Round 18 - Challenge 04 - Results
ROUND 18 - CHALLENGE 04 - RESULTS
1ST PLACE [5 points]:
starkwars with +7 votes.
2ND PLACE [4 points]:
emiels with +6 votes.
3RD PLACE [3 points]:
applepips16 with +4 votes (and the most first + second place votes).
BEST INTERPRETATION [2 points]:
alisea_dream with +4 votes.
MOD'S CHOICE [1 point]:
jellybeansraw
[A very straight forward example of hitting the theme precisely. Each color block crops the character, but then the color borders on either side crop and frame them even further which is absolutely perfect. I am also oddly drawn to the...awkwardness of the crops and particular caps chosen as well. I think this is a Parks & Rec icon? If so, that fits with what I know about the show as well. Great job!]
TABLE KEY:
+++ = 1st Place Vote
++ = 2nd Place Vote
+ = 3rd Place Vote | Beginning of a new comment.
Note: Votes are not weighted in this round. Meaning a 1st, 2nd or 3rd vote will only give you 1 point when tallying the votes. [Tiebreaker procedure:]Except in the case of a tie - then the icon with the most 1st place votes will be given first. This is upheld in all cases unless 1) the amount of votes is equal in all cases (i.e. 3 first place, 2 second place, and 1 third place) or 2) breaking the tie would result in an icon with enough first place votes to place being knocked out of a placing spot (i.e a third place tie between two icons). In these cases, ties will stand as is in order to maintain a sense of fairness for all participants.
ICON VOTES
ciuciuvaraworldPLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ while the crop is nice and the colors are rich, the shadows seems to over power the icon and draw attention away from the subject. If the blue were bright, or the shadow less intense/further from his face, the icon would feel more balanced
+ This icon has some very cool lighting, but I'm not convinced by the color scheme. The burnt oranges don't go super well with the turquoise texture in the background- I think it's a bit too green for the icon. I also think your edges look a bit on the sharp side here, so a tad less opacity on your sharpen layer would help make things smoother.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Very simple but effective idea to use black to crop the icon. I like the result, and it adds depth to the icon, too. Only point of critique I have: the subject looks a bit oversharpened on my screen
+ Composition is really nice, and chiaroscuro fits the icon, but the character is a bit too oversharpened and too vibrant for this type of icon. I would suggest to decrease a bit the saturation and increase the light to make icon look perfect.
+ I love the dramatic colouring on the icon. The blue on the right contrasts really well with the warm red of the rest of the icon!
+ Interesting take on the theme! I like your idea for the colouring. It's difficult to judge without the original screencap, but I think your subject could fit/blend a bit more with ts background, especially on the right side of the icon. I think you can make his features a bit darker on this side, using a black & white gradient on soft screen for instance.
esgeeePLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I love the composition, with the overlapping text and arguing subjects. Very expressive. The color combination of text and background is gorgeous. What's bugging me about it a bit is their red skin color. It may increase the retro look, but I think it would look better if their skin was more natural-looking. What I do to fix this issue in my icons is paint some skin-tone over their faces (and hands) and set it to color at middling opacity.
+ I really like the coloring and the big text, but it's a bit too overwhelming, Neal and Peter could be more outstanding with coloring, since they blend too much with background. Apart from that, composition is great, and coloring is very eye-catching.
+ I love the composition of the icon and I really like the text as well. The font choice is great and it acts as a accent for the icon as well. However, the one wrong note for me the is the colouring. I love the pink and blue of the icon, but the green on the left side feels awkward. It does not go with th rest of the colour scheme so to speak. Had been a brighter green, or a yellow, or even purple, I think it would have made the icon look more cohesive.
+ I really like the composition of this icon. The only thing that bothers me is the color of the characters' skins. It is a bit too similar of the background color, they would stand more if their skin were brighter.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the color use here is really bold and eyecatching. The texture/swoop on the side fits with the cap quite nicely, and the typography slightly overlaying each other is really cool
+ Fun composition and the cut-out is quite well done! A bit more contrast could make your subjects stand-out more (their suits and hair could be darker), and I think the bottom-left shape could be a solid colour instead of letting us see the character underneath. Nice idea though.
+ I think this icon has a cool concept behind it, but the coloring could have more finesse. If you're using photoshop, it has a white balance feature (and I forget where it is because I don't use it often but I think it's under the image menu) that could help with this cap because both their dress shirts are yellow. I also think this piece needs a bit more brightness as their faces are pretty dark, and their suits are just straight up black all over, without any kind of shading or shadows visible. I would also not choose to pair an olive green texture with bright pinks & purples. You can always use a clipping mask (ctrl+shift+g) + an adjustment layer to mess with the color of textures, and I think that would have come in handy here to take the texture to maybe a purple, a blue, or even a red that fit better with the background + text colors you have. The bright colors make your piece stand out, but if they fit together a little better it would take you to another level.
alisea_dreamPLACING VOTES
++ the clever use of color and shape masking, along with awesome cap choice, work amazing for this icon and the theme! The subtle textures also make the icon feel grungey, but still feel bright
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
+ No reason provided.
+ Oh man, so I think you did a fantastic job of interpreting the theme and yet having the icon be simple. The blue of the background really plays up the yellow of Bill and I love how you've blended Dipper in. Great job!
+ This icon immediately caught my eye thanks to its brilliant use of gradient maps to fulfill the requirements of this challenge. Blending was a simple, but effective way of cropping with colors, and thanks to the simple composition of the icon, the blend is not obscured or overwhelmed by other elements of the icon.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I like the idea for the composition, but icon is some places is oversharpened (the yellow triangle) and character could be more visible since it blends too much with the background.
+ I love the idea behind this icon. The composition is nice and the texture use is great, but the duetone of the icon seems a bit awkward and "forced" and the geometric shape and the subject both look a bit pixelated since it's oversharpened.
+ I really like this composition and the idea behind it, however I think it would be a bit more effective with more contrast. Specifically, your subject could have a darker shade of blue so that it pops out a bit more. Nice use of textures though!
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I really like the unusual composition here. The added arms and legs are so cute! The blue-and-white background gives the impression of him floating in space above the earth, very cool. It fits the theme of framing him in color excellently, too. I would definitely have voted for this icon if the contrast of his face within the yellow triangle was a bit higher. As it is, I find it a bit hard to focus on him, my eyes keep being drawn to his "legs". Increasing the contrast in the middle would solve that and make the icon perfect.
+ The concept behind this icon is really cool, but the whole piece looks a little on the low quality side to me. The edges of both the cap and the triangle texture/lines look a little jagged to me. I also would like to see a bit more contrast over your subject (and that tends to make things look even sharper, so the sharpening on this icon would have to be taken down even more, accordingly).
setentpetPLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ This is one of the few icons that works solely with colors and not with patterns. I like the grungy paint type of circle you chose, too.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I like the idea and the bright colours, which immediately bring the eye towards the icon. However, the bright orange colouring could be taken off Steve's face, because it washes him out.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ As the idea for icon is appealing, Steve is too blurry and single texture could be added with i.e. some noise, as now icon is a bit too simple.
+ the solid orange color is very pleasant and the brushed circle texture is a nice addition and doesn't draw away from Cap
+ I love the stark simplicity of the icon! And while I like the idea behind the circular paint texture, it feels a little overwhelming. I think a smaller texture or even the texture being placed behind Steve would work better.
+ Nice use of texture! Steve could stand out a little bit more with a more natural colouring (basically, his face less orange and maybe some dark blues over his uniform). Good interpretation of the theme though.
jellybeansrawPLACING VOTES
++ I like how the more muted colors you chose for the subjects contrast with the more vibrant borders. The theme is well executed, sharpening and contrast are good, and the composition is interesting. I like the facial expressions you chose: I don't even know the fandom, but I'm intrigued by what this icon wants to tell me.
+ Beautiful composition! The vertical levels work so well in this case and the crops and the coloring use makes the whole icon look amazing.
+ A really fun icon, I love both the colouring and the sharpness of it, especially on the left. I'd have cut-off the character's head completely with that pink stripe on the left instead of having some of it still visible, but still, it's really nice!
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ As having those two people in icon without any explaination, it does seems quite weird. If author ships them, he/she could add some appealing text or some matching textures. Apart from that, icon has really nice coloring and lightning.
+ the blocking here is really nice, and the color use works well with each other as well. The pink on the left and the red don't seem to match each other, so I would reccomend changing one color to the other so the icon would follow a tri-color theme and the sections would compliment each other better
+ I love the composition of the icon, with one close cap and one far one. It creates a nice contrast. I also love the colouring. It is both unique and pretty!
+ You achieved some really cool cropping with this icon - the one part that throws me is where the pink border is over a bit of April's face, because I can kind of see the outlines there since it's on screen but that part breaks up the border. if you had made her cap a little smaller so her whole face could fit in the area between the borders, I think it would work better. This icon also looks a bit oversharpened on my screen, so a bit less on the sharpening layers would help it look smoother.
rocketgirl2PLACING VOTES
+++ I love the soft, romantic feel of this icon. The colouring is so pretty and I absolutely love the way the texture frames Gina. Great job!
+ The simplicity and symbolism throughout the icon is very nice! I really like how the background brings out a similar print in the character's top.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ As the composition and coloring are gorgeous, the character part in icon is too blurry and some sharpening is required (i.e. Smart Sharpening).
+ I like the composition here very much. Floral and soft. The style of the subject could be made to fit the texture better, though. The subject is pretty blurry while the texture is sharp. Blurring the texture would probably make the icon look LQ, so I suggest sharpening the subject a little, just so it matches the texture. Stamp the icon into a new layer and do a simple Sharpen filter. Then set the new layer to around 25% opacity and mask the parts you don't want sharpened. Or maybe it's not even the subject that is blurry, but the slightly textured background behind her head that gives the impression of blurriness and clashes with the plain stripes of the texture. Maybe replacing that background behind her head with a plain color would already do the trick.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the texture use and blending between the background and the cap is wonderful; the coloring is very soft and the colors compliment each other nicely
+ Great cut-out and I really like your composition! The shapes/shades right behind Gina (not the rest of the flowers, just specifically around her) are a bit distracting though, a solid colour would suit the icon better. But the texture is really fun and it does fit what I remember of the character, plus it's a nice interpretation of the theme.
lady_kingsleyPLACING VOTES
+++ The composition of the icon is superb! Love the yellow-orange combination, how it brings out the character and complements her.
+ Nice composition and the yellow and orange work well together. The tree texture is an interesting choice and I think it works with the overall composition of the icon.
+ the round cut out looks great and the yellow trees match the orange Katniss very nice
+ I like your color choice and interpretation of the theme, but I would like to see a background that's a bit more thematic for Katniss (if you're going for the trees to look like the arena, they don't quite do it for me). Your icon is also a little sharp around the edges, so I would suggest a little bit less sharpening next time.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ Nice composition and use of textures, it fits the theme well. However, Katniss's features are a bit smudged, especially around her face, and the cut-out looks a bit rough around her torso. Maybe a closer crop might suit this composition better, and you could add a bit more contrast to make it pop out more.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love the composition of the icon. The background was a great idea and I love how the yellow of it contrasts with the red of the subject!
adriftingseaPLACING VOTES
+++ The composition is nicely done and all the text and textures don't feel overwhelming. The b&w are good for giving it an old fashioned feel with the green and yellow.
++ The composition of the icon is amazing. It's got such a mod-chic feel to it. It looks like a magazine cover and I love that!
+ The coloring is pretty nice (although there could be more depth, as now icon is a bit too flat). Also texture usage is gorgeouus, it doesn't mess up the icon.
+ I love how this icon is really unique. The colors are nice and the way you chose to crop it with the use of textures is pretty.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
+ I love how the various blocks of colours effectively crop the icon, it's really well done! And you managed to put a lot of things on it without it being too cluttered either.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I like the complex composition, and it fits the theme, too. I have a little difficulty seeing her face, since the shades of yellow all blend into each other on my screen. A bit more contrast in her face would look better, I think.
applepips16PLACING VOTES
+++ I love everything about this icon. The unnatural coloring is beautifully done and the texture use is on point. I also love the text use and font choice. Very lovely icon!
++ You made a really bold choice with the yellow monochrome, but it works quite well. I love the way the shapes work within your canvas and the textures add some nice visual interest. Good job!
++ Fantastic coloring here - I feel this particular combination of colors shouldn't work, but somehow it does, and I love it. The texture use emphasizes the 'down the rabbit hole' style of this icon, and the diagonal text fits into the space created by the coloring perfectly. Overall, great job!
++ Great use of colour, and I love how you got just the right balance lighting-wise, it's dark enough without being too dark. You could maybe put a darker shade under "sociopath" so it's a bit easier to read (it melts a bit with the pink on his shirt), but other than that I really like it. Well done!
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I really like the use of textures and lightning here. I'm just not so so sure about the text, the emplacement seems a bit off to me and I'm not so fond of the font use for the word "sociopath".
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I don't think this icon fits the theme. He is neither framed nor cropped by color. Apart from that, I like the fake coloring. I'm not usually a fan of dark coloring, but it works well here.
+ Coloring is awesome here, but icon and text are hard to read. Maker could change the hue/saturation a bit or change font of the pink work.
+ the coloring is very bold and stunning. The typography is a nice addition, though I would make the "sociopath" a light shade of pink since the later half of the word blends a bit with the pink of his jacket
dixonPLACING VOTES
+ This icon looks simple, but after looking at the screencap, I can see how much work went into it. Recoloring the background was a great chose, and it was executed perfectly, the result looks slightly surreal, but also natural.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I love the interesting colouring style the maker chose for this icon! Even though it's really pretty and looks quite like an actual work of art, it washes the subjects out, bringing them out with a darker colouring or a texture would be great.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I don't think this icon fits the theme. They are neither framed nor cropped by color. That said, I like the coloring style very much. It's probably my favorite icon of the whole set, concerning the style. The way the vibrant objects on the table before them draw the eye gives the icon a lot of depth, practically forcing the viewer to see the distances within the room.
+ I'm in awe of change of sharpening from screencap and the icon, change is collosal! Also coloring is pretty nice, but maker could work out more with coloring and/or background to fit more into the main challenge.
+ the coloring on this icon is phenomenal! You managed to add such fantastic color to every part of this icon (which I know is time-consuming). The paint splatter (?) texture on top is a nice touch
+ The colouring of the icon is so pretty! Love the grainy texture use as well!
+ Gorgeous colouring, really unique! It's a bit hard to know where to focus the eye, maybe a bit more contrast could help. Still, the amount of detail is quite impressive!
starkwarsPLACING VOTES
+++ This icon is so gorgeous and clean. I love it!
+++ The coloring of this icon reminds me of candy, it's so bright and vibrant! The composition looks good too, it gives the icon a creative twist without overshadowing the coloring, which is clearly the star of this icon.
+++ The vibrant yet simple coloring gives perfect variation for portrait effect. Coloring is stunning anf the presentation and overall look is awesome!
++ Really pretty vibrant coloring and the pop out effect is nice.
++ Love the inspired geometric aspect of the icon! The bright colours fit the subject in an unexpected, even maybe unthinkable way.
++ The way you interpreted the theme is brilliant. The choice of colors and the composition are also really nice.
+ I like the blocky colors and how her coloring has been flattened to fit the plain background. I would have expected you to use Tyrrell colors (yellow and green), though. The choice of colors as it is feels a little random.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ The best representation how to crop an icon with a color, very nice idea with cropping the icon with geometrical shapes.
+ the use of polygon cutouts with different colors works really well; the coloring is nice and bright and the subject matches the other colors/hues perfectly
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love how starkly simple the icon is. And I like the way you used yellow and purple to frame the subject!
+ Lovely vibrant colouring, a good take on the theme! The cut-out is a bit rough on her hair, on the left-side of the icon, you could probably blur/smudge it a little bit, and maybe add some contrast to Margaery's face. Lovely work though!
tinnnyPLACING VOTES
+ I really really love the way the icon is coloured. The blue looks great, but the magenta at the side is what makes the icon pop!
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ the colors on this icon are great; the pink and blue go together really well. However, the subject seems really bright, so his features blend together and there's no delineation between his skin/neck and his shirt. Lowering the brightness will help, and using a clipping mask/solid color layer (a lightish grey should work) over his shirt set to multiply will help with definition
+ The bold coloring on this icon definitely makes it stand out! I do think there needs to be a little more shading work, though, because your subject looks pretty flat since everything is the same color. Some more defined lines & shadows would help pick up to shape him where the colors would normally do that work. I also think the crosshatch texture on him doesn't do any favors since it kind of messes with image quality. I'm guessing you used a texture to get that color, but once you had the texture on the icon you could just pull the color with the eyedropper tool and paint over your subject for the coloring, then leave that texture in the background and let it do its work there.
+ The pink and blue coloring is very nice but I feel it could have worked better with a solid background, like the pink since he is blue. The pink and blue lines with the thatching makes it look too mottled so the more solid background would have made it flow a little better.
+The blue/pink color scheme in this icon is interesting, and along with the texture use, it does a very good job of framing the icon. However, some issues with the image prevent the icon from reaching its full potential. In the original screencap, the character seems to be standing outside, in natural light, with no strong shadows or highlights; caps like that need some additional prep before they can be used for gradient map colorings, since they tend to lack contrast. My favorite way of doing it is to add the gradient map first, and then work underneath it, so that you can instantly see what the final result will look like. Here, I'd recommend using curves to make the image quite a bit darker, to bring out the shadows and add definition to the character's face - as it is, he looks quite washed out.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The idea is nice and coloring is awesome, icon is too blurry and it could use some sharpening (i.e. Smart Sharpening).
+ Fun colouring and use of texture, I like the grungy look! You could simply add a bit more contrast to the subject (maybe make the dark shades darker in curves for instance) so that he pops out a bit more. Nice interpretation!
gribouillePLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I love the texture use and the way the subject is framed by it. However, I think the icon could do with a little more depth. A b&w gradient set to softlight, or even black and white light textures can help add more depth to an icon.
+ I love how you cutted out Matt, it's so neat! And the sharpness is perfect. But I think that the background doesn't match with the rest of the icon. Maybe a single color with some splashes of another would've worked better here.
+ I get the idea behind the striped framing of the icon but he looks a little too misplaced within it. Perhaps using a solid background and a more far away crop would have worked better than cutting him off and within the texture.
+ I think you had a really cool idea here - bringing parts of the background to the foreground was a good way of cropping the image, and it gave the icon an interesting illusion of depth. However, the edges of the two triangles look slightly jagged, and there are some lighter pixels along the lines. Cutting them would probably mess up the lines, so I'd suggest going over the edges with a small brush to cover up those lighter spots. Also, while the coloring on the image is good, I think it could use a bit of brightening so that it doesn't look so much darker than the white lines in the background.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Nice idea to pull some of the stripes in front of him! This fits the theme very well and makes the icon pop visually. One tiny thing: the flat stripes make him look like he's forced between two sheets of paper. That effect would be brought to perfection if he looked a little flatter himself. To achieve this kind of flat coloring, you can use a black-and-white gradient map at Soft Light. That tones down the shadows and highlights in his face.
+ Composition and texture usage is gorgeous, but the character's coloring and lightning could be lighter and more appealing to the texture.
+ Using stripes to crop Matt inside is very creative, and the lighting/shadows on this icon are very even
emielsPLACING VOTES
+++ Lovelovelove the coloring! The dimensions of the subject in each level are so different, it creates a surreal effect that matches the fake coloring really well. And the dotted line fits that, too.
+++ everything about this icon is stunning; the cap selection and the blending, along with the beautiful use of color. It feels like a movie poster; it's wonderfully eye-catching
+++ The blending is brilliant and the use of all the differents colors is amazing. This leads to make a superb composition.
+++ Your composition is nothing short of stunning. I love the different levels, each with their own colour scheme and characters. And even as a whole the icon is beautiful. Wow!
++ The coloring and idea of gradient of colors is superb and textures used and composition is ideal here.
++ The composition on this icon is so perfect and creative! I love the three levels and the coloring on each level.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love the composition of the icon and the way you've blended the screencaps. The colour scheme of the icon is great as well!
+ Love the composition and coloring on this icon.
Updated points spreadsheet can be found here.
Please note that scores from Challenge 02 have been updated to reflect correct results.
1ST PLACE [5 points]:
starkwars with +7 votes.
2ND PLACE [4 points]:
emiels with +6 votes.
3RD PLACE [3 points]:
applepips16 with +4 votes (and the most first + second place votes).
BEST INTERPRETATION [2 points]:
alisea_dream with +4 votes.
MOD'S CHOICE [1 point]:
jellybeansraw
[A very straight forward example of hitting the theme precisely. Each color block crops the character, but then the color borders on either side crop and frame them even further which is absolutely perfect. I am also oddly drawn to the...awkwardness of the crops and particular caps chosen as well. I think this is a Parks & Rec icon? If so, that fits with what I know about the show as well. Great job!]
TABLE KEY:
+++ = 1st Place Vote
++ = 2nd Place Vote
+ = 3rd Place Vote | Beginning of a new comment.
Note: Votes are not weighted in this round. Meaning a 1st, 2nd or 3rd vote will only give you 1 point when tallying the votes. [Tiebreaker procedure:]Except in the case of a tie - then the icon with the most 1st place votes will be given first. This is upheld in all cases unless 1) the amount of votes is equal in all cases (i.e. 3 first place, 2 second place, and 1 third place) or 2) breaking the tie would result in an icon with enough first place votes to place being knocked out of a placing spot (i.e a third place tie between two icons). In these cases, ties will stand as is in order to maintain a sense of fairness for all participants.
ICON VOTES
ciuciuvaraworldPLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ while the crop is nice and the colors are rich, the shadows seems to over power the icon and draw attention away from the subject. If the blue were bright, or the shadow less intense/further from his face, the icon would feel more balanced
+ This icon has some very cool lighting, but I'm not convinced by the color scheme. The burnt oranges don't go super well with the turquoise texture in the background- I think it's a bit too green for the icon. I also think your edges look a bit on the sharp side here, so a tad less opacity on your sharpen layer would help make things smoother.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Very simple but effective idea to use black to crop the icon. I like the result, and it adds depth to the icon, too. Only point of critique I have: the subject looks a bit oversharpened on my screen
+ Composition is really nice, and chiaroscuro fits the icon, but the character is a bit too oversharpened and too vibrant for this type of icon. I would suggest to decrease a bit the saturation and increase the light to make icon look perfect.
+ I love the dramatic colouring on the icon. The blue on the right contrasts really well with the warm red of the rest of the icon!
+ Interesting take on the theme! I like your idea for the colouring. It's difficult to judge without the original screencap, but I think your subject could fit/blend a bit more with ts background, especially on the right side of the icon. I think you can make his features a bit darker on this side, using a black & white gradient on soft screen for instance.
esgeeePLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I love the composition, with the overlapping text and arguing subjects. Very expressive. The color combination of text and background is gorgeous. What's bugging me about it a bit is their red skin color. It may increase the retro look, but I think it would look better if their skin was more natural-looking. What I do to fix this issue in my icons is paint some skin-tone over their faces (and hands) and set it to color at middling opacity.
+ I really like the coloring and the big text, but it's a bit too overwhelming, Neal and Peter could be more outstanding with coloring, since they blend too much with background. Apart from that, composition is great, and coloring is very eye-catching.
+ I love the composition of the icon and I really like the text as well. The font choice is great and it acts as a accent for the icon as well. However, the one wrong note for me the is the colouring. I love the pink and blue of the icon, but the green on the left side feels awkward. It does not go with th rest of the colour scheme so to speak. Had been a brighter green, or a yellow, or even purple, I think it would have made the icon look more cohesive.
+ I really like the composition of this icon. The only thing that bothers me is the color of the characters' skins. It is a bit too similar of the background color, they would stand more if their skin were brighter.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the color use here is really bold and eyecatching. The texture/swoop on the side fits with the cap quite nicely, and the typography slightly overlaying each other is really cool
+ Fun composition and the cut-out is quite well done! A bit more contrast could make your subjects stand-out more (their suits and hair could be darker), and I think the bottom-left shape could be a solid colour instead of letting us see the character underneath. Nice idea though.
+ I think this icon has a cool concept behind it, but the coloring could have more finesse. If you're using photoshop, it has a white balance feature (and I forget where it is because I don't use it often but I think it's under the image menu) that could help with this cap because both their dress shirts are yellow. I also think this piece needs a bit more brightness as their faces are pretty dark, and their suits are just straight up black all over, without any kind of shading or shadows visible. I would also not choose to pair an olive green texture with bright pinks & purples. You can always use a clipping mask (ctrl+shift+g) + an adjustment layer to mess with the color of textures, and I think that would have come in handy here to take the texture to maybe a purple, a blue, or even a red that fit better with the background + text colors you have. The bright colors make your piece stand out, but if they fit together a little better it would take you to another level.
alisea_dreamPLACING VOTES
++ the clever use of color and shape masking, along with awesome cap choice, work amazing for this icon and the theme! The subtle textures also make the icon feel grungey, but still feel bright
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
+ No reason provided.
+ Oh man, so I think you did a fantastic job of interpreting the theme and yet having the icon be simple. The blue of the background really plays up the yellow of Bill and I love how you've blended Dipper in. Great job!
+ This icon immediately caught my eye thanks to its brilliant use of gradient maps to fulfill the requirements of this challenge. Blending was a simple, but effective way of cropping with colors, and thanks to the simple composition of the icon, the blend is not obscured or overwhelmed by other elements of the icon.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I like the idea for the composition, but icon is some places is oversharpened (the yellow triangle) and character could be more visible since it blends too much with the background.
+ I love the idea behind this icon. The composition is nice and the texture use is great, but the duetone of the icon seems a bit awkward and "forced" and the geometric shape and the subject both look a bit pixelated since it's oversharpened.
+ I really like this composition and the idea behind it, however I think it would be a bit more effective with more contrast. Specifically, your subject could have a darker shade of blue so that it pops out a bit more. Nice use of textures though!
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I really like the unusual composition here. The added arms and legs are so cute! The blue-and-white background gives the impression of him floating in space above the earth, very cool. It fits the theme of framing him in color excellently, too. I would definitely have voted for this icon if the contrast of his face within the yellow triangle was a bit higher. As it is, I find it a bit hard to focus on him, my eyes keep being drawn to his "legs". Increasing the contrast in the middle would solve that and make the icon perfect.
+ The concept behind this icon is really cool, but the whole piece looks a little on the low quality side to me. The edges of both the cap and the triangle texture/lines look a little jagged to me. I also would like to see a bit more contrast over your subject (and that tends to make things look even sharper, so the sharpening on this icon would have to be taken down even more, accordingly).
setentpetPLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ This is one of the few icons that works solely with colors and not with patterns. I like the grungy paint type of circle you chose, too.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I like the idea and the bright colours, which immediately bring the eye towards the icon. However, the bright orange colouring could be taken off Steve's face, because it washes him out.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ As the idea for icon is appealing, Steve is too blurry and single texture could be added with i.e. some noise, as now icon is a bit too simple.
+ the solid orange color is very pleasant and the brushed circle texture is a nice addition and doesn't draw away from Cap
+ I love the stark simplicity of the icon! And while I like the idea behind the circular paint texture, it feels a little overwhelming. I think a smaller texture or even the texture being placed behind Steve would work better.
+ Nice use of texture! Steve could stand out a little bit more with a more natural colouring (basically, his face less orange and maybe some dark blues over his uniform). Good interpretation of the theme though.
jellybeansrawPLACING VOTES
++ I like how the more muted colors you chose for the subjects contrast with the more vibrant borders. The theme is well executed, sharpening and contrast are good, and the composition is interesting. I like the facial expressions you chose: I don't even know the fandom, but I'm intrigued by what this icon wants to tell me.
+ Beautiful composition! The vertical levels work so well in this case and the crops and the coloring use makes the whole icon look amazing.
+ A really fun icon, I love both the colouring and the sharpness of it, especially on the left. I'd have cut-off the character's head completely with that pink stripe on the left instead of having some of it still visible, but still, it's really nice!
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ As having those two people in icon without any explaination, it does seems quite weird. If author ships them, he/she could add some appealing text or some matching textures. Apart from that, icon has really nice coloring and lightning.
+ the blocking here is really nice, and the color use works well with each other as well. The pink on the left and the red don't seem to match each other, so I would reccomend changing one color to the other so the icon would follow a tri-color theme and the sections would compliment each other better
+ I love the composition of the icon, with one close cap and one far one. It creates a nice contrast. I also love the colouring. It is both unique and pretty!
+ You achieved some really cool cropping with this icon - the one part that throws me is where the pink border is over a bit of April's face, because I can kind of see the outlines there since it's on screen but that part breaks up the border. if you had made her cap a little smaller so her whole face could fit in the area between the borders, I think it would work better. This icon also looks a bit oversharpened on my screen, so a bit less on the sharpening layers would help it look smoother.
rocketgirl2PLACING VOTES
+++ I love the soft, romantic feel of this icon. The colouring is so pretty and I absolutely love the way the texture frames Gina. Great job!
+ The simplicity and symbolism throughout the icon is very nice! I really like how the background brings out a similar print in the character's top.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ As the composition and coloring are gorgeous, the character part in icon is too blurry and some sharpening is required (i.e. Smart Sharpening).
+ I like the composition here very much. Floral and soft. The style of the subject could be made to fit the texture better, though. The subject is pretty blurry while the texture is sharp. Blurring the texture would probably make the icon look LQ, so I suggest sharpening the subject a little, just so it matches the texture. Stamp the icon into a new layer and do a simple Sharpen filter. Then set the new layer to around 25% opacity and mask the parts you don't want sharpened. Or maybe it's not even the subject that is blurry, but the slightly textured background behind her head that gives the impression of blurriness and clashes with the plain stripes of the texture. Maybe replacing that background behind her head with a plain color would already do the trick.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the texture use and blending between the background and the cap is wonderful; the coloring is very soft and the colors compliment each other nicely
+ Great cut-out and I really like your composition! The shapes/shades right behind Gina (not the rest of the flowers, just specifically around her) are a bit distracting though, a solid colour would suit the icon better. But the texture is really fun and it does fit what I remember of the character, plus it's a nice interpretation of the theme.
lady_kingsleyPLACING VOTES
+++ The composition of the icon is superb! Love the yellow-orange combination, how it brings out the character and complements her.
+ Nice composition and the yellow and orange work well together. The tree texture is an interesting choice and I think it works with the overall composition of the icon.
+ the round cut out looks great and the yellow trees match the orange Katniss very nice
+ I like your color choice and interpretation of the theme, but I would like to see a background that's a bit more thematic for Katniss (if you're going for the trees to look like the arena, they don't quite do it for me). Your icon is also a little sharp around the edges, so I would suggest a little bit less sharpening next time.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ Nice composition and use of textures, it fits the theme well. However, Katniss's features are a bit smudged, especially around her face, and the cut-out looks a bit rough around her torso. Maybe a closer crop might suit this composition better, and you could add a bit more contrast to make it pop out more.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love the composition of the icon. The background was a great idea and I love how the yellow of it contrasts with the red of the subject!
adriftingseaPLACING VOTES
+++ The composition is nicely done and all the text and textures don't feel overwhelming. The b&w are good for giving it an old fashioned feel with the green and yellow.
++ The composition of the icon is amazing. It's got such a mod-chic feel to it. It looks like a magazine cover and I love that!
+ The coloring is pretty nice (although there could be more depth, as now icon is a bit too flat). Also texture usage is gorgeouus, it doesn't mess up the icon.
+ I love how this icon is really unique. The colors are nice and the way you chose to crop it with the use of textures is pretty.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
+ I love how the various blocks of colours effectively crop the icon, it's really well done! And you managed to put a lot of things on it without it being too cluttered either.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I like the complex composition, and it fits the theme, too. I have a little difficulty seeing her face, since the shades of yellow all blend into each other on my screen. A bit more contrast in her face would look better, I think.
applepips16PLACING VOTES
+++ I love everything about this icon. The unnatural coloring is beautifully done and the texture use is on point. I also love the text use and font choice. Very lovely icon!
++ You made a really bold choice with the yellow monochrome, but it works quite well. I love the way the shapes work within your canvas and the textures add some nice visual interest. Good job!
++ Fantastic coloring here - I feel this particular combination of colors shouldn't work, but somehow it does, and I love it. The texture use emphasizes the 'down the rabbit hole' style of this icon, and the diagonal text fits into the space created by the coloring perfectly. Overall, great job!
++ Great use of colour, and I love how you got just the right balance lighting-wise, it's dark enough without being too dark. You could maybe put a darker shade under "sociopath" so it's a bit easier to read (it melts a bit with the pink on his shirt), but other than that I really like it. Well done!
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I really like the use of textures and lightning here. I'm just not so so sure about the text, the emplacement seems a bit off to me and I'm not so fond of the font use for the word "sociopath".
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I don't think this icon fits the theme. He is neither framed nor cropped by color. Apart from that, I like the fake coloring. I'm not usually a fan of dark coloring, but it works well here.
+ Coloring is awesome here, but icon and text are hard to read. Maker could change the hue/saturation a bit or change font of the pink work.
+ the coloring is very bold and stunning. The typography is a nice addition, though I would make the "sociopath" a light shade of pink since the later half of the word blends a bit with the pink of his jacket
dixonPLACING VOTES
+ This icon looks simple, but after looking at the screencap, I can see how much work went into it. Recoloring the background was a great chose, and it was executed perfectly, the result looks slightly surreal, but also natural.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I love the interesting colouring style the maker chose for this icon! Even though it's really pretty and looks quite like an actual work of art, it washes the subjects out, bringing them out with a darker colouring or a texture would be great.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I don't think this icon fits the theme. They are neither framed nor cropped by color. That said, I like the coloring style very much. It's probably my favorite icon of the whole set, concerning the style. The way the vibrant objects on the table before them draw the eye gives the icon a lot of depth, practically forcing the viewer to see the distances within the room.
+ I'm in awe of change of sharpening from screencap and the icon, change is collosal! Also coloring is pretty nice, but maker could work out more with coloring and/or background to fit more into the main challenge.
+ the coloring on this icon is phenomenal! You managed to add such fantastic color to every part of this icon (which I know is time-consuming). The paint splatter (?) texture on top is a nice touch
+ The colouring of the icon is so pretty! Love the grainy texture use as well!
+ Gorgeous colouring, really unique! It's a bit hard to know where to focus the eye, maybe a bit more contrast could help. Still, the amount of detail is quite impressive!
starkwarsPLACING VOTES
+++ This icon is so gorgeous and clean. I love it!
+++ The coloring of this icon reminds me of candy, it's so bright and vibrant! The composition looks good too, it gives the icon a creative twist without overshadowing the coloring, which is clearly the star of this icon.
+++ The vibrant yet simple coloring gives perfect variation for portrait effect. Coloring is stunning anf the presentation and overall look is awesome!
++ Really pretty vibrant coloring and the pop out effect is nice.
++ Love the inspired geometric aspect of the icon! The bright colours fit the subject in an unexpected, even maybe unthinkable way.
++ The way you interpreted the theme is brilliant. The choice of colors and the composition are also really nice.
+ I like the blocky colors and how her coloring has been flattened to fit the plain background. I would have expected you to use Tyrrell colors (yellow and green), though. The choice of colors as it is feels a little random.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ The best representation how to crop an icon with a color, very nice idea with cropping the icon with geometrical shapes.
+ the use of polygon cutouts with different colors works really well; the coloring is nice and bright and the subject matches the other colors/hues perfectly
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love how starkly simple the icon is. And I like the way you used yellow and purple to frame the subject!
+ Lovely vibrant colouring, a good take on the theme! The cut-out is a bit rough on her hair, on the left-side of the icon, you could probably blur/smudge it a little bit, and maybe add some contrast to Margaery's face. Lovely work though!
tinnnyPLACING VOTES
+ I really really love the way the icon is coloured. The blue looks great, but the magenta at the side is what makes the icon pop!
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ the colors on this icon are great; the pink and blue go together really well. However, the subject seems really bright, so his features blend together and there's no delineation between his skin/neck and his shirt. Lowering the brightness will help, and using a clipping mask/solid color layer (a lightish grey should work) over his shirt set to multiply will help with definition
+ The bold coloring on this icon definitely makes it stand out! I do think there needs to be a little more shading work, though, because your subject looks pretty flat since everything is the same color. Some more defined lines & shadows would help pick up to shape him where the colors would normally do that work. I also think the crosshatch texture on him doesn't do any favors since it kind of messes with image quality. I'm guessing you used a texture to get that color, but once you had the texture on the icon you could just pull the color with the eyedropper tool and paint over your subject for the coloring, then leave that texture in the background and let it do its work there.
+ The pink and blue coloring is very nice but I feel it could have worked better with a solid background, like the pink since he is blue. The pink and blue lines with the thatching makes it look too mottled so the more solid background would have made it flow a little better.
+The blue/pink color scheme in this icon is interesting, and along with the texture use, it does a very good job of framing the icon. However, some issues with the image prevent the icon from reaching its full potential. In the original screencap, the character seems to be standing outside, in natural light, with no strong shadows or highlights; caps like that need some additional prep before they can be used for gradient map colorings, since they tend to lack contrast. My favorite way of doing it is to add the gradient map first, and then work underneath it, so that you can instantly see what the final result will look like. Here, I'd recommend using curves to make the image quite a bit darker, to bring out the shadows and add definition to the character's face - as it is, he looks quite washed out.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The idea is nice and coloring is awesome, icon is too blurry and it could use some sharpening (i.e. Smart Sharpening).
+ Fun colouring and use of texture, I like the grungy look! You could simply add a bit more contrast to the subject (maybe make the dark shades darker in curves for instance) so that he pops out a bit more. Nice interpretation!
gribouillePLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I love the texture use and the way the subject is framed by it. However, I think the icon could do with a little more depth. A b&w gradient set to softlight, or even black and white light textures can help add more depth to an icon.
+ I love how you cutted out Matt, it's so neat! And the sharpness is perfect. But I think that the background doesn't match with the rest of the icon. Maybe a single color with some splashes of another would've worked better here.
+ I get the idea behind the striped framing of the icon but he looks a little too misplaced within it. Perhaps using a solid background and a more far away crop would have worked better than cutting him off and within the texture.
+ I think you had a really cool idea here - bringing parts of the background to the foreground was a good way of cropping the image, and it gave the icon an interesting illusion of depth. However, the edges of the two triangles look slightly jagged, and there are some lighter pixels along the lines. Cutting them would probably mess up the lines, so I'd suggest going over the edges with a small brush to cover up those lighter spots. Also, while the coloring on the image is good, I think it could use a bit of brightening so that it doesn't look so much darker than the white lines in the background.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Nice idea to pull some of the stripes in front of him! This fits the theme very well and makes the icon pop visually. One tiny thing: the flat stripes make him look like he's forced between two sheets of paper. That effect would be brought to perfection if he looked a little flatter himself. To achieve this kind of flat coloring, you can use a black-and-white gradient map at Soft Light. That tones down the shadows and highlights in his face.
+ Composition and texture usage is gorgeous, but the character's coloring and lightning could be lighter and more appealing to the texture.
+ Using stripes to crop Matt inside is very creative, and the lighting/shadows on this icon are very even
emielsPLACING VOTES
+++ Lovelovelove the coloring! The dimensions of the subject in each level are so different, it creates a surreal effect that matches the fake coloring really well. And the dotted line fits that, too.
+++ everything about this icon is stunning; the cap selection and the blending, along with the beautiful use of color. It feels like a movie poster; it's wonderfully eye-catching
+++ The blending is brilliant and the use of all the differents colors is amazing. This leads to make a superb composition.
+++ Your composition is nothing short of stunning. I love the different levels, each with their own colour scheme and characters. And even as a whole the icon is beautiful. Wow!
++ The coloring and idea of gradient of colors is superb and textures used and composition is ideal here.
++ The composition on this icon is so perfect and creative! I love the three levels and the coloring on each level.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I love the composition of the icon and the way you've blended the screencaps. The colour scheme of the icon is great as well!
+ Love the composition and coloring on this icon.
Updated points spreadsheet can be found here.
Please note that scores from Challenge 02 have been updated to reflect correct results.