Round 18 - Challenge 01 - Results
ROUND 18 - CHALLENGE 01 - RESULTS
1ST PLACE [5 points]:
adriftingsea with +12 votes.
2ND PLACE [4 points]:
starkwars with +11 votes.
3RD PLACE [3 points]:
emiels with +6 votes.
BEST INTERPRETATION [2 points]:
&
alisea_dream & esgeee with +3 votes.
MOD'S CHOICE [1 point]:
applepips16
[If I've gotten the episode correct, I think it's a cute touch to use the flower screencap as a decorative border here for Jeff and Britt's "we're getting married because it's inevitable' bit. That combined with the muted, dreary (yet vibrant!) coloring is perfection for the show, the couple, and the moment your iconning. Lots of very smart iconning choices here. Good job!]
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
setentpetPOSITIVE VOTES
+ I just looked at your original cap, and I'm quite amazed by how you coloured it, adding so much contrast to it. Great composition, everything (subject, texture) blends well together and with that colour scheme. Well done!
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ Texture in the background fits icon nicely, and monochrome coloring amplifies this feeling.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ the cutout of Dany is really great and the composition is nice as well. However, the icon seems a bit washed out since it's all one dull color and it causes Dany to blend in with the background a bit, especially with her raised arm and hair. Making the background darker would help define the subject, or having Dany be one color and the background be a different color would help as well.
+ I really like the vintage look the flowers produce in combination with Daenerys, and the sepia coloring enhances that even more. I would have voted for this icon, if her right side wasn't looking a tiny bit blurry. I don't even know what's causing it, because she looks well masked. Maybe it's an unfortunate placement of the flower texture behind her arm? I suggest removing that blurry area - maybe by removing the part of the texture right behind her arm.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The sepia coloring works well with the image, and the flowery background fits the slightly antiquated/classy look of this icon. This icon would have had one of my top 3 votes, if not for the sharpening issues - some parts of the icon are nice and crisp (like Dany's left shoulder or the lower half of her face), while others are really blurry (like her right arm or her hair). It makes the icon seem weirdly out of focus, especially since the blurry areas seem random. Going over those areas with a sharpening brush (or removing the effect that caused them to become blurry) would help a lot here.
+ Love the sepia tone of the icon. The flower background gives it a slightly vintage feel, in addition to the colouring. However, I feel like the details on the subject's right side( her arm and chest) are a little blurry. You could go over that area with the sharpening tool and make it stand out, or sharpen the entire icon and mask away the overly-sharp bits.
+ I really like your icon but I would suggest making khaleesi's hair stand out more and have her not blend into the background so much b/c right now, she is kinda blending into the cream of the background.
+ This icon did a great job of matching coloring between cap and texture, but I would love to see a bit more depth to it - maybe adding some gradients over the background, or even the whole thing, to shape it a bit; or giving Dany a shadow by painting behind her layer with a dark brush + blur + softlight, or making Dany a bit lighter and the texture a bit darker so she really stood out from the background.
ciuciuvaraworldPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ the subject and the texture cap blend perfectly together; the coloring is also really nice and subtle, but adds a nice touch to the icon
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ While the character in icon is nicely cone, the texture in the left side is smudged too much, this could be fixed with smart sharpen, or better way of use smudge tool.
+ The idea behind this icon is really cool - the character looks like she's reading a letter by moonlight coming in through a big window. Really nice! But the execution of the icon could use some work, to really bring this composition to life. First of all, the background and the character look very disjointed, mostly due to the difference between a very contrasted background and a softly colored image. Adding some contrast to the image, and using Selective Coloring to up blacks (if you're using Photoshop) would definitely help bring the icon together. Also, erasing the texture around the character, rather than putting it over her on screen blend mode stops the texture from serving its purpose. If the texture was set on screen and moved a bit to the left, it would illuminate parts of the character and further connect the parts of the icon. Lastly, while I think you did a good job of redrawing parts of the texture, it would look even better if it was a bit blurred, to help hide any inevitable signs of stamping or smudging.
+ I like that you just chose to use one of the caps as a fake background behind a cutout. It's a very visually interesting icon, especially the way you've used the border between light and dark in your icon to frame your subject! The blurred parts on the background texture do throw me off a bit, though - typically our eyes are drawn the sharper parts of an image, and having the blur near the subject pushes my eyes out to the right edge of the icon where there's more detail. If you chose to blur to make the subject stand out, you might also try taking a paintbrush with white or (for this icon) a light blue) and painting a bit of an outline behind her, then blurring that a bit and setting it to screen or softlight. Or, you could use gradients set to softlight, behind her but over the texture, to make her stand out more (similar to the purple Dany icon entered this round)
+ Nice work with the cutout overall, however I feel that subject and background don't really blend together very well. I think you could try to adjust the overall colouring (maybe with a gradient map), or even experiment with the lighting, just so that everything is a bit more unified.
+ The icon is very dark and gritty in appearance. She looks well cut out but she is just kind of lost within the icon and darkness. Perhaps a closer crop, not incredibly close because I think you want to get all of her body in there, would have worked better and a light gradient on the left where it is so dark to give it more depth. The brown spot right above her head is what is giving it a grainy appearance so perhaps taking that out would have given it a higher quality appearance.
+ The way the texture frames the figure is lovely, but it looks like it was masked quickly since there are black spots between the figure and the blue of the texture.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
jellybeansrawPOSITIVE VOTES
++ the crop and coloring on this icon are really nice, and the coloring gives the icon a vintage feel. The texture use combined with the typography give the icon a cool visual element as well
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I love the choice of vintage coloring for this cap. It looks super cool and that + the band over her eyes really draws attention to the gun, so the coloring fits the serious tone. I do think the text could do more to heighten the mood of the icon. The font you've chosen is fairly rounded and bouncy (the curves of the S and the W especially) and looks like a font that would be for a super fun children's game. Since the icon is kind of dark, though, I think a font that was a bit more angular would heighten the tense mood and fit the subject matter much more closely.
+ I think the cropping is really nice here. The use of the texture to blind the character is also interesting but I would only suggest that using a different font could have work better (the word "down" is a bit hard to read with this font)
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ While the 'background' icon has great monochrome low-tuned coloring, the foreground texture and text are too sharp and white and gives LQ to the icon.
+ Firstly, I'm really impressed by how nice and crisp this icon looks despite the fuzziness and low quality of the screencap - you did an amazing job with that. Secondly, the typography and the use of the 'line' screencap are very creative, and I really like the composition. However, there are some technical issues with the execution of the icon that could use some work. Although creative in terms of placement and rotation, the typography doesn't mesh well with the rest of the icon. The rounded font doesn't fit the somber mood of the icon - something more classic, or even gothic would work better, and convey the eerie mood of the show. Also, while you did an amazing job with the image quality, there are some problematic areas that still look a tiny bit fuzzy - like the wispy bits of hair around her ears - which could possibly look better if the icon had more contrast. The blue lighten layer (at least that's what I assume you used here) adds an interesting touch to the coloring, but also brings attention to the iffy parts of the icon.
+ Creative texture use, hiding her eyes like that. I also like the text.
+ I really love the muted colouring and the way the white stripe cuts across the icon and goes over her eyes. I really like the text as well. The placement is interesting. I was wondering if it could have been placed elsewhere on the icon, but I think the place you have chosen is the best. It does not distract from the rest of the icon and seems like a continuation of that line across her eyes
+ This icon was the first one to catch my eye because yay, Stranger Things! But especially because of the way you used the provided texture, along with the text. It really fits the icon, and the series, really well. You could maybe make texture and text a bit more opaque so that they stand out a little bit more, and maybe go with "pure" black & white instead of just desaturated. All in all, it's a very nice icon, with the potential to be even more.
starkwarsPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ Icon composition is splendid! Coloring is matching so well, background texture is fits icon great, and these gradients/light textures gives depth to the icon, it looks really cool!
+++ I love the way you used the screencap as a texture. Nice choice of color and the subject is perfectly cut. I also like the feeling of the icon, very nostalgic and sad, as if the character is remembering better times and nice memories.
+++ I love how clean this icon looks, with its great coloring and the gradient on the background. Great job.
+++ That colouring is absolutely stunning! So bright, and yet with just enough contrast in spite of all the light tones, it's the perfect balance. You incorporated that texture very well, and the purple tones you gave it really work with the white/lighter ones of Daenerys' skin and hair. Great work!
+++ The coloring is very pretty and really well done in that Dany fits well within all the purple and it looks very natural.
+++ The colouring fits the subject and matches it beautifully. The texture really complements the background, but doesn't ovwerwhelm it.
++ This is such a gorgeous icon. Love how the pale colouring of the subject contrasts against the rich colouring of the background. I love the subtle grain on the texture as well! And finally, the sharpening and the cut-out are near perfect. Well done!
++ The coloring is dreamy and the texture looks almost like purple embers - very appropriate for Dany.
+ I really like the details that you captured on khaleesi's hair and I like that you tinted it purple to match the background.
+ I love the understated elegance of this icon - there's nothing flashy about it, but everything just comes together perfectly.
+ The coloring and the use of textures is impressive here. I love how this icon seems simple but there are so many works done.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ I love the way the mandatory texture was incorporated to the background.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the purple coloring is really nice and soft, especially on Dany's hair/face. She also blends very well with the background (since both the texture and the bg in the original cap were dark), and the soft lighting and shadows ties the icon together
dixonPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ the crop on this is great, and the coloring is really beautiful; I like how you colored all the hair in then paint over top of it, it looks amazing. You managed to pull a bunch of color out of the cap as well, which is really hard with TWD caps
++ the hair painting is amazing and I really like the muted colors you've used.
++ The coloring on this icon is AMAZING. The flat, vaguely cartoon-ish look fits the screencap really well, and has enough depth to it to avoid making it boring. I also really like the look of the painted hair here, it emphasizes the effect created by the coloring and adds a nice touch to the icon.
+ Amazing colors and lighting
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The saturation in the icon is a great idea and it works beautifully everywhere except for the face - toning only the skin tone and lighting it up would bring the icon out and make it not as murky.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Although the coloring and overall look of icon is awesome, I can't quite see the main challenge: provided texture. It could be added somewhere in the background, to make it at least a little bit visible.
+ Gorgeous colouring. It's such a simple, clean and beautifully coloured icon. I also really love the painted hair details!
+ I absolutely love that colouring, and the way you played with sharpness, it's really beautiful! I think you could have made the mandatory texture more apparent, but otherwise I really, really like this, and it's actually one of my favourite icons from this batch.
tinnnyPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ Very clever way to incorporate the texture into your icon!
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The dark pink coloring goes well with all the black he is wearing but that light spot at the left is all I can focus on and it is distracting. It would have worked better if perhaps he was just against the pink background while taking the light out altogether so you don't lose focus on your subject. Or you could have used a light gradient that would have lightened it up but not have distracted from the overall composition.
+ The composition is neat but the icon could use more contrast, everything is so dark it's difficult to tell what the text says and who the subject is.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Nice coloring here, text is added greatly, although other light texture could be used here (these little red and cyan blobs of light gives a bit lower quality of icon).
+ the galaxy effect is really cute and the lighting on this icon is fantastic! The text is a little hard to read, however, but I think if I knew the fandom/reference it would be easier to read
+ Really creative texture use here, I love how you took the 'line' screencap and used it to give the character something to lean against - though I think it would look even better if the two halves of the background were different colors, to emphasize this effect, as it's not immediately obvious what's going on here. I also like the use of the light texture, but it seems much stronger on the background than it is on the character, and as a result, the icon lacks cohesion, especially where it illuminates the 'line' the character is leaning against, but not him. It seems to me that the light texture was placed under the character - so I'd suggest moving it to the top of the layer palette, so that it affects every layer.
+ I really love the negative space and the texture use. It gives the icon a space feel. I also really love the text. The placement is very interesting and makes it seem like graffiti on a wall.
+ A very fun way to interpret the theme/use that texture! I'm having a bit of trouble making out the words, but it's probably easier when you're familiar with the fandom. Nice composition!
applepips16POSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Coloring is awesome here, also texture usage and organization of space is really nice, but icon could a little bit lighter, since now is a bit too flat and dark.
+ this icon is really quaint and cute; the soft pink coloring coupled with the couple (no pun intended) gives off a romantic feeling. The flower texture in the background serves as a nice border as well
+ This icon is one of my favorites in this post, and if I had more top votes to give, it would definitely get one. I love the muted coloring with a pinkish undertone - it doesn't overwhelm the natural coloring of the image, but still connects it to the other parts of the icon. However, I have an issue with the floral frame. It was a nice idea to use the screencap as a frame rather than a full fake background, but I think putting it on only three sides of the icon was not the best choice - the characters look pushed down and boxed in by the thick border. I think moving the characters up and adding a fourth side of the frame would help here.
+ Love the idea to use the texture only on a border. Those textures were really hard to use. This looks a little like they're walking through a flower tunnel on their wedding.
+ I like the choice of using the flowers as a background for a wedding scene, but also the size of the frame you put around Jeff & Britta might make the flowers hard to recognize for people who didn't spend ages agonizing over which cap to use as a texture in their icon. I think you could cut the plain pink background down in size, or maybe even experiment with different shapes (a wedding arch? a circle?) to make more of the background texture visible. I also think the icon as a whole would benefit from some lighting (gradients set to soft light or screen would be great for this) that highlighted Jeff and Britta a bit more.
+ Very cute icon, good way to use the texture while still concentrating on the characters, and that cut-out and colouring are really well done.
alisea_dreamPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ The texture leads the eye to Amy and isn't distracting.
++ Light and subtle coloring and texture usage is making icon really nice to watch, it's not heavily overused and gives nice 'calm' look.
+ the coloring on this icon is really soft and pretty; Amy fits with the background very well and the subtle texture use adds nice visual interest. The band of color/icon at the top adds a nice weight to the icon, framing it in a way
+ Lovely muted coloring - the cap you chose and the texture work very well together.
+ Perfect sharpening, perfect skin tone and muted coloring. The small border matches the subdued composition. Last but not least, the faint texture in the background looks like detailed scenery, very different from the original texture. I'm not quite sure I would have made the duplicated top border as dark as you did, because it draws the eye a bit, but maybe that was your intention to fill the negative space? It's definitely no reason to downvote, and I like the border in general.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
+ This is such a soft, muted and lovely icon. ALso, I really like how you used the chosen texture. I blends into the background perfectly and does not jar with the icon. I also really really like the fact that you chose an unusual screencap and made it work. Great job!
+ I really love how you used the mandatory screencap/texture, coloured it and then integrated it to your icon. Brilliant composition, and I absolutely love those muted tones, it all fits so well together! My only quip is with that line at the top, which kind of breaks of that soft/muted feeling, but otherwise I really love this.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ Although I like the concept, I think that you could improve this icon by making it brighter and sharpening up the characters a little. Right now, the icon is very dull. I would also try to maybe set the flowers was a gradient against the pink background and you could also add some text or some stock in the background to make stand out more.
+ The icon has great texture use! It very well fits the subject, but adding an extra texture to the blank background or changing the colour of it would make it pop!
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I really like the softness of this icon, the muted coloring and subtle use of textures work well with the image and result in a very understated, but polished look. However, while I like how you used the window screencap as a light texture, I think it would have worked better if it was blurred, or if the background was a bit darker. As it is, the texture is only really visible on Amy's hair, and the defined edges of the light make it seem like there's something stuck to her hair, rather than like an additional light source.
gribouillePOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ Icon is to dark and too blurry, seems author didn't make any changes except for the textures. Maker could increase the light, coloring, maybe add some textures to make icon more interesting.
+ Nice use of the mandatory texture, very clever one! Also very fitting, but I feel like it needs a bit more of light and coloring in general since it looks very flat.
+ Instead of just zooming in on the same character twice, you could try to use a different character that relates to the show or the scene (maybe like this one or this one). Also, the red line is very distracting and makes the icon look very busy.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ this icon has a really cool concept and good composition, though the coloring is a little stark/bland. The two images split up by the red slash through the middle could be made more interesting by having one image be black and white. Additional light sources would also give this icon some extra pop
+ Using the provided screencap as a divider in blocking was a very creative idea, I like it! However, the line is quite blurry, which makes the icon look somewhat disjointed, since the other parts of it are on the sharp side. Also, while I like how the fake background doesn't look fake at all here, the way the bottom image cuts off on the left side doesn't seem to serve any compositional purpose, and actually adds a bit of chaos to the already busy background. If the aim of this was to add variety to the icon, my suggestion would be to change the color of the background, or remove it entirely from one of the parts of the icon.
adriftingseaPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ Lovely, lovely coloring here, the pastels are vibrant but still soft, and I like how they're on the darker side, so the icon doesn't look washed out. The composition is great too, simple, but eye-catching. Overall, a beautiful icon where all elements complement each other and nothing is out of place.
+++ I feel like this is a flawlessly executed icon. It caught my eye right away. Not a detail out of place and all the elements of the icon are juxtaposed so well. I love the color scheme as well and the way the text acts as frame. Great job!
+++ Love the colors, lighting and composition
+++ The coloring is very well done and all the pieces (the square textures, the person, the letters) just come together very well.
+++ The matte coloring works great with the almost empty background. Using lines and circles to texturize the icon is an amazing idea and for that alone I want to vote you to first place. I love the text placement as well, and the matched blue/pink of her clothes with the pink/purple background.
++ The coloring of this icon is fantastic! I love how much time you took on her hair and clothes to make them pop. I am thrown a bit by the text, as I can't tell what it's supposed to say, but it does look very nice in a decorational sense.
++ The choice of colors is nice. (Especially with the hair and the make up!) And the composition is pretty interesting.
++ Very creative icon, I love how you cropped that background screencap and mixed it up with brushes/shapes/text for a very unique feel. Looking at the original screencap, that cut-out must have been quite hard as well, impressive work! Finally, I find the colouring quite interesting too.
++ The colors are absolutely gorgeous as is the composition for the most part. I think the T is a little distracting since it is right on her head but a really well put together icon.
++ The composition of the icon is very complex and matches the challenge perfectly! The only small downside in the icon I see is the text - it confuses a bit (why was it necessary and what do the words mean?)
+ I love the unnatural pastel coloring and the way the mandatory texture was incorporated. Love the overall feeling of this icon.
+ Very 'lollipoppy' icon, because of the colors (but matched in a good way!). Decorational white textures nice added and font used here doesn't mess inside the icon.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
lady_kingsleyPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ It is obvious that the texture has been used in this icon and the layout of the two views of Magneto is really cool. I think that if the icon wasn't as monochrome, it would add more dimension (maybe making the magnetos a different color or changing the bg color).
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I really like the composition here, the combination of a centered image and the background texture/cap made the icon look very dynamic. But I think there's not enough size different for this to work as a small image in the front/bigger image in the back type of blend - at first glance, the character in the back looks like he has a comically oversized head. My suggestion would be to make the bigger character even bigger, so as to leave no doubts that he's in the background, or make them both the same size. Also, while the shade of red you chose is very flattering, the abundance of it makes the elements of the icon blend together. Making the background a different, contrasting color would help the character stand out more, and make the icon pop.
+ This is a good use of that texture but I feel it could use a couple of fixes to really finish it off. Magneto in the foreground blends into the background, to show more of a 'space' between them, I would put a dark color like dark red or black to give it more depth and show a different between. The second being, his face in the background has a black line along the profile like he wasn't completely cut out from the background, I suggest cleaning that up as it stands out.
+ I really like the two subjects with the futuristic texture. Nicely placed, well masked, well sharpened, good contrast. The only thing that is strange is that both persons look like they share one body. It's hard to tell where one ends and the other starts. To set them off against each other, I would either make them a different shade by adding a simple white or black layer on low opacity between the two, or give the one in front a wide drop shadow at low opacity, either black or white. You could also try making the one in the middle a completely different color, maybe a green shade complementary to the current red.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the blending between the two subjects is really well, and the texture fits the composition of the icon quite nicely. The only downside is that the coloring is a little monochrome, so everything blends together. Having the subjects/background be different shades, or perhaps doing a tricolor theme would help define everything
+ Love the texture that was chosen and the way the images are blended together. Love the colouring as well!
+ This is a super cool blend and I like the way you chose the texture that has kind of a superhero-y sort of vibe to it. Right nos since the texture is a lot brighter than you subjects, it threatens to overshadow them. I would use gradient maps to tone the whites in the background down a bit, and also maybe do a bit of work to make your subjects stand out a bit more. The red theme looks really cool but also makes your blend almost too blended in that it's hard to see where one subject ends and the other begins - a bit of lighting or color difference could solve that problem.
+ Love the red tones, they're powerful but not overwhelming, and great use of that background. Great work on the blending as well! Magneto's head (the one without the helmet) might need a bit more work on the cut-out, as part of his nose/upper lip seems to be missing, it just looks a bit rough. You could also play a bit with the lighting so we focus more on the subjects and less on that texture. But good work overall!
emielsPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ The composition here is just so impressive (background, colors, text, etc, all goes with everything so perfectly well). Starting with this cap and achieving this is crazy.
++ The text use is so amazing, I can't even! I love the unnatural coloring on her face and her hair. Such a crazy composition and very well executed, though I can't tell wich mandatory texture was used. I also would suggest to blurry it a little bit all the edges since it's a little oversharpened. Otherwise is perfect!
++ I love the primary colors, especially how they're shifted to make her face blue, and the contrast with the strands of her hair. The text is great, too, all the different fonts in different sizes make the composition look complex. Especially the last three words; they look carelessly splashed on but aren't. They're still perfectly readable.
++ Great use of a limited color palette and text
+ I really love the way you have married warm and cool colours here. I love the way the blue colour of the subject helps her stand out clearly against the background. Love the text as well and I really like how you manipulated the chosen texture to help frame the icon!
+ Great vibrant coloring and all the text works well and doesn't overpower her. A very fun and nicely composed icon.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Although the compositon is really nice, the vibrancy is just too big and it can be difficult to see every detail in such huge saturation, it would be much better to lower it for few points.
+ the typography on this icon is stellar! The composition is also fantastic, and you managed to pull great color from such a dark cap, bravo!
+ I really like how you integrated that texture and made it yours, tweaking the colours, adding text, making it all very fun and colourful and bright. I'm not sure about the blue skin myself, I think it's a bit too much, maybe a different colour/shade could work better. But still, I really like how creative this is!
rocketgirl2POSITIVE VOTES
+ The shadow in the icon makes for such nice colouring and interpretation. Love the blue tones!
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ while the colors on this icon are really nice and highlighted well, the subject's face seems a little to bright/harsh and it causes some of her features, such as her nose and eyes, too seem extra sharp. This seems to be a lighting issue, since the bottom left of the icon seems extra dark as well. Try playing with the opacity levels, using different layer styles (such as hard light or overlay on lower opacities), or a brightness/contrast layer to brighten up an icon
+ Great work on the coloring, is very nice and I love the reflections on the subject's hair. However, the crop looks a bit awkward and the lines on the hair are a bit rough. I'd suggest using freeform pen tool instead the mouse, it'll look smoother.
+ I like the coloring here, the blue and pink go well together, I just think the icon would have been stronger if the character had been perfectly centered.
+ I really love the colouring in the icon. It's dramatic and rich and I love a pink-purple combo. For me, the only wrong note is the painted hair detail. I like the idea behind it. However, I think the execution veered off course a little. One thing you can do after painting hair is taking the blur tool or smudge tool (for more realistic effect) and go carefully over the hair. This way, you can manipulate the painted bits to look more hair like. It takes a little effort, but it is worth it.
+ I love your colouring and the way it is split on each side of the icon. It works well, both in the background and on Amy herself. However the crop cuts off part of her head, and being so off-centered makes it all feel a little bit awkward. You could lower Amy a little bit on the icon so that her face becomes the center/focus, or even try a wider crop to make it all more balanced.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Coloring is catching, yet icon could be tiny bit lighter, so the colors would be much more visible.
+ I think this icon does an amazing job with taking advantage of the best parts of the screencap - the way you brought out the lighting on Amy's face and hair makes the icon stand out. However, there seem to be some color bleeds, probably caused by soft light layers - it's particularly visible around the straps of her dress and on the left side of her face. Masking out those areas of the layers that caused this issue would make the coloring look a lot neater. Also, while I think painting over hair is always a good idea, it looks best when the added strands follow the flow of the hair, which is not the case here, so the lines look a bit random.
esgeeePOSITIVE VOTES
+ The alteration of the color of the texture contrasts very well with her warm skin tone.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ Beautiful pastel coloring and the texture fits in really well. Great job getting all the colors to look good together.
+ Out of all the icons in the table, I feel this one did the best job of actually using the provided screencaps as textures, rather than as a fake background/stock image. Combining two (or more) caps to create a somewhat abstract patterned background was a good idea, and it looks great.
+ Gorgeous way to blend two very different textures without making the icon look cluttered. Using two very similar tones for each texture works wonders, and I never would have thought of that. The combination looks futuristic because of the blue texture, but still sensual with the flowery texture picking up the color of her hair. Beautiful all around.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I really like the way you combined your textures. The end result is really cool. I also like the way the subject is coloured. However, I think both the texture and the subject contrast a little too harshly against each other. One way to fix that would be tone down the colour of the background or make it warmer, so that it blends well with the subject. I think a reddish orange or yellow would help. It would be warm and close enough to the subject's colouring, but different enough that the icon will not look monotonous.
+ I like the colors in this but there are a couple of issues, I feel could be fixed to bring it all together. First, the background in contrast to the subject is too bright there needs to be more shadow to the right side like in the subject, other wise it just looks pasted it on. I would suggest trying to blend the contrast a bit more. Also the the ends of her hair, shirt and arm in the bottom center have too much contrast on them and is completely washed out. I suggest toning down the white there.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Changed background is so great, it gives so much vibes to the icon and make it more fresh and gives 'summery look'
+ the composition of this icon is really nice, and the bright blue matches the pinks/reds/browns nicely. The subject seems oddly sharpened, however, with her eyes being extra bold/sharp in comparison to the rest of her features
+ I really love the color combination that you have in this icon - the oranges/reds/pinks vs that blue really pop well. The way you came about the background pinks, etc. looks a bit odd, though, as there's no specific shape or pattern to them (I'm guessing you layered the flowers texture over the blue one?). Since the background definitely has a pattern of the circles in wedges, I think adding color in a way that complimented that existing pattern would have fit in with the icon better - perhaps just taking a pink brush and drawing stripes over the un-circley parts and then playing around with layer modes as you did the existing texture. Or you could always outline your subject in the pinkish-orange color, or paint borders around the edges.
+ Nice work on that cutout and colouring, you could maybe add a gradient map on soft screen to unify subject and background a bit more, but nice work overall.
Updated points spreadsheet can be found here.
Let me know if you find any mistakes in the voting table. I'll fix any issues that may arise tomorrow.
1ST PLACE [5 points]:
adriftingsea with +12 votes.
2ND PLACE [4 points]:
starkwars with +11 votes.
3RD PLACE [3 points]:
emiels with +6 votes.
BEST INTERPRETATION [2 points]:
&
alisea_dream & esgeee with +3 votes.
MOD'S CHOICE [1 point]:
applepips16
[If I've gotten the episode correct, I think it's a cute touch to use the flower screencap as a decorative border here for Jeff and Britt's "we're getting married because it's inevitable' bit. That combined with the muted, dreary (yet vibrant!) coloring is perfection for the show, the couple, and the moment your iconning. Lots of very smart iconning choices here. Good job!]
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
setentpetPOSITIVE VOTES
+ I just looked at your original cap, and I'm quite amazed by how you coloured it, adding so much contrast to it. Great composition, everything (subject, texture) blends well together and with that colour scheme. Well done!
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ Texture in the background fits icon nicely, and monochrome coloring amplifies this feeling.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ the cutout of Dany is really great and the composition is nice as well. However, the icon seems a bit washed out since it's all one dull color and it causes Dany to blend in with the background a bit, especially with her raised arm and hair. Making the background darker would help define the subject, or having Dany be one color and the background be a different color would help as well.
+ I really like the vintage look the flowers produce in combination with Daenerys, and the sepia coloring enhances that even more. I would have voted for this icon, if her right side wasn't looking a tiny bit blurry. I don't even know what's causing it, because she looks well masked. Maybe it's an unfortunate placement of the flower texture behind her arm? I suggest removing that blurry area - maybe by removing the part of the texture right behind her arm.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The sepia coloring works well with the image, and the flowery background fits the slightly antiquated/classy look of this icon. This icon would have had one of my top 3 votes, if not for the sharpening issues - some parts of the icon are nice and crisp (like Dany's left shoulder or the lower half of her face), while others are really blurry (like her right arm or her hair). It makes the icon seem weirdly out of focus, especially since the blurry areas seem random. Going over those areas with a sharpening brush (or removing the effect that caused them to become blurry) would help a lot here.
+ Love the sepia tone of the icon. The flower background gives it a slightly vintage feel, in addition to the colouring. However, I feel like the details on the subject's right side( her arm and chest) are a little blurry. You could go over that area with the sharpening tool and make it stand out, or sharpen the entire icon and mask away the overly-sharp bits.
+ I really like your icon but I would suggest making khaleesi's hair stand out more and have her not blend into the background so much b/c right now, she is kinda blending into the cream of the background.
+ This icon did a great job of matching coloring between cap and texture, but I would love to see a bit more depth to it - maybe adding some gradients over the background, or even the whole thing, to shape it a bit; or giving Dany a shadow by painting behind her layer with a dark brush + blur + softlight, or making Dany a bit lighter and the texture a bit darker so she really stood out from the background.
ciuciuvaraworldPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ the subject and the texture cap blend perfectly together; the coloring is also really nice and subtle, but adds a nice touch to the icon
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ While the character in icon is nicely cone, the texture in the left side is smudged too much, this could be fixed with smart sharpen, or better way of use smudge tool.
+ The idea behind this icon is really cool - the character looks like she's reading a letter by moonlight coming in through a big window. Really nice! But the execution of the icon could use some work, to really bring this composition to life. First of all, the background and the character look very disjointed, mostly due to the difference between a very contrasted background and a softly colored image. Adding some contrast to the image, and using Selective Coloring to up blacks (if you're using Photoshop) would definitely help bring the icon together. Also, erasing the texture around the character, rather than putting it over her on screen blend mode stops the texture from serving its purpose. If the texture was set on screen and moved a bit to the left, it would illuminate parts of the character and further connect the parts of the icon. Lastly, while I think you did a good job of redrawing parts of the texture, it would look even better if it was a bit blurred, to help hide any inevitable signs of stamping or smudging.
+ I like that you just chose to use one of the caps as a fake background behind a cutout. It's a very visually interesting icon, especially the way you've used the border between light and dark in your icon to frame your subject! The blurred parts on the background texture do throw me off a bit, though - typically our eyes are drawn the sharper parts of an image, and having the blur near the subject pushes my eyes out to the right edge of the icon where there's more detail. If you chose to blur to make the subject stand out, you might also try taking a paintbrush with white or (for this icon) a light blue) and painting a bit of an outline behind her, then blurring that a bit and setting it to screen or softlight. Or, you could use gradients set to softlight, behind her but over the texture, to make her stand out more (similar to the purple Dany icon entered this round)
+ Nice work with the cutout overall, however I feel that subject and background don't really blend together very well. I think you could try to adjust the overall colouring (maybe with a gradient map), or even experiment with the lighting, just so that everything is a bit more unified.
+ The icon is very dark and gritty in appearance. She looks well cut out but she is just kind of lost within the icon and darkness. Perhaps a closer crop, not incredibly close because I think you want to get all of her body in there, would have worked better and a light gradient on the left where it is so dark to give it more depth. The brown spot right above her head is what is giving it a grainy appearance so perhaps taking that out would have given it a higher quality appearance.
+ The way the texture frames the figure is lovely, but it looks like it was masked quickly since there are black spots between the figure and the blue of the texture.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
jellybeansrawPOSITIVE VOTES
++ the crop and coloring on this icon are really nice, and the coloring gives the icon a vintage feel. The texture use combined with the typography give the icon a cool visual element as well
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I love the choice of vintage coloring for this cap. It looks super cool and that + the band over her eyes really draws attention to the gun, so the coloring fits the serious tone. I do think the text could do more to heighten the mood of the icon. The font you've chosen is fairly rounded and bouncy (the curves of the S and the W especially) and looks like a font that would be for a super fun children's game. Since the icon is kind of dark, though, I think a font that was a bit more angular would heighten the tense mood and fit the subject matter much more closely.
+ I think the cropping is really nice here. The use of the texture to blind the character is also interesting but I would only suggest that using a different font could have work better (the word "down" is a bit hard to read with this font)
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ While the 'background' icon has great monochrome low-tuned coloring, the foreground texture and text are too sharp and white and gives LQ to the icon.
+ Firstly, I'm really impressed by how nice and crisp this icon looks despite the fuzziness and low quality of the screencap - you did an amazing job with that. Secondly, the typography and the use of the 'line' screencap are very creative, and I really like the composition. However, there are some technical issues with the execution of the icon that could use some work. Although creative in terms of placement and rotation, the typography doesn't mesh well with the rest of the icon. The rounded font doesn't fit the somber mood of the icon - something more classic, or even gothic would work better, and convey the eerie mood of the show. Also, while you did an amazing job with the image quality, there are some problematic areas that still look a tiny bit fuzzy - like the wispy bits of hair around her ears - which could possibly look better if the icon had more contrast. The blue lighten layer (at least that's what I assume you used here) adds an interesting touch to the coloring, but also brings attention to the iffy parts of the icon.
+ Creative texture use, hiding her eyes like that. I also like the text.
+ I really love the muted colouring and the way the white stripe cuts across the icon and goes over her eyes. I really like the text as well. The placement is interesting. I was wondering if it could have been placed elsewhere on the icon, but I think the place you have chosen is the best. It does not distract from the rest of the icon and seems like a continuation of that line across her eyes
+ This icon was the first one to catch my eye because yay, Stranger Things! But especially because of the way you used the provided texture, along with the text. It really fits the icon, and the series, really well. You could maybe make texture and text a bit more opaque so that they stand out a little bit more, and maybe go with "pure" black & white instead of just desaturated. All in all, it's a very nice icon, with the potential to be even more.
starkwarsPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ Icon composition is splendid! Coloring is matching so well, background texture is fits icon great, and these gradients/light textures gives depth to the icon, it looks really cool!
+++ I love the way you used the screencap as a texture. Nice choice of color and the subject is perfectly cut. I also like the feeling of the icon, very nostalgic and sad, as if the character is remembering better times and nice memories.
+++ I love how clean this icon looks, with its great coloring and the gradient on the background. Great job.
+++ That colouring is absolutely stunning! So bright, and yet with just enough contrast in spite of all the light tones, it's the perfect balance. You incorporated that texture very well, and the purple tones you gave it really work with the white/lighter ones of Daenerys' skin and hair. Great work!
+++ The coloring is very pretty and really well done in that Dany fits well within all the purple and it looks very natural.
+++ The colouring fits the subject and matches it beautifully. The texture really complements the background, but doesn't ovwerwhelm it.
++ This is such a gorgeous icon. Love how the pale colouring of the subject contrasts against the rich colouring of the background. I love the subtle grain on the texture as well! And finally, the sharpening and the cut-out are near perfect. Well done!
++ The coloring is dreamy and the texture looks almost like purple embers - very appropriate for Dany.
+ I really like the details that you captured on khaleesi's hair and I like that you tinted it purple to match the background.
+ I love the understated elegance of this icon - there's nothing flashy about it, but everything just comes together perfectly.
+ The coloring and the use of textures is impressive here. I love how this icon seems simple but there are so many works done.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ I love the way the mandatory texture was incorporated to the background.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the purple coloring is really nice and soft, especially on Dany's hair/face. She also blends very well with the background (since both the texture and the bg in the original cap were dark), and the soft lighting and shadows ties the icon together
dixonPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ the crop on this is great, and the coloring is really beautiful; I like how you colored all the hair in then paint over top of it, it looks amazing. You managed to pull a bunch of color out of the cap as well, which is really hard with TWD caps
++ the hair painting is amazing and I really like the muted colors you've used.
++ The coloring on this icon is AMAZING. The flat, vaguely cartoon-ish look fits the screencap really well, and has enough depth to it to avoid making it boring. I also really like the look of the painted hair here, it emphasizes the effect created by the coloring and adds a nice touch to the icon.
+ Amazing colors and lighting
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The saturation in the icon is a great idea and it works beautifully everywhere except for the face - toning only the skin tone and lighting it up would bring the icon out and make it not as murky.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Although the coloring and overall look of icon is awesome, I can't quite see the main challenge: provided texture. It could be added somewhere in the background, to make it at least a little bit visible.
+ Gorgeous colouring. It's such a simple, clean and beautifully coloured icon. I also really love the painted hair details!
+ I absolutely love that colouring, and the way you played with sharpness, it's really beautiful! I think you could have made the mandatory texture more apparent, but otherwise I really, really like this, and it's actually one of my favourite icons from this batch.
tinnnyPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ Very clever way to incorporate the texture into your icon!
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The dark pink coloring goes well with all the black he is wearing but that light spot at the left is all I can focus on and it is distracting. It would have worked better if perhaps he was just against the pink background while taking the light out altogether so you don't lose focus on your subject. Or you could have used a light gradient that would have lightened it up but not have distracted from the overall composition.
+ The composition is neat but the icon could use more contrast, everything is so dark it's difficult to tell what the text says and who the subject is.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Nice coloring here, text is added greatly, although other light texture could be used here (these little red and cyan blobs of light gives a bit lower quality of icon).
+ the galaxy effect is really cute and the lighting on this icon is fantastic! The text is a little hard to read, however, but I think if I knew the fandom/reference it would be easier to read
+ Really creative texture use here, I love how you took the 'line' screencap and used it to give the character something to lean against - though I think it would look even better if the two halves of the background were different colors, to emphasize this effect, as it's not immediately obvious what's going on here. I also like the use of the light texture, but it seems much stronger on the background than it is on the character, and as a result, the icon lacks cohesion, especially where it illuminates the 'line' the character is leaning against, but not him. It seems to me that the light texture was placed under the character - so I'd suggest moving it to the top of the layer palette, so that it affects every layer.
+ I really love the negative space and the texture use. It gives the icon a space feel. I also really love the text. The placement is very interesting and makes it seem like graffiti on a wall.
+ A very fun way to interpret the theme/use that texture! I'm having a bit of trouble making out the words, but it's probably easier when you're familiar with the fandom. Nice composition!
applepips16POSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Coloring is awesome here, also texture usage and organization of space is really nice, but icon could a little bit lighter, since now is a bit too flat and dark.
+ this icon is really quaint and cute; the soft pink coloring coupled with the couple (no pun intended) gives off a romantic feeling. The flower texture in the background serves as a nice border as well
+ This icon is one of my favorites in this post, and if I had more top votes to give, it would definitely get one. I love the muted coloring with a pinkish undertone - it doesn't overwhelm the natural coloring of the image, but still connects it to the other parts of the icon. However, I have an issue with the floral frame. It was a nice idea to use the screencap as a frame rather than a full fake background, but I think putting it on only three sides of the icon was not the best choice - the characters look pushed down and boxed in by the thick border. I think moving the characters up and adding a fourth side of the frame would help here.
+ Love the idea to use the texture only on a border. Those textures were really hard to use. This looks a little like they're walking through a flower tunnel on their wedding.
+ I like the choice of using the flowers as a background for a wedding scene, but also the size of the frame you put around Jeff & Britta might make the flowers hard to recognize for people who didn't spend ages agonizing over which cap to use as a texture in their icon. I think you could cut the plain pink background down in size, or maybe even experiment with different shapes (a wedding arch? a circle?) to make more of the background texture visible. I also think the icon as a whole would benefit from some lighting (gradients set to soft light or screen would be great for this) that highlighted Jeff and Britta a bit more.
+ Very cute icon, good way to use the texture while still concentrating on the characters, and that cut-out and colouring are really well done.
alisea_dreamPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ The texture leads the eye to Amy and isn't distracting.
++ Light and subtle coloring and texture usage is making icon really nice to watch, it's not heavily overused and gives nice 'calm' look.
+ the coloring on this icon is really soft and pretty; Amy fits with the background very well and the subtle texture use adds nice visual interest. The band of color/icon at the top adds a nice weight to the icon, framing it in a way
+ Lovely muted coloring - the cap you chose and the texture work very well together.
+ Perfect sharpening, perfect skin tone and muted coloring. The small border matches the subdued composition. Last but not least, the faint texture in the background looks like detailed scenery, very different from the original texture. I'm not quite sure I would have made the duplicated top border as dark as you did, because it draws the eye a bit, but maybe that was your intention to fill the negative space? It's definitely no reason to downvote, and I like the border in general.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
+ This is such a soft, muted and lovely icon. ALso, I really like how you used the chosen texture. I blends into the background perfectly and does not jar with the icon. I also really really like the fact that you chose an unusual screencap and made it work. Great job!
+ I really love how you used the mandatory screencap/texture, coloured it and then integrated it to your icon. Brilliant composition, and I absolutely love those muted tones, it all fits so well together! My only quip is with that line at the top, which kind of breaks of that soft/muted feeling, but otherwise I really love this.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ Although I like the concept, I think that you could improve this icon by making it brighter and sharpening up the characters a little. Right now, the icon is very dull. I would also try to maybe set the flowers was a gradient against the pink background and you could also add some text or some stock in the background to make stand out more.
+ The icon has great texture use! It very well fits the subject, but adding an extra texture to the blank background or changing the colour of it would make it pop!
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I really like the softness of this icon, the muted coloring and subtle use of textures work well with the image and result in a very understated, but polished look. However, while I like how you used the window screencap as a light texture, I think it would have worked better if it was blurred, or if the background was a bit darker. As it is, the texture is only really visible on Amy's hair, and the defined edges of the light make it seem like there's something stuck to her hair, rather than like an additional light source.
gribouillePOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ Icon is to dark and too blurry, seems author didn't make any changes except for the textures. Maker could increase the light, coloring, maybe add some textures to make icon more interesting.
+ Nice use of the mandatory texture, very clever one! Also very fitting, but I feel like it needs a bit more of light and coloring in general since it looks very flat.
+ Instead of just zooming in on the same character twice, you could try to use a different character that relates to the show or the scene (maybe like this one or this one). Also, the red line is very distracting and makes the icon look very busy.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ this icon has a really cool concept and good composition, though the coloring is a little stark/bland. The two images split up by the red slash through the middle could be made more interesting by having one image be black and white. Additional light sources would also give this icon some extra pop
+ Using the provided screencap as a divider in blocking was a very creative idea, I like it! However, the line is quite blurry, which makes the icon look somewhat disjointed, since the other parts of it are on the sharp side. Also, while I like how the fake background doesn't look fake at all here, the way the bottom image cuts off on the left side doesn't seem to serve any compositional purpose, and actually adds a bit of chaos to the already busy background. If the aim of this was to add variety to the icon, my suggestion would be to change the color of the background, or remove it entirely from one of the parts of the icon.
adriftingseaPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ Lovely, lovely coloring here, the pastels are vibrant but still soft, and I like how they're on the darker side, so the icon doesn't look washed out. The composition is great too, simple, but eye-catching. Overall, a beautiful icon where all elements complement each other and nothing is out of place.
+++ I feel like this is a flawlessly executed icon. It caught my eye right away. Not a detail out of place and all the elements of the icon are juxtaposed so well. I love the color scheme as well and the way the text acts as frame. Great job!
+++ Love the colors, lighting and composition
+++ The coloring is very well done and all the pieces (the square textures, the person, the letters) just come together very well.
+++ The matte coloring works great with the almost empty background. Using lines and circles to texturize the icon is an amazing idea and for that alone I want to vote you to first place. I love the text placement as well, and the matched blue/pink of her clothes with the pink/purple background.
++ The coloring of this icon is fantastic! I love how much time you took on her hair and clothes to make them pop. I am thrown a bit by the text, as I can't tell what it's supposed to say, but it does look very nice in a decorational sense.
++ The choice of colors is nice. (Especially with the hair and the make up!) And the composition is pretty interesting.
++ Very creative icon, I love how you cropped that background screencap and mixed it up with brushes/shapes/text for a very unique feel. Looking at the original screencap, that cut-out must have been quite hard as well, impressive work! Finally, I find the colouring quite interesting too.
++ The colors are absolutely gorgeous as is the composition for the most part. I think the T is a little distracting since it is right on her head but a really well put together icon.
++ The composition of the icon is very complex and matches the challenge perfectly! The only small downside in the icon I see is the text - it confuses a bit (why was it necessary and what do the words mean?)
+ I love the unnatural pastel coloring and the way the mandatory texture was incorporated. Love the overall feeling of this icon.
+ Very 'lollipoppy' icon, because of the colors (but matched in a good way!). Decorational white textures nice added and font used here doesn't mess inside the icon.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
lady_kingsleyPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ It is obvious that the texture has been used in this icon and the layout of the two views of Magneto is really cool. I think that if the icon wasn't as monochrome, it would add more dimension (maybe making the magnetos a different color or changing the bg color).
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I really like the composition here, the combination of a centered image and the background texture/cap made the icon look very dynamic. But I think there's not enough size different for this to work as a small image in the front/bigger image in the back type of blend - at first glance, the character in the back looks like he has a comically oversized head. My suggestion would be to make the bigger character even bigger, so as to leave no doubts that he's in the background, or make them both the same size. Also, while the shade of red you chose is very flattering, the abundance of it makes the elements of the icon blend together. Making the background a different, contrasting color would help the character stand out more, and make the icon pop.
+ This is a good use of that texture but I feel it could use a couple of fixes to really finish it off. Magneto in the foreground blends into the background, to show more of a 'space' between them, I would put a dark color like dark red or black to give it more depth and show a different between. The second being, his face in the background has a black line along the profile like he wasn't completely cut out from the background, I suggest cleaning that up as it stands out.
+ I really like the two subjects with the futuristic texture. Nicely placed, well masked, well sharpened, good contrast. The only thing that is strange is that both persons look like they share one body. It's hard to tell where one ends and the other starts. To set them off against each other, I would either make them a different shade by adding a simple white or black layer on low opacity between the two, or give the one in front a wide drop shadow at low opacity, either black or white. You could also try making the one in the middle a completely different color, maybe a green shade complementary to the current red.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the blending between the two subjects is really well, and the texture fits the composition of the icon quite nicely. The only downside is that the coloring is a little monochrome, so everything blends together. Having the subjects/background be different shades, or perhaps doing a tricolor theme would help define everything
+ Love the texture that was chosen and the way the images are blended together. Love the colouring as well!
+ This is a super cool blend and I like the way you chose the texture that has kind of a superhero-y sort of vibe to it. Right nos since the texture is a lot brighter than you subjects, it threatens to overshadow them. I would use gradient maps to tone the whites in the background down a bit, and also maybe do a bit of work to make your subjects stand out a bit more. The red theme looks really cool but also makes your blend almost too blended in that it's hard to see where one subject ends and the other begins - a bit of lighting or color difference could solve that problem.
+ Love the red tones, they're powerful but not overwhelming, and great use of that background. Great work on the blending as well! Magneto's head (the one without the helmet) might need a bit more work on the cut-out, as part of his nose/upper lip seems to be missing, it just looks a bit rough. You could also play a bit with the lighting so we focus more on the subjects and less on that texture. But good work overall!
emielsPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ The composition here is just so impressive (background, colors, text, etc, all goes with everything so perfectly well). Starting with this cap and achieving this is crazy.
++ The text use is so amazing, I can't even! I love the unnatural coloring on her face and her hair. Such a crazy composition and very well executed, though I can't tell wich mandatory texture was used. I also would suggest to blurry it a little bit all the edges since it's a little oversharpened. Otherwise is perfect!
++ I love the primary colors, especially how they're shifted to make her face blue, and the contrast with the strands of her hair. The text is great, too, all the different fonts in different sizes make the composition look complex. Especially the last three words; they look carelessly splashed on but aren't. They're still perfectly readable.
++ Great use of a limited color palette and text
+ I really love the way you have married warm and cool colours here. I love the way the blue colour of the subject helps her stand out clearly against the background. Love the text as well and I really like how you manipulated the chosen texture to help frame the icon!
+ Great vibrant coloring and all the text works well and doesn't overpower her. A very fun and nicely composed icon.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Although the compositon is really nice, the vibrancy is just too big and it can be difficult to see every detail in such huge saturation, it would be much better to lower it for few points.
+ the typography on this icon is stellar! The composition is also fantastic, and you managed to pull great color from such a dark cap, bravo!
+ I really like how you integrated that texture and made it yours, tweaking the colours, adding text, making it all very fun and colourful and bright. I'm not sure about the blue skin myself, I think it's a bit too much, maybe a different colour/shade could work better. But still, I really like how creative this is!
rocketgirl2POSITIVE VOTES
+ The shadow in the icon makes for such nice colouring and interpretation. Love the blue tones!
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ while the colors on this icon are really nice and highlighted well, the subject's face seems a little to bright/harsh and it causes some of her features, such as her nose and eyes, too seem extra sharp. This seems to be a lighting issue, since the bottom left of the icon seems extra dark as well. Try playing with the opacity levels, using different layer styles (such as hard light or overlay on lower opacities), or a brightness/contrast layer to brighten up an icon
+ Great work on the coloring, is very nice and I love the reflections on the subject's hair. However, the crop looks a bit awkward and the lines on the hair are a bit rough. I'd suggest using freeform pen tool instead the mouse, it'll look smoother.
+ I like the coloring here, the blue and pink go well together, I just think the icon would have been stronger if the character had been perfectly centered.
+ I really love the colouring in the icon. It's dramatic and rich and I love a pink-purple combo. For me, the only wrong note is the painted hair detail. I like the idea behind it. However, I think the execution veered off course a little. One thing you can do after painting hair is taking the blur tool or smudge tool (for more realistic effect) and go carefully over the hair. This way, you can manipulate the painted bits to look more hair like. It takes a little effort, but it is worth it.
+ I love your colouring and the way it is split on each side of the icon. It works well, both in the background and on Amy herself. However the crop cuts off part of her head, and being so off-centered makes it all feel a little bit awkward. You could lower Amy a little bit on the icon so that her face becomes the center/focus, or even try a wider crop to make it all more balanced.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Coloring is catching, yet icon could be tiny bit lighter, so the colors would be much more visible.
+ I think this icon does an amazing job with taking advantage of the best parts of the screencap - the way you brought out the lighting on Amy's face and hair makes the icon stand out. However, there seem to be some color bleeds, probably caused by soft light layers - it's particularly visible around the straps of her dress and on the left side of her face. Masking out those areas of the layers that caused this issue would make the coloring look a lot neater. Also, while I think painting over hair is always a good idea, it looks best when the added strands follow the flow of the hair, which is not the case here, so the lines look a bit random.
esgeeePOSITIVE VOTES
+ The alteration of the color of the texture contrasts very well with her warm skin tone.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ Beautiful pastel coloring and the texture fits in really well. Great job getting all the colors to look good together.
+ Out of all the icons in the table, I feel this one did the best job of actually using the provided screencaps as textures, rather than as a fake background/stock image. Combining two (or more) caps to create a somewhat abstract patterned background was a good idea, and it looks great.
+ Gorgeous way to blend two very different textures without making the icon look cluttered. Using two very similar tones for each texture works wonders, and I never would have thought of that. The combination looks futuristic because of the blue texture, but still sensual with the flowery texture picking up the color of her hair. Beautiful all around.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I really like the way you combined your textures. The end result is really cool. I also like the way the subject is coloured. However, I think both the texture and the subject contrast a little too harshly against each other. One way to fix that would be tone down the colour of the background or make it warmer, so that it blends well with the subject. I think a reddish orange or yellow would help. It would be warm and close enough to the subject's colouring, but different enough that the icon will not look monotonous.
+ I like the colors in this but there are a couple of issues, I feel could be fixed to bring it all together. First, the background in contrast to the subject is too bright there needs to be more shadow to the right side like in the subject, other wise it just looks pasted it on. I would suggest trying to blend the contrast a bit more. Also the the ends of her hair, shirt and arm in the bottom center have too much contrast on them and is completely washed out. I suggest toning down the white there.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Changed background is so great, it gives so much vibes to the icon and make it more fresh and gives 'summery look'
+ the composition of this icon is really nice, and the bright blue matches the pinks/reds/browns nicely. The subject seems oddly sharpened, however, with her eyes being extra bold/sharp in comparison to the rest of her features
+ I really love the color combination that you have in this icon - the oranges/reds/pinks vs that blue really pop well. The way you came about the background pinks, etc. looks a bit odd, though, as there's no specific shape or pattern to them (I'm guessing you layered the flowers texture over the blue one?). Since the background definitely has a pattern of the circles in wedges, I think adding color in a way that complimented that existing pattern would have fit in with the icon better - perhaps just taking a pink brush and drawing stripes over the un-circley parts and then playing around with layer modes as you did the existing texture. Or you could always outline your subject in the pinkish-orange color, or paint borders around the edges.
+ Nice work on that cutout and colouring, you could maybe add a gradient map on soft screen to unify subject and background a bit more, but nice work overall.
Updated points spreadsheet can be found here.
Let me know if you find any mistakes in the voting table. I'll fix any issues that may arise tomorrow.