Oh heck, it sounds intimidating from any perspective. You don't have to be a beginner to find the whole concept intimidating, I promise! I wasn't willing to sign up until I'd been making icons for probably a year and a half -- and even then I did it because I was frustrated at my stagnation.

The sorts of issues you're wanting to tackle sound like you could use an icon beta. jalabert has been there for me since I started. She's wonderful at saying, "Why did you make him urine yellow?!?" (Yes, she really said it and yes, she really was right to say it.) Once I'd developed until I could make icons that met her requirements, I kind of stalled again. I was lucky enough to have paddies, an icon maker whose skills I so strongly fangirl it's a bit embarrassing, offer to critique 15 icons I'd made. She was very kind in how she phrased her critiques but she had some excellent points and offered me some excellent tips and pointers.

I will not hold myself up as an expert of her caliber but if you ever, ever have a question and want my opinion, I would be honored to try to help you. If you want to show me an icon, tell me, "I don't like 'x and y' about this icon but I'm stymied on how to fix it," I'd be more than happy to look over them and try to suggest options to you, assuming I have ideas on how to help. I will repeat, as well, that any time I do anything that you want to know more about, I welcome your asking me about it. I'm happy to write a tutorial, mail you the *.psd file, or even just chat.

If you think you could benefit from a review like paddies did for me, I'd be happy to try to do something like that for you though my skills and graphics acumen is nowhere near her level. I mean it when I say I've been very lucky to have people help me and I'm willing to do my best to pass forward the favor. :)

You're correct that very detailed feedback like that isn't likely to come from participation in LIMS -- but it isn't out of the question, either. In the round I participated in, one of the very first people knocked out had problems with cropping images and the comments identified that weakness. She very honestly asked for help and lots of people chimed in with suggestions and tips and "here's how I do it" suggestions. I learned a few tricks that I've since used. :)

I could handle the negative feedback because I knew that I wasn't making the sort of icons I wanted to AND I get an amazing number of very positive comments when I post. My ego's more than bolstered but I know that way isn't the path to improvement. I'd gotten all sorts of very complimentary comments back when my icons were oversharpened to Mars and back. I didn't stop oversharpening until paddies identified it in nearly every single icon. I have no lack of positive feedback; I crave constructive criticism.

OMG, you are so generous. I'd be thrilled to be able to come to you from time to time for advice on a troublesome icon or for general critique on technique; that is such an awesome offer. I hadn't heard of the idea of an icon beta before, but it makes total sense; it's such a key tool for writing, why not for graphics as well? I'll also try to be less shy about asking you how you've done certain things in icons of yours that I admire - which would be all of them, heh!, but I'll try to be moderate in my questions. (You're so kind to repeat the offer.) One particular icon of yours that I've studied and studied comes to mind immediately *g*, but this probably isn't the venue for that, so I'll drop a comment elsewhere in a little while, if you that would be all right with you.

I read through paddies's critique that you linked to above, and wow, that's helpful even for a third party whose icons are not the ones being analyzed. Just excellent training in learning to look. Thank you for pointing to it.

The LIMS idea continues to sound both exciting and daunting. :-) I think it's going to be a great contribution to the fandom. Way to go, you, for coming up with it!

I don't know that anyone else has an icon beta. I've been very fortunate to have extremely patient friends. jalabert, in particular, has obligingly "ooh"ed and "aah"ed over and critiqued damn near every icon I've made. She's working on sainthood, I believe.

Seriously, please don't worry about being moderate in your questions. It gives me joy to share anything I've learned; I get a kick out of talking graphics. Especially when I'm feeling "blocked" as I have been for the last several months. *g* I did lose all of my graphics files about a year ago in a hard drive disaster but after that I should have the files for anything I've made. You are ALWAYS welcome to drop a comment when the mood strikes you. :)

Isn't it amazing what paddies did for me? I love her work and I couldn't believe my good fortune. I went back and re-read the thread and find myself re-learning some things I'd forgotten. I'm glad it helped you, too.

Whether or not you feel that LIMS is right for you as an icon maker, I hope that you will participate as a voter. I've made a comm and started on its bare bones in the case we get enough interest in the idea. I'm waiting now for the SG-1 newsletter to pick it up because for now we have a wonderful number of volunteers but not enough icon makers.

That's great that you've started on the comm already! I hope bunches of artists join. I'll definitely vote, and maybe I'll feel less wuss-like about participation when the time comes. :-)

Thank you again for being willing to do some mentoring!

I'm waiting now for the SG-1 newsletter to pick it up because for now we have a wonderful number of volunteers but not enough icon makers.

A quick marketing thought on this: maybe a notice or poll on stargate_icons would be a way of generating interest in between Debrief issues? I don't know their posting rules, but they get a lot of traffic over there, and it seems that something like this would be of interest to their members. I'm very psyched about your idea. :-)

Excellent idea! I'll contact the mod(s) and see if it's kosher with them. Thank you!

I'll contact the mods of jackslashdaniel and stargatewomen, too. I need to find someone who's a member of a Jack/Sam icon group if they'll pimp it there (assuming it's kosher).

Thank you. :)