Round 18 - Challenge 03 - Results
ROUND 18 - CHALLENGE 03 - RESULTS
1ST PLACE [5 points]:
tinnny with +7 votes.
2ND PLACE [4 points]:
dixon with +6 votes (and more first + second place votes).
3RD PLACE [3 points]:
starkwars with +6 votes.
BEST INTERPRETATION [2 points]:
tinnny with +4 votes.
MOD'S CHOICE [1 point]:
emiels
[One of the very few icons this round that actually managed to completely understand and execute the theme appropriately. The text absolutely dictates the space and composition of the icon. It's also creative and unique to boot. A real eye catcher!]
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
rocketgirl2PLACING VOTES
+++ The text suits Leslie and is easily readable, the lighting is bright and the stars work for the political theme
+++ The composition of this icon is awesome! The stars, fake background and typography fit the subject beautifully.
++ Simple yet outstanding work. Coloring is perfect, text and texture usage are composing in a perfect manner, and screencap was chosen ideally.
+ The icon seems simple at first sight but it is just well executed. I love the use of text, it is a pretty unique way to crop your icon.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The composition of this icon is very cute and well thought out - it could be a campaign poster or a button. I think it could have taken it further though - a strong blue/white/red color scheme would emphasize the composition, and make the icon pop more. The pale coloring, while nice and executed well, looks a bit bland.
+ this icon is really simple and cute! The blues match each other nicely, and the start texture in the background is a nice accent
+ I love the idea and the composition! Coloring-wise, I suggest darkening Leslie's face, because it looks a little washed-out on my screen. The contrast in her face was there in the original cap, so I would suggest preserving that right from the start. E.g. by duplicating the base and setting it to Soft Light. You can always mask her clothes and hair if you don't want the contrast there.
+ Great composition if not a little washed out on her face.
+ This is such a cute icon. Love the blue colouring and also, I really love the texture use. The star texture perfectly complements the text, and I feel like it hints at the subject becoming President!
esgeeePLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I'm a big fan of big text, and I think the typography here has potential, but there are a few issues that could be improved. The text frames the character well, but the way the last word blends with Mike's clothes makes him look a bit like a floating head, so I'd suggest making 'blues'either brighter or darker, or maybe even a different color entirely. Secondly, the lack of spacing between lines of text makes it look rather squished and heavy, so adding line spacing would help here.
+ As the idea of 'overtexted' icon is nice, the coloring should be matching better, becuse now text is too overwhelming and it decentralize the character too much. Either the text could be bit smaller, of color of font could be lighter than background so text wouldn't be placed so 'hard' in the icon.
+ While the composition is nice and the character is perfectly cut, the text is put too close to each other and that makes it awkward. I'd suggest using a shorter quote or just make the text smaller and more separate between each other.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ while the typography is really nice, the icon lacks additional lighting/shadows to match the lighting on the subject and it makes the rest of the icon seem flat
+ I really love the text! It's so bold and I really like that despite the entire icon being filled with text, it does not feel cluttered. However, I do think that the icon could do with a little lighting/shadows. A b&w gradient set on softlight would instantly give the icon some depth.
+ Orange and blue is always a great, eye-catching icon color, and I like how you've played up the prison theme with that. I do think the text could be executed better - having a lot of text is always hard, and you've managed to make it all fit nicely (and I can even tell what it's supposed to say where it's covered up, so kudos!) but the font combination leaves a bit to be desired for me. Neither font really seems to go with the prison theme, as they're both happier fonts, and also having two fonts that both have a lot of "personality" on their own is a bit much for one icon. I think I would keep the font you used for "prison blues" and work on finding another font for the background text. I do think a sans-serif is best, but the letterforms of the background font are a) geometric (in that an O in this font is probably almost a perfect circle) and b) pointy (look at the tip of the A, W, etc.) and neither of those match the script font you've used. I would go for something a bit more subdued - sometimes basic fonts that come with your computer work well for this - so the script really gets a chance to pop rather than being in an overwhelming text composition.
lady_kingsleyPLACING VOTES
+++ I love the muted coloring, especially how you turned Steve's trademark red/blue into pastel. The way the text separates Steve from Peggy as well as curls around Steve is amazing. The composition is great, too, how they're looking away from each other, and he looks so sad, and there is still negative space left for the blue sky.
++ The composition in this icon is unreal and really complex - I adore the understated layers, the way the maker combined the two different fonts, made them readable and fit them to the subject just right.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ The interpretation of this theme was very subtle and portrayed in a different unique way, but hits every mark!
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I really like the composition of this icon - it's very well thought out, the screencaps work together and it emphasizes the message of the icon, so great job with that! My only suggestion for this icon would be to play with the settings of the shadow under the word 'darling' - using white worked for 'goodbye', but I think it doesn't look as good under 'darling'. A darker shadow could look better here.
+ the coloring on this icon is soft and so pretty, and the blocking/blending + typography + composition on this icon fantastic!
+ The colouring is so pretty! And I love the choice of fonts. They contrast against each other perfectly and the colour of them also ties in nicely with the background.
emielsPLACING VOTES
+++ Absolutely awesome composition. The black and white silhouettes popping out of the O's are great. Perhaps a little sharp on the letters but overall a well put together icon.
++ Great idea, to put the doctor into his own O's. Love the primary colors, and the choice of silhouettes. The hot air balloon is just as whimsical as the doctor.
++ this icon is really cute! Using the O's to contain the silhouettes (anothing cool touch!) is great. The subtle texture use in the background is nice too, and gives the icon just a little more pop so it isn't too flat
++ This is such a creative icon that I am in awe! The text use is so creative and I love the way you used silhouttes. Great choice of colours as well. The two silhouttes are near pefect and I love the amount of detail in them. Great job!
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
+ the simplicity of this icon and the way the Doctor fits into the O's is just fantastic! A simple take on the theme and perfectly executed
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I love the idea behind this icon, but the cutouts look so pixellated on my screen. If you used layer masks, Photoshop has this great "refine mask" button (either on the top bar when you're doing the cutout, or in the masks panel if you've already done it) that you can use to adjust the smoothness of the edges so they're not quite so jagged.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The idea of characters (silhouetes) coming out of the characters (text) is awesome, the charpening here is too strong and it makes icon hard to read. Silhouettes could be changed to normal characters look (normal coloring with matching vibrant dose) and text could be slightly more blurry - icon would look much better in that case.
gribouillePLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ while the font choice fits the subject and the coloring is nice, the way the text crops Tony is a little awkward, cutting off his neck and forehead. Shrinking Tony's image a little bit so he's more centered and slightly smaller would help fix the odd cropping
+ I love the concept behind the icon and I really love the bold text use. However, I think the composition feels a little cluttered. The duplication in particular feels unnecessary. I think if you kept the b&w part of the subject and removed the coloured part, there would be a lot more oomph to the icon, so to speak. Because then your bold text would accentuate the icon better.
+ The coloring on the colored part is really nice! But the duplication looks a bit awkward since it's too full with the text and the composition. I think it'd look better only with a centered crop and smaller text.
+ The coloring on the left looks really warm, I think adding some coolness to the shadows would add a lot of dimension to his face.
+ The color with black and white is nice but the icon overall would have worked a little better if Tony was smaller and the text wasn't covering parts of him. You could try making him fit between the text and the text span to the sides of the icon and perhaps a little smaller as well.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ You had a good idea here - the big, blocky text works as a frame and could be a start of a really nice composition. However, I think the screencap you used was not the right one for this job - the way the text cuts off everything below the character's chin and above his forehead results in a rather awkward crop. For this composition, I'd recommend a full-body screencap, where the character is small enough that he could fit between the lines of text without being cut off by them.
+ Duplication of background is a nice idea, but t white text is too big and hard to read (espeially in the places where background is really light). Also maker could operate more with contract and coloring, as not coloring is too simple.
+ I like the choice of font and how huge and blocky it is. The icon looks a little unbalanced, though, since most of it is black and white except the left Tony. To get a more balanced result, maybe you could color each in a different shade and darken the white windows(?) behind him so they don't interfere with the white text?
adriftingseaPLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ Putting the grey monochrome person in the middle of a stark black-yellow-white texture is a bold move. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work for me. The high contrast of the textures steals the focus from the person, overwhelming her. Maybe going for a less contrasting background color would work better.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ As the overal look of icon is gorgeous, I can't find the text in the icon except tiny font in right down corner - which was the main challenge. Also, the grey characer is not fully matching into the total black&white icon, character could have bigger contrast, so it would match more to the background.
+ I think this icon is really well composed and I really love the use of colour to contrast with the b&w.
+ You have some cool shapes going on in your icon, and I like how the yellow really pops, but there's an arc above her left eye (or, the eye on the left of the icon) that really stands out from her muted coloring and looks out of place. Especially because there is not something similar on the other eye, it draws undue attention to that part of the icon and makes her face look unbalanced. If it's part of the "sparkles" texture you used, I would mask it out; if you wanted it to accent her eye, it might work at a lower opacity or with a gradient map that put a bit more whites on her face.
+ The composition of this icon is interesting, but I think it could use a bit of polish. The combination of black, white and yellow is striking, but its impact is lessened by the undercontrasted gray of the image. I think a black to yellow gradient would look good here, or a b&w one but with more contrast. Also, the scribble you used to mask the edge of the image is rather out of place in a composition filled with triangles - I'd recommend making the line angular rather than rounded.
alisea_dreamPLACING VOTES
+++ It's the first icon that caught my eye. The negative space and that background work so well together, I love the crop and the way the text cuts the characters. However, I'd love to know what the text says since the font + size are not very readable.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ while the coloring and composition is really interesting and eye-catching, the text is a bit hard to read/make out. Upping the font size by one or two would help make the text legible without making the text too big for the icon
+ The typography here is very creative, I love how you used text as an actual border in the icon. However, a more readable font might have been a better choice here - it's really hard to tell what the text says, especially the white parts. Another thing you could do to improve readability is using a more contrasting background color, or adding a shadow under the text to make it stand out more. Also, while I think the negative space in this icon is great, including more of the characters' bodies would have been a good idea, especially Walter's, so he doesn't look like a floating head.
+ I love the pastel-soft colouring of the icon and the texture use is absolutely gorgeous. I also really like how you used the text as a decorative element that cuts across the icon, but in a manner that makes it blend in with the rest of the icon. I have only one nitpick about the icon. I think it could do with a little more contrast. It feels a little washed out right now, and thought I like the icon, I had to squint a lot at it to make out details. You can use a Brightness/Contrast layer and up the contrast slightly, so that all the details in the icon become slightly more defined. If not a Brightness/Contrast layer, you can even use a Levels layer to increase the contrast. You just need to play around with the sliders a little, and erase/mask the areas that get too dark.
+ The texture use is really cool and unique, but the subjects seem to be a bit forgotten and hidden away. Showing more of them and bringing them out with a different colouring would be a great addition to the icon!
+ The texture is nice and the way in which the words are blending in with them works well but the text is very hard to read and they are a little lost in the background. Perhaps making them a little bigger to where you can really tell who they are and making the text darker would have worked better. If you wanted to keep the characters muted coloring it would have made them pop out a little more if you played up some of the colors in the background, a little more vibrant and they would have really popped out and not blended in as much.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Great representation of cut-off off the character with a text, color of the background could be changed to a bit more vibran, but text variation is placed excelenty.
+ I want more votes, because this icon is gorgeous! I wish I knew who the subjects are and I really want to read the text, too! That's not a point of critique, I like obscure icons like that! The wavy line of text fits so well with the pastel paint background and the composition is awesome.
+ This is a very interesting composition idea, but I think it would work better if we had more than just the head of the second subject because it almost looks kind of creepy without their neck or torso showing. I also cannot read the text since it's so pastel against similar colors, and I'm curious about what it says.
applepips6PLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ Nice variation of text in the background (like aa riddle, it's heally hard to find proper meaning) and coloring in the icon, although the icon and character seems a bit too darka dnthey can be a little bit lighter.
+ I really like this icon! (the coloring of the character is sweet, I love the choice of blank background) I may just be a buzzkill because I think orange on green makes the text is a bit hard to read at first sight, a slighty brighter color on the text would probably fix that.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Love the coloring in this icon - the combination of green and orange works well and makes the icon stand out in the table. The text looks good as a decoration, but it was really hard to figure out what it says - the line arrangement, spacing between the letters and right-to-left reading order makes it impossible to read without looking at the icon really closely (which is a good strategy to make people stop and look at your icon for a while longer, I suppose).
+ the typography is especially interesting on this icon, since it doesn't follow the typical "straight line" text and instead seems to be dripping down the icon; the colors are a little harsh, however, and the orange is hard to read against the green
+ Love the coloring and the way the text boxes him in. It took me quite a while to figure out how to read the text, too, and that's very fitting for Abed.
+ Your icon looks cool and I want to like the color combo, but I can't read the text because it's not quite different enough in color/lightness for my eyes to make out against the background. It is a cool effect but it bugs me to have unreadable text on icons because it feels like I'm missing something major from the design. Coloring-wise, I also think the shadows that are currently a dark teal should have a little less green because orange and green is not always the best color combo. You could either paint over them with a black brush, set that layer on saturation, and adjust the opacity accordingly, or use selective color/color balance to take some of the greens out.
tinnnyPLACING VOTES
+++ the coloring on this icon is really great! The bright orange-yellow looks really nice. The fact that there's text on the background outside of the white text circle but not inside is a nice detail, too
+++ The usage of text is just perfect! Coloring really matches the overall look and sharpening and lightning is a masterpiece.
+++ This icon is absolutely perfect. The colouring is flawless and the text looks great! I like how you used text not only to frame the subject, but to also add some texture to the background.
+++ The coloring here is just perfect, simple yet vibrant. The composition is also very pretty.
++ I absolutely adore the coloring in this one, its golden shades are beautiful and the font choice is on point.
++ The text does a great job frame the subject and the way you added GEEK to the background reinforces the message.
+ The colouring in this icon is amazing - both in the background and the subject. The only little downside is the text which could be a little bigger to read.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
+ No reason provided.
+ Not only is this icon really well made, but I think it embodies the theme the best out of all the icons. The text frames the icon perfectly!
+ Icon represents the true 'spirit' of this challenge - it cuts out character with text splendinly, and the coloring, texture usage - everything - is matching so well here.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ This icon was one of my candidates for the top 3, and the reason it lost is because the image is a bit blurry, and the smudged edge of the image adds to this issue. Other than that, I love everything about it - the vibrant coloring, the composition, and the typography - especially the way the text is used to frame the character twice, once with the circular text and one with how the background text is masked to leave an empty space.
dixonPLACING VOTES
+++ The colors of this icon work so well together, and I love your clever interpretation of the theme.
++ The composition here is amazing, the background stock image suits the coloring you did.
++ Great use of textures and great job putting it all together. The muted coloring works well and the icon looks natural with all the textures and coloring working well together.
+ the composition on this icon is stunning, and the news paper clippings give the icon a scrapbooking/cut out feel, which is really cool. The sparkly/gritty texture is a nice touch, as well
+ The texture work in this icon is great, everything comes together and complements the screencap. I also like how you interpreted text, the book texture goes well with this composition.
+ You incorporated text and used it to frame the subject, and in an unusual way compared to the rest of the icons submitted.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ The icon is really beautiful, but the textures seem to overpower the subject - losing one texture would bring out more attention for the subject which fits in the background.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I like the depth and the coloring. Beautiful icon, and the idea to use text as more "rocks" works really well.
+ Great use of the texture on the icon! And the colouring is very pretty as well.
setentpetPLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the soft monochrome coloring on this icon is very nice, and the typography perfectly matchings the imagery of the subject
+ I think this is a very nice, solid icon, but it lacks something to make it stand out. The typography is nice, but very tame - both the font and the text color were safe choices that don't ruin the icon, but also don't really improve it. Similarly, the coloring is good, it looks fine on this screencap, but at the same time doesn't result in anything particularly eye-catching. I'd suggest playing with the elements of the icon - a fancy font in a contrasting color could make the text a true asset to the icon, separating the character from the background by applying a separate gradient map to her could make it more visually interesting, adding a single bold texture could turn the simple composition into a striking one.
ciuciuvaraworldPLACING VOTES
++ Nicely done with the colors you added to this cap! The background is nicely textured but not too busy. Altogether a great job.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I think the icon could have been a little bit better if the border was not black but in a blue or purple color as the same as shown on your character. Our eyes would focus more on the character itself, which would be better since your coloring on it is really nice!
+ The text works great as a framing device! The purple on the right side of her face is pretty saturated and it looks like it's sacrificing the quality of the image a little bit. Maybe a little blurring or lowering the vibrancy would help?
+ I this you have a cool crop and did a good job with the theme overall, but the bright purple parts on her face really throw me off when compared to the rest of the colors where you have the lovely, somewhat muted blues. Either taking a brush and pulling some colors from her face/hair where it is not purple, then painting over the purple parts and setting to hue/color could help dial down the purples. You might also use some layer masks to hide the coloring layers that added the purples, if that is what happened.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the coloring on this icon is very nice, and the typography is bold and adds a nice punch to the icon's composition
+ As the colposition is amazing the background color could be lighter and more corresponding to the icon overall coloring. Also Giselle is too dark here and some additional coloring/textures used may be required.
+ I like the circular text and the way it frames the image, that was a nice way of fulfilling the requirements of the theme. However, the font you chose doesn't really fit the screencap and the film you iconed - I'd suggest something more fancy, more suitable for a screencap with a fairy tale princess. Also, while adding a border around the icon was a good choice, the black is a bit too harsh, compared to the blues and purples of the icon. A dark blue would probably work better here.
starkwarsPLACING VOTES
+++ The coloring is simply amazing - rich and vibrant, but dark enough that the colors don't clash. The composition is simple, but I think it works with the screencap and lets the fantastic coloring shine.
+ I really like the matte coloring and how vibrant it still is. The pink and purple text is so subdued it vanishes into the background, which I find is a lovely and unusual use of the theme.
+ Really nice composition with different yet eyecatching text. Although the background little text is hard to read, it contrasts nicely to the backgroundcolor and the character.
+ Nice vibrant colors and nicely composed. The font really works here as well.
+ The coloring is amazig, that hot pink is so beautiful and contrasts perfectly with the other colors and elements. Nice texture use and font choice.
+ The colouring is so gorgeous. I love how the purple of her jacket pops against the rest of the icon. The text use is very pretty as well!
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
jellybeansrawPLACING VOTES
++ I adore the typography here - it's just two characters, but they are enough to frame the character, add a touch of color to the icon and turn a simple center crop into an interesting composition. I love it.
+ Really clever interpretation of the theme. I love the contrast between the bright numbers and almost monochrome coloring on the cap, and also the way you inverted the color of the numbers where it overlaps him. Very cool piece!
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ I think the typography in this icon fulfills the theme best because it doesn't go out of its way to do it. The text is not shaped like a frame, it doesn't cut off the character or pushes her into a corner of the icon, but it does a great job of framing her nonetheless. It's brilliant, I honestly wish I had an idea as good as this!
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ Exclusion layers always give a great effect, and this icon is no exception. The only thing that bothers me about it is the red stroke of the right "1" directly above the person's eye. I would either mask it and deal with the resulting change in perspective, or shift the numbers just a little apart.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the composition of this icon is really interesting, and the typography use/layer style is really creative
+ Love the subtly grungy texture use on the icon. I also love the way you used text. The red turning into blue gives it such a sinister and dramatic feel.
Please let me know if there are any errors in the voting table. Also, please be aware, due to a voting emission in the last challenge, I'll be double checking vote counts, and there may be placing edits for Challenge #2 as a result. This will also lead to scores being changed/updated between now and the next results update.
Updated points spreadsheet here.
1ST PLACE [5 points]:
tinnny with +7 votes.
2ND PLACE [4 points]:
dixon with +6 votes (and more first + second place votes).
3RD PLACE [3 points]:
starkwars with +6 votes.
BEST INTERPRETATION [2 points]:
tinnny with +4 votes.
MOD'S CHOICE [1 point]:
emiels
[One of the very few icons this round that actually managed to completely understand and execute the theme appropriately. The text absolutely dictates the space and composition of the icon. It's also creative and unique to boot. A real eye catcher!]
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
rocketgirl2PLACING VOTES
+++ The text suits Leslie and is easily readable, the lighting is bright and the stars work for the political theme
+++ The composition of this icon is awesome! The stars, fake background and typography fit the subject beautifully.
++ Simple yet outstanding work. Coloring is perfect, text and texture usage are composing in a perfect manner, and screencap was chosen ideally.
+ The icon seems simple at first sight but it is just well executed. I love the use of text, it is a pretty unique way to crop your icon.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The composition of this icon is very cute and well thought out - it could be a campaign poster or a button. I think it could have taken it further though - a strong blue/white/red color scheme would emphasize the composition, and make the icon pop more. The pale coloring, while nice and executed well, looks a bit bland.
+ this icon is really simple and cute! The blues match each other nicely, and the start texture in the background is a nice accent
+ I love the idea and the composition! Coloring-wise, I suggest darkening Leslie's face, because it looks a little washed-out on my screen. The contrast in her face was there in the original cap, so I would suggest preserving that right from the start. E.g. by duplicating the base and setting it to Soft Light. You can always mask her clothes and hair if you don't want the contrast there.
+ Great composition if not a little washed out on her face.
+ This is such a cute icon. Love the blue colouring and also, I really love the texture use. The star texture perfectly complements the text, and I feel like it hints at the subject becoming President!
esgeeePLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I'm a big fan of big text, and I think the typography here has potential, but there are a few issues that could be improved. The text frames the character well, but the way the last word blends with Mike's clothes makes him look a bit like a floating head, so I'd suggest making 'blues'either brighter or darker, or maybe even a different color entirely. Secondly, the lack of spacing between lines of text makes it look rather squished and heavy, so adding line spacing would help here.
+ As the idea of 'overtexted' icon is nice, the coloring should be matching better, becuse now text is too overwhelming and it decentralize the character too much. Either the text could be bit smaller, of color of font could be lighter than background so text wouldn't be placed so 'hard' in the icon.
+ While the composition is nice and the character is perfectly cut, the text is put too close to each other and that makes it awkward. I'd suggest using a shorter quote or just make the text smaller and more separate between each other.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ while the typography is really nice, the icon lacks additional lighting/shadows to match the lighting on the subject and it makes the rest of the icon seem flat
+ I really love the text! It's so bold and I really like that despite the entire icon being filled with text, it does not feel cluttered. However, I do think that the icon could do with a little lighting/shadows. A b&w gradient set on softlight would instantly give the icon some depth.
+ Orange and blue is always a great, eye-catching icon color, and I like how you've played up the prison theme with that. I do think the text could be executed better - having a lot of text is always hard, and you've managed to make it all fit nicely (and I can even tell what it's supposed to say where it's covered up, so kudos!) but the font combination leaves a bit to be desired for me. Neither font really seems to go with the prison theme, as they're both happier fonts, and also having two fonts that both have a lot of "personality" on their own is a bit much for one icon. I think I would keep the font you used for "prison blues" and work on finding another font for the background text. I do think a sans-serif is best, but the letterforms of the background font are a) geometric (in that an O in this font is probably almost a perfect circle) and b) pointy (look at the tip of the A, W, etc.) and neither of those match the script font you've used. I would go for something a bit more subdued - sometimes basic fonts that come with your computer work well for this - so the script really gets a chance to pop rather than being in an overwhelming text composition.
lady_kingsleyPLACING VOTES
+++ I love the muted coloring, especially how you turned Steve's trademark red/blue into pastel. The way the text separates Steve from Peggy as well as curls around Steve is amazing. The composition is great, too, how they're looking away from each other, and he looks so sad, and there is still negative space left for the blue sky.
++ The composition in this icon is unreal and really complex - I adore the understated layers, the way the maker combined the two different fonts, made them readable and fit them to the subject just right.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ The interpretation of this theme was very subtle and portrayed in a different unique way, but hits every mark!
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I really like the composition of this icon - it's very well thought out, the screencaps work together and it emphasizes the message of the icon, so great job with that! My only suggestion for this icon would be to play with the settings of the shadow under the word 'darling' - using white worked for 'goodbye', but I think it doesn't look as good under 'darling'. A darker shadow could look better here.
+ the coloring on this icon is soft and so pretty, and the blocking/blending + typography + composition on this icon fantastic!
+ The colouring is so pretty! And I love the choice of fonts. They contrast against each other perfectly and the colour of them also ties in nicely with the background.
emielsPLACING VOTES
+++ Absolutely awesome composition. The black and white silhouettes popping out of the O's are great. Perhaps a little sharp on the letters but overall a well put together icon.
++ Great idea, to put the doctor into his own O's. Love the primary colors, and the choice of silhouettes. The hot air balloon is just as whimsical as the doctor.
++ this icon is really cute! Using the O's to contain the silhouettes (anothing cool touch!) is great. The subtle texture use in the background is nice too, and gives the icon just a little more pop so it isn't too flat
++ This is such a creative icon that I am in awe! The text use is so creative and I love the way you used silhouttes. Great choice of colours as well. The two silhouttes are near pefect and I love the amount of detail in them. Great job!
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
+ the simplicity of this icon and the way the Doctor fits into the O's is just fantastic! A simple take on the theme and perfectly executed
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I love the idea behind this icon, but the cutouts look so pixellated on my screen. If you used layer masks, Photoshop has this great "refine mask" button (either on the top bar when you're doing the cutout, or in the masks panel if you've already done it) that you can use to adjust the smoothness of the edges so they're not quite so jagged.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The idea of characters (silhouetes) coming out of the characters (text) is awesome, the charpening here is too strong and it makes icon hard to read. Silhouettes could be changed to normal characters look (normal coloring with matching vibrant dose) and text could be slightly more blurry - icon would look much better in that case.
gribouillePLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ while the font choice fits the subject and the coloring is nice, the way the text crops Tony is a little awkward, cutting off his neck and forehead. Shrinking Tony's image a little bit so he's more centered and slightly smaller would help fix the odd cropping
+ I love the concept behind the icon and I really love the bold text use. However, I think the composition feels a little cluttered. The duplication in particular feels unnecessary. I think if you kept the b&w part of the subject and removed the coloured part, there would be a lot more oomph to the icon, so to speak. Because then your bold text would accentuate the icon better.
+ The coloring on the colored part is really nice! But the duplication looks a bit awkward since it's too full with the text and the composition. I think it'd look better only with a centered crop and smaller text.
+ The coloring on the left looks really warm, I think adding some coolness to the shadows would add a lot of dimension to his face.
+ The color with black and white is nice but the icon overall would have worked a little better if Tony was smaller and the text wasn't covering parts of him. You could try making him fit between the text and the text span to the sides of the icon and perhaps a little smaller as well.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ You had a good idea here - the big, blocky text works as a frame and could be a start of a really nice composition. However, I think the screencap you used was not the right one for this job - the way the text cuts off everything below the character's chin and above his forehead results in a rather awkward crop. For this composition, I'd recommend a full-body screencap, where the character is small enough that he could fit between the lines of text without being cut off by them.
+ Duplication of background is a nice idea, but t white text is too big and hard to read (espeially in the places where background is really light). Also maker could operate more with contract and coloring, as not coloring is too simple.
+ I like the choice of font and how huge and blocky it is. The icon looks a little unbalanced, though, since most of it is black and white except the left Tony. To get a more balanced result, maybe you could color each in a different shade and darken the white windows(?) behind him so they don't interfere with the white text?
adriftingseaPLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ Putting the grey monochrome person in the middle of a stark black-yellow-white texture is a bold move. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work for me. The high contrast of the textures steals the focus from the person, overwhelming her. Maybe going for a less contrasting background color would work better.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ As the overal look of icon is gorgeous, I can't find the text in the icon except tiny font in right down corner - which was the main challenge. Also, the grey characer is not fully matching into the total black&white icon, character could have bigger contrast, so it would match more to the background.
+ I think this icon is really well composed and I really love the use of colour to contrast with the b&w.
+ You have some cool shapes going on in your icon, and I like how the yellow really pops, but there's an arc above her left eye (or, the eye on the left of the icon) that really stands out from her muted coloring and looks out of place. Especially because there is not something similar on the other eye, it draws undue attention to that part of the icon and makes her face look unbalanced. If it's part of the "sparkles" texture you used, I would mask it out; if you wanted it to accent her eye, it might work at a lower opacity or with a gradient map that put a bit more whites on her face.
+ The composition of this icon is interesting, but I think it could use a bit of polish. The combination of black, white and yellow is striking, but its impact is lessened by the undercontrasted gray of the image. I think a black to yellow gradient would look good here, or a b&w one but with more contrast. Also, the scribble you used to mask the edge of the image is rather out of place in a composition filled with triangles - I'd recommend making the line angular rather than rounded.
alisea_dreamPLACING VOTES
+++ It's the first icon that caught my eye. The negative space and that background work so well together, I love the crop and the way the text cuts the characters. However, I'd love to know what the text says since the font + size are not very readable.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ while the coloring and composition is really interesting and eye-catching, the text is a bit hard to read/make out. Upping the font size by one or two would help make the text legible without making the text too big for the icon
+ The typography here is very creative, I love how you used text as an actual border in the icon. However, a more readable font might have been a better choice here - it's really hard to tell what the text says, especially the white parts. Another thing you could do to improve readability is using a more contrasting background color, or adding a shadow under the text to make it stand out more. Also, while I think the negative space in this icon is great, including more of the characters' bodies would have been a good idea, especially Walter's, so he doesn't look like a floating head.
+ I love the pastel-soft colouring of the icon and the texture use is absolutely gorgeous. I also really like how you used the text as a decorative element that cuts across the icon, but in a manner that makes it blend in with the rest of the icon. I have only one nitpick about the icon. I think it could do with a little more contrast. It feels a little washed out right now, and thought I like the icon, I had to squint a lot at it to make out details. You can use a Brightness/Contrast layer and up the contrast slightly, so that all the details in the icon become slightly more defined. If not a Brightness/Contrast layer, you can even use a Levels layer to increase the contrast. You just need to play around with the sliders a little, and erase/mask the areas that get too dark.
+ The texture use is really cool and unique, but the subjects seem to be a bit forgotten and hidden away. Showing more of them and bringing them out with a different colouring would be a great addition to the icon!
+ The texture is nice and the way in which the words are blending in with them works well but the text is very hard to read and they are a little lost in the background. Perhaps making them a little bigger to where you can really tell who they are and making the text darker would have worked better. If you wanted to keep the characters muted coloring it would have made them pop out a little more if you played up some of the colors in the background, a little more vibrant and they would have really popped out and not blended in as much.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Great representation of cut-off off the character with a text, color of the background could be changed to a bit more vibran, but text variation is placed excelenty.
+ I want more votes, because this icon is gorgeous! I wish I knew who the subjects are and I really want to read the text, too! That's not a point of critique, I like obscure icons like that! The wavy line of text fits so well with the pastel paint background and the composition is awesome.
+ This is a very interesting composition idea, but I think it would work better if we had more than just the head of the second subject because it almost looks kind of creepy without their neck or torso showing. I also cannot read the text since it's so pastel against similar colors, and I'm curious about what it says.
applepips6PLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ Nice variation of text in the background (like aa riddle, it's heally hard to find proper meaning) and coloring in the icon, although the icon and character seems a bit too darka dnthey can be a little bit lighter.
+ I really like this icon! (the coloring of the character is sweet, I love the choice of blank background) I may just be a buzzkill because I think orange on green makes the text is a bit hard to read at first sight, a slighty brighter color on the text would probably fix that.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Love the coloring in this icon - the combination of green and orange works well and makes the icon stand out in the table. The text looks good as a decoration, but it was really hard to figure out what it says - the line arrangement, spacing between the letters and right-to-left reading order makes it impossible to read without looking at the icon really closely (which is a good strategy to make people stop and look at your icon for a while longer, I suppose).
+ the typography is especially interesting on this icon, since it doesn't follow the typical "straight line" text and instead seems to be dripping down the icon; the colors are a little harsh, however, and the orange is hard to read against the green
+ Love the coloring and the way the text boxes him in. It took me quite a while to figure out how to read the text, too, and that's very fitting for Abed.
+ Your icon looks cool and I want to like the color combo, but I can't read the text because it's not quite different enough in color/lightness for my eyes to make out against the background. It is a cool effect but it bugs me to have unreadable text on icons because it feels like I'm missing something major from the design. Coloring-wise, I also think the shadows that are currently a dark teal should have a little less green because orange and green is not always the best color combo. You could either paint over them with a black brush, set that layer on saturation, and adjust the opacity accordingly, or use selective color/color balance to take some of the greens out.
tinnnyPLACING VOTES
+++ the coloring on this icon is really great! The bright orange-yellow looks really nice. The fact that there's text on the background outside of the white text circle but not inside is a nice detail, too
+++ The usage of text is just perfect! Coloring really matches the overall look and sharpening and lightning is a masterpiece.
+++ This icon is absolutely perfect. The colouring is flawless and the text looks great! I like how you used text not only to frame the subject, but to also add some texture to the background.
+++ The coloring here is just perfect, simple yet vibrant. The composition is also very pretty.
++ I absolutely adore the coloring in this one, its golden shades are beautiful and the font choice is on point.
++ The text does a great job frame the subject and the way you added GEEK to the background reinforces the message.
+ The colouring in this icon is amazing - both in the background and the subject. The only little downside is the text which could be a little bigger to read.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
+ No reason provided.
+ Not only is this icon really well made, but I think it embodies the theme the best out of all the icons. The text frames the icon perfectly!
+ Icon represents the true 'spirit' of this challenge - it cuts out character with text splendinly, and the coloring, texture usage - everything - is matching so well here.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ This icon was one of my candidates for the top 3, and the reason it lost is because the image is a bit blurry, and the smudged edge of the image adds to this issue. Other than that, I love everything about it - the vibrant coloring, the composition, and the typography - especially the way the text is used to frame the character twice, once with the circular text and one with how the background text is masked to leave an empty space.
dixonPLACING VOTES
+++ The colors of this icon work so well together, and I love your clever interpretation of the theme.
++ The composition here is amazing, the background stock image suits the coloring you did.
++ Great use of textures and great job putting it all together. The muted coloring works well and the icon looks natural with all the textures and coloring working well together.
+ the composition on this icon is stunning, and the news paper clippings give the icon a scrapbooking/cut out feel, which is really cool. The sparkly/gritty texture is a nice touch, as well
+ The texture work in this icon is great, everything comes together and complements the screencap. I also like how you interpreted text, the book texture goes well with this composition.
+ You incorporated text and used it to frame the subject, and in an unusual way compared to the rest of the icons submitted.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ The icon is really beautiful, but the textures seem to overpower the subject - losing one texture would bring out more attention for the subject which fits in the background.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I like the depth and the coloring. Beautiful icon, and the idea to use text as more "rocks" works really well.
+ Great use of the texture on the icon! And the colouring is very pretty as well.
setentpetPLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the soft monochrome coloring on this icon is very nice, and the typography perfectly matchings the imagery of the subject
+ I think this is a very nice, solid icon, but it lacks something to make it stand out. The typography is nice, but very tame - both the font and the text color were safe choices that don't ruin the icon, but also don't really improve it. Similarly, the coloring is good, it looks fine on this screencap, but at the same time doesn't result in anything particularly eye-catching. I'd suggest playing with the elements of the icon - a fancy font in a contrasting color could make the text a true asset to the icon, separating the character from the background by applying a separate gradient map to her could make it more visually interesting, adding a single bold texture could turn the simple composition into a striking one.
ciuciuvaraworldPLACING VOTES
++ Nicely done with the colors you added to this cap! The background is nicely textured but not too busy. Altogether a great job.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I think the icon could have been a little bit better if the border was not black but in a blue or purple color as the same as shown on your character. Our eyes would focus more on the character itself, which would be better since your coloring on it is really nice!
+ The text works great as a framing device! The purple on the right side of her face is pretty saturated and it looks like it's sacrificing the quality of the image a little bit. Maybe a little blurring or lowering the vibrancy would help?
+ I this you have a cool crop and did a good job with the theme overall, but the bright purple parts on her face really throw me off when compared to the rest of the colors where you have the lovely, somewhat muted blues. Either taking a brush and pulling some colors from her face/hair where it is not purple, then painting over the purple parts and setting to hue/color could help dial down the purples. You might also use some layer masks to hide the coloring layers that added the purples, if that is what happened.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the coloring on this icon is very nice, and the typography is bold and adds a nice punch to the icon's composition
+ As the colposition is amazing the background color could be lighter and more corresponding to the icon overall coloring. Also Giselle is too dark here and some additional coloring/textures used may be required.
+ I like the circular text and the way it frames the image, that was a nice way of fulfilling the requirements of the theme. However, the font you chose doesn't really fit the screencap and the film you iconed - I'd suggest something more fancy, more suitable for a screencap with a fairy tale princess. Also, while adding a border around the icon was a good choice, the black is a bit too harsh, compared to the blues and purples of the icon. A dark blue would probably work better here.
starkwarsPLACING VOTES
+++ The coloring is simply amazing - rich and vibrant, but dark enough that the colors don't clash. The composition is simple, but I think it works with the screencap and lets the fantastic coloring shine.
+ I really like the matte coloring and how vibrant it still is. The pink and purple text is so subdued it vanishes into the background, which I find is a lovely and unusual use of the theme.
+ Really nice composition with different yet eyecatching text. Although the background little text is hard to read, it contrasts nicely to the backgroundcolor and the character.
+ Nice vibrant colors and nicely composed. The font really works here as well.
+ The coloring is amazig, that hot pink is so beautiful and contrasts perfectly with the other colors and elements. Nice texture use and font choice.
+ The colouring is so gorgeous. I love how the purple of her jacket pops against the rest of the icon. The text use is very pretty as well!
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
jellybeansrawPLACING VOTES
++ I adore the typography here - it's just two characters, but they are enough to frame the character, add a touch of color to the icon and turn a simple center crop into an interesting composition. I love it.
+ Really clever interpretation of the theme. I love the contrast between the bright numbers and almost monochrome coloring on the cap, and also the way you inverted the color of the numbers where it overlaps him. Very cool piece!
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ I think the typography in this icon fulfills the theme best because it doesn't go out of its way to do it. The text is not shaped like a frame, it doesn't cut off the character or pushes her into a corner of the icon, but it does a great job of framing her nonetheless. It's brilliant, I honestly wish I had an idea as good as this!
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ Exclusion layers always give a great effect, and this icon is no exception. The only thing that bothers me about it is the red stroke of the right "1" directly above the person's eye. I would either mask it and deal with the resulting change in perspective, or shift the numbers just a little apart.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the composition of this icon is really interesting, and the typography use/layer style is really creative
+ Love the subtly grungy texture use on the icon. I also love the way you used text. The red turning into blue gives it such a sinister and dramatic feel.
Please let me know if there are any errors in the voting table. Also, please be aware, due to a voting emission in the last challenge, I'll be double checking vote counts, and there may be placing edits for Challenge #2 as a result. This will also lead to scores being changed/updated between now and the next results update.
Updated points spreadsheet here.