Peeking into your brain is sexy. :)

#4: what I'd do differently: for the coloring of this icon I'd use some fancy texture...there's a lot of "void space" that would look extremely pretty with the right texture and coloring. I'd use a smaller font, probably in caps.

There's a huge hole in my icon arsenal and it's textures. I collected thousands of them (no exaggeration) when I first started but I'm not clear on how to use them so they mostly go ignored. It's no surprise to me that only one of the 15 images in the group of icons uses a texture.

Are words in caps more easily read? I've shied away because I think of that as "shouting" but thinking about it, that doesn't apply to icons.

#5: Nothing to say. :) Your cropping suggestions are noted and I'm playing with it. I think it's interesting that the part that bugged me, the horizontal "off center" and the lack of perfect symmetry in the meeting points of the two halves of the image aren't what people mention. Those two things bug me but I suspected it was me obsessing. Which, apparently, I am. I like the geometry of the curves of Six's dress with Starbuck's breast/belly and Boomer's shirt strap but the geometrical nature makes my eye want it "perfect."

There's a huge hole in my icon arsenal and it's textures. I collected thousands of them (no exaggeration) when I first started but I'm not clear on how to use them so they mostly go ignored. It's no surprise to me that only one of the 15 images in the group of icons uses a texture.

Awww omg I love textures, they can be used in many different ways and they're always incredibly useful. If you want, you can take a look to my memories (and to the site linked on my user info, it's my textures-heaven) and see what kind of textures I use...many of those texture-artists also wrote tutorials explaining how to use them (and I'm sure there are many tutorials around anyway)...

Are words in caps more easily read? I've shied away because I think of that as "shouting" but thinking about it, that doesn't apply to icons.

I think on icons, it's more about easthetics and legibility than "netiquette"... a very small text written in caps would never be perceived (by me, at least) as shouting. In fact, I think 90% of my text icons are written in caps. :-)

(My reply just disappeared. ??? I've never had that happen before. I'll try to reconstruct.)

*points to icon* This is my favorite use of a texture -- or, what appears to me to be a texture.

...you can take a look to my memories...
I took you up on your invite and spent the weekend going through your memories and looking through tutorials you found helpful. I've spent the weekend playing with textures, cropping, and negative space. I still need tons more practice but now I have a new set of things to keep in mind while playing around. Thank you. :)

it's more about aesthetics and legibility than "netiquette"
Very true. I was shying away from it for no good reason. I've been playing with the caps and I find I like that better. Still have text issues out the wazoo -- and I've started saving them all textless, too -- that are going to take me a lot longer to work out.

This is my favorite use of a texture -- or, what appears to me to be a texture.

Definitely a texture. :-)

I've spent the weekend playing with textures, cropping, and negative space. I still need tons more practice but now I have a new set of things to keep in mind while playing around. Thank you. :)

*grins* You know, now I'm actually kind of excited for you.. I wanna see your new work, see what your creativity can do... :-)

Still have text issues out the wazoo -- and I've started saving them all textless, too -- that are going to take me a lot longer to work out.

Eh, who doesn't have text issues? I hate text...text is HARD. That's why I rarely use it... ;))
I'm sure that with the right icon, you'll also find the right text and everything will fall into place easily... :D

I wanna see your new work, see what your creativity can do
eep! No pressure, no pressure at all...Actually, I played around a lot, looked at tutorials and followed a couple. I can't say that I made anything I love. Maybe a couple that I don't hate. I'm still on the steep part of the learning curve.

So...when is the next time you'll be out of town or otherwise away from the internet? ;-)

Eh, who doesn't have text issues? I hate text...text is HARD. That's why I rarely use it... ;))
In a way, it's comforting to hear you say that because I've always loved your text. In a way, it scares the pants off of me to hear you say that because if *you* are having issues with it then I might well despair.

Anyhow. I'll continue to bumble around I'm sure. Hopefully some day it will click for me. In the meantime, I'm planning to offer textless versions of almost everything.

I'm in a sort of quandry for posting icons at this point. I had a post ready to go back on Sept. 11 but one of the shows I iconned was pre-2001 and featured a pre 9/11 Manhattan skyline. I wasn't certain about that timing so I waited...then I went out of town. Anywho, I had a bunch of icons I'd never posted but now I think they're okay but could be better. I do not want to post a bunch of icons that aren't, in fact, the very best that I'm capable of making. I'm hoping that going through the Paddies School of Seeing has made me capable of making a better icon. So...probably I'll prune heavily and continue to sit on them while I work on making something that won't embarrass me too much.

I do not want to post a bunch of icons that aren't, in fact, the very best that I'm capable of making. I'm hoping that going through the Paddies School of Seeing has made me capable of making a better icon. So...probably I'll prune heavily and continue to sit on them while I work on making something that won't embarrass me too much.

Awwww...I totally understand you wanting to post the best icons you can possibly make (why do you think it takes me ages to post a new batch?), but still, sometimes you just have to "let go".
Personally, I think the "perfect icon" is very rare...on a batch made of 100 icons I maybe make 5 or six icons that I'm totally, utterly satisfied with.

But I post them anyway, because I'm either "I have to post them now or I'll never will" or "I did the best I could, but the cap was too crappy/dark/low res/whatever to do better"...weirdly enough, sometimes the icons I really didn't want to post (because I didn't like them) are the ones getting more feedback. *life strange*

In conclusion, don't wait too long to post them and remember that's it's a work in progress! If I look back to my first few batches I either want to re-make them from scratch or erase them from the face of earth...thankfully I got better at this iconing thing, and so will you. :-)

Also, I promise I'll point out only the positive stuff for a change, how about that? ;))

*loves*

weirdly enough, sometimes the icons I really didn't want to post (because I didn't like them) are the ones getting more feedback. *life strange*
Absolutely. Ones I pretty much hated are often the most grabbed. I can't begin to guess what people will want so I tend to go with, "How embarrassed would I be to see my name attached to that?"

Also, I promise I'll point out only the positive stuff for a change, how about that? ;))
Do what you will, of course. Heaven knows it takes a LOT less time to say, "I like a couple of these," than it does to explain why you do or don't like something. I will still ask for and gratefully accept any feedback/critiques I can get. There's always room to improve.