DON'T YOU DARE APOLOGISE FOR SUCH EPIC AWESOMENESS!!
Ohmigod so many pretty, pretty, pretties!!
Okay, so deep breaths. I'm calming down now. Deep breaths. That's it. Alright so here goes some sort of attempt to give this beast of a post the feedback it deserves ;D
Composition
So the wizard category icons would probably be the best place to start here and you, my friend, have some truly epic blocking/levels going on here! #5 and #21 from attempt 2 (the way they bring attention to the subject's face and expression), #13, #17 and #20 from attempt 3 (great examples of story telling within an icon), #1 and #17 from attempt 4 (again with the story telling) and #17 from attempt 5 can all be used as great examples of these techniques. You've really done the wizarding part of the challenge proud and I love the way that you used more that one type of composition. Your blending is fantastic and I particularly love how you used textures cropping and lighting in #5, 9 and 13 of attempt 5 to show that good composition doesn't have to equal a busy icon! Which brings me on to...
Cropping
While you seem to like center crops (which is definitely not a bad thing, I like them too) there are some really interesting close crops in this post. I love the one of Sansa from attempt 1, her expression is so Sansa and the play of shadow and light over her face adds a very intriguing dynamic, especially with that split lip. #22 from attempt 2 is lovely as well. There's a slightly melancholic feel to the icon that the muted colours work really emphasize. I also like the overall softness of this icon. I've never watched Survivor but I imagine that the contestants get a little...despondent at times and this icon captures that kind of feel perfectly. From attempt 3 #2 and #6 are really, really, stunning! Rose has such an iconnable face and you can get loads of interesting crops from her and you seem to have taken full advantage of that with this set. Well done! I love how attempt 4 captures so, so, so many of Ten's expressions. I've never seen past episode 1 of season 2 of Dr Who but I love David Tennant and I love his fave and I love how you combined close crops, center crops and distant crops for attempt 4! Really, really awesome job!!
Colouring
I've said it before and I'll say it again. I LOVE your colouring. I love the brightness and vibrancy of your icons and I really, really, love your use of light. I've seen a few muted icons from you as well lately and they're pretty damn awesome as well. Most of attempt 4 stand out here, #14, 15 and 19 in particular. The colours on these icons are subdued and subtle but still really gorgeously done and your contrast throughout this post is PERFECT! So well done, you!! I do have to admit that on #6 and #10 from attempt 4, the colours seem a little too subdued. It's really the only two icons from the entire batch that I could say that on but, I dunno, maybe blocking on the background on #6 and matching it to his coat or adding a vibrancy layer to #10? If you're even using PS. Maybe even trying the old, copy merged, Gaussian blur then set to soft light trick? They're still really, really gorgeous icons I just feel they don't punch through quite as much as the rest of this set does.
So really, awesome job on this post. I wish I could add more but I have to leave for the day and if I get time later I'll be back to leave more critique. But seriously, this was a total HBIC of a post! Congrats!!
no subject
Ohmigod so many pretty, pretty, pretties!!
Okay, so deep breaths. I'm calming down now. Deep breaths. That's it. Alright so here goes some sort of attempt to give this beast of a post the feedback it deserves ;D
Composition
So the wizard category icons would probably be the best place to start here and you, my friend, have some truly epic blocking/levels going on here! #5 and #21 from attempt 2 (the way they bring attention to the subject's face and expression), #13, #17 and #20 from attempt 3 (great examples of story telling within an icon), #1 and #17 from attempt 4 (again with the story telling) and #17 from attempt 5 can all be used as great examples of these techniques. You've really done the wizarding part of the challenge proud and I love the way that you used more that one type of composition. Your blending is fantastic and I particularly love how you used textures cropping and lighting in #5, 9 and 13 of attempt 5 to show that good composition doesn't have to equal a busy icon! Which brings me on to...
Cropping
While you seem to like center crops (which is definitely not a bad thing, I like them too) there are some really interesting close crops in this post. I love the one of Sansa from attempt 1, her expression is so Sansa and the play of shadow and light over her face adds a very intriguing dynamic, especially with that split lip. #22 from attempt 2 is lovely as well. There's a slightly melancholic feel to the icon that the muted colours work really emphasize. I also like the overall softness of this icon. I've never watched Survivor but I imagine that the contestants get a little...despondent at times and this icon captures that kind of feel perfectly. From attempt 3 #2 and #6 are really, really, stunning! Rose has such an iconnable face and you can get loads of interesting crops from her and you seem to have taken full advantage of that with this set. Well done! I love how attempt 4 captures so, so, so many of Ten's expressions. I've never seen past episode 1 of season 2 of Dr Who but I love David Tennant and I love his fave and I love how you combined close crops, center crops and distant crops for attempt 4! Really, really awesome job!!
Colouring
I've said it before and I'll say it again. I LOVE your colouring. I love the brightness and vibrancy of your icons and I really, really, love your use of light. I've seen a few muted icons from you as well lately and they're pretty damn awesome as well. Most of attempt 4 stand out here, #14, 15 and 19 in particular. The colours on these icons are subdued and subtle but still really gorgeously done and your contrast throughout this post is PERFECT! So well done, you!!
I do have to admit that on #6 and #10 from attempt 4, the colours seem a little too subdued. It's really the only two icons from the entire batch that I could say that on but, I dunno, maybe blocking on the background on #6 and matching it to his coat or adding a vibrancy layer to #10? If you're even using PS. Maybe even trying the old, copy merged, Gaussian blur then set to soft light trick?
They're still really, really gorgeous icons I just feel they don't punch through quite as much as the rest of this set does.
So really, awesome job on this post. I wish I could add more but I have to leave for the day and if I get time later I'll be back to leave more critique. But seriously, this was a total HBIC of a post! Congrats!!