Originally Posted by
drsynyster
I will now. Just got a nuke so now im over it for a while.
Ok I will post my brief opinions first, I'll post your rankings and details tomorrow.
#1-High Inter-Very good crop of a well done LP. It has very good intricacy a very well executed theme and a perfect colour scheme. However the reason why this doesn't branch into semi-pro is because of consistency. You'll notice that the "syringes" have gradient on them, the black detailing has gradients on them and so does the background. However you'll notice that the white shapes, such as the large circle to the left do not have their own gradient (although some have some black soft brushing, but not the majority).
#2-High Inter/Semi Pro-This piece clearly shows the equilibrium of skill versus creativity. Although the piece itself is small, if you look closely almost every single component has near perfect detail and proportions. Nothing here is just thrown on because it looks good. It all follows a specific colour scheme and everything works together to pull off the overriding concept. Perhaps the downfall of this piece is the top right corner. The placement of this shape just seems awkward and doesn't really seem to quite fit in.
#3-Solid Novice-The reason why this cannot get beyond novice is because the creator has chosen to leave too much negative space. Not only that but the brightness outlining the focal is very overpowering. This creates way too much contrast and detracts from the piece. However on a good note the creator has done well to utilise the smudge tool to create an "explosion" effect.
#4-Semi Pro-This piece is definitely the best piece of the set. It creator shows his prowess in creating extremely minor detailing but he also knows when to not "overcrowd" the piece. Of course this is a crop of an LP (which I would class Pro). Because of the cropping however some of the detail that would've been better appreciated has been lost . You'll notice that the creator has added in some warm colours to break up the green. In many cases this would be a risky move but he has pulled this off well. On a side note, this piece is the unofficial logo and definitely the most recognisable for slash3.
#5-High Novice-This piece does quite well in terms of effects but in my opinion the yellow glow is this pieces main detriment. It covers up the focal and gets in the way of the effects which lay underneath. Another thing that is not so much problematic as it is puzzling, is its background. It is quite difficult to determine the components, on the left we have what seems to be a nice bright digipaint or perhaps some smudging, then that is interrupted by a "mechanical" block which does not seem to fit in, it ends up contrasting with almost everything else in the piece. Whether or not the creator actually made the background, whether he simply put two elements together or whether its a stock, is a different matter, but the piece may have benefited with a better choice.
Remember that these are only my viewpoints and these are definitely up for discussion.