Accidents are the way to find great new techniques ;D Once in a while I just scroll through all blending modes to see if one of the rarely used ones will give me an even greater result :D
Sometimes screencaps just don't want to work. I found this little trick really helpful. I got linked to it on icon_tutorial when I asked about fixing really faded images (the 25th anniversary images of my grandparents were bad to begin with - 25 years on top of that didn't help) and it also works for dark images and (if the right patch is picked) even helps with correcting the colouring some. It might also help with your Albus icon for Orange (just make sure the orange part isn't affected :D)
I love screencaps that just scream at you and you just have to use them :D
Sometimes the sickly looking is just a matter of outsight light. I have a McGonagall icon (not yet posted) where I believed everything was fine until I suddenly viewed it in a different situation and she suddenly seemed slightly green. I'll have to either delete it (I think I got two more versions of that - or at least similar crops) or work a bit more on it.
The pink does fit with the crossover idea, but is a bit strong... or maybe it's because it's not a colour I associate with Severus :p
Yeah, it was a brilliant scene the way he adjusts his cuffs beforehand. You can see how much he enjoys it :D
No problem - if I ever end up being to mean just hit me ;D
I hope your schedule to get back on a different sleeping schedule works out. I know how difficult it can be.
Now I better start my scifieps20in20 set... or maybe reply to a few more of your comments ;) I've also considered entering the latest challenge of dwicontest... just so there are two different people that entered when blue_siofra comes back ;D (I can see your icons there, being added as maintainer ;D)