Art [HB!] sakurasuka vs. Kune

[Delta]

[COLOR=#35425E][CENTER][b][u]ROUND 1[/u][/b][/CENTER]

[b]Participants:[/b] sakurasuka, Kune

[b]Date Due:[/b] May 23, 2006

[b]Handicap Set:[/b][list][*]Dimensions: 500px by 500 px [*]Limited palette : [URL=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/meoi/7eb5826d.jpg][b]CLICK[/B][/URL][/list]

[b]Reminders:[/b][list][*]The participants will be given [COLOR=#ED1C24]three full days[/COLOR] to create, edit and submit their pieces. [*]A 5-day voting period will begin immediately after the deadline. All members can vote, except for the two participants of the match. [*]Voters must post a paragraph of at least [COLOR=#ED1C24]three sentences[/color] about the entry they?re going to vote for, and [COLOR=#ED1C24]one sentence[/color] of constructive criticism for the other entry. [*]Good luck![/list][/COLOR]

[sakurasuka]

[size=1]Okay, it turns out I'm going to be much too busy this weekend to get on the computer much. I do believe that a piece that is not-quite-up-to-par is much better than being to busy to submit a piece at all, so here it is. It's not all I'd like it to be, but in case I don't get another chance on the computer, it's going to have to do.



[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/unmei_shinpai/HBimg_20.png[/img]



-The image is of the gorgeous singer Ayumi Hamasaki.
-The font is Veranda [My favorite, for it's simplicity].
-Shizuka na kono yoru ni means In this Silent Night [or something like that], and is also the name of the song. It's a really pretty song. It's sung by Tanaka Rie.
[Thanks to DeGHead for reminding me who sang it <3]

Also, I chose to just do black and white, because I'm not creative enough to think of a way to incorperate the other colors =/

Love and peace.

<3[/size]

[Kune]

[IMG]http://star.yamifarao.net//images/mysecret.jpg[/IMG]

Well...just started playing around with a few images I took of the crab apple tree in my front yard. After doing the blue petals I was reminded of RahXephon and the blue sakura trees. So...pretty much, I built a theme around that, being...the "secrets" burried beneath the tree. ^_^;

I really didn't intend for it to come out like this and I'm afraid it's not up to par with sakurasuka, but I hope I get some okay feedback =).

Thanks everyone! ;)

[Delta]

[COLOR=#35425E][SIZE=1]Great job, you two! Really interesting pieces, I must say. I do hope I'll be able to vote on your works. ;P

[CENTER][SIZE=2][b]Alright, kiddies! The [COLOR=#ED1C24]voting period[/COLOR] has officially begun! [/b] [/SIZE]
(Yay!)[/CENTER]

Now before you cast your votes, please read the little love letter at the starting post. Remember that votes that do not follow the prescribed format will not be counted. Cheers!

PS: Get your votes in before [COLOR=#ED1C24][b]May 28[/b][/COLOR], okay?[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Katana]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Sorry, I read that at school, and just cracked up. xD
"Hey, Brian, listen! 'Alright, kiddies! The voting period has officially begun! YAY!"
"...You need serious help."

Woot, my first vote of the entire Handicap Battles!

[b]sakusuka:[/b] My very first thought was something along the lines off, "It's Gackt!" Goes to show you my J-Pop-knowledge-deficiency. Buy Ayumi looks like meee! *shot*
I'm impressed with this piece for the mere fact that it shows the potent possiblities of greyscale. I am particuarlly fond of the left side, with the in-and-out fading words. Plus, I just love the textured stripes. The blending is also quite nice.
And it's shiney. Shinnnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeey.

[b]Kune:[/b] That's...that's Cocaine Sans! xD
I like the grungy look and effects of the whole piece. And I'm impressed with the blue, since I've noticed very few people have used blue in this round. And the brush texture is cool. ^^;;
There's one thing I don't quite like about this - the stock in greyscale. The blue on top of it takes away from an already non-contrasted photo.
Hehe...I thought that said burrito...holy crap, I'm losing it. XD

My first vote thingie...woot...goes to...uh...
...
....
*proceeds to be shot*
[b]sakurasuka[/b]! Fwoo...[/color][/size]

[jigglyness]

I'd have to go with [b]sakurasuka[/b]. I really like how the blk and wht contrast east other. I also love that line from the song. It's one of my only fav gundam seed songs. although i find the ^^^ lines don't fit very well with the image. it makes it look not as smooth and angelic as the stock seems to be conveying.

Kune - the stock is really nice but the blue seems too bright to fit in the image since the image itself in greyscale is not in high contrast. There's also something that really bugs me about the flower with the random greyscaled parts. The text doesn't match with the image either. The stock makes it seem more of a peaceful kind of image.

[YellowBarchetta]

[B][COLOR=Orange][SIZE=2]sakurasuka[/SIZE][/COLOR][/B], [COLOR=DarkOrange][SIZE=1]I like the contrasting of the Black & White and in a way I think it looks better Black & White than it would if it did have colors just overall I think yours is better. Also the textured stripes pwn!
Ayumi!!![/SIZE][/COLOR]

[B][COLOR=Blue][SIZE=2]Kune[/SIZE][/COLOR][/B][COLOR=Navy][SIZE=1], I liked yours alot as well, but the Black & White and then the blue flowers just doesn't apeal very much too me other than that I think you did a very good job.[/SIZE] [/COLOR]


[SIZE=1] I vote for [/SIZE] [SIZE=2][COLOR=Orange][B]sakurasuka[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=1]Because[/SIZE] [B][SIZE=2][COLOR=Orange][B]sakurasuka[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/B][SIZE=1] is just overall the best.[/SIZE]

[r2vq]

I'm going to go against the grain here and vote for [b]Kune[/b].

Sakurasuka, I love your stock photograph. It has a very high level of contrast, and a bold, beautiful amount of detail. The lyrics along the left side is also nice to see. It matches with the theme of the picture and it's balances with the photograph since the photograph is along the right side.
What I don't like is what you added. The vertical lines of ^ don't appeal to me, and actually feel obtrusive. I feel like they're distracting me, even pulling my eyes around to the point of dizziness. I also don't like the text at the top. It feels like it was just dropped there, at the top of the picture without much consideration for position. Since the font is so simple, it makes the words feel almost plain. And I have an admitted bias against the use of romaji in images.

Kune, I like the photograph you took, but I feel it may have done better in colour. Yes, I know the handicap requirements, but I think you could have chosen a picture that worked better with the requirements. The blue contrasts with the greyscale, but because of the random patterns in the flowers, they don't contrast as much as Sakurasuka's picture. I like the dirty/grunge effect though. It works well with the photograph since it's already pretty grainy. The text is a little distracting, but the font matches with the words. The biggest flaw would be that I'm not sure where I should be looking, or what the theme is, when I look at the picture.

I vote for Kune's because Kune took a picture "of the crab apple tree in my front yard," meaning the entire thing was taken from scratch. I also like the use of text better than Sakurasuka.

-r2

[DeGHead]

Sakurasuka's picture is fantastic in my opinion.

I love how the font looks glowing and I think if it were more elaborate it would take away from the beauty of the girl.
I also love the texture you added, without it, the picture would look bland, and how the smaller words fade in and out of the black.

I also really like Kune's.
I love that shade of blue, and I've always loved the color replacement thing.
But the little words all around and the random grey streaks just don't appeal to me.
It just seems a little too random.

I'm voting for Sakurasuka.

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR=SeaGreen][B]sakurasuka:[/B] What I like best about your picture is how nice the grayscale effect looks. It has a nice clean look. And even though I can?t read the smaller text it still gives the effect of being part of a song. What I don?t like is how some of the ^ patterns are running across her face. It looks good on the side, but it seems distracting in the middle of her face. And though the font of the words along the top look nice, they seem to be too big and I find it distracting from the overall piece.

[B]Kune:[/B] What I like best about your piece is the overall messy feel to it. The background is blurred but the blue flowers are more sharply in focus making them pop so to speak. I like the font you chose though it is a bit hard to read. The thing I don?t care for is the gray running across the flowers. It?s very distracting and in my opinion sort of ruins the pop effect of them being in blue.

As for my vote, I vote for [B]Kune[/B]. Both pieces are nicely done, I just like the overall feel of Kune?s piece better.
[/COLOR]

[Ezekiel]

[SIZE=1]I've been thinking about how to cast my vote since the two of you submitted, so you can tell it was a hard choice.

[B]Sakurasuka-[/B]
Your piece is lovely, but there are a few things that bug me about it, the main thing being the large text at the top. It throws the whole piece out of whack position-wise because it isn't two even rows. I think the picture would have looked much nicer if you'd have left that text out. Also, now don't get me wrong here, your piece is amazing, I was hoping to see something a little more...unique from you. I think what I'm trying to say is you're talented and I think you could have stretched the imagination a little for your piece. I know you were short on time, but that's what I think anyway.

[B]Kune-[/B]
I like the overall look of your picture, and even though it isn't shiny or abstract it's unique and I like that. The way you used a pleasant shade of blue to highlight the flowers was a very nice touch and the effect you used to make it look like old paper or an old photograph is lovely. The only thing I see wrong with it is that ugly block of grey text in the left hand corner. It doesn't look good at all.

With that all said, my vote goes to [B][COLOR=DarkRed]Kune[/COLOR][/B]. Good luck to both of you, it was a very hard choice.[/SIZE]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR=Sienna][B]sakurasuka: [/B]Well first of all I think you did a great job with the grayscale effect. I also like how it appears like there are lyrics from a song running along the side of the piece. The ^ also adds a nice effect to the overall piece. What I do not like is the words at the top. They are very distracting and in my opinion way too big.

[B]Kune:[/B] For your piece I like the overall grungy feeling. The blue color really makes the piece stand out. I also like how the background is blurred as it makes the blue flower the focus of the piece. What I do not care for is the font for the saying. It?s hard to read and I find it distracting.

Both of these are very nice. For this round I vote for [B]Kune[/B].[/COLOR]

[eleanor]

[color=dimgray] Great job to both you!
[b]sakurasuka[/b]: Nice stock image and [b]great[/b] use of greyscale. Very clean. I have two problems with it, though: 1) the choice of font and 2) the random white blotches at the end of the smaller lyrics. The large verdana font at the top of the image is unappealing in its choice and cooperation with the rest of the graphic. It's a bit blaringly simple and plain. I also don't like that the next line is just... [i]below[/i] it. Maybe some sort of separation? The random white-outs are also very obvious and rather ugly compared to the softness of everything else. Overall and pretty graphic. Well done!

[b]Kune[/b]: You did an awesome job with the whole grunge thing and use of background fonts. Problems: The grey streaks going through the blue petals aren't really working with me. Also, the font choice. You have this nice cursive in the background, and then this random blocky and complicated text as the main. This bad because you put the blue color in to make it pop out, but you also have this block font that pops out from the cursive. You should have gone with one or the other, and better yet, only gone with the colored petals. Font that stuck out would not have worked anyway. But I love what you did with the designs/cursive in the background... it looks great.

My vote will have to go to [b]sakurasuka[/b] based on overall appearance.[/color]

[Guest Simpson]

[size=1][color=darkslategray]
Awesome job, both of you.

[b]SakuraSuka[/b] - I love the way you have half english and half Japanese quote on the top of the graphic. The lyrics on the side really bring out more to the picture. Maybe they should have been set to a lower opacity, though, to aviod the awkward looking blotches? Also, the lines going from top to bottom really look good with the certain picture.

[b]Kune[/b] - I really like the photograph of the flowers. I think the blue should have been solid, rather then have grey streaks runing through it. Maybe a cursive font would've worked better?

Really good job! Both of you!
But I have to vote for [b]SakuraSuka[/b] in the end.[/color][/size]

[Retribution]

[size=1][b]Sakurasuka[/b], your piece was absolutely stunning. To be honest, I've never seen a greyscale graphic done so well. The entire piece is smooth and clean, and I love the high contrast of it all. And in contrast with what other people are saying, I love your text to death. It blends well, it matches the mood, it looks soft, it's placed well. The only complaints I have are that (1) the big text up top is touching the edges of the canvas, which makes things feel contricted, and (2) that the ends of the small text has a blurry glow. I'm assuming it's because it's a white outer-glow on top of white, but it looks awkward. In any event, I would venture to say this is one of your best pieces compositionally speaking.

[b]Kune[/b], your piece was good, but had a few more flaws. Well, to begin with the good, I like the blue effect you did on the flower petal. Unfortunately, they don't cover all the flower petals, only the ones in the foreground, and the color is 2D where the photograph is 3D, making for a confusing coloring. If you were using Photoshop, I would've recommended colorizing as opposed to filling it. The text is outright confusing -- it's grungy, it's too close together, and it doesn't really stand out amid the rest of the noise. The final note would be the brushes that you added. I can tell that you used the same one multiple times, perhaps rotating the canvas every now and then, but the effect is uneven blotchiness throughout. I think a more defined photo would've done wonders for this one.

On the whole, I'm voting for [b]sakurasuka[/b]. Great job, both of you.[/size]

[Pumpkin]

[size=1][COLOR=#333333][b]Sakurasuka[/b], I really loved the image of Ayumi Hamasaki since I happen to be a big fan, and the creativeness of the striped lines going through the image. Black & White might seem plain to some, but I can find it to make images even more beautiful. The lyrics in the back also make it unique and really brings your eyes to the image. However, even though it's a beautiful image, I just don't think there is that much in the background which gives me a feel of "incompletion" as if you haven't finished it yet and could use more work with the background.

[b]Kune[/b], I love how you did the black and white background with the blue flower, it reminds me of that movie Sin City. That effect really brings your attention to the center and I also loved how it was bright and seemed realistic. The coloring of the flower while I would think usually looks choppy, it actually doesn't, the written words across also add a very poetic touch. The only thing that I found wrong with this piece was the above white font, it didn't fit with the poetic theme that you seemed to be going for.

So that being said, my vote goes for [b]Kune[/b].[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Delta]

[COLOR=#35425E][CENTER][b]sakurasuka - 7
Kune - 5[/b][/CENTER]

Poll's closed; votes beyond this post will not be counted. Feel free to discuss their pieces in this thread.

Congratulations, [b]sakurasuka[/b]![/COLOR]