Beketov

This sig is absolutely fucking fire; definitely deserved to win the final round. The colours are great, the effects are perfect, the text is amazing. I find the lighting to be A LITTLE weird (might be better if the bright side of his face was flipped) just because of how intense the contrast is but that's a minor complaint. One of your best sigs ever; well done.

Mexico

Bump. This is what I get for grading after I post haha

Just bumping back up

I would like to see more going on contrast wise; everything feels a little under-contrasted and it's making you lose detail. Get some curves layers on there to really make Datsyuk pop. Aside from that it looks like you were going for kinda a simple out of focus dust kinda look with the BG which can work but you stopped shy of it going all the way so I'd like to see more. Text is an okay start but get it closer to the render and play around with it a bit to create some fun effects' as is it looks very slapped on.

Manips can be tricky sometimes but I don't think the effects are doing this one justice. The contrasting colours feel odd; the render placement is a bit weird (mostly because of their heights being so different) and the text feels very bland. I can see where you were going with this but it needs some strong contrast and lighting if it's going to get there and unfortunately those things are lacking.

I'm inclined to agree with Boubani. I like the idea you were going for to have the text be the main focal point but I don't think the text is quite strong enough to do that. If that inner glow was a more subtle inner stroke it would work better and the contrast spots need to be toned down a bit. I do love the render and effects work on this though, subtle but perfectly executed both effect and colour wise.

I really like what I see you going for but I don't think this piece is quite there. I think the text is actually fantastic and really could have been striking with the right work but it sorta falls flat as is. Remove some of the weird smudgy stocks that are giving this a grunge feel; get an exposure layer on the BG stuff and really make that text pop as the focal point. That isn't advice I give often but I think it would work really well here; I'd almost have everything else feel a tad bit out of focus to slam the point home. That's just me though. Honestly, if you want, shoot me the PSD. I have an idea that I think could really make this thing pop if it works. I'm just curious.

I have to agree with Boubabi; the colours here are all over the place and make it really hard to tell what's going on. kinda feels like an ASG mixed with an acid trip. Tone the colours done a bit and get some extra contrast on the renders. Overall I think an exposure layer would balance everything out nicely. Text is very simple but I like it; effects are a little odd but they work.

I find the text is taking over this piece almost completely. I know that's kinda the point but I feel like I almost don't even notice the renders because of how dark they are and how in your face the text is. Font choice and such is amazing; it's just very distracting. I'd like to see some stronger lighting on th renders to really make them pop as more of a focus point. I do like the way you played with colour; adds a nice little pop without being too much.

As I figured out this week, working with a group shot is not exactly simple so this works pretty well IMO. The triangles are a little odd but I find that they work pretty well. Lighting is a little off but I think that comes down to the group shot mostly; I do like the look of the light source; it's soft but simple. Effects are simple but effective.

Italy

Totally got part B before streetlight ruined it; should count for extra points

You guys are all terrible at this

I don't know when you first joined but there definitely was more of a vibe like that coming from both leagues back in the day. The VHL wasn't THAT far into its life cycle when the SHL came about and I think that people were a little on the defensive. Plus, in general, we were all young and stupid back in the day. Honestly, neither league is "better" than the other. In certain aspects I believe we do things better and in certain aspects I believe they do things better. It just comes down really to where you enjoy being more. For some that's here, for some that's there, and for some it's both. There's no reason for really any other attitude.

I just went through and read that topic, now I remember why I don't go into the SHL very often. Im fine if people prefer that league to this one, everyone is allowed to have their opinions just as I am allowed to have my own. I was in both leagues during S1 and honestly found I liked the VHL more; even after being suspended for a full season. The thing I don't care for, and maybe it's just he specific threads I see, is that certain members (I'm not blaming everyone) get immediately defensive when the VHL is even mentioned and immediately start trying to talk us down. The SHL can call us elitist all they want but the fact is that maybe our "elitism" results in members with slightly better attitudes towards things. Again, this isn't a shot at the SHL, just certain members, but it's a vibe I get often.

*blinks* I have no idea how I did this but would love if I could do it more often...

If I had ever used a render that fit Toronto I would have. Honestly I was usually just picking a render that I liked and then finding a player it would work with.

1. Didn't Notice. 2. Want chat gone so sure haha

To be fair we weren't supposed to be pointing out who made the sigs. I was planning on tagging you when I posted it as a PT though. Yes; that's it, congratulations for remembering to look up

Our old Facebook style chat was fine IMO because it was basically just a fast way to communicate with someone vs. PMing them which takes more time and seems way more formal I guess. New chat I don't care for. You can only chat with people who actively go into it (which people rarely do) and even then, at it's core at least' it's just a chat with everyone that's there. We never had a chat for years because we knew it had the potential of taking content away from the board and moving it into a chat system where it will easily disappear; I believe that was happening to some extent and don't see a reason to keep the chat around in that case. Especially when you consider how few people used it. If we can get an updated version of our old chat system I'm all for it. Don't care for the newer one though.

Also, why no love for the sig I made you @Phil

My favourite of the ones I made was definitely mine from week 1: As for ones others made, and in general since I found A LOT were better than mine IMO; here are a few of my favourites: I also loved Boubabi’s two giant ones, I just don’t want to re-paste them into here because of their size. Well done everyone though, some great pieces from this.