Um Wow. OK...

[switch842]

So, this one icontest I'm in (mcshep_icontest) has a special category outside the normal first, second, mod's choice, etc every week where the winner of Mod's Choice from the week before selects a Critic's Choice. This week, I got chosen as Critic's Choice winner for this icon:



And here is what the chooser had to say:

"*What strikes me first is the crops on the faces, which help focus the viewer on the two men's eyes. Eyes portray a lot of emotion, and I am feeling in their expressions a bit of discomfort. It reminds me of McShep fanfic where the two of them have deep feelings for each other, but perhaps they do not know how to express those feelings.
To consider an icon a good one I normally have to have a decent level of sharpness and contrast, and this icon had those. I would almost like a bit more saturation and contrast on the face, except here it just emphasizes a bit of emotional bleakness. Some icons that are divided into halves seem like there is too much going on, but this icon doesn't - it feels very well-balanced to me, with the faces mirrored on the left and right half, and the diagonal whiteish lines providing symetry.
Normally when I vote for my top icon I just think "this is very visually pleasing". This is the only icon I can remember looking at and immediately thinking "wow, this is not just visually pleasing, but emotionally evocative as well"! I know the first two paragraphs might sound pretentious, especially if you didn't set out to create an icon that was all emotional storytelling. But sometimes art speaks to us in exciting ways!"

That's just...um...wow. I mean, most of the time the comments are something simple, like "The composition and coloring really complement each other." Ya know, something basic.

Honestly, I'm very flattered someone thinks I put that much thought into my icons, but, um, I don't. So, this kind of amuses me. A lot. :-)

Comments

[switch842.livejournal.com]

So it would seem. I thought I was just making pretty pictures....