Previous | Memories | Tell Someone | Next
 
hsapiens
hsapiens
25 September 2006 @ 04:20 pm
Looking for honest, constructive opinions  
I'm looking for a community that offers brutally honest feedback on icons with an eye towards helping a person improve. I've reached a plateau and a sameness to my icons; I'd like to go further. I ask for constructive criticism on my icon posts, but I think people are too afraid I'll get pissy or that they'll hurt my feelings or something. The comments I get are the, "These are great!/I like ## and am snagging!" variety. I'm not complaining - they're certainly good for the ego - but I need critical feedback to fuel improvement.

Anyone know of any communities like this? Have you gotten similar help? Or is this more like writing and one gets an "icon beta" to help? [livejournal.com profile] jalabert is my current icon beta but she limits her input (mostly) to the icons I make for her. More Voices = More Viewpoints To Consider.

Any other suggestions? I've friended people whose icons I like and stuck them in a filter, "Inspiration," to make it easier to look at examples I like. I spend time trawling fandoms, looking for interesting icons. I have gone through innumerable tutorials, etc. If you've got another cool idea for spurring creativity, please feel free to share. I feel as if text and cropping are especially weak points for me. Maybe I have others I'm blind to? I won't know until someone points it out to me. :)

And yeah, I should be writing up a "here's what I did on vacation" post. That's on my To Do List, as well.
Tags:
 
 
Current Mood: curious
 
46 comments | Leave a comment
 
( Post a new comment )
Mish: Teryl -- Sunny Colors[identity profile] hsapiens.livejournal.com on October 2nd, 2006 05:34 pm (UTC)
Part 1
long comment here
*smooches* Thank you!

#1 It’s getting a bit too close to orange tones I think.
I think I have a wider tolerance for weird skin colors than the average person. I've decided to blame it on the wonky t.v. of my childhood. *nods* Strangely, this one is pretty much the color of the cap without my changing it. But if it bugged you, it probably bugged others and it's something I know how to fix!

#2 Again, the clarity is fantastic. I always wonder how people do this.
If you want me to answer this, I'd be happy to. :)

The text in this one worked for you? It always bugged me and I've since decided part of the problem is that it overwhelms the composition.

#3 Hmm, not too helpful with this one – I like it, but it doesn’t grab me and make me take a second look.
No effects; that's the photo I took of him when he was onstage at a con. :) I agree completely that it isn't a "grabber." I threw that one in because I wanted unbiased reaction to it and it has confirmed my impressions. Peter Williams is a very nice guy and he deserves icons that grab a person. :)

#4 I have no feeling for whether a landscape icon works or not. I like playing with them, they're MILES more forgiving than a person when playing with color and effects, but I can never tell when it's "done" -- or when it's appealing. *shrug*

#5 I’m not a fan of Battlestar Galactica, so I don’t feel it would be fair to comment any further.
Well, if you hate the show and it tinges your view of the icon, I can see that. In any case, you gave an opinion and I'm good with that. :)

#7 Although, the dinosaurs are cute.
Eeek! Poor Godzilla! Reduced to cute! *snicker*

#8 Ah, my bad. It's an icon from Witchblade, an obscure sci fi show from several years ago. The text AND the font suck. They were meant to be place holders and then I developed a hole in my brain and somehow thought it was done. You don't need to be in the fandom, I think, to judge an icon or not but knowing the context determines whether one *likes* it, I think.

#8 Keith Hamilton Cobb. Most widely known, I think, for his role on Andromeda. Has a brain to go with the beauty, but only one of those is icon-izable. ;-)

#11 You might kick yourself for not recognizing Rainbow Sun Francks (Aiden Ford of Stargate Atlantis) but I'm very pleased that you didn't recognize him. That was my goal. :) I know, I'm weird, but it was made to match an AU story written by [livejournal.com profile] jalabert. He's supposed to look like a rap artist instead of Lieutenant Ford.