The OtaKuties- Critiques/Betting Thread [E]

[Veritas]

[size=1][color=gray]I just realized my snowboard probably has a better chance of winning than I do, haha. [/color][/size]
[size=1][color=gray][/color][/size]
[size=1][color=gray]But why I'm really here is to place my bets, I am going to wager 50 on Alamony taking 1st, and 50 on Peanut taking 2cd.[/color][/size]
[size=1][color=gray][/color][/size]
[size=1][color=gray]Yup thats all for me.[/color][/size]

[Mariskah]

[COLOR=Navy][quote name='indifference][COLOR=DarkRed]I bet 100 OtakuBucks that [B]DeathKnight [/B']will take first. :p[/COLOR][/quote]I agree with Aaryanna. You?re a traitor. We just might have to kick you out of the Desbreko Fan Club for this. :p

I?ll bet 50 on Desbreko for 1st. (DUH) And 50 on DeathKnight for 2nd.

*pokes Charles* You should be in the competition, not a judge![/COLOR]

[Kitty]

[SIZE=1]Wow. Lots of absolutely gorgeous entries, everyone! (Unfortunately, this means I have no shot. XD) But I've gotta put 150 OBucks on Mistress Roxie. She's [i]beautiful[/i]. <3[/SIZE]

[Dragon Warrior]

Okay, everyone. Bets are in and now the critiquing starts. [b]Don't even think about changing your bets now either because I have them all logged away, so it'd do you no good ;)[/b] However, you may now throw in your two cents and it may help you.

We're at the stage where we will vote for Round One contestants. You, of course, may only give critiques to those who have actually submitted an entry. If someone did not, they cannot be voted on in this round. To give critiques, simply look at the guidelines in the first post of this thread. Good luck! Critiques will go 'til Wednesday night close to 11pm (EST).

[b]Also![/b] Charles and Alan had to drop out of being judges for their own reasons. The spots are officially open and can be filled as long as they're not a contestant. Do contact me if you're interested and we'll see what happens. (Also, if you become a judge, your betting account will be removed. Judges cannot bet).

[center][size=4][b]Start Critiquing![/b][/size][/center]

[John]

Behold my mini-critiques of scattered contenstants:

[list]
[*][b]Boo[/b] is [i]wearing a gas mask and looking through moose binoculars[/i]. That's a compliment.
[*][b]cancer[/b], like many on here, seriously needs to either get a friend to help out with the photo or invest in a tripod. But I can admire the trait of finding it hard to be cruel.
[*][b]White[/b] apparently took on the tremendous task of actually hand-painting a self-portrait, with almost photorealis--wait, nevermind. [i]Nice try[/i], you phony.
[*]As per usual, [b]Shin[/b]displays no artistic ability but a keen wit. Normally I'd insult him playfully (but bitingly), but this was way too good to not just give him props.
[*][b]RiflesAtKevin[/b]'s semi-transparent outline is out of place, but he has a great, intense personality. Gives great body massages, too.
[*][b]Ezekiel[/b] shouldn't have flipped her picture. Thar be distracting backwards text about, kid.
[*][b]Desbreko[/b]'s a freaking master.
[*][b]Darren[/b] is either very frightened or very refreshed. Either way, he has a great poker face.
[*][b]Sinistra[/b]'s picture never loaded, and I am holding them personally responsible for that. They also related DDR to actual dancing, and not in a negative way. You better get your act together, damn whippersnapper.
[*][b]Anomaly[/b] finally changed her username, and she was spot-on with the Fresh Prince parody. Two gold stars to her. Unfortunately, the white-person-faking-gangsta joke is capable of wreaking havoc if it's not done right. I hope my body can take it.
[*][b]Mr. Maul[/b] has one of the best photos in the contest, but he 'Shopped it to hell. Ultra-high contrast can be great, but I don't think it was very needed here.
[*][b]Sara[/b]'s picture is amazing. I long ago stopped expecting any less from her when she creates something. Still, her dead animal photography habits start a war in my head between wanting to love it and being creeped out.
[*]The shadow cast by [b]nezzyjean[/b] in her photo makes the person behind her look like some unknown, frightening figure who wasn't actually actually supposed to be in the photo. [i]Call the police, woman[/i].
[*][b]Veritas[/b]'s photo also isn't showing up for me. Once again, I put the blame on him. You people need to get your acts together, geez.
[*][b]Kazuko[/b] should've done another Guitar Hero picture.
[*][b]Roxie[/b]'s photo rules.
[*][b]Katana[/b] is a talented dramatic pauser.
[/list]

[Ezekiel]

[QUOTE=John]
[*][b]Ezekiel[/b] shouldn't have flipped her picture. Thar be distracting backwards text about, kid.
[/QUOTE]

[SIZE=1]Just thought I'd point out tht the picture wasn't flipped, but I took it with my cellphone so it looks like it's mirrored. ^_^; Didn't even notice.[/SIZE]

[Veritas]

[QUOTE=John]
[list]
[*][b]Veritas[/b]'s photo also isn't showing up for me. Once again, I put the blame on him. You people need to get your acts together, geez.
[/list][/QUOTE][size=1][color=gray]Hey that's kinda mean how was I supposed to know it wouldn't work for your computer, anyways I guess it's to late to go back and fix now but just incase anyone else can't see it here is a linkI'm gonna edit it into my post in the contestant thread too, I hope that's ok.[/color][/size]
[size=1][color=gray][/color][/size]
[url="http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j285/o_th1rt3en_o/meandsnowboard.jpg"][size=1][color=gray]Clickity click clack[/color][/size][/url]

[DeathKnight]

[color=crimson]Oh man what I thought I had all day Sunday to post the picture I took. Haha, psych.

My bad.[/color]

[pooperson]

[SIZE=1]I would just like to mention that I love how in [B]Ozymandius Jones[/B]'s picture, the OtakuBoards is on the computer!! : D AWESOME![/SIZE]

[Sandy]

I might as well contribute to the contest in other ways than by spending precious OtakuBucks, so here comes my critique.

[SIZE=1][B]Boo[/B]: Your photo is [I]disturbing[/I]. I can't think of any other word to describe it. As for your answers, I'd like you to show that positive side of you more here as well, instead of your usual snarkiness.
[B]x Fallen Angel:[/B] The picture is not very good, the grainy texture and cropping don't work very well. Also, a little smile never hurt anybody. ;D
[B]Kitty:[/B] Oh my, what a poser! The cap is a good accessory, but you should let your face show more, now it looks like you're trying to hide.
[B]cancer:[/B] I hope you aren't too underaged for me to say this, but you look [I]hawt[/I]. >;D Quite emo, but still sexy. And you're a designer too, it's a big plus in my eyes. It's a crying shame the blur messes the photo up... :/
[B]White:[/B] I have noticed that you're quite stylish for a hardcore gamer, and that's a great thing. You're right, you [I]are[/I] very approachable, although it wouldn't hurt to grow a bit of teeth, too, you know. ;D The photo is not very good, though, in my opinion it's overly modified.
[B]Clurr:[/B] Aww! <3 Your expression is definitely cute! I have one request for you, though: why don't you show your sense of humor with a big happy face in the coming rounds? ;D
[B]Shinmaru:[/B] Very intellectual look, you have, and your entry text reflects that as well. The beard makes you look much older than you actually are, but you could still be classified as cute, I guess.
[B]RiflesAtRecess:[/B] Your photo is very rock, but in my opinion it has the same problem as White's did: it's too heavily modified. It should show more of you, and less of your Photoshopping skills. The lyrics are a nice touch, though, they reflect your hobby and assumably your music taste, as well.
[B]The Boss:[/B] You're a cute kid, yes, but your facial expression is a bit quirky. You should put more effort to your photo, now it looks like it's taken from a passport, unfortunately. Martial Arts is a great hobby, though, I have always looked up to people who can kick above their heads. ;D
[B]Ezekiel:[/B] Ha, my betting didn't go to waste! You look drop-dead gorgeous in that photo, girl! So esoteric and fatalistic... <3 Seriously, I didn't notice the text in the t-shirt until John notified it.
[B]Desbreko:[/B] I hate to say this, but you look like a bum whose about to be hit by a car (you can see the headlights reflecting from your eyes). :/ I don't think the goatee suits you well, but I might be wrong. What comes to your text, you really are a helpful guy, just try to avoid gullibility - some people are ready to bite off a helping hand, as I've noticed in my life.
[B]Jokopoko:[/B] Will, put some smile into it! ;D You also forgot to mention your obsession to sci-fi, hot alien chicks and transformers. Tsch, tsch!
[B]Blayze:[/B] Now there's a happy guy! ;D It really shows you're a Brit, right down to your hobbies and sense of humor.
[B]taperson:[/B] Good call on adding your hobby to the photo. I just think colors would do you more justice than black&white, but I guess we'll see that in the following rounds.
[B]Darren:[/B] A very cool picture, the chalkboard is a nice touch. Love your messy-wessy hair, btw! ;D
[B]Sinistra:[/B] Your photo's not showing, too bad. :/ If you think you have talents in singing and dancing, why not show it to the world? Of course, start with something comparatively small, like school performances, first. ;D
[B]Vicky:[/B] Your photo reminds me of the 90's, for some reason. Maybe it's the glasses and the wet pavement... I think I've seen many music videos from the said decade with the same style. Grunge, I think? But quite stylish, nevertheless.
[B]Anomaly:[/B] Now there's attitude! I wish they wouldn't be showing both Finnish Idols and American Idol on the TV currently, because your outfit and posture reminds me of the people who embarrass themselves in those auditions... XP But in home-environment, it's very cool and hip and everything. ;D Those lyrics go awesomely together with the photo, and further express your attitude which is just the right for this contest. Something in the lines of "you're cute if you think so yourself", am I right?
[B]Stuart:[/B] Ah, your photo reminds me of summer, which I miss dearly. Despite lacking colors, it somehow radiates warmth. One piece of advice, though: when you take photos of yourself from below, don't look at the camera, because it wrinkles up your chin.
[B]Mr. Maul:[/B] A very beautiful and artistic picture, although I don't think I'd call that a "photograph" anymore. And no matter how [I]perfect[/I] others describe you, it's not a thing you should aim towards, because there is no such thing. ;D
[B]Sara:[/B] Where's your face? Don't cut off your face, it's the mirror of your inner mind! I guess the posture says a lot about you as well, but I still miss the face... :'( Ugh, and dead animals are one of my top ickiest things! XP I know corpses can't hurt me, but still I get all jumpy at the sight of a dead critter. I would've made a lousy hunter...
[B]sakurasuka:[/B] Heh, you look like a manga character! With big eyes and big hair of varying shades, doing victory sign with your fingers... Extreme kawaii! ;D
[B]Peanut:[/B] Ooh, a classic beauty, it seems you are. Too bad the texture of the photo smudges your features too much... I love the fact you're both a girl gamer and an athlete, though, since that's a controversial combination.
[B]Ozymandius Jones:[/B] It's peculiar, you have an adult face trapped in a teenager's body. With that outfit and hairdo, you look like a little girl. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, though, it's just extraordinary. But what the heck, I love extraordinary things! ;D
[B]nezzyjean:[/B] Your photo has a quirky effect; by switching what is assumably a very colorful picture into black&white, it looks like you're trapped in a Tim Burton animation. Anyway, you have very sharp and distinct features in your face, which is a big plus in my eyes as it makes you look unique.
[B]Veritas:[/B] You look extremely young in your photo, almost [I]too[/I] young to be here. I guess the scared expression amplifies that allusion.
[B]Retribution:[/B] Your picture is too blurry to make much out of it, and you're standing too close to the lense too. Inability to take things for granted is a trait you should cherish - if more people were like that, this world would be a whole lot of better place.
[B]Lady Asphyxia:[/B] Down with the bored expression! Put more emotion to your face, woman! I gotta say that the cute freckles and the perky hairdo make up for it, though. ;D And yay for another Gemini, we are a crazy bunch but at least we are interesting, right?
[B]Kazuko:[/B] Enchanting hair, I gotta say. It's like it wraps itself around your face... I wish I had a hair like yours, but unfortunately mine are straight as straws. XP
[B]MistressRoxie:[/B] Ha, you can't lure me with that "innocent" schoolgirl attire! Many straight guys will fall for that, though, I'm sure. It's a very nice angle, as you said.
[B]Katana:[/B] Is... is that a [I]whole[/I] orange? 8/ Just so you know, jackassery stopped being a cool thing about a year ago. ;P But your text shows you're a lighthearted girl, which will get you far in this world.
[/SIZE]

Uh, now it's done! Took a whole lot of time, but hope people got something out of my ramblings... Anyways, my roses go to Ezekiel and Anomaly this round.

[B]PS.[/B] I am sorry if some of the critique sounds too harsh, I wasn't aiming to hurt anybody's feelings, just trying to explain things I liked and didn't like in the entries. Nothing personal against anybody!

[Sinistra]

[SIZE=1]I apologize for the inconvience, the link had been broken from my Photobucket account while I was moving things around.

[URL=http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/Jung-Woo/Kodak%20Pics/REVISION7-31copy.png]The Picture[/URL][/SIZE]

[Katana]

[QUOTE=Sandy][size=1][B]Katana:[/B] Is... is that a [I]whole[/I] orange? 8/ Just so you know, jackassery stopped being a cool thing about a year ago. ;P But your text shows you're a lighthearted girl, which will get you far in this world.
[/SIZE][/QUOTE]
[size=1][color=royalblue]Oh, oh God no. It's a quarter of an orange.

Okay. It was late. I hadn't consumed a meal in nine hours. It was a school night. I was surviving off of crackers, pretzels, random fruit, and some coffee. We had been marching. I went a total of five miles. Oh, and it was pouring rain.
[i]I was deluuuuusional.[/i]

But I know, it's stupid. ;D That's what makes it so cool.

(Just to anybody who's curious, there were two pictures taken with me and that orange. [url=http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/2626/lawl1ad2.jpg]Lawl 1[/url] has me learning the meaning of life. [url=http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/7158/lawl2rj2.jpg]Lawl 2[/url] is the picture I used...plus my poor friend in the background that has to survive me. >_>; )

I'll get far in life. Cool. 8D[/color][/size]

[Boo]

[quote name='Sandy][size=1][B]Boo[/B]: Your photo is [I]disturbing[/I']. I can't think of any other word to describe it. As for your answers, I'd like you to show that positive side of you more here as well, instead of your usual snarkiness.[/size][/quote][size=1]I am trying so incredibly hard, but you are giving me a very hard time, dear Sandy. [/size]

[Veritas]

[quote name='Sandy][size=1][b]Veritas:[/b] You look extremely young in your photo, almost [i]too[/i] young to be here. I guess the scared expression amplifies that allusion[/size'].[/quote][size=1][color=gray]Lol, some people do say I'm baby faced, though some people think I'm older. I guess you might see both through out this competition. Though I do have to say that the angle of the picture doesn't help, since all you really can see of me is my face and my coat, but I do assure you I'm 18 haha. [/color][/size]
[size=1][color=gray][/color][/size]
[size=1][color=gray]Oh and about the scared expression I guess it just happens?[/color][/size]

[Zen]

[QUOTE=Sandy]
[SIZE=1]
[B]The Boss:[/B] You're a cute kid, yes, but your facial expression is a bit quirky. You should put more effort to your photo, now it looks like it's taken from a passport, unfortunately. Martial Arts is a great hobby, though, I have always looked up to people who can kick above their heads. ;D[/size]
[/QUOTE]

[color=darkred][size=1]

I actually hate that picture, haha. I just posted it because it's the only photo I had of myself in black and white, cuz I don't know nothin' about no photo-editing.

Cool fact: I can kick over other people's heads aswell.

Thanks for the compliments. *marks down* that's one...[/color][/size]

[Mr. Maul]

[size=1][color=DimGray]In my defense, the only "shopping" that I did was setting the color depth of my picture to two. We were supposed to have a black and white photo, so I literally made mine only black and white.

But thanks for the compliments. Much appreciated!



[/color][/size]

[John]

[QUOTE=Mr. Maul][size=1][color=DimGray]In my defense, the only "shopping" that I did was setting the color depth of my picture to two. We were supposed to have a black and white photo, so I literally made mine only black and white.

But thanks for the compliments. Much appreciated![/color][/size][/QUOTE] I didn't mean that you actually did too much, just that what you did altered the picture too much. ;)

By the way, can we see the original just for shits and giggles?

[Mr. Maul]

[size=1][color=DimGray]I don't know about shits, but you can definitely giggle at it.


[/color][/size][center][size=1][color=DimGray][img]http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a376/mrmaul/DSC03996.jpg[/img][/color][/size]
[/center]
[size=1][color=DimGray]

As you can see, nowhere near as dynamic as the other.



[/color][/size]

[TheResplendent]

[FONT=Tahoma]BK's list of Critiques (only the ones that stand out to me for whatever reason for the moment, may add more later):

[b]Boo[/b]: Interesting, deviant from the normal idea on how i'm sure most people intended to do their pictures so points for that. Points for the moose head too. Though I was interested in seeing what you actually looked like.
[b]Kitty[/b]: Oh god, lol. Talk about diva. What can I say, I like the look. Don't let me ever catch you saying you hate the camera.
[b]Shinmaru[/b]: Dunno why, but I just find it halarious that your reading a supreme court booklet in that pic. I guess because I was just looking at the NYC court booklets the other day, lol.
[b]RiflesAtRecess[/b]: Simply put, that's a pretty cool album cover right there. Nicely done. Perhaps a little too worked on, but I can appreciate the message trying to be sent here.
[b]Ezekiel[/b]: If you don't mind my saying, that is an incredibly attractive picture. 2 Thumbs up.
[b]Desbreko[/b]: That's a great impression of a turtle :D
[b]Vicky[/b]: It seems like a nice atmosphere, there's an illusion of rain (unless of course it was taken during a rainy day) which is always a plus for me.
[b]Anomaly[/b]: What more needs to be said about a punky looking white girl with a "Get Crunk" shirt and "Thug Lyfe" written on her knuckles...honestly?
[b]Peanut[/b]: I've always thought you were attractive, so that's a plus already. But I can't tell you how much time i've dedicated to trying to figure out what the other objects in that picture are around your desk area, lol.
[b]MistressRoxie[/b]: Got that "Mean Girls" looking school girl demeanor thing going on there. Very niice.



[/FONT]

[OMNOMNOMALY]

[QUOTE=John]

[list]
[*][b]Anomaly[/b] finally changed her username, and she was spot-on with the Fresh Prince parody. Two gold stars to her. Unfortunately, the white-person-faking-gangsta joke is capable of wreaking havoc if it's not done right. I hope my body can take it.
[/list][/QUOTE]
[COLOR=DarkOrange]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS]I thought it might be a good time to change up the old (and I do mean old) username. I'll be honest, I worried a bit about whether or not people would take the white-person-faking-gangsta the right way.. I'm glad that it seeems they did. Thanks!

Thanks Sandy and BKStyles also for your critiques! I'm doing something right, apparently, haha. The picture was fun, and the lyrics were fun. I hope I can continue bringing my attitude to the table, and not disappoint in the next round.

And I can't forget to give mad love to anybody who put a bet on me xD I couldn't believe someone bet on me before my first round picture was even up.. so I knew I had to do something... interesting, atleast. xD[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Zen]

[QUOTE=Anomaly][COLOR=DarkOrange]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS] I'll be honest, I worried a bit about whether or not people would take the white-person-faking-gangsta the right way.. I'm glad that it seeems they did. Thanks!

[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]
[color=darkred][size=1]

No. As a Gangsta myself, I take deep offense to you're so-called "Parody" of my people. You're so insensitive to other's feelings...

WEST SIDE![/color][/size]

[DeadSeraphim]

[QUOTE=Mr. Maul][size=1][color=DimGray]I don't know about shits, but you can definitely giggle at it.


[/color][/size][center][size=1][color=DimGray][img]http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a376/mrmaul/DSC03996.jpg[/img][/color][/size]
[/center]
[size=1][color=DimGray]

As you can see, nowhere near as dynamic as the other.



[/color][/size][/QUOTE]
[size=1][color=indigo][font=arial]That'd have been a great pic in plain old greyscale, bro.[/font][/color][/size]

[Raiyuu]

Woo-whee, Sandy. I think I'm just going to comment on the ones that catch my eye, if y'all don't mind. But my overall impression from skimming over the whole contestants' thread is that only a select few have used the brief to full effect. Black&white can be classy, it can be seedy, it calls up lots of connotations with old movies, especially (to me) noir detective genres. Most of the photos just looked like snapshots with greyscale filters to me - only a few people actually tried to tailor their entry to the specifications.

[b]White[/b]'s use of brushstroke filters (or whatever he did, I don't pretend to know digital art) is a good example of someone taking the black&white brief and running with it. He even said that the idea of a black&white photo said something to him and that he followed that, which is what I think the competition should be about - letting the brief dictate the results, rather than doing your own thing and slapping the brief over the top. The angle is interesting, too.

[b]Shinmaru[/b] is worth mentioning because he says he at least tried to work with the template. Running in the opposite direction is a response to the brief as well, I suppose. Made me grin, anyway.

[b]RiflesAtRecess[/b]: I've never even heard of Jerome's Dream but the piece succeeds in looking like album art, and there's something to be said for achieving what you set out to do. I like the typewriter font on the lyrics; in fact nice composition all round, except (and this is really annoying me now I've noticed it) the pale grey border around the actual photographic portion is really messy. It's distracting.

[b]Vicky[/b] ... I'm not actually sure what it is, but there's something about that photo. I think it might be the puddles in the background ringing bells in my head attached to memories of Humphrey Bogart films where it's always raining. The rough focus from the phone camera actually works quite well, though she's given it away that it wasn't intentional.

I've realised now I haven't really commented at all on people's quiz answers, but I have a lecture to get to. Maybe next round. ;)

[Goodbye, Face]

[font=arial][size=1]All of you pretty much said the same thing about mine. The main thing was that I was (and still am!) very sick. I couldn't really make it out of my room, and I looked disgusting. My room was (and is!) a mess, so the only clear place was in front of my bookshelf. I didn't like how the original looked, and I wanted more of a music-based theme going on in the composition, so I added in a black and white picture of my pedals and wires on my floor.

As for the border? Rock & roll.

Oh, and Mr. Maul? You look like someone I know. It's really scary. I also really love both versions of that picture.[/font][/size]

[cancer]

[SIZE=1]I know, my photo sucked in the first round. That was my mistake. And it's not because I'm horrible at taking photos of myself, I just chose the wrong picture to use. >_<[/SIZE]