Round 9 - Challenge 02 - Results
ROUND 9 - CHALLENGE 02 - RESULTS
1ST PLACE [5 points]:
vampire_sessah with +10 votes.
2ND PLACE [4 points]:
12feethigh with +7 votes.
3RD PLACE [3 points]:
val_valerie with +6 votes.
MOST CREATIVE [2 points]:
mm3butterfly with +4 votes.
MODS'CHOICE [1 point]:
absolutelybatty
angelamaria
[I just really need to understand why there are birds? Other than that, I agree with the comments this lovely icon received! The birds are well placed, and the coloring is really nice as well.]
raiindust
rocketgirl2
[The stunning texture use here creates such gorgeous contrast, and I love the way you've got him moving between reds and blues to really promote the idea of solstice.]
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. Except in the case of a tie - then the icon with the most 1st place votes will be given first.
ICON VOTES
scoobyatemysnaxPOSITIVE VOTES
+ I love the glowy sunset lighting of this icon, how the subject seems to be looking far into the future.
MOST CREATIVE
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I love the vibrant colours in this icon, however it's a little too blurry so I'd suggest that you sharpen it a little more.
+ The coloring is really nice but overall the icon is very blurry.
+ The crop and colouring on this icon is very eye-catching and I love the warm colouring. Concrit wise I think the icon would benefit from better lighting. Using soft light or the Levels/Curves adjustment layers should work well to increase the shadows and give the icon more oomph.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I almost voted for this one, but I didn’t because I think it is very blurry,especially on Zuko’s face. Masking out the blurred layer or sharpening his face would have helped a lot!
val_valeriePOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I love the placement of the text on this icon and the choice of font. I also really love the rich, deep colours and the lighting. Personally I would prefer and icon that was just a tab bit brighter, or I would add a more yellow/magenta hue to the shadows but, on the whole, it's a really beautiful icon ).
+++ love the crop and the text works perfectly.
++ I love the intensity of this icon - great crop, great colors. Some of the edges look a tad sharp on my monitor, but other than that, this is a great piece.
++ I think the close crop and the work with the shadows is magnificent. I’d like it better if the text was completely readable, but the message isn’t lost and it’s a gorgeous icon.
++ Great text work and love the silhouettes. Looks a bit oversharpened in my monitor but the cropping is gorgeous.
+ I love the colouring of this icon and the position of the text, however I would blur the text a little.
MOST CREATIVE
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I really like the close crop and colouring of this, but the text is a bit too sharp.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I like the silhouettes and the composition/cropping of this icon, how there is a little light hitting her face, the text usage and highlight on certain words/parts of the phrase (and the placement of the text itself). The only reason I didn't vote for this icon is how sharp the edges look like to me, they are pixelly and jagged and it's pretty much all over the silhouettes. I would run the blur tool on a low opacity over the edges where the light/shadows meet to take the jaggedness off.
+ I really like the crop and lighting effect, but the text is a bit distracting, especially the last part that looks like it should be readable but is just too small. I'd say just keeping the first part would be nice.
angelamariaPOSITIVE VOTES
++ The crop, colouring and sharpness in this look great. The bird texture adds a nice highlight to it.
++ Beautiful coloring and subtle texture work! The birds are a nice touch too, bird textures are usually hit-or-miss but they actually do fit well here.
+ I love the mix of colors and the texture use. I think maybe even a bit more vibrance, or some playing with selective color/photo filter/etc to bring out the pinks would make this icon pop more, but everything in it works together very well.
MOST CREATIVE
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ This is a beautiful icon, I love the crop and the colouring but I can't see much of the 'solstice' theme in it. Maybe if it were made monochrome to better reflect the moon, if that's the feel the maker was going for? Other than that my other suggestions would be text or a using a circular composition to allow the theme to shine through a little more and to give the icon a slightly different look.
+ If there was a top 4, this would be my fourth vote!
margerydaw_s2POSITIVE VOTES
++ I like the use of black and white, and the composition and lighting work very well.
++ Really creative use of shadows with it split down the middle.
+ Lovely textures use, and the black and white contrast is wonderful!
MOST CREATIVE
+ No reason provided.
+ This is a very interesting interpretation of the theme, I like how the maker established a division between light and dark. The shadow girl looks a bit oversharpened in my monitor, otherwise it's a great concept.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love that the maker went for black and white here and the fact that he/she was the only one to do so really sets the icon apart from the others in this batch. The crop gives the icon a feeling of wistfulness that's very in keeping with the more romantic aspects of a solstice but I feel like the bottom level was unnecessary and that the icon would work better as a simple, distant, center crop. Also the texture/brush over the girl on the right distracts me a little so if the maker really wants to keep it in they might want to consider lowering the opacity a little.
+ The vertical division between the subject is an interesting touch, but I'm not sure about the blocking done for the bottom border of the icon. It looks like it was just done for the sake of it, and kind of brings the eye away from the two people in the icon.
gribouillePOSITIVE VOTES
None.
MOST CREATIVE
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ This is a good crop, and a good cap choice as well, but the vertical division down the middle is throwing me off, unfortunately. My eyes don't know where to focus--on the division, on the right where there is the emotional focus of the icon, or on the left because of the red coloring. I think the red coloring and the division kind of detracts from the emotional impact of the icon, I would leave those off and heighten the contrast of the facial area to emphasize the emotion of the subject. Or if the division is the focus here, maybe either add another cap or some blocking would be a better choice than to leave the back part of his head (where there is no real object of focus) as the "centerpoint" of the left side.
+ I think the cap and the crop you chose are great and very iconnable and you could have made a lot more out of it. The red colour layer looks very nice on it, but I think it's sad you cropped it and added a whilte stripe on it. I don't really think the stripe fits the icon at all. A bit more colouring on the whole cap and an uncropped brush could make it more interesting.
+ The maker has the basis of an interesting coloring going on here, but it's a bit undefined and unfinished. It's not muted, not monochrome, not colorful. So I believe it would look even better if they went all the way to one coloring, either lowering the contrast to a point where it looks muted, or darker, or more contrasted. Also, the vertical white line is very distracting and doesn't match the rest of the icon, it should be taken off imho. The red coloring on the right side does little for the icon as well, and I believe it should go as well. If the maker insists on it, I think it would make more of a statement if it as solid, or if it filled the entire icon, making it monochrome.
+ I love the muted, desaturated feel to this icon. I feel like the crop would have more of an impact as a really close crop right up in Dean's face, and that the white line down the middle is not really needed because it makes the icon look awkward and a little clumsy. Also, adding a teensy bit of the warmth to the shadows might work wonders. Still, the concept behind this icon is really great.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
regisPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
MOST CREATIVE
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ Willow is a little sharp, especially on her right side. Could have also maybe been a little better with a more natural skin tone, the one now makes her a little flat.
+ Very good texture use, I really like the light on the bottom, but I believe the way it bleeds into other areas and turn Willow's face purple is a bit unflattering. If you want to keep the color, maybe lighting up her face a bit could help. Her face and the left side of her hair also look oversharpened in my monitor, maybe smudge those parts to make them smoother.
+ i find parts around her hair over-sharpened so i think you might mask around the edges of her hair.
+ The color is really pretty and the use of blues and purples are lovely. The icon seems just a bit blurry and the purple on her face is strong and lends to the blurriness overall.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
kayablePOSITIVE VOTES
None.
MOST CREATIVE
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I like the soft colouring, the blues are very soothing. However the text is distracting, especially since the bottom part is so difficult to read. I would get rid of it altogether, or change its blending mode and font.
+ For some reason, the text just doesn't seem to be very unified with the rest of this icon. I think part of it may be the font, which is very...grounded-looking, while you have a more dreamy cap/color scheme/word choice. But I also think the blend mode/opacity it's set on throw me off as they make it disappear in some places. I think maybe pulling a color or two from the icon and just experimenting with maybe making the words different (complementary) colors so each was easily legible on its own could help the text look better.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
mm3butterflyPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
MOST CREATIVE
+ No reason provided.
+ No reason provided.
+ Even though I am not a fan of the icon as a whole and I can't really make out what it is (but I guess it's Spiderman?) I think the composition is the most interesting and most creative. I like the red as background picture and the blue coloured circle in the foreground. It looks very nice, but I just think the subject could be clearer.
+ The composition of this icon is gorgeous! I love the way in which the makers used geometric shapes and light textures to stick to the theme and I love that I can tell who the subject is even if I haven't seen The Amazing Spiderman yet. The only thing I would say is that the white light used to create borders at the top right and bottom left of the icon make the overall effect a bit...stark. Maybe (and this is definitely as maybe) and red/orange to blue gradation going from bottom left to top right might have worked better?
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The composition is interesting, but the texture/motif on the right distracts from the rest of the icon. Also, the subject looks really grainy and the orange colouring is unflattering.
+ I think the icon/coloring might be too bright that you can see so little of the details, i suggest lowering down the brightness in the coloring layers.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
rocketgirl2POSITIVE VOTES
+++ Gorgeous coloring and texture use! I'd sharpen it just a bit for perfection, but the coloring looks fantastic.
++ I love the transition from orange to blue in this icon is stunning. The colouring and blending of colours suits the icon perfectly making it look like the forest is catching fire and the orange, reds and blue definitely bring to mind the sun/moon connotations associated with a solstice. The features of the subjects face seem a bit sharp to me and I think a bit of vibrancy would definitely benefit the icon but overall? Really great job!
++ The fire texture/colors in this icon is fantastic. I love the constrast between the blue forest and the red/yellow fire, the soft grunge, the subtle paintiness of it, everything. The subject placement is also well done.
+ I love the orange texture you used in this! I looks like fire cloaking him. The orange/blue contrast was a very nice idea
+ I really like the texture use in this icon. It's also a very good interpretation of "solstice".
MOST CREATIVE
+ I think this is the best technical AND thematic interpretation--technically it's obvious with the fire, but thematically, with the character facing and seemingly going towards the "blue forest" section of the icon it is like he is moving into the winter solstice/low point from the other.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The colors here are great, but the icon lacks sharpness - it's especially noticeable on the character's face and head. Also, adding a bit more contrast would make the colors pop more.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The colouring and use of texture are interesting but the icon looks really grainy and low quality. I don't know if you wanted to go for a grungy effect, but it just does not work out very well in my opinion. Also, maybe a duplicated layer set to Soft Light would help making the subject stand out a little more.
ellaangelusPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ Brilliant interpretation of the theme. And I really like the complexity of the icon.
+ The blending on this icon is so gorgeous! I love the levels and the creativity and the cleanliness of all the cut-outs and masking. The only concrit I can give is that dividing the subjects face into blue and yellow tones looks a little awkward. I think that using more distinctive and saturated colours to make the division clearer would have worked a lot better.
MOST CREATIVE
+ Great composition that really reflects the theme well !!
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ If I am right, this is a blend, like Amy (is it Amy?) is blended into a profile crop? I really like that idea! It would have looked very cool if you didn't repeat it I think, and also the clear cut of the two colours look a bit weird to me.
+ The idea is wonderful on this icon but the execution of the profile was not entirely there. Perhaps a single (or even two) silhouette(s) may have been more impactful instead of the quad layout as it took a moment to sort through the four corners. But overall the idea is wonderful and the coloring really, really nice.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
sheekapPOSITIVE VOTES
+ Nice close crop, and the text suits the icon very well : it does not distract from the crop and just adds well to it.
+ Very nice close crop and use of text.
MOST CREATIVE
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I love the close crop and coloring in this icon, but I think the text takes away from that. It’s too bright and big, and for that reason it calls attention to itself. I think changing the color to a color that is already in the icon, say, the color of her skin but a bit darker/lighter and making it a bit smaller.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Lovely crop, coloring, and spot-on sharpening, but the text looks a bit out of place here and distracts from the amazing crop. It would look better textless, imho, but if the maker really wants the text, it would be better shrunk to fit the space in her cheek only. Making the top line the same width of the bottom line, and (personal opinion, because I don't like this particular font) changing the font of the bottom line would help balancing the composition.
12feethighPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I love love love the composition. At first I wasn’t too keen on the pink shadows on the panda’s body, but for some reason they grew on me (although I’d erase a bit of it on his belly).
+++ The coloring is lovely, and I love the crispness of this icon. I'm not sure of the text was supposed to be readable, but it works great as just a decoration.
+++ I love the colours in this icon and the composition of it is great too.
+++ Lovely use of colour and texture, I find it great how the shadow on his left are the same colour as the background.
++ the colors of this icon are really great so is the tiny text in the background, the cutting out to be accurate is very well done.
++ the panda is cut out perfectly and the coloring is amazing.
++ The colour scheme works really well for the icon.
MOST CREATIVE
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I'm not sure the text on this icon suits it. For one, the different colors some words are in makes it seem like it should be legible, and it's really too small for me to make out what is being said. Second, the colors in the text don't really go with anything else in the icon, so they seem to break away from the rest of the design rather than complement it. You have a really great thing going with the pinks in this icon; I think the accented "words" in the text would look better in a similar shade of pink so they went with the rest of the piece.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ This icon is lovely, fun and adorable, but I'm not sure how it fits the theme?
+ Awww Mr. Saotome!! Ahem. I really like this icon, but the tiny text is throwing me off--it isn't QUITE tiny text but it's not readable even though it looks like some words are highlighted. I would either make the text actually readable by raising the size, or just go straight out tiny text and make it smaller.
vampire_sessahPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ Oh, this is such a lovely icon! The composition and coloring is beyond perfect. I love the warm lighting, the silhouette, lovely cap choice (or perfect background?) of her looking over the fields, even the vertical bars are a good choice and frames the icon well. The text treatment is great too.
+++ Gorgeous negative space and colors! It would be cool if the fonts weren't quite so different in spacing, but I get that it can be difficult to fix that when your text doesn't lend itself well to line breaks.
+++ I really like the composition, and the blue and sort of sepia yellow contrast works very well here, i'm also admiring the text use very much!
+++ Great color and use of light and shadows. The text is also really done well.
+++ The lights and shadows in this work perfectly together. I also think the silhouette is a great element of the icon.
++ I love the composition of this icon, the text is also great too.
+ The lighting in this is spot-on!
+ Gorgeous typography, it complements the image but doesn't take the focus away from it. I love the natural tones of the coloring too.
+ Fantastic composition, love the text execution and the creative use of the silhouette.
+ nice text, love the borders and there is a deceptive simplicity that is wonderful.
MOST CREATIVE
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ Great colouring and text, but the borders are a tad distracting.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I really love the font used (especially for "Nikita"), and the crop and colouring are absolutely perfect. The only thing I'm not sure of is those stripes on each side of the icon, but the more I look at it the more I get used to it. Well done !
marcasitePOSITIVE VOTES
None.
MOST CREATIVE
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ There's some great texture work in this icon, however I would suggest sharpening the image itself as it's rather blurry on my screen.
+ The cutout looks quite clean and this is an interesting cap choice, and the placement is good. However the cap itself looks quite LQ, it's a bit grainy/blurry/splotchy to my eye, and lacks crispness/sharpness (though sharpening may bring out the graininess even more). The background color also doesn't compliment the subject very well, because the subject itself has a tamer, natural coloring white the background is a glowing bright yellow. I would either heighten the brightness of the subject, or use a more natural color for the background--maybe the color of their skin, or the woman's hair, or her shirt (I think it is reddish?).
+ The subjects are grainy and the coloring is uneven on their bodies. Erasing or masking away the texture on them would have helped get rid of the coloring problem. As for the graininess, if you have topaz filter, you could use it on a very low setting and play with the opacity to smooth the grainy bits or use the smudge tool.
+ The image quality is very low on this icon, it looks a bit as if it was enlarged. Going for extreme negative space would have been a good idea here - resizing usually takes care of quality issues.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
Updated Scoring Spreadsheet
1ST PLACE [5 points]:
vampire_sessah with +10 votes.
2ND PLACE [4 points]:
12feethigh with +7 votes.
3RD PLACE [3 points]:
val_valerie with +6 votes.
MOST CREATIVE [2 points]:
mm3butterfly with +4 votes.
MODS'CHOICE [1 point]:
absolutelybatty
angelamaria
[I just really need to understand why there are birds? Other than that, I agree with the comments this lovely icon received! The birds are well placed, and the coloring is really nice as well.]
raiindust
rocketgirl2
[The stunning texture use here creates such gorgeous contrast, and I love the way you've got him moving between reds and blues to really promote the idea of solstice.]
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. Except in the case of a tie - then the icon with the most 1st place votes will be given first.
ICON VOTES
scoobyatemysnaxPOSITIVE VOTES
+ I love the glowy sunset lighting of this icon, how the subject seems to be looking far into the future.
MOST CREATIVE
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I love the vibrant colours in this icon, however it's a little too blurry so I'd suggest that you sharpen it a little more.
+ The coloring is really nice but overall the icon is very blurry.
+ The crop and colouring on this icon is very eye-catching and I love the warm colouring. Concrit wise I think the icon would benefit from better lighting. Using soft light or the Levels/Curves adjustment layers should work well to increase the shadows and give the icon more oomph.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I almost voted for this one, but I didn’t because I think it is very blurry,especially on Zuko’s face. Masking out the blurred layer or sharpening his face would have helped a lot!
val_valeriePOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I love the placement of the text on this icon and the choice of font. I also really love the rich, deep colours and the lighting. Personally I would prefer and icon that was just a tab bit brighter, or I would add a more yellow/magenta hue to the shadows but, on the whole, it's a really beautiful icon ).
+++ love the crop and the text works perfectly.
++ I love the intensity of this icon - great crop, great colors. Some of the edges look a tad sharp on my monitor, but other than that, this is a great piece.
++ I think the close crop and the work with the shadows is magnificent. I’d like it better if the text was completely readable, but the message isn’t lost and it’s a gorgeous icon.
++ Great text work and love the silhouettes. Looks a bit oversharpened in my monitor but the cropping is gorgeous.
+ I love the colouring of this icon and the position of the text, however I would blur the text a little.
MOST CREATIVE
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I really like the close crop and colouring of this, but the text is a bit too sharp.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I like the silhouettes and the composition/cropping of this icon, how there is a little light hitting her face, the text usage and highlight on certain words/parts of the phrase (and the placement of the text itself). The only reason I didn't vote for this icon is how sharp the edges look like to me, they are pixelly and jagged and it's pretty much all over the silhouettes. I would run the blur tool on a low opacity over the edges where the light/shadows meet to take the jaggedness off.
+ I really like the crop and lighting effect, but the text is a bit distracting, especially the last part that looks like it should be readable but is just too small. I'd say just keeping the first part would be nice.
angelamariaPOSITIVE VOTES
++ The crop, colouring and sharpness in this look great. The bird texture adds a nice highlight to it.
++ Beautiful coloring and subtle texture work! The birds are a nice touch too, bird textures are usually hit-or-miss but they actually do fit well here.
+ I love the mix of colors and the texture use. I think maybe even a bit more vibrance, or some playing with selective color/photo filter/etc to bring out the pinks would make this icon pop more, but everything in it works together very well.
MOST CREATIVE
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ This is a beautiful icon, I love the crop and the colouring but I can't see much of the 'solstice' theme in it. Maybe if it were made monochrome to better reflect the moon, if that's the feel the maker was going for? Other than that my other suggestions would be text or a using a circular composition to allow the theme to shine through a little more and to give the icon a slightly different look.
+ If there was a top 4, this would be my fourth vote!
margerydaw_s2POSITIVE VOTES
++ I like the use of black and white, and the composition and lighting work very well.
++ Really creative use of shadows with it split down the middle.
+ Lovely textures use, and the black and white contrast is wonderful!
MOST CREATIVE
+ No reason provided.
+ This is a very interesting interpretation of the theme, I like how the maker established a division between light and dark. The shadow girl looks a bit oversharpened in my monitor, otherwise it's a great concept.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love that the maker went for black and white here and the fact that he/she was the only one to do so really sets the icon apart from the others in this batch. The crop gives the icon a feeling of wistfulness that's very in keeping with the more romantic aspects of a solstice but I feel like the bottom level was unnecessary and that the icon would work better as a simple, distant, center crop. Also the texture/brush over the girl on the right distracts me a little so if the maker really wants to keep it in they might want to consider lowering the opacity a little.
+ The vertical division between the subject is an interesting touch, but I'm not sure about the blocking done for the bottom border of the icon. It looks like it was just done for the sake of it, and kind of brings the eye away from the two people in the icon.
gribouillePOSITIVE VOTES
None.
MOST CREATIVE
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ This is a good crop, and a good cap choice as well, but the vertical division down the middle is throwing me off, unfortunately. My eyes don't know where to focus--on the division, on the right where there is the emotional focus of the icon, or on the left because of the red coloring. I think the red coloring and the division kind of detracts from the emotional impact of the icon, I would leave those off and heighten the contrast of the facial area to emphasize the emotion of the subject. Or if the division is the focus here, maybe either add another cap or some blocking would be a better choice than to leave the back part of his head (where there is no real object of focus) as the "centerpoint" of the left side.
+ I think the cap and the crop you chose are great and very iconnable and you could have made a lot more out of it. The red colour layer looks very nice on it, but I think it's sad you cropped it and added a whilte stripe on it. I don't really think the stripe fits the icon at all. A bit more colouring on the whole cap and an uncropped brush could make it more interesting.
+ The maker has the basis of an interesting coloring going on here, but it's a bit undefined and unfinished. It's not muted, not monochrome, not colorful. So I believe it would look even better if they went all the way to one coloring, either lowering the contrast to a point where it looks muted, or darker, or more contrasted. Also, the vertical white line is very distracting and doesn't match the rest of the icon, it should be taken off imho. The red coloring on the right side does little for the icon as well, and I believe it should go as well. If the maker insists on it, I think it would make more of a statement if it as solid, or if it filled the entire icon, making it monochrome.
+ I love the muted, desaturated feel to this icon. I feel like the crop would have more of an impact as a really close crop right up in Dean's face, and that the white line down the middle is not really needed because it makes the icon look awkward and a little clumsy. Also, adding a teensy bit of the warmth to the shadows might work wonders. Still, the concept behind this icon is really great.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
regisPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
MOST CREATIVE
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ Willow is a little sharp, especially on her right side. Could have also maybe been a little better with a more natural skin tone, the one now makes her a little flat.
+ Very good texture use, I really like the light on the bottom, but I believe the way it bleeds into other areas and turn Willow's face purple is a bit unflattering. If you want to keep the color, maybe lighting up her face a bit could help. Her face and the left side of her hair also look oversharpened in my monitor, maybe smudge those parts to make them smoother.
+ i find parts around her hair over-sharpened so i think you might mask around the edges of her hair.
+ The color is really pretty and the use of blues and purples are lovely. The icon seems just a bit blurry and the purple on her face is strong and lends to the blurriness overall.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
kayablePOSITIVE VOTES
None.
MOST CREATIVE
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I like the soft colouring, the blues are very soothing. However the text is distracting, especially since the bottom part is so difficult to read. I would get rid of it altogether, or change its blending mode and font.
+ For some reason, the text just doesn't seem to be very unified with the rest of this icon. I think part of it may be the font, which is very...grounded-looking, while you have a more dreamy cap/color scheme/word choice. But I also think the blend mode/opacity it's set on throw me off as they make it disappear in some places. I think maybe pulling a color or two from the icon and just experimenting with maybe making the words different (complementary) colors so each was easily legible on its own could help the text look better.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
mm3butterflyPOSITIVE VOTES
None.
MOST CREATIVE
+ No reason provided.
+ No reason provided.
+ Even though I am not a fan of the icon as a whole and I can't really make out what it is (but I guess it's Spiderman?) I think the composition is the most interesting and most creative. I like the red as background picture and the blue coloured circle in the foreground. It looks very nice, but I just think the subject could be clearer.
+ The composition of this icon is gorgeous! I love the way in which the makers used geometric shapes and light textures to stick to the theme and I love that I can tell who the subject is even if I haven't seen The Amazing Spiderman yet. The only thing I would say is that the white light used to create borders at the top right and bottom left of the icon make the overall effect a bit...stark. Maybe (and this is definitely as maybe) and red/orange to blue gradation going from bottom left to top right might have worked better?
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The composition is interesting, but the texture/motif on the right distracts from the rest of the icon. Also, the subject looks really grainy and the orange colouring is unflattering.
+ I think the icon/coloring might be too bright that you can see so little of the details, i suggest lowering down the brightness in the coloring layers.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
rocketgirl2POSITIVE VOTES
+++ Gorgeous coloring and texture use! I'd sharpen it just a bit for perfection, but the coloring looks fantastic.
++ I love the transition from orange to blue in this icon is stunning. The colouring and blending of colours suits the icon perfectly making it look like the forest is catching fire and the orange, reds and blue definitely bring to mind the sun/moon connotations associated with a solstice. The features of the subjects face seem a bit sharp to me and I think a bit of vibrancy would definitely benefit the icon but overall? Really great job!
++ The fire texture/colors in this icon is fantastic. I love the constrast between the blue forest and the red/yellow fire, the soft grunge, the subtle paintiness of it, everything. The subject placement is also well done.
+ I love the orange texture you used in this! I looks like fire cloaking him. The orange/blue contrast was a very nice idea
+ I really like the texture use in this icon. It's also a very good interpretation of "solstice".
MOST CREATIVE
+ I think this is the best technical AND thematic interpretation--technically it's obvious with the fire, but thematically, with the character facing and seemingly going towards the "blue forest" section of the icon it is like he is moving into the winter solstice/low point from the other.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ The colors here are great, but the icon lacks sharpness - it's especially noticeable on the character's face and head. Also, adding a bit more contrast would make the colors pop more.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The colouring and use of texture are interesting but the icon looks really grainy and low quality. I don't know if you wanted to go for a grungy effect, but it just does not work out very well in my opinion. Also, maybe a duplicated layer set to Soft Light would help making the subject stand out a little more.
ellaangelusPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ Brilliant interpretation of the theme. And I really like the complexity of the icon.
+ The blending on this icon is so gorgeous! I love the levels and the creativity and the cleanliness of all the cut-outs and masking. The only concrit I can give is that dividing the subjects face into blue and yellow tones looks a little awkward. I think that using more distinctive and saturated colours to make the division clearer would have worked a lot better.
MOST CREATIVE
+ Great composition that really reflects the theme well !!
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ If I am right, this is a blend, like Amy (is it Amy?) is blended into a profile crop? I really like that idea! It would have looked very cool if you didn't repeat it I think, and also the clear cut of the two colours look a bit weird to me.
+ The idea is wonderful on this icon but the execution of the profile was not entirely there. Perhaps a single (or even two) silhouette(s) may have been more impactful instead of the quad layout as it took a moment to sort through the four corners. But overall the idea is wonderful and the coloring really, really nice.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
sheekapPOSITIVE VOTES
+ Nice close crop, and the text suits the icon very well : it does not distract from the crop and just adds well to it.
+ Very nice close crop and use of text.
MOST CREATIVE
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I love the close crop and coloring in this icon, but I think the text takes away from that. It’s too bright and big, and for that reason it calls attention to itself. I think changing the color to a color that is already in the icon, say, the color of her skin but a bit darker/lighter and making it a bit smaller.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Lovely crop, coloring, and spot-on sharpening, but the text looks a bit out of place here and distracts from the amazing crop. It would look better textless, imho, but if the maker really wants the text, it would be better shrunk to fit the space in her cheek only. Making the top line the same width of the bottom line, and (personal opinion, because I don't like this particular font) changing the font of the bottom line would help balancing the composition.
12feethighPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ I love love love the composition. At first I wasn’t too keen on the pink shadows on the panda’s body, but for some reason they grew on me (although I’d erase a bit of it on his belly).
+++ The coloring is lovely, and I love the crispness of this icon. I'm not sure of the text was supposed to be readable, but it works great as just a decoration.
+++ I love the colours in this icon and the composition of it is great too.
+++ Lovely use of colour and texture, I find it great how the shadow on his left are the same colour as the background.
++ the colors of this icon are really great so is the tiny text in the background, the cutting out to be accurate is very well done.
++ the panda is cut out perfectly and the coloring is amazing.
++ The colour scheme works really well for the icon.
MOST CREATIVE
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ I'm not sure the text on this icon suits it. For one, the different colors some words are in makes it seem like it should be legible, and it's really too small for me to make out what is being said. Second, the colors in the text don't really go with anything else in the icon, so they seem to break away from the rest of the design rather than complement it. You have a really great thing going with the pinks in this icon; I think the accented "words" in the text would look better in a similar shade of pink so they went with the rest of the piece.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ This icon is lovely, fun and adorable, but I'm not sure how it fits the theme?
+ Awww Mr. Saotome!! Ahem. I really like this icon, but the tiny text is throwing me off--it isn't QUITE tiny text but it's not readable even though it looks like some words are highlighted. I would either make the text actually readable by raising the size, or just go straight out tiny text and make it smaller.
vampire_sessahPOSITIVE VOTES
+++ Oh, this is such a lovely icon! The composition and coloring is beyond perfect. I love the warm lighting, the silhouette, lovely cap choice (or perfect background?) of her looking over the fields, even the vertical bars are a good choice and frames the icon well. The text treatment is great too.
+++ Gorgeous negative space and colors! It would be cool if the fonts weren't quite so different in spacing, but I get that it can be difficult to fix that when your text doesn't lend itself well to line breaks.
+++ I really like the composition, and the blue and sort of sepia yellow contrast works very well here, i'm also admiring the text use very much!
+++ Great color and use of light and shadows. The text is also really done well.
+++ The lights and shadows in this work perfectly together. I also think the silhouette is a great element of the icon.
++ I love the composition of this icon, the text is also great too.
+ The lighting in this is spot-on!
+ Gorgeous typography, it complements the image but doesn't take the focus away from it. I love the natural tones of the coloring too.
+ Fantastic composition, love the text execution and the creative use of the silhouette.
+ nice text, love the borders and there is a deceptive simplicity that is wonderful.
MOST CREATIVE
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ Great colouring and text, but the borders are a tad distracting.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I really love the font used (especially for "Nikita"), and the crop and colouring are absolutely perfect. The only thing I'm not sure of is those stripes on each side of the icon, but the more I look at it the more I get used to it. Well done !
marcasitePOSITIVE VOTES
None.
MOST CREATIVE
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE VOTES
+ There's some great texture work in this icon, however I would suggest sharpening the image itself as it's rather blurry on my screen.
+ The cutout looks quite clean and this is an interesting cap choice, and the placement is good. However the cap itself looks quite LQ, it's a bit grainy/blurry/splotchy to my eye, and lacks crispness/sharpness (though sharpening may bring out the graininess even more). The background color also doesn't compliment the subject very well, because the subject itself has a tamer, natural coloring white the background is a glowing bright yellow. I would either heighten the brightness of the subject, or use a more natural color for the background--maybe the color of their skin, or the woman's hair, or her shirt (I think it is reddish?).
+ The subjects are grainy and the coloring is uneven on their bodies. Erasing or masking away the texture on them would have helped get rid of the coloring problem. As for the graininess, if you have topaz filter, you could use it on a very low setting and play with the opacity to smooth the grainy bits or use the smudge tool.
+ The image quality is very low on this icon, it looks a bit as if it was enlarged. Going for extreme negative space would have been a good idea here - resizing usually takes care of quality issues.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
Updated Scoring Spreadsheet