Challenge 11 Results

[kerravonsen]

The results of Challenge #11 "Cut to the Quick" are:

Embodiment of style
First: (a tie)
by kerravonsen
by siluria

Second: (a multi-tie!)
by kerravonsen
by siluria
by siluria
by siluria
by vilakins

Third: (another multi-tie!)
by sallymn
by vilakins
by vilakins
by vilakins
by taibhrigh

I Just Like It
First:
by vilakins

Second:
by taibhrigh

Third: (a multi-tie!)
by siluria
by sallymn
by sallymn
by taibhrigh

Mod's choice
by sallymn

Thank you, everyone!

I've also revealed the entries in the challenge entry post.

Now, discuss!

Comments

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

This was was interesting... actually, when you asked at the start if anyone knew of any tutorials, I had to laugh because it's the only think I've done a tutorial on :)

I don't think there's a 'technique' for cropping, it's just a matter of trying stuff till it works...

[siluria]

You may have to point me in the direction of that tutorial, I still have no idea what makes a good crop :)

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

Hey, you do just fine... but it's here (http://community.livejournal.com/sgcascadeicons/90738.html) :)

[siluria]

Thanks for the votes! I actually was kind of dreading this challenge, I look at other's icons for inspiration when it comes to crops, if I didn't I'd end up being a 'centered' person :)

I remember reading a tutorial when I just started trying to make icons that gave a simple rule of trying to avoid the typical centered icon and to be creative. I used to use the select tool to pick a 100x100 area to icon, but one icon maker said that they paste into a 100x100 blank canvas as a new layer, and that allows them to move the picture around until you get the best framing. I've gone with that technique ever since, even if I'm still not that inventive when it comes to where I stop. I guess I just like my icons to show who and what I'm trying to capture :)

[kerravonsen]

Yes, I often do something similar with cropping; the image is usually one that requires scaling down too, so what I do is:
- select the area I want (square selection)
- canvas to selection
- scale image down to 100x100
- use the move tool (with the arrow keys) to move the image, to see if I can get a better crop.

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

I've got this very tiny, very old program, an LBView one, that is way too primitive to do anything else with, BUT allows me to put up a cropping outline of any size (it also shows a running 'size' indocator as I'm doing this so it's easy to get exact), and then shift it around until I find the right place for it before actually doing the crop. This is great because I can pick out the square any size place, and fiddle with it, then crop and save... then take it to GIMP to do the reducing and actual prettying...

[kerravonsen]

Gimp 2.4 has improved their selection stuff so that you can both resize and move a selection before it's finalized.

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

Oooh, must update :)