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red_satin_dollAs I predicted, the entries in round 170 (Bad to the Bone) of ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
otherworldlyric are amazing, assured, sophisticated, and subversive/beautiful/funny, etc. People managed to make something new and wonderful (several somethings new and wonderful actually) out of a dumb song (can we talk? Oh, wait, we already did....)
I had to vote for 3 entries and I ALWAYS want to vote for at least 4. Never fail. *Guilt sets in* Maybe instead of voting I should just leave praise in the comments? What if they threw a challenge and nobody....eh, nevah mind.
Share my pain and go vote; the entrees deserve admiration and acclaim.
Speaking ofotherworldlyric....there was an additional image of Buffy on the stairs in AfterLife that I tried to make into an icon for challenge #165 (World on Fire); and somehow forgot to mention when I posted the other images I made for that challenge:
Somehow I couldn't get this to work to my satisfaction "sized down", at least not with Photobucket, but I like the image. "Like" isn't quite the right word, actually; "twists the knife in my heart" is more accurate. But then strangely enough I feel better for it: "Whatever I'm going through it's nowhere near the magnitude of the shit Buffy is dealing with."
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kwritten kindly told me about ipiccy, the program she uses for icons and I haven't made near the strides with it that clockwork_hart1 has; proving once again it's not the tools, it's the user that's key. But I decided to play around with this image with it a little more. I think I understand a bit better the excitement of the young guys in my grad program in filmmaking twenty years ago when the department switched to video editing from film *sniffle* and bought a video "toaster". Suddenly it seemed like storytelling was abandoned in the search for cool effects. Some of us turned up our noses at this but now? I can relate. Effects are fun. Sue me. Whether they are useful or "serve story" as Baz Luhrmann used to say is another matter.
It's not the tools, it's the one who wields them and how that matters.
With each of these I was emphasizing, or trying to, the "erasure" of Buffy Summers; the denial of her emotions and her full reality by her friends, by herself for their sake and perhaps her own, the only way she knows how to cope; by the writers and perhaps within the fandom itself.
She's not the Buffybot. She couldn't possibly be. But oh how they want her to be - how we want her to be, demand that she be - and oh how hard she tries. But I'm getting ahead of the story....
4)
5) 
But then I don't take my own advice because this doesn't seem "real" somehow. It's play, it's cheating, it's just a screencap, it's fanart and...I don't know what. Yet I wouldn't deny that "fanart" can be genuine art. I have marveled at the gorgeous, detailed Illyria banners (here and here) thatcomlodge has posted recently, for example. Clicking the images to enlarge is like being pulled into another universe entirely. There is no other word for them but "works of art".
Nor am I "against" computer art in any sense, except when it's misused for it's own sake. Any lingering prejudices I had regarding computer art melted away ten years ago when my sweetie went to a traditional art school that emphasized the "academic model" in the Renaissance tradition. After five years and hundred of landscapes, pastures, equine painting, and salon-style nudes (good, bad and indifferent) I developed a great appreciation for the work of Jackson Pollack.
And because Toy Story. Finding Nemo. Ratatouille made me cry. 'nuff said.
** ETA: "signature" has been added to the larger images becausevelvetwhip is absolutely right on the matter (Would I submit a story unsigned? Of course not.) This is a truism of this fandom: When in doubt, trust in her wit and her wisdom; she will not steer you wrong.
otherworldlyric are amazing, assured, sophisticated, and subversive/beautiful/funny, etc. People managed to make something new and wonderful (several somethings new and wonderful actually) out of a dumb song (can we talk? Oh, wait, we already did....)I had to vote for 3 entries and I ALWAYS want to vote for at least 4. Never fail. *Guilt sets in* Maybe instead of voting I should just leave praise in the comments? What if they threw a challenge and nobody....eh, nevah mind.
Share my pain and go vote; the entrees deserve admiration and acclaim.
Speaking of
otherworldlyric....there was an additional image of Buffy on the stairs in AfterLife that I tried to make into an icon for challenge #165 (World on Fire); and somehow forgot to mention when I posted the other images I made for that challenge:1) 
Somehow I couldn't get this to work to my satisfaction "sized down", at least not with Photobucket, but I like the image. "Like" isn't quite the right word, actually; "twists the knife in my heart" is more accurate. But then strangely enough I feel better for it: "Whatever I'm going through it's nowhere near the magnitude of the shit Buffy is dealing with."
kwritten kindly told me about ipiccy, the program she uses for icons and I haven't made near the strides with it that clockwork_hart1 has; proving once again it's not the tools, it's the user that's key. But I decided to play around with this image with it a little more. I think I understand a bit better the excitement of the young guys in my grad program in filmmaking twenty years ago when the department switched to video editing from film *sniffle* and bought a video "toaster". Suddenly it seemed like storytelling was abandoned in the search for cool effects. Some of us turned up our noses at this but now? I can relate. Effects are fun. Sue me. Whether they are useful or "serve story" as Baz Luhrmann used to say is another matter.It's not the tools, it's the one who wields them and how that matters.
With each of these I was emphasizing, or trying to, the "erasure" of Buffy Summers; the denial of her emotions and her full reality by her friends, by herself for their sake and perhaps her own, the only way she knows how to cope; by the writers and perhaps within the fandom itself.
She's not the Buffybot. She couldn't possibly be. But oh how they want her to be - how we want her to be, demand that she be - and oh how hard she tries. But I'm getting ahead of the story....
2) 
3) 
3) 4)
5) 6) 
7) 
7) Because I haven't taken time to master ipiccy thoroughly yet, I transferred the images above from it to Photobucket to "finish them up" with the more mundane aspects of downsizing etc. Lesson learned: the two are not entirely compatible; PB was too slow, too crude to save most the of the images when I attempted to downsize them. Apparently the simpler the effects to start with, the better:
8) 
9) 
10) 
9) 10) As always - snag if you like but give proper credit. (Not that you'd do it any other way.)
#10 was actually the only successful example of making an image in ipiccy - #9 - and adding more layers of effects atop that in PB. When it comes to icons and imagery I always tend toward the extremes: beautiful images treated in the simplest manner possible, or layering as many effects as possible without "losing" the image.
BTW - I didn't "sign" any of these - should I do, Gentle Reader? ** I pestered my sweetie when she entered art school about proper signatures: "The history of art is filled with works by women whose signatures were replaced by those of men! Female artists have been erased from art history - so sign your work and stop being so modest for god's sake!"
But then I don't take my own advice because this doesn't seem "real" somehow. It's play, it's cheating, it's just a screencap, it's fanart and...I don't know what. Yet I wouldn't deny that "fanart" can be genuine art. I have marveled at the gorgeous, detailed Illyria banners (here and here) that
comlodge has posted recently, for example. Clicking the images to enlarge is like being pulled into another universe entirely. There is no other word for them but "works of art". Nor am I "against" computer art in any sense, except when it's misused for it's own sake. Any lingering prejudices I had regarding computer art melted away ten years ago when my sweetie went to a traditional art school that emphasized the "academic model" in the Renaissance tradition. After five years and hundred of landscapes, pastures, equine painting, and salon-style nudes (good, bad and indifferent) I developed a great appreciation for the work of Jackson Pollack.
And because Toy Story. Finding Nemo. Ratatouille made me cry. 'nuff said.
** ETA: "signature" has been added to the larger images because
velvetwhip is absolutely right on the matter (Would I submit a story unsigned? Of course not.) This is a truism of this fandom: When in doubt, trust in her wit and her wisdom; she will not steer you wrong. 
no subject
Date: 2014-04-29 06:48 pm (UTC)Oh, I really liked your 'experiments', especially the first one! ♥
Also, OMG, such beautiful work! Thanks so much for the blog link! ^^ Everything is so vivid and colorful! *g*
no subject
Date: 2014-04-29 07:01 pm (UTC)Really? I had assumed it was because I didn't know any differently, and your grammar is excellent. You're far too modest about your mastery of the English language! (So what is your mother tongue?)
Glad you enjoyed my experiments! That is definitely an image that doesn't size down well although I did an icon but I think from the second one I linked to:
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q51/RedSatinDoll/BUFFY/Buffy%20ICONS/19bb0382-fef6-4b75-89d4-7ec36e83bd37_zpsd90c4f23.jpg />
BTW, when you looked at my experiments can you go back and forth within the album to see other things or no? Just curious, as I'm new to sending folks direct links to my PB albums.
Everything is so vivid and colorful! *g*
Thanks! You went to the older posts right (and not the Armory show post?)
She really likes "muddy" effects or more monochromatic palettes in her paintings sometimes but the ones that tend to get put up on the blog are the brightest because they look best on blogger. (And because I like them and praise them a lot and encourage her to use clean colors.)
She doesn't think she can paint, btw.
no subject
Date: 2014-04-29 07:45 pm (UTC)Oh yes, I browsed through the blog older posts a bit. I'm quite partial to the landscapes. :) She's crazy talented!!
I can access your PB library without difficulty. Actually, if in doubt you just need to shorten the original link this way: http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q51/RedSatinDoll/
BTW, if you want to keep your library private there are settings for that. I keep it private myself so that people can access only the specific pic they have the link to, 'cause I store there half-finished protects plus there's some old personal photos (which I'll have to delete someday, I just can't be bothered to remember to do it...)
Anyway if you're growing tired of sizing down things to make icons, maybe it's time to make a leap and go big.. ;) I know I was obsessed with making icons at the start and now my output consist almost entirely of banners and covers and wallpapers and other kind of graphics in between... :D
no subject
Date: 2014-04-30 02:17 am (UTC)She's crazy talented!!
Thank you! She's worked very very hard; she's superb with animals esp dogs and horses and people in school encouraged her to focus on equine art but she refused. She loves art but even she tends to see what she does as a "waste" and impractical unless she's making money at it. (Stupid puritanism.)
Thanks for the tip on the PB link btw!
if you want to keep your library private there are settings for that.
Several years ago I used to keep my albums crazy-tight locked up with passwords and the whole nine yards and then never gave anyone the passwords. I don't know why I've gotten more careless about it.
if you're growing tired of sizing down things to make icons, maybe it's time to make a leap and go big.
I've been kind of leaning that direction already; it occured to me, ok, I'm trying to pack WAY too much text into these little things. And it occured to me there is a banner I've had in mind for a while and maybe I'm gathering the tools that would allow me to do it.
Collage is the next step for me. Kwritten and Clockwork_hart do beautiful things with collage in icons, but I think I'd just go insane or blind if I tried that.
Are you graphics on your LJ or somewhere else btw?
no subject
Date: 2014-04-30 05:12 am (UTC)Oh, I'm curious to see that banner sooner or later then! ^^
Sure, my graphics are on my LJ. On DW too (I crosspost), plus some of it is also on AO3 (but it's more of the same stuff :D).
no subject
Date: 2014-04-30 08:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-04-30 09:15 pm (UTC)