First icons

[alexandral]

My first icons. Yesterday I have acquired PhotoShop, quite an old version -5.5, I have tried it and instantly liked it. Big thanks to ginger001 who gave me good advice on how to use it. I plan to learn how to make icons and probably make some Battlestar and Rome icons during my holidays.

This week I had few conversations with my fiends about snow. I like snow and I miss it. I don’t miss awful cold, but winter in Russia sometimes can be very beautiful – “cold and sunny” as Pushkin said. Thinking about it I made some icons with snow. Big thanks to colorfilter for the brushes.

Icons: 1. “North and South”
2. “The Phantom of the Opera”
3. “Anna Karenina”

1. 2. 3.

Comments and in particular constructive criticism are very much appreciated; icon-making is very new to me and also I have quite a dark monitor which stops me seeing everything in the right light.

Comments

[ginger001]

You see??? Your first try and they are quite nice ;) Not really fan of The Phamton of the Opera ;) so I like 1 and 3 more :P

My Photoshop version isn't very new either, that doesn't mind you can do great things, he he.

Now what you have to do is keep practicing... In my opinion, the way to improve ;)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

How is the light??
I have gone through "the phantom of the opera" period, but i am not so ensuiastic anymore

[ginger001]

The light is fine... but this always depends of what do you want the pic look like... I like clearer pics but some people prefer darker ones ;) If you want them clear there is always ways to make them so.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

How do you make your icons so nice and clear? By using opacity? I have spent a large part of today making Rome icons on PhotoShop ( I even understood how to upload brushes from the nice tutorial of the girl who runs 100X100 brushes, thank you for recommendation again). Photoshop is great, much better then Fireworks.
The problem I have is that my new computer has LCD monitor and everything is far to light, and the old computer’s monitor is dying and everything is far too dark. My monitor at work seems to be the “golden middle”, but I am off for two weeks (there are pluses and minuses in everything, even holidays ;);))

Is it possible for you to look at some icons I have made today and tell me HONESTLY what you think and which one is the best,
They all on

http://www.alexandra1.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/edge_attempt1.jpg
http://www.alexandra1.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/edge_attempt2.jpg
and so on until attemt9

[gobi-rex.livejournal.com]

I used to have Photoshop 5.5 until it went 'poof' along with the hard drive. I never got as far as brush effects, though. I remember I was really mesmerized by text effects... it's a pity I lost my first ever lj icon (it was truly ghastly).

I especially like no.3. The brush effect on no.1 works well, with more light in the right-hand corner and the darker shadow on the left. Heh, North and South was probably my first fandom, my first American fandom that is.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

O, thank you so much for the comment, it is very helpful

Hopefully i will improve with time, icon-making seems to be drawing me in..
"North and South" is one of my all time favourites, Richard Armitage is so cool..