20+5 icons for monthlyinspo round 3

[neonspider]

Fandoms:
Dorian Gray (2009) [10+5]
Supernatural [10]

This is a set for the 3rd round of monthlyinspo. The theme was 'light vs dark', which forced me very far out of my box because I don't really focus on lighting in my icons a lot and also I rarely make icons that are clearly bright or dark. This time all my icons are inspired by the theme; icons 1-4 and 11-12 are supposed to be dark, icons 5-6 and 13-17 are the battle of light and dark, and icons 7-10 and 18-20 are meant as light/bright.

This is obviously very atypical for me in other ways as well, this is a much simpler and more muted set than I usually make, but hey I'm not one-note, I can make these kinds of icons as well, and I've always loved muted icons so idk why I don't make them more often! I also think that after my last monthlyinspo set I needed to make a quieter set. Hopefully you'll find something to like here even though I know this is probably a surprise stylewise!

Subjectwise I used two subjects I love but can rarely use bc they're both very dark and colorless: SPN and Dorian Gray. I found this the perfect challenge to use them. This means that I had to abandon my original plan of fulfilling both this month's and last month's themes in this set, the subject I was going to use for challenge 2 had basically the same lighting all the time so it wouldn't have served this challenge very well. But one day I'll make that set too, it would have been a great challenge.

MONTHLYINSPO ROUND 3

[01-05]
[06-10]
[11-15]
[16-20]

EXTRAS/REJECTS

[21-25]

Comments would make me very happy! ♥ Feel free to snag any you like :)

Comments

[sietepecados]

This is such a beautiful set! I love the muted colors! The crop on 6, 12 and 15 looks amazing! :)

[neonspider]

Thank you so much! :) ♥ This style definitely allowed me to focus a little more on cropping than usually, but it's still my weakness and I'd like to try different crops more often.

[zackkaddy.livejournal.com]

These are beautiful! I love your style of muted coloring, especially your use of it in 6, 9, 21 and 22. Awesome use of lighting as well. Amazing work!

[neonspider]

Aw, thank you so much!! :)

[alwaysashipper.livejournal.com]

I love your set! It has a great vintage, moody feel to it and the coloring is so unique. 5 is my favorite for the contrast, 12 and 13 for the cropping and 18 for the extra pretty coloring. :)

[neonspider]

Omg thank you for the lovely comment!! :)

[bizarra.livejournal.com]

I love the almost vintage looks of the colorings! They're beautifully done!

[neonspider]

Thank you so much!! I'm happy you like the colorings :)

[scarred-loretta.livejournal.com]

Beautiful set! I love the colouring and crops. And I think you can proudly say your lighting skills are fantastic! My faves are #2, #3, #6, #9 and #15.

[neonspider]

Thank you so much for the wonderful comment!! :) ♥

[geckogirl89.livejournal.com]

Cool icons! I really like the crop in #5, the brighter colors and negative space in 7-10, the composition in 17, and the use of the green background in 18.

[neonspider]

Thank you very much! :)

[littlemissnovel.livejournal.com]

What a great way to get out of your comfort zone (and your work pays off!) Such a great set! I really love 1, 2, 5+6 (that close crop is amazing!) 7 (love the negative space), 9 ( I really love how Sam and Dean are muted and vibrant the coloring in the background is!), 11, 12 (such an unusual close crop but it's beautiful!), 13, 15, 17 (love how complex the icon is), and 19 (the iconning of the hair moving is beautiful!) I also love 22, 23 for the coloring, 24 (the beautiful contrast between light and darkness).

[neonspider]

Omg thank you so much for the detailed feedback! ♥ Very glad you liked these so much :)

[alfiri.livejournal.com]

The mood your colouring creates here works very well with these fandoms :) And I love how you use these sepia overtones on the lighter parts of the icons so the set feels very coherent!
My favourites are 1, 4, 6 (love the crop here!), 9, 19 and 23!

[neonspider]

Thanks so much for the lovely comment! ♥ I'm super happy you liked 23, I was happy with the coloring but it didn't quite fit the challenge cause I didn't really know if I was trying to make a light or a dark icon so it's something in between :p

[tinny]

Wooooow. Those are very muted for you!

I totally agree that SPN and dark grunge work perfectly together. No 1 looks like an antique photograph, very cool. I also like 2 and 4 and 6 of the dark ones. Surprisingly, the light SPN ones work well too! :D I love the smudged faded look in 8-10. I think 8 is my fave of the whole set. The flat negative space in 7 reminds me of adriftingsea (it's probably the pastel shade of blue that does it :)).

I love 13 - the contrast with the sepia coloring gives his body so much depth. Awesome.

I really like 18, too - it reminds me of Ianto. The flat, almost contrastless combination of beige, green, and white makes me think "dull and boring", which evokes an interesting emotional contrast with the look on his face as he enjoys the tea.

Great masking (and hair painting?) on 19.

I really like Alt1, too. I like the bit more vibrance, and the crop is wonderful.

[neonspider]

Thanks so much for the lovely comment! :) Yeah, I wanted to go for a totally different style here cause as much as I like having made some sort of recognizable style over the years, I also really hate being put into that box as if everything outside of that is somehow beyond my abilities or 'not like me' (or worse, more like someone else), when in reality I've always used a variety of different styles.

[tturners.livejournal.com]

HOW COME I MISSED THIS STUNNING POST OMG. I am saving literally all the DG icons !!!!! I LOVE !!!!
(Your muted tones are mesmerising and I love your lighting technique. Not to mention the stunning close crops ♥)

[neonspider]

OMG thank you so much!! I'm super happy to hear you like the muted colors, especially since you're basically the queen of muted icons ♥ Thank you!!

[tturners.livejournal.com]

Aw you're too kind, thank you!! But I am serious, you are the actual queen here! :p ♥

[magicrubbish.livejournal.com]

Really loved the Dorian Gray movie icons , I'm a huge Ben Barnes fan and this story as well this particular movie interpretation is my damn favorite ! Your icons are so lovely and the color palette you've chosen to work on them is so apt . Saved a few , will credit when used. :))