Round 18 - Challenge 06 - Results
ROUND 18 - CHALLENGE 06 - RESULTS
1ST PLACE [5 points]:
dixon with +6 votes (and the most first place votes).
2ND PLACE [4 points]:
starkwars with +6 votes.
3RD PLACE [3 points]:
emiels with +5 votes.
BEST INTERPRETATION [2 points]:
&
emiels & lady_kingsley with +3 votes.
MOD'S CHOICE [1 point]:
ciuciuvaraworld
[Your icon showed some of the most distinct improvement over the older, original icon. Not only that, but this icon is just gorgeous. The coloring is rich and lush, emphasizing your subject perfectly. You cut out skills have come so far, and the smoothness of this icon really works in its favor. Good job!]
TABLE KEY:
+++ = 1st Place Vote
++ = 2nd Place Vote
+ = 3rd Place Vote | Beginning of a new comment.
Note: Votes are not weighted in this round. Meaning a 1st, 2nd or 3rd vote will only give you 1 point when tallying the votes. [Tiebreaker procedure:]Except in the case of a tie - then the icon with the most 1st place votes will be given first. This is upheld in all cases unless 1) the amount of votes is equal in all cases (i.e. 3 first place, 2 second place, and 1 third place) or 2) breaking the tie would result in an icon with enough first place votes to place being knocked out of a placing spot (i.e a third place tie between two icons). In these cases, ties will stand as is in order to maintain a sense of fairness for all participants.
ICON VOTES
dixonPLACING VOTES
+++ love the texture use and coloring!
+++ I think the more saturated colors you added when you remade this icon really suit the cap. I love the texture collage behind the subject, and you blended her into it fantastically.
+++ The composition is gorgeous! Using such different pieces with colors that at first glance don't even match the subject and combining them into a coherent whole is genius!
+++ the texture use here is really amazing! I love the collage of everything-there seem to be gemstones which look really cool. The coloring is awesome as well; great work!
++ The composition and the use of textures/stock pics are so beautiful. Achieving that result on an icon is amazing.
+ Very cool use of textures and/or stock here, I like how it frames the subject without taking the focus of the icon away from her. I like the coloring too, though I feel it could use another red element somewhere, so that her hat doesn't stand out so much.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The composition on the icon is really beautiful and unique. Using crystals/gemstones as a decoration was a really good idea.
+ Great composition, very creative! I like how your subject blends a bit into the background, while still standing out just enough in other places.
starkwarsPLACING VOTES
+++ I love the mood of this icon - the muted tones, combined with a close crop and the sparkly details around Amy's eyes makes it look a bit magical. Also, great job with the painted hair, it looks very natural.
++ the crop and coloring on this icon is spectacular! The warm colors look amazing, and the sparkles around Amy's eye are so eye-catching!
++ The purple muted tones look amazing and makes the perfect contrast against her dark orangish hair. Love the detail on the eye.
++ Gorgeous colouring! Love the subtle purple tones in it and the really upclose crop.
++ The crop is great and the coloring is unique and works well with the purple background. It has a really soft of flowing feel to it.
+ Lovely close crop and muted colouring, I really like the painted look! Very well executed.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I love the cropping and the make up affect added around the eyes. I just think the icon could use more contrast cause right now it looks a bit blank.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The crop on the icon is really beautiful. Love the understated colouring as well!
+ I love the general color scheme of this icon, but I think it could benefit from a bit more contrast to keep the colors from becoming too muddy. I also am not sure that the sparkles (?) around Amy's eye. It looks like you added those to the cap, and right now they stick out awkwardly. They might do better if her skin were a bit lighter, so they looked a bit more like they belonged?
gribouillePLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ The colors you've brought out in this icon are gorgeous. My only complaint is that the crop just seems a bit off - I think making Martha a bit smaller so her hat fit all the way in the icon and there was a bit more space between the side of her face and the left edge of the icon would really help. Right now the whole thing looks a bit crowded despite its simplicity, but giving her a bit of space would fix that problem.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the coloring on this icon is very soft and pretty, and the colors are very rich
+ The colouring is so gorgeous! I love the sharpening as well. Every detail is crystal clear, without being overly sharp!
+ The coloring in this icon is really nice, and although the change is not dramatic, the improvement from the old icon is very obvious. The crop is slightly awkward though - the amount of space it leaves on the right side is not enough for it to work as negative space, so the icon looks a bit empty there. I'd suggest making the crop closer - a side crop like this would work perfectly for a close up. Another way of dealing with that could be to add text or possibly a decorative texture to balance the icon.
alisea_dreamPLACING VOTES
+++ The coloring on this is absolutely stunning. The blue pairs so well wiht the orange of her sweatshirt and the bits of light on the left and right keep it from being too flat. Great coloring on her skin as well. The strip at the top is a bit distracting but the icon is beautiful nonetheless.
++ Stunning colours! The contrast between blue and red is perfect, and you managed to avoid having the character's face be too red as well: great balance! Love the use of text as background as well.
+ the typography in the background of this icon is really cool! the colors also work really well together, and each element compliments each other nicely
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ To me, this icon is visually and technically a 180 turn from the original, and thus represents to me the spirit of remaking.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Love the blue colouring. It is very pretty. Love the composition on the icon as well.
+ I really like the color scheme in this icon - the soft reds of the image set off the bright blue background nicely, and the white decorative elements add lightness to the coloring. However, I would suggest re-thinking that repeated bar on the top - the way it touches the top of the subject's head looks a bit awkward, and makes the icon look cramped. Alternately, you could try moving the image down or making the crop wider, to include some negative space over the subject's head - I think the repeated bar would work much better that way.
+ Contrasting blues and red-oranges always makes for a pretty icon, but I think your subject needs just a bit more brightness to match the vibrant and light background. The eye is typically drawn to lighter colors first so having a lighter background goes against her being the foreground of the icon. I also would change the crop a little bit so her hair didn't get cut off by the border.
applepips16PLACING VOTES
+++ I LOVE the coloring and crop. The deep/dark greens look amazing in here and it kind of reminds me of scoobyatemysnax. Also, the sharpening is in the perfect point, wich is very important for me.
+ This kind of flat muted coloring can really be hit or miss but it works well here, especially with the dark green background. Perhaps a little bit of light would have been nice.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ The simplicity of the icon and the cropping are really nice, but the colouring could use some more work. The original icon had a much lighter colouring which worked better with the cap. It would like nicer to add more red/blue colouring or texture to make the icon look not as murky.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the colors on this icon are awesome! They're so dark and gritty, and the overal colorscheme is very rich
+ Lovely crop and colouring, I love the feel of it! And it's just the right amount of grungy as well.
+ Gorgeous, gorgeous coloring here, I love the dark tones and the vintage look of this icon. It's a big improvement over the old one, so this was a great way of showing off how far your coloring skills have gone. There's honestly nothing I don't like about this icon - the crop is nice, the contrast is on point, there are no issues with sharpening or texture use. One thing I'd maybe suggest changing is the darkness on the right side of the icon, so that the subject's hair doesn't blend with the background.
setentpetPLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ the crop on this icon is really nice, and the coloring is cool as well. However, the sharpening looks a bit pixelated/grainy, especially around her eye, causing it to look a little low quality. If your sharpening happens on a new layer, trying changing the opacity to about 50% to keep the sharpening effects but lower the grainy-ness
+ love the crop but the coloring is a bit too dark. I suggest lightening it up some so her expression is more clear.
+ The cropping is perfect here, I'm just not sure about the light texture just on the eyes because the rest of the face seems so dark.
+ I love the crop on the icon and I really like the burnt orange colouring. It's a dramatic choice. However, I feel like the icon could do with some depth. The colouring makes it feel very flat now. A b&w gradient set to softlight would really help in adding some depth. And if you wanted to increase that depth, you can then mess around with the Levels layers.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The orangish coloring is beautifully done, the close crop is really interesting and I love the feeling that it gives. I really love the icon, but at the same time, it's very similar to the original icon, so it feels more like an alt than a whole new different icon.
+ Love the intense crop. The bold colour choice is great as well, and it really works!
+ You have some really different and lovely coloring here. I think your icon could benefit from a bit more contrast, though, as the oranges really flatten things out. I think her features would look better if they popped out a bit more from the color.
adriftingseaPLACING VOTES
++ The pastel colouring is gorgeous and I love the starry texture. It definitely gives the icon a fairytale/unicorn feel!
+ The light texture fits the icon so well - it should look super cheesy, but complements it beautifully.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ Just last challenge, I told you I like your way to color skin. I think in this particular icon, you overdid the smoothing and flattening a little. Her face has barely any features, making her look almost like a dummy. Preserving some of the curves of her cheek and nose would have lent the icon more personality. I really like every other technical aspect. The coloring and the star accents and the crop work together really well.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Lovely icon, very pretty colouring! A tad more contrast, especially on your subject's face, might make it pop out more. I do love everything you've added to the cap though, the stars and dots under her eyes.
+ I like the coloring and texture use in this icon, they make the subject look like a fairy or a princess. However, the image is rather washed out, especially the subject's face - her nose is barely visible, and there's hardly any shadow under her chin. This could be a result of using a picture from a photoshoot, since those are already heavily edited so there's not much that can be done to reverse it. Still, I'd recommend making a soft light layer and using a soft black brush to add some shadows around her nose and chin. Another thing that could work here is adding a Levels layer, and moving the middle marker to the left and the left marker to the right, to darken parts of the image without completely changing the contrast.
ciuciuvaraworldPLACING VOTES
+++ Such a beautifully glossy icon! The colouring is beautiful and I love the gorgeous purple lighting!
++ The simplicity of this icon really makes it shine. You did a great job bringing out the blues and red/purples, and the background color goes well with the cap without overwhelming us with one color.
+ The coloring is what makes this icon for me. I love the crop and cap choice as well, but the way you balance the pink hair with the blue dress and the purple background gives it that something special.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ this is a great remake! The colors are awesome and the crop is great. The lighting/shadows are fantastic as well, too!
+ This pair of icons shows a lot of improvement - the cut out is much cleaner, the coloring is still vibrant, but much more natural, and generally the icon looks more polished, so you're definitely going in the right direction. However, while I like the subtle light textures on the sides, I think the one on the right is a bit too strong, and some areas are slightly washed out as a result - like the subject's neck and hair on the right. Masking out some of the light texture could help, or you could add an adjustment layer like Curves or Levels on top of it, to compensate for the lost contrast.
+ Nice cut-out and colouring! I like the crop, but I think you could fit more of her hair in, either by lowering her or with a wider one, the way it cuts off her forehead is slightly awkward. Also the right side of the icon (her neck, shoulder and arm) looks slightly oversharpened on my screen (there's a white line appearing and the edges look pixellated), you could smoothen it a little bit. But once again I do love the colours!
rocketgirl2PLACING VOTES
+++ The simplicity of the icon is amazing! The background fits the character very well and is beautifully done.
++ I love the color-split and how the subject connects both halves. Especially cool is the white line inside the black half that balances the icon.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ The muted colors are really nice. However, I feel like the subject isn't well cutted. I'd suggest doing the cut in the original screencap, so if there're any mistakes, they won't be so noticeable when you resize it. Also, the division between the two colors is a little distracting. I think using only the lighter one would've worked better in this case.
+ The cap choice is nice but the icon falls a bit flat with the coloring, especially against a black and white background, she doesn't really pop out. If you wanted to stick with the muted coloring of the character, perhaps a more vibrant, not even super vibrant background, would have worked better and helped her pop out of the icon more. Also, moving her up a bit more would have worked better visually so part of her hand isn't cut off.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the techinique used on the new icon is fabulous! The cutout is great, the coloring is even, and the sharpening is perfect
+ I really like the coloring in this icon - the muted tones go really well with the dramatic lighting, and the two-tone background is a good match for the rest of the icon. However, the coloring makes the screencap look quite sinister, and Leslie's grin looks somewhat murderous... so I'm not sure if this coloring was the best choice for this particular screencap.
+ This icon is so starkly simple, I love it. The minimalism of the background is very eye-catching as well!
+ Nice texture use! The subject's right arm appears to be abruptly cut-off, if that's how the screencap ends I'd subject using a gradient mask so that it slowly blends into the background.
lady_kingsleyPLACING VOTES
++ The composition of this icon is simple, but effective. I'm not very familiar with this fandom, but I assume the message of this icon is supposed to be that the woman has Captain's back, and I think the composition conveys that really well.
+ The use of textures is suiting the blending really well. The coloring and lightning is also really pretty.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ This is the icon that feels most "upcycled" in that you did something totally different with the cap
+ I think this icon does a great job of taking the original and building upon it, instead of totally remaking it into a completely new icon. You kept some of the aspects of the old one - the screencap, monochrome coloring, a similar approach to contrast and lighting, but added enough new elements to make it a true remake that shows how your style and skills shave evolved.
+ A very different icon to the original, which brings its own unique interpretation to the cap. Peggy is a great addition, love the colouring as well! I'm not sure the light blob are necessary, the one on the right is a bit distracting, maybe at a lower opacity? But great interpretation in any case.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I like the coloring and the initial composition but the addition of Steve and the texture around him doesn't fit the icon. I suggest removing him or finding a different way to incorporate him into the icon as right now it's making the whole icon off balance
+ This icon is technically perfect. Nicely colored, well sharpened, great composition. My eyes just keep snagging on that numbered texture. The idea of wrapping something around them is cool, and creates depth. Those numbers just don't seem to fit Steve and Peggy. It feels a little random to me. Peggy was a code breaker, okay, but... it doesn't really look like code, and that job didn't have much to do with Steve. If you want to stick with numbers, maybe the year they were parted (1940-something) ? Whatever you can think of that thematically connects them.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ blending Steve with another cap was a creative way of interpreting the theme. The coloring is nice and rich, and the texture use is very fitting
+ The composition on this icon is so neat. I love the way you blended the caps and the way you used the numbers to connect the two subjects!
jellybeansrawPLACING VOTES
+ love the texture use and composition!
+ Okay, the texture use on this icon is absolutely lovely! Somehow the curving stripes of the texture remind me of a record player and I think it goes along well as a motif for the subject. Great job on the colouring as well. I love how the red peeks out through the texture!
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ while the composition is very cool and the texture use is interesting, the coloring on Lana seems weird and unnatural, especially around her cheek, since it's oddly blocking out sections of her skin instead of flowing into shadows/highlights. Usuing the blur tool and running it over the harsh lines at about 35% would help this
+ The colouring of the icon is so pretty! The contrast between darks and whites in the icon is really nice, but the textures seem to be unnecessary in this icon, they overwhelm it a little too much. Using a different texture which doesn't block so much of the character would work wonders.
+ Your texture use here is very daring, but I think in the end it takes away from the icon. Her face looks very low quality, especially around her eyes, eyebrows, and nose. There is a lot of pixellation there, and on her hand and the border of her skin with her dress on my screen. The light yellow of the texture also really overwhelms the red of her dress which is too bad, because I think you got some nice color out of the cap.
+ The coloring in this icon is amazing, I love the color scheme and the flat vintage coloring. However, the texture on top of the icon is so overpowering that it takes the focus away from the subject, and the coloring doesn't have a change to shine. I think the main problem of this texture is the thickness of the stripe - it covers up too much of the subject. It should be possible to use Photoshop's clone stamp tool to make the stripe thinner; alternately, moving the subject to the right, so that less of her is hidden, could also work.
+ The colour scheme is nice, but I feel your subject gets too lost in the texture. You could try giving her a more "solid" look on the black parts, and moving her a bit to the right so that you can see more of her, while erasing her on the beige parts? Basically I feel this idea has potential but could be better executed so that the subject stands out more.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
esgeeePLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ I can really see how you've improved! The coloring is much more consistent and soft, and the cropping and sharpening is superb
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I really like the crop and coloring here.
+ Love the colouring and the crop on the icon!
+ Love how bright her hair is, nice job with that colouring! The crop looks slightly awkward in the way it cuts right above her eyebrows, you could either try a closer crop focusing entirely on her face or a wider one to fit more of her head in. Great improvement on the original icon though, this one really shows how your skills have evolved since!
+ I am in love with the sharpening in this icon - it's on the edge of being too sharp in places (like her left cheek or some strands of hair), but I think it looks great. The painted hair adds a nice touch, but ends of the painted strands are too blunt, and since you chose a more natural look here, they look a bit out of place. If you're using a graphics tablet, make sure that brush size is controlled by pen pressure; if you're using a mouse or a touchpad, simply erase or mask the blunt edges to give the strands a pointed end.
emielsPLACING VOTES
+++ The composition is mind blowing! The use of textures, text and colors are amazing.
+++ Great composition, really dynamic without being too overwhelming. The colour scheme is really nice too! And I really like how different this is from your first icon, even though you kept the basic crop.
++ great color palette and composition!
+ Love the composition and text use.
+ I love the texture behind this; it frames your subject really nicely. It's cool how you used it to shape your text, too. My one complaint is that the word "mind" is cut off a lot and it took me awhile to figure out what that word was. I think you could have sized both "your" and "mind" down a bit so the latter fit on the canvas a bit more and was easily readable.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
+ No reason provided.
+ The composition of the icon is amazing!
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Lovely choice of quote!
+ the composition of this new icon is really cool! The lines in the background are great, the typography is really fitting, and the overal color scheme is really nice.
tinnnyPLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ Wow, so different from the original icon! You can see progress there. I love that you incorporated the shadows in the icon like they were in front of a light bulb wich gives a feeling of volume. However, the background doesn't match very well with the subjects and some parts are a little pixelated.
+ The icon is creative and the cutouts aren't bad but Dean and Crowley are really lacking depth and are a bit washed out. Some more contrast and working on their skin tone would have given them more depth. A more solid background could have worked well with making them stand out more as well, like a solid light blue or another color that would have matched well with them.
+ Very cool composition, I love the spotlight effect! I also like how you took all the main elements from the original icon, but made them very different to show your progress as a maker. However, there are some things that still could be improved. The coloring is nice, and I like how you separated the characters using brown and blue, but as a result, their clothes lack contrast. This would not be an issue if you applied the method you used to lighten their clothes to their entire bodies, but since it only affects their clothes, their hair and shadows on their faces have remained dark, which emphasizes how flat their clothes look in comparison. Also, while I like the typography here - the font you chose is quite perfect for the tone of the icon, and the color ties in with the colors of the background, the placing of the text looks a bit random, and affects the balance of the icon. I'd suggest making the text large enough to span the entire icon, which would help avoid that. Finally, I think the image could use a touch of sharpening, especially the subjects' faces, to make their features more distinct.
+ The texture use is great and I really love the text as well. However, I think the cut out could have been a little more crisp. Dean's head looks blurry as does Crowley's. After selecting a subject to cut out, you can always clean up the cut out area to look smoother or crisper. Also, I think you used a filter to remove pixelation ( I might be wrong also). And while Crowley and Dean's clothes stand out clearly, the filter sort of obscured their features. Masking away the filter from their faces or going over their faces with the Sharpening tool would have made the details of their faces look a lot clearer.
+ The cut-out is a little bit rough and there's too much light on Dean and Crowley's face, making them look a bit washed out. Adding a background texture is a nice way to reinterpret the cap, and I like your use of text, maybe just play with contrast and/or colouring so that Dean and Crowley stand out more.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ There's definitely a great amount of improvement in your technique. The cutout + shadows are amazing, the typography is fitting, and the background texture helps bring interest to the icon. Some things that could help elevate the icon are adding some extra color via shadows and lighting with layers set to things like screen, overlay/soft light, or hard light
Stay tuned for the final results post where final scores will be revealed!
1ST PLACE [5 points]:
dixon with +6 votes (and the most first place votes).
2ND PLACE [4 points]:
starkwars with +6 votes.
3RD PLACE [3 points]:
emiels with +5 votes.
BEST INTERPRETATION [2 points]:
&
emiels & lady_kingsley with +3 votes.
MOD'S CHOICE [1 point]:
ciuciuvaraworld
[Your icon showed some of the most distinct improvement over the older, original icon. Not only that, but this icon is just gorgeous. The coloring is rich and lush, emphasizing your subject perfectly. You cut out skills have come so far, and the smoothness of this icon really works in its favor. Good job!]
TABLE KEY:
+++ = 1st Place Vote
++ = 2nd Place Vote
+ = 3rd Place Vote | Beginning of a new comment.
Note: Votes are not weighted in this round. Meaning a 1st, 2nd or 3rd vote will only give you 1 point when tallying the votes. [Tiebreaker procedure:]Except in the case of a tie - then the icon with the most 1st place votes will be given first. This is upheld in all cases unless 1) the amount of votes is equal in all cases (i.e. 3 first place, 2 second place, and 1 third place) or 2) breaking the tie would result in an icon with enough first place votes to place being knocked out of a placing spot (i.e a third place tie between two icons). In these cases, ties will stand as is in order to maintain a sense of fairness for all participants.
ICON VOTES
dixonPLACING VOTES
+++ love the texture use and coloring!
+++ I think the more saturated colors you added when you remade this icon really suit the cap. I love the texture collage behind the subject, and you blended her into it fantastically.
+++ The composition is gorgeous! Using such different pieces with colors that at first glance don't even match the subject and combining them into a coherent whole is genius!
+++ the texture use here is really amazing! I love the collage of everything-there seem to be gemstones which look really cool. The coloring is awesome as well; great work!
++ The composition and the use of textures/stock pics are so beautiful. Achieving that result on an icon is amazing.
+ Very cool use of textures and/or stock here, I like how it frames the subject without taking the focus of the icon away from her. I like the coloring too, though I feel it could use another red element somewhere, so that her hat doesn't stand out so much.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The composition on the icon is really beautiful and unique. Using crystals/gemstones as a decoration was a really good idea.
+ Great composition, very creative! I like how your subject blends a bit into the background, while still standing out just enough in other places.
starkwarsPLACING VOTES
+++ I love the mood of this icon - the muted tones, combined with a close crop and the sparkly details around Amy's eyes makes it look a bit magical. Also, great job with the painted hair, it looks very natural.
++ the crop and coloring on this icon is spectacular! The warm colors look amazing, and the sparkles around Amy's eye are so eye-catching!
++ The purple muted tones look amazing and makes the perfect contrast against her dark orangish hair. Love the detail on the eye.
++ Gorgeous colouring! Love the subtle purple tones in it and the really upclose crop.
++ The crop is great and the coloring is unique and works well with the purple background. It has a really soft of flowing feel to it.
+ Lovely close crop and muted colouring, I really like the painted look! Very well executed.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I love the cropping and the make up affect added around the eyes. I just think the icon could use more contrast cause right now it looks a bit blank.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The crop on the icon is really beautiful. Love the understated colouring as well!
+ I love the general color scheme of this icon, but I think it could benefit from a bit more contrast to keep the colors from becoming too muddy. I also am not sure that the sparkles (?) around Amy's eye. It looks like you added those to the cap, and right now they stick out awkwardly. They might do better if her skin were a bit lighter, so they looked a bit more like they belonged?
gribouillePLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ The colors you've brought out in this icon are gorgeous. My only complaint is that the crop just seems a bit off - I think making Martha a bit smaller so her hat fit all the way in the icon and there was a bit more space between the side of her face and the left edge of the icon would really help. Right now the whole thing looks a bit crowded despite its simplicity, but giving her a bit of space would fix that problem.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the coloring on this icon is very soft and pretty, and the colors are very rich
+ The colouring is so gorgeous! I love the sharpening as well. Every detail is crystal clear, without being overly sharp!
+ The coloring in this icon is really nice, and although the change is not dramatic, the improvement from the old icon is very obvious. The crop is slightly awkward though - the amount of space it leaves on the right side is not enough for it to work as negative space, so the icon looks a bit empty there. I'd suggest making the crop closer - a side crop like this would work perfectly for a close up. Another way of dealing with that could be to add text or possibly a decorative texture to balance the icon.
alisea_dreamPLACING VOTES
+++ The coloring on this is absolutely stunning. The blue pairs so well wiht the orange of her sweatshirt and the bits of light on the left and right keep it from being too flat. Great coloring on her skin as well. The strip at the top is a bit distracting but the icon is beautiful nonetheless.
++ Stunning colours! The contrast between blue and red is perfect, and you managed to avoid having the character's face be too red as well: great balance! Love the use of text as background as well.
+ the typography in the background of this icon is really cool! the colors also work really well together, and each element compliments each other nicely
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ To me, this icon is visually and technically a 180 turn from the original, and thus represents to me the spirit of remaking.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Love the blue colouring. It is very pretty. Love the composition on the icon as well.
+ I really like the color scheme in this icon - the soft reds of the image set off the bright blue background nicely, and the white decorative elements add lightness to the coloring. However, I would suggest re-thinking that repeated bar on the top - the way it touches the top of the subject's head looks a bit awkward, and makes the icon look cramped. Alternately, you could try moving the image down or making the crop wider, to include some negative space over the subject's head - I think the repeated bar would work much better that way.
+ Contrasting blues and red-oranges always makes for a pretty icon, but I think your subject needs just a bit more brightness to match the vibrant and light background. The eye is typically drawn to lighter colors first so having a lighter background goes against her being the foreground of the icon. I also would change the crop a little bit so her hair didn't get cut off by the border.
applepips16PLACING VOTES
+++ I LOVE the coloring and crop. The deep/dark greens look amazing in here and it kind of reminds me of scoobyatemysnax. Also, the sharpening is in the perfect point, wich is very important for me.
+ This kind of flat muted coloring can really be hit or miss but it works well here, especially with the dark green background. Perhaps a little bit of light would have been nice.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ The simplicity of the icon and the cropping are really nice, but the colouring could use some more work. The original icon had a much lighter colouring which worked better with the cap. It would like nicer to add more red/blue colouring or texture to make the icon look not as murky.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the colors on this icon are awesome! They're so dark and gritty, and the overal colorscheme is very rich
+ Lovely crop and colouring, I love the feel of it! And it's just the right amount of grungy as well.
+ Gorgeous, gorgeous coloring here, I love the dark tones and the vintage look of this icon. It's a big improvement over the old one, so this was a great way of showing off how far your coloring skills have gone. There's honestly nothing I don't like about this icon - the crop is nice, the contrast is on point, there are no issues with sharpening or texture use. One thing I'd maybe suggest changing is the darkness on the right side of the icon, so that the subject's hair doesn't blend with the background.
setentpetPLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ the crop on this icon is really nice, and the coloring is cool as well. However, the sharpening looks a bit pixelated/grainy, especially around her eye, causing it to look a little low quality. If your sharpening happens on a new layer, trying changing the opacity to about 50% to keep the sharpening effects but lower the grainy-ness
+ love the crop but the coloring is a bit too dark. I suggest lightening it up some so her expression is more clear.
+ The cropping is perfect here, I'm just not sure about the light texture just on the eyes because the rest of the face seems so dark.
+ I love the crop on the icon and I really like the burnt orange colouring. It's a dramatic choice. However, I feel like the icon could do with some depth. The colouring makes it feel very flat now. A b&w gradient set to softlight would really help in adding some depth. And if you wanted to increase that depth, you can then mess around with the Levels layers.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ The orangish coloring is beautifully done, the close crop is really interesting and I love the feeling that it gives. I really love the icon, but at the same time, it's very similar to the original icon, so it feels more like an alt than a whole new different icon.
+ Love the intense crop. The bold colour choice is great as well, and it really works!
+ You have some really different and lovely coloring here. I think your icon could benefit from a bit more contrast, though, as the oranges really flatten things out. I think her features would look better if they popped out a bit more from the color.
adriftingseaPLACING VOTES
++ The pastel colouring is gorgeous and I love the starry texture. It definitely gives the icon a fairytale/unicorn feel!
+ The light texture fits the icon so well - it should look super cheesy, but complements it beautifully.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ Just last challenge, I told you I like your way to color skin. I think in this particular icon, you overdid the smoothing and flattening a little. Her face has barely any features, making her look almost like a dummy. Preserving some of the curves of her cheek and nose would have lent the icon more personality. I really like every other technical aspect. The coloring and the star accents and the crop work together really well.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Lovely icon, very pretty colouring! A tad more contrast, especially on your subject's face, might make it pop out more. I do love everything you've added to the cap though, the stars and dots under her eyes.
+ I like the coloring and texture use in this icon, they make the subject look like a fairy or a princess. However, the image is rather washed out, especially the subject's face - her nose is barely visible, and there's hardly any shadow under her chin. This could be a result of using a picture from a photoshoot, since those are already heavily edited so there's not much that can be done to reverse it. Still, I'd recommend making a soft light layer and using a soft black brush to add some shadows around her nose and chin. Another thing that could work here is adding a Levels layer, and moving the middle marker to the left and the left marker to the right, to darken parts of the image without completely changing the contrast.
ciuciuvaraworldPLACING VOTES
+++ Such a beautifully glossy icon! The colouring is beautiful and I love the gorgeous purple lighting!
++ The simplicity of this icon really makes it shine. You did a great job bringing out the blues and red/purples, and the background color goes well with the cap without overwhelming us with one color.
+ The coloring is what makes this icon for me. I love the crop and cap choice as well, but the way you balance the pink hair with the blue dress and the purple background gives it that something special.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ this is a great remake! The colors are awesome and the crop is great. The lighting/shadows are fantastic as well, too!
+ This pair of icons shows a lot of improvement - the cut out is much cleaner, the coloring is still vibrant, but much more natural, and generally the icon looks more polished, so you're definitely going in the right direction. However, while I like the subtle light textures on the sides, I think the one on the right is a bit too strong, and some areas are slightly washed out as a result - like the subject's neck and hair on the right. Masking out some of the light texture could help, or you could add an adjustment layer like Curves or Levels on top of it, to compensate for the lost contrast.
+ Nice cut-out and colouring! I like the crop, but I think you could fit more of her hair in, either by lowering her or with a wider one, the way it cuts off her forehead is slightly awkward. Also the right side of the icon (her neck, shoulder and arm) looks slightly oversharpened on my screen (there's a white line appearing and the edges look pixellated), you could smoothen it a little bit. But once again I do love the colours!
rocketgirl2PLACING VOTES
+++ The simplicity of the icon is amazing! The background fits the character very well and is beautifully done.
++ I love the color-split and how the subject connects both halves. Especially cool is the white line inside the black half that balances the icon.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ The muted colors are really nice. However, I feel like the subject isn't well cutted. I'd suggest doing the cut in the original screencap, so if there're any mistakes, they won't be so noticeable when you resize it. Also, the division between the two colors is a little distracting. I think using only the lighter one would've worked better in this case.
+ The cap choice is nice but the icon falls a bit flat with the coloring, especially against a black and white background, she doesn't really pop out. If you wanted to stick with the muted coloring of the character, perhaps a more vibrant, not even super vibrant background, would have worked better and helped her pop out of the icon more. Also, moving her up a bit more would have worked better visually so part of her hand isn't cut off.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ the techinique used on the new icon is fabulous! The cutout is great, the coloring is even, and the sharpening is perfect
+ I really like the coloring in this icon - the muted tones go really well with the dramatic lighting, and the two-tone background is a good match for the rest of the icon. However, the coloring makes the screencap look quite sinister, and Leslie's grin looks somewhat murderous... so I'm not sure if this coloring was the best choice for this particular screencap.
+ This icon is so starkly simple, I love it. The minimalism of the background is very eye-catching as well!
+ Nice texture use! The subject's right arm appears to be abruptly cut-off, if that's how the screencap ends I'd subject using a gradient mask so that it slowly blends into the background.
lady_kingsleyPLACING VOTES
++ The composition of this icon is simple, but effective. I'm not very familiar with this fandom, but I assume the message of this icon is supposed to be that the woman has Captain's back, and I think the composition conveys that really well.
+ The use of textures is suiting the blending really well. The coloring and lightning is also really pretty.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ This is the icon that feels most "upcycled" in that you did something totally different with the cap
+ I think this icon does a great job of taking the original and building upon it, instead of totally remaking it into a completely new icon. You kept some of the aspects of the old one - the screencap, monochrome coloring, a similar approach to contrast and lighting, but added enough new elements to make it a true remake that shows how your style and skills shave evolved.
+ A very different icon to the original, which brings its own unique interpretation to the cap. Peggy is a great addition, love the colouring as well! I'm not sure the light blob are necessary, the one on the right is a bit distracting, maybe at a lower opacity? But great interpretation in any case.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ I like the coloring and the initial composition but the addition of Steve and the texture around him doesn't fit the icon. I suggest removing him or finding a different way to incorporate him into the icon as right now it's making the whole icon off balance
+ This icon is technically perfect. Nicely colored, well sharpened, great composition. My eyes just keep snagging on that numbered texture. The idea of wrapping something around them is cool, and creates depth. Those numbers just don't seem to fit Steve and Peggy. It feels a little random to me. Peggy was a code breaker, okay, but... it doesn't really look like code, and that job didn't have much to do with Steve. If you want to stick with numbers, maybe the year they were parted (1940-something) ? Whatever you can think of that thematically connects them.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ blending Steve with another cap was a creative way of interpreting the theme. The coloring is nice and rich, and the texture use is very fitting
+ The composition on this icon is so neat. I love the way you blended the caps and the way you used the numbers to connect the two subjects!
jellybeansrawPLACING VOTES
+ love the texture use and composition!
+ Okay, the texture use on this icon is absolutely lovely! Somehow the curving stripes of the texture remind me of a record player and I think it goes along well as a motif for the subject. Great job on the colouring as well. I love how the red peeks out through the texture!
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ while the composition is very cool and the texture use is interesting, the coloring on Lana seems weird and unnatural, especially around her cheek, since it's oddly blocking out sections of her skin instead of flowing into shadows/highlights. Usuing the blur tool and running it over the harsh lines at about 35% would help this
+ The colouring of the icon is so pretty! The contrast between darks and whites in the icon is really nice, but the textures seem to be unnecessary in this icon, they overwhelm it a little too much. Using a different texture which doesn't block so much of the character would work wonders.
+ Your texture use here is very daring, but I think in the end it takes away from the icon. Her face looks very low quality, especially around her eyes, eyebrows, and nose. There is a lot of pixellation there, and on her hand and the border of her skin with her dress on my screen. The light yellow of the texture also really overwhelms the red of her dress which is too bad, because I think you got some nice color out of the cap.
+ The coloring in this icon is amazing, I love the color scheme and the flat vintage coloring. However, the texture on top of the icon is so overpowering that it takes the focus away from the subject, and the coloring doesn't have a change to shine. I think the main problem of this texture is the thickness of the stripe - it covers up too much of the subject. It should be possible to use Photoshop's clone stamp tool to make the stripe thinner; alternately, moving the subject to the right, so that less of her is hidden, could also work.
+ The colour scheme is nice, but I feel your subject gets too lost in the texture. You could try giving her a more "solid" look on the black parts, and moving her a bit to the right so that you can see more of her, while erasing her on the beige parts? Basically I feel this idea has potential but could be better executed so that the subject stands out more.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
None.
esgeeePLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ I can really see how you've improved! The coloring is much more consistent and soft, and the cropping and sharpening is superb
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ I really like the crop and coloring here.
+ Love the colouring and the crop on the icon!
+ Love how bright her hair is, nice job with that colouring! The crop looks slightly awkward in the way it cuts right above her eyebrows, you could either try a closer crop focusing entirely on her face or a wider one to fit more of her head in. Great improvement on the original icon though, this one really shows how your skills have evolved since!
+ I am in love with the sharpening in this icon - it's on the edge of being too sharp in places (like her left cheek or some strands of hair), but I think it looks great. The painted hair adds a nice touch, but ends of the painted strands are too blunt, and since you chose a more natural look here, they look a bit out of place. If you're using a graphics tablet, make sure that brush size is controlled by pen pressure; if you're using a mouse or a touchpad, simply erase or mask the blunt edges to give the strands a pointed end.
emielsPLACING VOTES
+++ The composition is mind blowing! The use of textures, text and colors are amazing.
+++ Great composition, really dynamic without being too overwhelming. The colour scheme is really nice too! And I really like how different this is from your first icon, even though you kept the basic crop.
++ great color palette and composition!
+ Love the composition and text use.
+ I love the texture behind this; it frames your subject really nicely. It's cool how you used it to shape your text, too. My one complaint is that the word "mind" is cut off a lot and it took me awhile to figure out what that word was. I think you could have sized both "your" and "mind" down a bit so the latter fit on the canvas a bit more and was easily readable.
BEST INTERPRETATION
+ No reason provided.
+ No reason provided.
+ The composition of the icon is amazing!
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
None.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ Lovely choice of quote!
+ the composition of this new icon is really cool! The lines in the background are great, the typography is really fitting, and the overal color scheme is really nice.
tinnnyPLACING VOTES
None.
BEST INTERPRETATION
None.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
+ Wow, so different from the original icon! You can see progress there. I love that you incorporated the shadows in the icon like they were in front of a light bulb wich gives a feeling of volume. However, the background doesn't match very well with the subjects and some parts are a little pixelated.
+ The icon is creative and the cutouts aren't bad but Dean and Crowley are really lacking depth and are a bit washed out. Some more contrast and working on their skin tone would have given them more depth. A more solid background could have worked well with making them stand out more as well, like a solid light blue or another color that would have matched well with them.
+ Very cool composition, I love the spotlight effect! I also like how you took all the main elements from the original icon, but made them very different to show your progress as a maker. However, there are some things that still could be improved. The coloring is nice, and I like how you separated the characters using brown and blue, but as a result, their clothes lack contrast. This would not be an issue if you applied the method you used to lighten their clothes to their entire bodies, but since it only affects their clothes, their hair and shadows on their faces have remained dark, which emphasizes how flat their clothes look in comparison. Also, while I like the typography here - the font you chose is quite perfect for the tone of the icon, and the color ties in with the colors of the background, the placing of the text looks a bit random, and affects the balance of the icon. I'd suggest making the text large enough to span the entire icon, which would help avoid that. Finally, I think the image could use a touch of sharpening, especially the subjects' faces, to make their features more distinct.
+ The texture use is great and I really love the text as well. However, I think the cut out could have been a little more crisp. Dean's head looks blurry as does Crowley's. After selecting a subject to cut out, you can always clean up the cut out area to look smoother or crisper. Also, I think you used a filter to remove pixelation ( I might be wrong also). And while Crowley and Dean's clothes stand out clearly, the filter sort of obscured their features. Masking away the filter from their faces or going over their faces with the Sharpening tool would have made the details of their faces look a lot clearer.
+ The cut-out is a little bit rough and there's too much light on Dean and Crowley's face, making them look a bit washed out. Adding a background texture is a nice way to reinterpret the cap, and I like your use of text, maybe just play with contrast and/or colouring so that Dean and Crowley stand out more.
ADDITIONAL VOTES
+ There's definitely a great amount of improvement in your technique. The cutout + shadows are amazing, the typography is fitting, and the background texture helps bring interest to the icon. Some things that could help elevate the icon are adding some extra color via shadows and lighting with layers set to things like screen, overlay/soft light, or hard light
Stay tuned for the final results post where final scores will be revealed!