mcshep_icontest | Winners - Challenge 181 - McShep: The Friends With Benefits Chronicles

Congratulations everyone! Here are the winners for Challenge 181. Entries for this challenge are now unlocked.

Challenge 182 is open here.

First Place:

and

both by

haruechan

Second Place:

winter_elf

Third Place:

switch842

Most Creative:

aotearoagal*Wow! Thanks!

Mod's Choice:

alinoue

Critic's Choice:

switch842
*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! (theeverdream)

Congrats to all the winners. Please let me know if you'd like a banner!

¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤

V O T I N G T O T A L S ;
01.
02.
03. 5,3,1 = 9
04.
05.
06.
07.
08.
09. 1
10.
11. 5,3,3,1 = 12
12. 5
13. 1
14.
15.
16. 5
17. 1
18.
19. 5,3,3,1 = 12
20. 5
21.
22. 3
23.
24. 1
25. 1
26.
27. 5
28.
29. 5,1
30. 3
31. 3,1
32. 5
33.
34. 5,3,3 = 11
35.

M O S T C R E A T I V E ;
01.
02.
03.
04.
05.
06.
07.
08.
09. 1,1,1 = 3 votes
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18. 1
19. 1
20.
21.
22. 1,1
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30. 1
31.
32.
33.
34. 1,1
35.

Winners are also in the userinfo, as well as in the past winners post.