Round #11 - Challenge #4 - Voting

[hermionesparkle.livejournal.com]

Skipping: dixon, orangerful, & irish_bunnie.

Rules:
- Vote for 2 icons of the least quality. Reasons such as 'I don't like' or 'It's too plain' are not allowed. Actually think about why you are voting out the icon. If the icon is too plain, why is that bad thing? What could have been done to improve the icon?
- Also vote for 1 icon that you feel is the best quality. The reason for this one is optional but encouraged.
- Keep your icon identity hidden until after the results are posted. Do not vote for yourself or get anyone to vote for you.
- You do not have to be a participant to vote (the more the merrier!).
- Positive votes do not take away from the amount of negative votes. This will change in the event of a tie.
- One person will be eliminated as the result of the voting.
- The comments are screened.
- If you entered and do not vote then you will not be eligible for Community's Choice or Mod's Choice.
- Voting will be open until Monday at around 11 PM ET.




Examples:

Least favorite:
12. The texture really takes away from the focus of the icon and throws off the balance.
120. The image is very sharp in spots including Buffy's hair line & facial features. It could have looked better with either some contrast or using a blur tool.

Favorite:
04. Beautifully cropped.
166. The coloring really makes the icon stand out from the others.


2 least quality icons: # - reason # - reason 1 best quality icon # - reason (optional)

1.		2.		3.		4.
5.		6.		7.		8.

Comments

[livejournal.livejournal.com]

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[scarred-loretta.livejournal.com]

This was really, really difficult! All fantastic icons.

2 least quality icons:
3 - The background makes the overall icon look too busy along with the text. Buffy's head being cut off at the top is a bit distracting also, but I do like the idea as a whole. :)
4 - The text placement takes away from the focal point of the icon slightly. I think without text and a closer crop would have improved it. Great scene though, which looks great in black and white. :)

1 best quality icon
8 - Amazing use of shadowing, and fantastic crop.

[freecat15.livejournal.com]

2 least quality icons:

#7 - reason: While I like the crop and turning it into b/w and appreciate the highlighting of the lighter places, I think the darkening is just too much. It would've worked better with the faces at least recognizable as faces, imo.

#2 - reason: I think the huge negatice space in this dark non-color just doesn't do the icon any favors, but makes it look a little dull, and it draws the eye away from Anya (it is Anya, right???). Maybe this would've worked better if she were brighter and more contrasting to the background.

This is hard.
1 best quality icon
#6 - reason (optional): I love the dynamic of this and the perfect balance of light and darkness. The writing in this font is perfectly fitting, too.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Again these are all gorgeous!!!! This is where LIMS contests become far too difficult. They are all awesome. :(

2 least quality icons:

7 - too much shadow on Spike's face, it can't even be seen a little bit.

6 - Love the layout, and the font is really cool but the "s" in slayer is a little bit lost in the background.

1 best quality icon
4 - Nice crop, good text placement and clear image.

[teragramm.livejournal.com]

2 least quality icons:
#7 - reason- I think the artist was going for an artistic shadow icon but the icon is too dark and has too much contrast. Because of the darkness and contrast, you can barely make out Spike and Buffy's face. Although I do light the lighting around Buffy.
#2 - reason - I like the negative space and center crop on this one but the icon is too dark and the texture chosen looks pixelated. I think the background would have worked better if the artist did it in a greyscale gradient instead.


1 best quality icon
#6 - reason- This icon is not only very well done technically, it is very well done artistically.

[double_dutchess]

2 least quality icons:
#7 - The contrast is very harsh in this icon, giving Buffy's face a scary skeletal look. The shadows are so dark that Spike and Buffy's shapes are almost lost against the background.
#4 - The squiggles on the right are distracting and obscure the arm of the cross, making it look like Spike is floating in thin air.

1 best quality icon
#6 - This is a stand-out icon, so dynamic and with great lighting and subtle shades of grey.

(But I want to give a shout out to #8 as well; it was a toss up between those two really. Love the shadow and light across Spike's face!)

[stolenglimpse.livejournal.com]

2 least quality icons:
3 - even though this icon is really original, I feel there is too much going on in there that Buffy actually gets lost in it. the fonts and size make it so I don't see anything else. Maybe with another choice and size and maybe placement as well, this would have worked better.
7 - This icon is so dark, I feel we lose Spike in the darkness and parts of Buffy, which makes this kinda confusing. I do like the idea behind it and it's not necessarily an easy screencap/scene to play with.

1 best quality icon
1 - this icon, as a whole, is beautiful. My eyes are drawn to it. Not too sharp, not too smooth. Not too much contrast yet it's there but really well placed. The b&w fits the mood of this scene really really well.

[julie-izumi.livejournal.com]

2 least quality icons:
3 - The composition is nice but the texture used in the background is really distracting, stealing all the attention from the character.
6 - The icon would have been better if there was a plain background without all these little bits as it makes the icon look busy and the focus is not clear on the character.

1 best quality icon
7 - Lovely use of light, I really like how contrasted it is and surrounded in darkness.

[crazycordy.livejournal.com]

WOW all these icons are amazing! This is so hard to vote 2 out... :(

2 least quality icons:
3 - buffy looks a little (VERY slightly) out of proportion on my screen, and the background is very busy and takes the focus away from her.

6 - There isn't much interesting about this icon, but on my screen it's hard to read the text, and it doesn't even look like the icon is completely black and white... the top looks like it's got a blue/green hue while the bottom of the icon has a purplely look to it so I don't feel it even fits the criteria for this round

1 best quality icon
8 - LOVE the close crop on spike's face and the shadowing is lovely--great job!

[hermionesparkle.livejournal.com]

VOTING IS CLOSED.