Hmm...

[hils]

Icon makers, I'd appreciate some concrit.

I am ashamed to say I have been thinking about this since that annonymous person commented that my fic and icons suck.

Do you think I sharpen my bases too much? I'm looking at the Buffy icons I just posted and some of them do look a bit wibbly. Do the rest of you sharpen before colouring? Hints and tips muchly appreciated

Comments

[drusplace.livejournal.com]

I always sharpen once. But I'm not sharpening Buffy, because, I said earlier, the caps are driving me nuts, and they WERE getting oversharpened. Which may be, like you said, because the show is dark, unlike SV that is normally FULL of colour.

And this icon I'm using is STILL my fav Lex icon ever. Which you made, in case you forgot! LOL

[hils.livejournal.com]

That one looks ok. Not too wibbly :)

[drusplace.livejournal.com]

See????

[hils.livejournal.com]

Uh, yes.

Thanks :)

[gypsyjr.livejournal.com]

I always sharpen before coloring, and after I've cropped and resized. I don't know what graphics program you use, but Photoshop has a "fade" option on one of its menus that I sometimes use if an image looks a bit pixely.

[hils.livejournal.com]

OOH! I'll have to see if PSP has an equivalent!

[salymander.livejournal.com]

I never take any, but I like most of your icons. I mean, there are a few actors I don't care for. But.......that has nothing to do with the icons' inherent quality. Just ignore this person.

[hils.livejournal.com]

Thanks :)

[ladydreamer.livejournal.com]

Honestly? The anon was over-exaggerating, but sometimes you can see that the picture is over sharpened, and that happens. The larger portion of your icons are lovely, and you coax some amazing colors out of them. And thank jeebus, you don't over-saturate or crop at weird ass angles. They can also shut up over the number of icons you put out, because you can always use more icons, amirite?

This pixel thing happens to me all the time, though, in iconning or manipping. I usually do sharpen before I color, but sometimes I'll sharpen before I resize to let the resize take care of extra pixels. And I either have to give up on sharpening it, or sharpen and use the little blur tool to fix specific areas. OR I'll just throw a Gaussian blur over it and take my sharpen tool to spiff areas that I want to stand out more than anything, usually the characters' eyes, mouths, and other details. Or I use the unsharp mask and try to control how bad the sharpening is making it look so I can fix it. I go back and forth a lot and blink like mad, gouge my eyes out and look away, then look back. It's not an easy process, especially when you're working with an image that kind of sucks.

I don't know what program you use, so I don't know if any of that will help, but it kind of depends on the image, for me, how I'm going to wrangle it into an icon. I think in the Buffy batch, you're dealing with an issue of the image being too dark to start with. I wouldn't develop a complex over what that person said, because they seemed to have a beef with you beyond one or two icons not being absolutely perfect.

[drusplace.livejournal.com]

OH! I use photoshop and you have DEFINITELY given me some new tips! THANKS! And you are right about the Buffy ones being too dark to start with. The show is SO dark in can be hard to do anything with some of the caps!

[hils.livejournal.com]

Thanks!! I use PSP and I'm sure there's thing I can do. I'll have to have a play around some time and try and learn some new tricks :)

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

WTF? Who the eff would say your icons stink? Your icons are some of my all time favs--most of my SV icons are yours. Don't listen to some asshole hater! It makes me furious when some loser tries to undermine a creative person's confidence.

[hils.livejournal.com]

Aww!! Thank you! I was trying not to let it bother me but you know when you just can't stop thinking about something...

[silvercobwebs.livejournal.com]

Personally and honestly speaking, I think you sometimes over contrast your icons which might leave them looking a bit sharp. I think like every icon-maker, you/one can't always produce perfect little pieces of art every. single. time., but I always enjoy seeing what you've made and ocassionally snagging a few. :)

[hils.livejournal.com]

Thanks :)

[lovinspike247.livejournal.com]

I always tend to sharpen my icons after cropping the pic. But I use the Unsharp Mask option (if you have PSP, but photoshop probably has something similar if you don't) as I get to decide how sharp I want the image.

[hils.livejournal.com]

OOH! That's a good idea! I have PSP but I've never used Unsharp Mask before. I shall play next time I make icons

[vichan.livejournal.com]

Something I've learned over the years is that everybody has different tastes, and yes, that totally applies to icons. Some people like sharp, really bright icons, and others like them when they're blurry and neutral. Some people like teeny-tiny unreadable text, others really don't. Some people like textures on top, others like crazy backgrounds. Some people like line borders, others like elaborate swooshes, and even more like no border at all.

So... it's really a matter of taste, and you really shouldn't take it personally. For example, I'm fond of text you can read, usually prefer toned down colors, all sorts of borders, and sharp but still soft figures. And I'm usually in the minority when it comes to my icon tastes, but not always. :)

On the rare occasion that I do make icons, though? I love to experiment more than anything. Sharpening or coloring first honestly depends on the cap. What I've been doing a lot lately is actually messing with the different layers and sharpening AND blurring - for example, I make one layer copy of the original cap and set it to 'soft light,' and then run a gaussian blur on it. I'll make another layer copy on top that's set to 'screen' and sharpen it. Then I mess with the transparency on both of those layers until I like how it looks. It gives it a really nice soft effect, but it's still clear. And color? Well, lately I like to tone the coloring down so much that they're nearly graytone.

ANYWAY. 'Scuse my babble. Point is this: do what you want, but go crazy with whatever you do. :-D

[folkin-up-again.livejournal.com]

I could have posted a comment, but this completely summed it all up.

It really is just a matter of taste and preference. For instance, over the past few months I've applied to various 'elite' icon communities. I always use almost the same icons when I apply to these kinds of things. I was reject by some and then others I was accepted.

There is no universal method of making great icons. Just go with what looks nice for you.

In terms of sharpness, I personally cannot make my icons sharp and keep them looking good. Not sure what program you use, but back when I was just beginning on PS7, I used to take the icon, crop, make two layers (one screen, one softlight, fix opacities) and then just use filter-sharpen-sharpen more. It's more subtle than full out sharpen mask.

Also, most programs have a tool that you can set that you can brush over different areas of the icon and sharpen them. I use this a lot on especially blurry images.

Hope that helps!

[hils.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I use PSP but I'm sure there are things I can do to resolve some of the little issues

[hils.livejournal.com]

Hee!!! Thanks! I shall certainly have a play next time I icon :)

[beef-wonder3.livejournal.com]

To be honest, I love your icons the way they are. Whatever you do to them makes the colours so vibrant and eyecatching.
Personally I only alter a picture if it's too dark or unclear for what I want.

[hils.livejournal.com]

Thank you :)

[lexalicious70.livejournal.com]

While I admit I've only been making icons for a little while, I do sharpen most of them and jack up the color because it makes the picture and the text, if any, easier to read.

Whoever told you that you suck is probably a jealous asshat who can't even figure out how to open an editing program, much less use one. I'm using an icon on my LJ that isn't mine, it's almost surely one of yours. That's how awesome I think you are at it.

*HUGSHARD*

[hils.livejournal.com]

*cuddles*

Thanks hun!

[solar-cat.livejournal.com]

Being a crappy icon-maker, all I can say is that mean, sucky anons are sucky, and that I think both your fics and your icons are lovely. <3 *massive squishy hugs*

[hils.livejournal.com]

*big hard hugs back*

[kazzy-cee.livejournal.com]

I never sharpen because I find reducing the size takes care of most issues, especially if it's a blurry screencap.

I wouldn't take to heart the criticism, everyone's taste is different for icons. I often find that people take an icon that I've made which I personally can't see the appeal of and was one of the last ones I made that session (usually means I spent the least amount of time on it!!). The ones I like are often not taken at all!

You can't please everyone. I make icons for me - because I like doing it. If other people like them, that's fine. If not there are lots of other icons makers out there that they can choose from! :)

[hils.livejournal.com]

I make icons for me - because I like doing it. If other people like them, that's fine. If not there are lots of other icons makers out there that they can choose from! :)

That's a very good point! I think I actually like icon making more than writing

[phoebesmum.livejournal.com]

I know 0 about icon-making (or, many would say, writing), but anonymous comments are worth even less than that. Don't let it bother you if you can help it, which is easier said than done I know.

[hils.livejournal.com]

I was trying hard not to think about it but it just keeps popping up in my head :(

[drbillbongo.livejournal.com]

I know it's easier said than done, but you shouldn't worry about that anonymous person's opinion. They didn't have the balls to reveal their username when they told you that, and I suppose it's a human flaw to forget everything about objectivity, tact and diplomacy when you can hide behind anonymity. It has happened to me quite often, and I personally find it pointless to argue with those people, let alone give them any attention.

Everyone has their own special technique and style when making icons (or other graphics), and every single one deserves to exist. It's a form of art, and a matter of taste, and there's no "wrong" or "right". If you don't like a certain kind of art, that's fine. Tastes are meant to vary. But it's ridiculous and immature to say that this kind of art is bad or wrong.

As for myself, I never sharpen my bases. I'm using layer effects that would look horrible on a sharpened base. Also, I think that sometimes sharpening removes little details that I want to keep. But as I said, it's all a matter of personal taste.

Let me show you an example:



Your Lois icon (left) and my version of it (right), made from the original picture. Mine isn't sharpened. Which do you prefer, sharpened or unsharpened? That's the kind of icon you should make in the future. It's about what you think is best, not what others say, because it's you who makes the icons. :)

[hils.livejournal.com]

Hmm...yeah, I use layers when I'm making icons.

Maybe I'll try a batch without sharpening and see how it looks :)

[drbillbongo.livejournal.com]

That's the spirit! :D It's about what you prefer yourself, not what others think. :)