Judging a series by its ICON (and design tips)

isaacfriedman 2016-09-20 14:51:31 UTC #64

I think I need help... I don't know how to fix these icons:

Is the saturation wrong? Are they too dark or too light? I can tell they aren't quite right, but I can't figure out why...

Delete 2016-09-20 14:56:18 UTC #65

How to get more views:

The old one

The new one:

Jabbage 2016-09-20 15:33:53 UTC #66

Oh thank goodness for this thread!!! I had one of my comics get picked as a staff pick, and of course it WOULD be the new, rough and quick biographical comic where I put hardly any effort into the icon.

I feel like I'm not making best use of the publicity because the icon doesn't show off my artwork very well... but perhaps I shouldn't mess with unexpected success...

shaneoid77 2016-09-20 16:27:45 UTC #67

I'm trying something meta with my icon, as these two are the poster boys/girls in my series and I'm using them to promote the comic, though that's about as deep as I've gone with it.

JessJackdaw 2016-09-20 16:36:33 UTC #68

@isaacfriedman Honestly, I think they read fine. The last one is the best in my opinion! I would bump up the brightness on that orange background so that the armor contrasts more. Also on the first, it's strange that the hat is low quality while the rest of the image is crisp. Probably not as noticeable when it's shrunk down though.

@Neil_Harrington Haha, honestly, it might give you less views. XD There are quite a number of readers that avoid BL tags like the plague.

@Helengreetham I would maybe pick a good emotion that defines your character and have that be the face of your icon. Right now I guess I would say she's (or you're) pensive? Perhaps confused? I don't have a good read on what the character is like is what I'm saying. XD

Uhh, as far as my own. I worry it reads too much like it's a romance. D: Which couldn't be further from the truth. I dunno. Maybe I'm just crazy and it doesn't read that way at all? Advice please? XD

apurviance 2016-09-20 16:37:51 UTC #69

My vote goes to the middle one, which I think is the lightest.

Jabbage 2016-09-20 17:33:59 UTC #70

@JessJackdaw - It's difficult because it's a series of short comics that aren't about a character as such - I did the one with the back to the reader because i thought it looked contemplative which would fit the vibe of the comic, but I'm not sure it's great for inviting people to click on it.

I've only just started the comic and wasn't really expecting the thumbnail to be thrust into the spotlight just yet, so I haven't got a lot of ready-made artwork to use.

JessJackdaw 2016-09-20 17:46:23 UTC #71

No the back to the reader is fine! Although honestly I'd consider it without the text. When that icon gets small it gets hard to make out what it even says.

(Honestly, the same thing happened to my comic like a week or so ago. I think that's just how staff picks are. Congrats though! XD)

Jabbage 2016-09-20 17:53:20 UTC #72

Congrats to you too! And thanks for the advice!

spadesart 2016-09-20 17:56:18 UTC #73

here's my current icon:

it's actually a placeholder image from a print i made of the main character, it doesn't match the coloring style in my comic since it's painted and mine's cel shaded but i sketched up a new one and i think im liking it?? tell me what you think

it's going to be cel shaded like my comic and it'll have the same color scheme as my current icon

Shanny8 2016-09-20 18:02:42 UTC #74

I just did a clip of the title character, giving a thumbs up- with a lightning bolt in the background. It's funny coz when it comes to actual comic drawing I have no issues coming up with stuff- but when I start doing art for poster/prints or some type of thing like an icon or banner, I struggle with trying to make the consummate piece.

Morair 2016-09-20 18:41:02 UTC #75

I've been wanting to simplify my icon for a while but I'm also extremely indecisive, what do you think?

My friends say i should just leave it as is but i feel like the one with the text is too crowded

sefra114 2016-09-20 20:02:24 UTC #76

This is the icon I've been using for my comic. This is the updated version of the original which I used to use, though I'm still unsure if it stands out enough. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! It features one of the more mysterious main characters in the story.

Would this be better?

NickRowler 2016-09-20 20:38:48 UTC #77

@inkythoughts

But I hate the original icon, mostly because it is not well drawn and the man's skin color is also off and the art style does not match the comic.

Here are them side by side, the second one looks nicer and looks more like the comic.

The two are not a romantic couple. I wanted the woman to look sad (because she has depression). She tends to distance herself from others. I wanted it too look like the man was confronting her but unable to help (or touch her).

Wishjacked 2016-09-20 21:42:49 UTC #78

Oooooh nooooo, it certainly doesn't look like that to me! With the title of your comic I always read it like, "ahhh! It's a pesky monster! This job is too much, I need a raise." I really like this thumb, though, it's one of my favorites that I've seen! The contrasting colors and values are really eye-catching. And it just looks like a fun story.

Anyways, one thing I've noticed (but perhaps underutilized) is that my eyes are always drawn very strongly to a face. If the thumb just has a face in it, I notice it instantly. However, there are SO MANY thumbs with faces that unless it's a very interesting face, I tend to click on something else. (usually thumbs that have two or more characters and thereby imply character relationships)

I also notice thumbs with words on them, but they repel me, haha. Thumbs with only words are especially infuriating to my to my eyes.

Here're my thumbnails, neither of which are particularly strong thumb compositions in my opinion. But they're fun and that's pretty much what matters to me at this point!

JessJackdaw 2016-09-20 22:55:44 UTC #79

Oh gosh thank you! ;u; I was worried that people would infer that two characters in an icon looking at eachother automatically means a couple. XD I'm so glad it comes across right.

I like both your thumbs too! The juxtaposition is just great you've got cats and guns and even blades and cute girls. Awesome characterization with each one! Although, the stupid part about icons is that most of the detail is lost. D: I hope they read well as something tiny, because they're both really good!

CaptainUfo 2016-09-21 08:59:54 UTC #80

I've been wondering about this a lot. I used my series logo for thumbnail, but I came to think that it's pretty boring.
It's this one:

I was thinking about using the thumbnail from some of the pages, what do you think looks better?

I fear that people may think that the series is much more serious that what it actually is.

The Captain in all his glory. While the series has some slapstick moments, this is not the norm and may be too exagerated.

Of course this need reworking, I'd use them only as a base for an actual series icon. What do you guys think it's best?

inkythoughts 2016-09-24 11:52:39 UTC #81

But this is literally nothing you can't fix, I know it is work but sometimes redrawing things helps you achieve closest to ideal results. Redraw it in the current comic style with the colours that you want them to have. That's basically my suggestion as the main reasons you hate it are the style and the colour, not the composition itself (which I personally find the most click-worthy among your current icons). Plus, I always love to do redraws just to see how much I evolved, it can give you quite an ego boost ;9

It is just my opinion and I of course can't make you choose x or y. And, as I said, I also don't know their dynamics and how it developed in detail, but what you described it is, I don't really get that vibe from the icon you prefer.

Also (this is just a theory I have and noticed for myself) for icons, I need something like a centre, something that immediately draws my eye to it, which (ideally) is somewhere in the centre of the icon.
In the original icon, you have them together as a bunch, side by side, in the middle, the background is around them. It's easy to focus on the characters with just one glance.
In the second, you don't have that "one spot" you can focus on because the characters are divided, so you don't know where to focus on. They work a bit more like two pillars or some kind of window frame, so the actual focus is what lies between them, which is basically just blank space. I think my main issue with this icon is that it doesn't have something that connects the two characters in one way or another and keeps my focus on it.

Here is what I would suggest from your description (and, again, it's really just a suggestion for the compostition - sorry that you can't see the image borders ;A;):

If she withdraws herself, it's usually easier to show through body language rather than physical space. This makes her also harder to directly confront which appears to be a general struggle, also for the male character. The awkwardly outstretched hand kind of shows his will to help but it still doesn't reach her.

I hope my really long ramble made half-way sense to you, and that it still can help you at least a bit with settling on an icon. Good luck!

inkythoughts 2016-09-24 11:58:43 UTC #82

I agree with you, I would use one without text (even the one without the frame/green background tbh) - this way it's easier to focus on the character.

NickRowler 2016-09-24 16:23:19 UTC #83

I am going to suggest maybe reading my comic if you want to help me because my series does not match the icon you presented.

I still prefer my icon.

I moved the character closer together...if that helps (which took a while because the icon was a cropped version of my banner)