Round 4 Claim: Ten Inch Hero

[pureevil230]

Preview: 01 02 03



THEMES
THEMES

NC-1701	Engineers	Starfleet	The Captain	Final Frontier
Punch it!	McCoy	Spock	Kobayashi Maru	Communications

CATEGORY - The Enterprise

Category #1	Category #2	Category #3	Category #4	Category #5

ARTIST'S CHOICE

Artist's Choice #1	Artist's Choice #2	Artist's Choice #3	Artist's Choice #4	Artist's Choice #5

Comments

[kiokushitaka]

The category ones (enterprise) I think are the best in this set.

Out of curiosity, what program did you use to make these? I'm not sure how to word this without sounding like a know-it-all, so I hope you don't mind a bit of concrit..? I mean, if you're serious about making icons (or any sort of graphic), I assume you're prepared for it.

Anyway, I would recommend that, if you have the option to, try not to save as jpegs. That is the reason your icons look grainy and pixelated, they were saved at a low-resolution jpeg (Microsoft Paint does not let you change the jpeg quality though, it always saves it at a very low res). If you are using Paint, then try saving them at least as a png file, they tend to be higher quality. If you're using something a little more high end, you might be able to toggle the jpeg quality (Photoshop, for instance, lets you).

On AC#3 it seems you didn't preserve the aspect ratio, but as I am not sure what program you used to make these I wouldn't know how to explain how to avoid that. In photoshop, it's a tick box in the "image re-size" dialogue box, and says something like "constrain proportions." Don't know about other image editors.

Overall, some of the effects used look a little trite, but again, I've got a degree in graphics so sorry that I'm sounding a bit like Simon Cowell at the moment! I'm not trying to be mean!

I can see there is a lot of potential for your future work as you have terrific composition, so perhaps all you need is a better image editing program to help you get on that track! I know it's tough, Photoshop alone is like $800.

If you're just making these for fun and didn't want criticism, then disregard this me. :)

[kiokushitaka]

*this comment, not this me. Wtf, typo fairies.

[birgitriddle]

I saw these icons before on the post on their journal and I mentioned the same thing about aspect ratios. ^^;

I know how to do aspect ratios in GIMP, the freeware program I use. I didn't know what program used either, so I couldn't tell how to do it.

</random drive by commenting>

[kiokushitaka]

I find that's always the hardest about about offering icon crits, I only know photoshop so I can't help someone with GIMP. :(

[birgitriddle]

I'd love to have Photoshop, but I don't have a professional reason for it, so I use GIMP 'cause I don't like to spend that much money for something I wouldn't use professionally. I know people do get it illegally in some form, but I kinda can't be bothered to do it. GIMP works fine for me and I don't want to learn a new program now that I'm starting to get the hang of it.

[pureevil230]

thanx for the tips i used paint shop pro 9. glad you liked some and if i try this again i will keep in mind the ratio thing and if not jpeg what should i save it as?

[kiokushitaka]

.png files tend to preserve quality better. Ah, PSP. I remember using that long ago (to make an image map-based website back when those were popular). If it doesn't have too many colors, .gif can be good. I'm not sure if you can change the quality level on the jpegs, but if you can just save them at a higher quality. :)

[pureevil230]

k thanx.

[kiokushitaka]

You're welcome. :)