For some though, you may want to practice blending the focal in more with the rest of the tag. I.E. the Exploud seems separate from the rest of the bg, like it's just sitting on top
For a long time I would have agreed with this. However, I eventually pried myself from the list of cliche critiques and started making and liking what actually looked best to me.
Anyway....
Yea, I am really enjoying your gallery thus far. I agree with your response to Kelp's comment. Every time you didn't "blend" your focal in with the effects it was because it would simply look worse "blended". I applaud what you are doing with your tags. You create what looks best to you and ignore cliche critiques - which at this point feel like graphics rules you MUST abide on some graphics boards - like lack of blending, flow etc.
Having said this, it's not like you don't ever blend your render, or make your tags flow. That is certainly not the case. You do, however, know when and where to apply said techniques. For instance, in your tag
tabula.png you "blend" the render in with the effects seamlessly. That one is really awesome because of that and many other more significant reasons.
The following text is a critique of the graphics community. Don't be offended. YOU WERE WARNED!:
While I understand the concept of keeping a list of things you need to
vaguely be aware of in your own and others' art, many graphics users and communities weird allegiance to them bewilders me. Can you even call yourself an admirer of art (in general) if your critiques of everything are seen through such a skewed lens?
Take this metaphor for example. Many a graphics artist with this mindset would walk into a museum, see a beautiful panoramic landscape painting by, ummmm
Giovanni Bellini, and say: "Geeze! This is a great painting but I really wish he had picked a single focal point."
Whatevs. You are great. Dont be conformed by dumb cliche critiques. HOOORAH!
-CT