rose kind of blends into it because she's the same colors and luminosity. I think some work with lighting - making her either brighter or darker than the surroundings, or adding kind of a "halo" or shadow - by just taking a brush, doing a rough outline with either white or black, blurring, and then setting the layer to soft light - would help draw the eye to her so we don't get lost in Jupiter instead (it stands out as the current bright spot).
spirits_risePOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I love the contrast in colors here, it really makes the icon pop. Great job also using lighting to convey the theme. The only nitpick I have is that parts of this icon look a bit oversharp on my screen (especially around her nose and mouth), but that's an easy fix with a bit of masking your sharpen layer or a pass with a blur/smudge brush.
+++ I am mesmerized by the lighting on this icon! Not only that, I think the colouring is near perfect. The red and blue complement each other perfectly without competing with each other and the simplicity of the icon highlights the bright red of the hair!
+ The lighting is unbelievable and I really like the use of color.
+ I think the subject's hair is highlighted so well, so vibrantly, and the lighting gives both light and shadow.
+ You managed to make Merida look even more vibrant! Love what you did with her hair. The blue background complements everything very well.
+ The depth of colors in this icon are so pretty. The extreme reds of her hair contrast so nicely with the blue background. The lighting highlights everything really nicely.
+ So bright! So Vibrant! This icon is super pretty. Merida’s hair just immediately catches you attention and contrasts beautifully with the cyan/turquoise background. The only concrit I’d give is that the bottom part of her hair (from where it touches her shoulder to up around her ears) is a noticeably different hue to the rest of her hair. This might have been caused by the use of gradients or light textures with gradients. The red covers her skin as well and to me that lowers the quality of the icon slightly. One fix might be layer masks and brushes on lowered opacity. Or you might want to try editing/resizing your textures to make the colouring more uniform or suited to a particular icon. Oh, and before I forget, the sharpening on Merida’s hair is spot on. Her curls are really well defined.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Fantastic vibrant glowy colors here! The cyan-orange coloring really catches my eye and the lighting is gorgeous.
+ The colors are lovely, but the areas where the red/orange brushstrokes bleed into her skin get a little too saturated, especially on her chin and neck. A few small touchups with the eraser is all this needs to really look polished.
+ I love how you highlighted the color of her hair and made it stand out, and how you paired the red with a complimentary cyan color. The icon seems a little rough in terms of sharpening-her hair seems like one cohesive unit and not individual strands-so play around with sharpening techniques like high pass or auto sharpen
shameless666POSITIVE VOTES
+++ Great text use and composition.
+++ I really like the blues of this icon, the blending of both textures and the text use is spuer great!
+++ I love the composition of this icon! The proportions and placements of the caps are really well done and the text is brilliantly executed. If I absolutely had to nitpick I’d say the subject’s face is a little blurry on my screen but, really, it doesn’t detract at all from a great icon.
+++ Great use of two images, the background one is blended perfectly with the blue and the foreground image works well with it. The text is done well, and the lighting looks great.
++ The text composition with the different fonts is amazing. The background picture fits perfectly into the upper corner. The foreground character is not too blurry, not too sharp, and the colors match the rest of the icon.
++ The coloring is very pretty and the typography is fantastically executed! The blending paired with the overall composition works wonderfully, as well, and the quote is a really creative way to interpret the theme
++ The composition of icon is perfect; I really like text and the blending is amazing. Character is also cut-out really well.
++ The blending is well-executed, with the right amount of contrast on the background image to make it clear what's going on in the cap, but it's still clearly a background and doesn't distract the eye from the subject in the foreground and the text. Smart use of the light blob that's at its strongest on "sun", and of the glittery font for "shine". A bit more colour on the subject's face would have been welcome, in my opinion, but this is a solid icon overall.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
+ NO reason given.
+ I love the composition! The movement of the typography, the beautiful blue coloring, and use of the second image in the background are flawless.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I love the depth of using the two images, and the blending of colours is lovely and consistent. The text work is well-executed, but the cursive font of 'always' doesn't seem to fit with the other two fonts used, or the modern-day feel of the icon - maybe a less elaborate font would fit together better? Also, his skin and jacket look a little grainy - possibly could do with a little sharpening?
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I think the composition of this icon is brilliant!
+ Nice composition & text (perfect fonts)! The background works out surprisingly well, great blending! My only quip is that the subject at the foreground looks a bit too sharp on my screen, especially his face&jacket
+ I love the colouring and blending in the icon! It's done very smoothly. I also love the text work and am really digging the fact that you managed to incorporate the word 'shine' into your icon!
+ Great composition work and I love the huge text and the font choices for 'shine' (perfect to give a shiny disco vibe) and 'sun will'. I'm not quite sold on the slanted, narrow, decorative font on 'always', it seems to give a more delicate vibe that doesn't quite match the rest of the icon. I think it would look better in the same font you used for 'sun will', maybe in tiny capitals so the 'a' wouldn't go behind his head?
angelamariaPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I love how very bright the light at the top is without overpowering the icon. The clock texture fits her rushing motion really well, and the coloring is vibrant. I like the gradient from light to dark towards the bottom, bringing out the blue of her dress.
+ The coloring and lighting is very eye-catching and pretty.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I really like the idea. The clock texture is nice on the background and the colors are nice. But her face is little blurry and it is little difficult to see her. You should add more contrast and sharpening. You could use for example curves or levels to add contrast, and the sharpening tool to add sharpness.
+ I love the idea of this icon. The clock is a good idea for that feeling or movement or urgency that I think the maker was going for. To me, where the execution could have been improved is in the background colour and the use of the clock brush/texture. As it is, the graduated background doesn’t work well with brushes/white textures. They don’t show up very clearly against the light background and lower the overall quality of the icon. Personally, I feel like the icon would work better without the clock but if the maker wants to leave that element in then maybe a more solid background would work better? That being said, the colours and lighting in this icon are spot on. I love the vivid greens and blues and the idea, as a whole, is pretty great.
+ I really enjoy the flash of yellow lighting in the upper right-hand corner, as well as the yellow-to-green gradient colouring quality. However, the icon as a whole appears too sharp to me. The subject's face, collarbone (neck area), and even to some extent the one exposed arm -- appear much too sharp. It almost seems like too many sharpened layers. I would suggest sharpening on a layer mask, that way you can paint out the bits that become over-sharpened. Also, I wonder about the focus -- what is the clock texture's purpose? Is the focus of the icon the clock or the girl? Perhaps the clock being smaller would help draw the eye to the actual focus (if it is meant to be the girl). If the focus is the clock, perhaps having it set on another layer-setting (instead of screen or soft-light) would be more beneficial?
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The colouring is lovely, but her arm looks darker and less saturated than the rest of her (and indeed the rest of the icon), which makes it stand out a bit much.
+ I really like the idea. The clock texture is nice on the background and the colors are nice. But her face is little blurry and it is little difficult to see her. You should add more contrast and sharpening. You could use for example curves or levels to add contrast, and the sharpening tool to add sharpness.
+ Though I did not recognize the subject of the movie right away, the texture use and the positioning of the subject made me realise that the cap came from Cinderella! Love the colouring of the icon and of course, the texture use!
+ I adore the coloring in this, the yellows and greens are beautiful, and the contrasting blue makes a nice focal point. My only critique would be that the clock texture looks kind of blurry to me, which doesn't match up with the crispness of the rest of the icon.
+ lovely brightness and vibrancy! You got a lot of brightness out of a relatively dark cap; bravo! It's a little too bright around her face, and it causes her features to get a tad washed out, but overall a stunning icon!
+ This icon has such a cool concept: the combination of clock stock with a character running with a blurry background really gives a sense of rush. The bright coloring is absolutely beautiful, I especially love how the color of the shirt pops. I really wanted to give this icon a plus vote, because on a personal subjective level I find it really appealing, especially the colors, but I gotta be objective here and leave it out of my top3 for the slight image quality issues caused simply by the cap - I think you did a wonderful job sharpening it but there's only so much that can be done with a cap this blurry so the overall effect is still a bit LQish especially on her arm and clothes. But I still love this icon
tinnnyPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The texture doesn't seem to mesh well with his face, making it a confusing image and hard to recognize the person. The bright yellow lighting is well done. A simple lighting texture over the whole face to accent a part of it and give some shadows would help the icon, without the overpowering flowers texture on the face.
+ I'm not entirely sure about the texture/photo use on top of the subject's face. It's very daring and courageous but the result is kind of mottled, that instead of focusing on the subject and how they are lit/shiny, my eye is drawn towards the subject's skin. I do love the light outline and the golden lighting done, it would have been striking without the texture/cherry blossoms on top of the subject's face.
+ Even though I appreciate the creativity in this icon, the way the flowers overlap his face makes it appear quite uneven and unnatural. I suggest using the flower picture as a background in stead, to still keep with the theme of the icon.
+ The concept of this icon is so creative and brilliant, but very ambitious, and the execution falls a bit short. The coloring is lovely and the yellow glow on the right looks great, but the overlaying of the profile with the tree stock obscures his features a bit too much and it's hard to see what the overlayed image is, making it looks like a filter rather than a blend. I'd suggest erasing the stock image from some of his facial features a bit but making it brighter and more visible on his hair, to make it easier to understand the cool concept at one glance!
+ It's a really creative idea to overlay his face with the other image, but it introduces green-ish colours that look really out of place with the reds and yellows of the rest of the icon. Also I think it makes the icon way too busy, and my eyes struggle to find something to focus on. I do like the cracked face effect the image brings, but maybe reducing the extent by erasing some of the branches and tieing in the colour with the rest of the icon might look less cluttered.
+ The crop is lovely and I really love the use of coolor here. The yellows really pop. The flower texture over the character's face is very strong and hard to understand if that was the original icon or a texture. I think blurring the texture a small bit and then overlaying would have given the depth that you were looking for and given the character's face dimension.
+ I'm a huge fan of double exposure, so I like where you were going with the concept. The lighting is really pretty, but I feel that the textures you used are a little too busy, and make it difficult to distinguish the facial featrues. Enlarging the texture so that the impression is less dappled might help soften out the effect?
+ This icon is so creative! It looks a bit renaissance or impressionistic painting. The crop is a little odd, though, and with the added textures, it makes it feel a little too close to Ichabod's face and it offers little shadows to help define the jawline. If the crop were farther out and you could see more of his hair/neck, there could be more room for the impressionistic effect and for shadows, which would help define his jawline
+ I'm not sure your choice of doing this effect on the face of the subject is the best idea, the flower use as blending effect on the face is a bit distracting and we don't really get what's going on. Taking off this effect and cropping the face more on the right would have made a stronger icon imo.
+ The way the texture/picture is used is a little obscure and it's difficult for the subject to stand out against it. I'd recommend using it either on a different mode with low opacity, or just use it as a background, so the subject won't be lost and can stand out more.
+ The lighting of the icon is very beautiful and gives the icon a very glowy look. I took a look at the caps provided by you and I understand the idea behind the icon and like. However, I think a few issues prevented the idea from being executed to it's full potential. As of now, the flowers are quite a busy background. And blended with the other cap, they make the end result look a little murky. I think, if you had selected the outline of the subject's face and then pasted the flowers in that, it would have made for a neater look. This way, the flowers would have been easily visible, but the outline subject's face would have still been visible too! Alternatively, I would recommend choosing a texture that is not as busy as the current one and after you blend the two caps, masking away the more visible bits so that the icon would look more cohesive.
+ The crop doesn't really work here, his neck is cut off in a slightly awkward way and the left side of his face is a bit on the dark side. The crop also leaves too much space on the right side of the icon. The strong lighting was a great idea, given the theme, and the yellow hues are lovely. But the balance is off, the left side of the icon is too dark and the light on the right side is too strong, to the point where some pixels are actually white, which is usually something to avoid. A good way to avoid it and retrieve colour is to create a new layer set on soft light and paint a dark grey or black blob, which you can soften by using gaussian blur and reducing the opacity of the layer if needed. Layer masking the gradients, light texture or adjustement layers you used is also an easy and effective way to make sure the lighting doesn't overpower the icon. Finally, the texture on his face doesn't work with the composition and lighting choices. It's too strong and distracting, adding a grunge-y aspect that could have been interesting but here the texture lowers the image quality and gives an oversharpened and overcontrasted look. A good way to add a grunge feel on a vibrant icon is to use a grain filter on the whole icon, working on the opacity to keep it subtle. Grainy, grunge or patterned textures usually work better on icons used on an entire icon (with the possibility of using layer masks if they're too strong on a certain area) rather than only on the subject.
+ First of all, I love the idea behind this icon. The combination of screencaps is striking and sends a message without using any words or more obvious imagery. However, there are some problems with the technical side of the icon that need work. Using blending to combine the two images was a bold choice, but I think it doesn't quite work here - it's not immediately obvious that the texture on the character's face is flowers, partly due to the fact that the bright screencap did not provide enough contrast for the flowers to stand out, but also because the photo of flowers you chose is rather LQ, with quite a lot of JPEG artifacts, so the image is distorted and hard to see. For this icon I would suggest moving the crop to the right, to include more of the darker parts of the screencap - they would provide lovely contrast for the flowers, and for the brighter side of the icon too. Also, a HQ image is a must. From what I can see, under the flowers, the rest of the icon is nice and smooth, so there were no issues with the quality of the screencap, but overlaying a LQ photo on top of it created an overall LQ effect. I do like this icon a lot though, I hope to see an improved version of it someday.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Interesting crop & the bright light on the right looks nice. Unfortunately, the texture makes the subject really difficult to identify without seeing the cap, especially with his face so dark. You could lower its opacity or get rid of it and work on crop/lighting instead
gribouillePOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ the "shine" or light perfectly illuminates the subject's face in what I feel is perfectly balanced with the darker bits.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The color scheme is lovely, there are some great deep colors in the darker areas especially, and the contrast on his face is great. The background throws me off a bit though, since the shapes on it are so blurry that it almost looks like a weirdly smudged background, even though looking at the cap I caan see that's how it naturally is. The light shapes attract a lot of attention and take away from the split color effect that would be achieved if the sides were just solid colors of dark blue and red, or even if you painted on the lightest bits with a multiply layer mode to make the highlights darker.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The depth of colors and lighting is great, but I think the saturation in his face is a bit too strong. He blends into the background a little too much in my opinion.
+ the cropping and coloring on this icon are fantastic! The blue and red aren't overpowering and work together quite well. His features are less distinct around his nose/eyes zone, but it's only a minor hindrance to an awesome icon and can easily be fixed by a little sharpening
+ I really adore the deep colors in your icon. They're great and make it so fun to look at! I do think the effect might be better if you made both sides of the background that dark blue rather than one blue and one red - since the subject is colored in warm tones, having a background that's cooler makes him stand out more. Also, the eye tends to perceive warmer colored things as closer and cooler colored things as further away, so it would reinforce the foreground/background of the icon.
cool_spectrumPOSITIVE VOTES
+ The cap is really fitting of the theme! The sparks "shine" in the darkness, so to speak, and the colors are very soft but just vibrant enough to work with the theme. Great job!
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason given.
+ Well the cap is so accurate and well chosen and also the use of light centred on the fireworks, the colours and all, its perfect. Great job.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I think this icon has potential - the off-center crop is really nice, and the simplicity was a good choice for this screencap. The problem here is that the coloring works against the screencap rather than enhancing it. By darkening the brightest parts of the screencap (i.e. the fire and parts of Howl's face and body illuminated by it), you removed one of the original screencap's most eye-catching features - the contrast. Instead, I'd suggest embracing it, emphasizing the light/dark parts with a Levels or Curves layer (if you're using Phothoshop), and maybe even adding some subtle light textures to make the fire even brighter. Similarly, the icon looks less vibrant than the original screencap, which also might not have been the best choice - combining a dark background with brilliant shades of orange, blue and purple would have helped this icon stand out much more.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love the double interpretation here - picking a cap that has something shining in it, and also adding some lighting to the icon. The purple shades of this icon are very beautiful. I'd add a bit more contrast by adding brightness to the highlights, but the shadows are perfect as they are, I quite like the lack of absolute blacks.
+ Love the negative space! Didn't realise you had coloured the blobs until I looked at the cap, it looks so great! The character disappears a bit into the background, but it's not that big a problem. You could make them pop out a little bit more by brightening them for instance
julie_izumiPOSITIVE VOTES
++ This icon just totally jumps off the page! The lighting is sublime and the richness of colour is really, really attractive. On my screen it’s a little on the dark side but it’s still super pretty and also really well sharpened!
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ Whether I really like the negative space and the centred crop, I think you should've added much more contrast between Arthur and the background, maybe not over smoothing the edges, that would make Arthur stand out, and not blend excessively with the bg. The light use is good but I would've added more in the top tight of the icon, and none in the bottom, maybe using a gradient mask or with a brush.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I like the simplicity and warm colors, but the yellows behind his neck on the right clash with the other shades of yellow in the icon. I also find the whiteish light blob at the top a little distracting. Adjusting the opacity, or maybe using a light shade of yellow instead of white would probably help everything blend a little better.
+ beautiful golden/yellow coloring! The crop is quite nice and the lighting works great, too! It's a little blurry around his nose/eyes area, but other than that, the icon is splendid!
+ The gold/yellows work well with this icon & the cut-out is well done. A bit more contrast could make Arthur pop out more, maybe using curves to add shade
+ I love this icon. Simple, perfect representation of the theme, nice choice of cap, well sharpened and perfectly cut out.
+ This icon is gorgeous. The lighting is so shiny, the golden tones over the entire icon look flattering, the contrast is great. I'd perhaps sharpen his face a bit more since currently the armor seems to be sharper than the face or hair, but that's a small nitpick, I really like this icon overall.
Second feedback post.