Is this icon too "busy" for Civ5?

[isnorden]

Since I can't draw gameworthy artwork from scratch, 99% of my "original" icons are cobbled together from royalty-free pictures and Photoshop SFX I've downloaded. The icon I completed this morning is meant to stand for an Herbalist building (which will generate Science and grant Survival I to local units).




Is that design too elaborate or detailed for a Civ5 building icon? Please let me know what you think!

 

[Nutty]

Yes.

I'd suggest making the green less prominent and lowering the background opacity or otherwise decrease the contrast. I'd also increase the contrast with the mortar and pestle and darken the back of the bowl.

 

[isnorden]

Here's the Herbalist icon as I redesigned it; hopefully this version isn't so overdone.

 

[Craig_Sutter]

That's quite nice...

 

[isnorden]

Thank you! I usually download several different pictures of the same thing and try them against various backgrounds until one combination feels right. Some of those backgrounds are homemade and don't work so well; I'm glad I found a less intrusive way to keep the herbs in the Herbalist icon.