red_satin_doll | I think I can, I think I can...maybe? (ooh, look, a poll! And a Willow icon! Shiny!)

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I think I can, I think I can...maybe? (ooh, look, a poll! And a Willow icon! Shiny!)

Ok, so I had over 100 icons for the upcoming

btvsats20in20 Round 1. I reduced them to 62 or so because several of them were crap. I went back and made some smile and blending catagory icons I can live with. (Not great, but not entirely embarrassed by my relative lack of skill. Yet.) Now I'm back to 102. That's better. *lol*

Oh for the days when I was young and innocent and churned out icons that were no works of art but not half-bad, and didn't worry about the last damn pixel at the tip of SMG's nose, or wacky concepts like "image clarity". It was just two weeks ago but it seems like years. So young, so innocent. *le sigh*

And I can pan-sear or grill a tbone steak* to absolute juicy perfection, and have my "we need to eat less meat!" ladylove knawing the bone and singing my praises in epic verse, but making an icon table template thing-y is still an absolute mystery. (*That was what I made for dinner in fact - with crunchy oven-baked kale chips, gently sauteed bok choy and fluffy steamed quinoa. My ladylove really did knaw the bone. She didn't actually sing or write epic verse. This need to be corrected.)

No, I'm not freaking out, nor am I coming undone. Laying strewn about the floor in shredded and knotted pieces like a skein of cheap acrylic yarn the aforementioned cat shredded,spat out contemptuously and tossed to the floor, more like. Ok, so minor freaking out may be occuring here.

Since I'm entirely new to this whole 20in20 concept, I have questions. I don't see folks talking about how they do these things, y'all just go about and do them. So, I am curious. If you've made an excess number of icons for a 20in20 or any icontest challenge, how do you deal with the overflow?

[Poll #1970795][Poll #1970795]

And to say thank you to the home audience for playing along, and remind myself that yes, I can do a simple one-and-done icon: Willow in AtS "Orpheus". Isn't she pretty? When all else is in doubt, a pretty lady never fails to inspire me.

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I don't do many 20in20s anymore but I checked display as extras although I should add I only display the ones that I like. :)

This is probably a good practice! Admittedly I'm an awful judge of my own stuff. (I nearly threw away a Dawn & Buffybot icon that I didn't submit to a challenge but posted here anyway, and kikimay snagged it. I thought it was a failure but she loved it. I never know.)

I love your icon btw - that is an old-school damn fine crop and really intense expression! is it from btvs or ats?

That's usually the way it works for me. The icon(s) that I don't like are the ones people snag.

Thanks. I didn't make it(can't remember who did) so I'm not sure which show it is from.

The icon(s) that I don't like are the ones people snag.

Yep. And the ones I don't think anything of are often (not always) the ones my beta Ryan will pick for challenge entries or actuallly get the most love in icontests. I don't know too many artists who are entirely objective about their own work.

Re: the Angel icon, I want to say season 3 btvs (circa Enemies?)

If I like my alts/extras, I display them on my entry post. :) Can't wait to see them! And that Willow icon is very pretty!

Thanks, sweetie! I've come up with some I'm honestly pleased with. The hardest part for me is being able to see which ones are as good as I think they are, and which ones are actually too soft or blurred. (I need new glasses.)

That Willow icon was just me taking a break and having fun so of course it came out wonderfully well. She's so lovely then anyway. But talk about pretty MY GOSH your Willow icon is something else! Very smooth pink-ivory skin, almost like a drawing, the details of the lashes and soft hair, and a wonderful unexpected crop. Beautifully done.

Aw, thanks so much! It is one of my faves and it happened by happy accident, I didn't expect it to turn out so clear when I made it.

However you achieved it, it's beautifully done!

I think your Willow icon is lovely as lovely can be.

Also, your dinner sounds delicious as can be!

Gabrielle

*blushes* Thank you hon - I confess I was thinking of you and spikesredqueen when I made it!

And dinner was wonderful - if I'm going to eat meat now and then it might as well be of the highest quality!

I usually don't have extras, if I do I put them aside to be reworked for another challenge or post them when I do an icon dump. I do have and icon journal that I display all my icons and a/w. So they are all in one place.

i like the idea of "all in one place" - I don't know if my brain could handle another journal, but I may end up doing that!

if I do I put them aside to be reworked for another challenge

And is that "kosher"? I guess it depends if the rules specifically state the icons MUST be made new for that challenge. Because I've got some in this huge batch that could be held off and reworked/extended for another time.

I always cross-post mine to my icon journal ... that way I can keep track of them, but they get posted in my main LJ first.

I noticed your system of a separate LJ, and that's what got me thinking about duplicating it.

I don't know if my brain could handle another journal, but I may end up doing that! The only thing I use the journal for is store my a/w. I usually post my a/w in the icon journal with a link to it in my "real" journal.

And is that "kosher"? I would think so, since I usually use my rejects mainly for ideas and if I rework them, they are pretty different from the original and the original is usually much different than the icon I entered in a challenge. Besides it is not often I have extras, because I usually dump as I go.

"a/w"?

it is not often I have extras, because I usually dump as I go.

You sound much more disciplined than I am! I need to learn from that. *takes notes* I have a habit of dumping stuff then refilling with new stuff. Or worse, putting icons out there that I should have dumped immediately.

Thank you for all the ideas and feedback this is really a great deal of help to me!

"a/w"? Artwork

You sound much more disciplined than I am! I need to learn from that. What I usually do is if I have several with slight changes, I "sleep" on it and the next day I toss all but the one I like best.

Oh duh...

What I usually do is if I have several with slight changes, I "sleep" on it and the next day I toss all but the one I like best.

I have done that as well.

I just posted my entries and I was surprised by how hard it was - but I was really choosing from a very small percentage of what I made, and trying to decide what order to put those in. A lot of the things I was on the fence about can be saved for another time.

I clicked list them as alternates, but you only want to do that with a select few. The rest you could post on your journal.

And I'm going to now go grill a steak. At midnight. You made me hungry.

And because I had so much fun doing the art for your fanmix yesterday I may end up making icons this weekend. Your fault.

Oh, and I can help with explaining the icon table and/or fill out the html for you! PM me and we'll talk.

Edited 2014-06-06 06:17 (UTC)

but you only want to do that with a select few. The rest you could post on your journal.

Actually most people are putting these up on their journals anyway. Only one participant so far (rua1412) posted directly to the 20in20 site. So on my end it's kind of sneaky "hey I don't really have to chose..."

I do need to pay attention to that phrase "select few" - but hopefully my ability to discern what's really the best will improve with time.

So, how was the steak? *lol* Hopefully you are getting protein in some form to keep up your strength btw - Woman does not exist on lettuce leaves alone.

because I had so much fun doing the art for your fanmix yesterday I may end up making icons this weekend. Your fault.

*SQUEES AND BEAR HUGS YOU* I fully and gladly take the blame/responsibility for these shenanigans! Just keep a timer on and stop playing when it goes off, and make sure it doesn't interfere with the schoolwork ok? We need to make sure you keep that prestigious scholarship and prove to your professors that you're serious. (About fandom and media....can this stuff be included somehow as 'scholarship'? Maybe that's the danger of having one's work and play activities so closely related.)

And thank you for the offer! I emailed the mod last night and want to give them a chance to respond because I want to make sure I'm using the correct code for this challlenge. If I take you up on it though I know where to find you!

Can I vote for 3 -

Squirrel them away for a future challenge.
Display them as alts/extras on my entry post
Show them off in a separate post on my journal/website

Any of those !

I think if you have a good and different one, then keep it for another AC set, or to adapt for another theme one ... but many people do show them as alternatives.

So, what I am really saying is that the choice is yours LOL!!

Edited 2014-06-06 07:18 (UTC)

what I am really saying is that the choice is yours LOL!!

I forgot the "whatever you want it's all good" option? *smacks forehead* I must have been tired!

So you if you want to click a poll choice, go with "other" - that's what I do at

mcjulie's episode polls when I can't decide, anyway. You've already done the elucidating.

I think if you have a good and different one, then keep it for another AC set, or to adapt for another theme one ... but many people do show them as alternatives.

Heh, I think I'm doing all three of those. I'm on the fence about at least one in every set right now. This feedback is extremely helpful btw to a newbie like me, thanks very much!

Oh man, that dinner sounds amazing!! Steak and kale chips = my favorite thing.

Gorgeous job on the Willow icon.
Can't wait to see your 20in20 post!

You clearly have excellent taste in fine dining! Do you also make your own kale chips?

Thanks for kind words, sweetie, I'm glad you like the icon, I'm really happy with it - and I can't wait to see the post either! *lol*

I did once. It's definitely something I want to do again though.

It's definitely something I want to do again though.

And like many good things it's something I forget to do. It's not hard it's just a bit time consuming.

Have you ever tried the packaged varieties? There are some at our local co-op and it's not even CLOSE to homemade. But the packaged ones I've had are broken in bits and then held together with cheese or spices, etc. Meh.

Nope. I've never seen kale chips in town here. I suppose I might if I traveled to one of the larger cities in the state for groceries, but I'm lazy.

I suppose I might if I traveled to one of the larger cities in the state for groceries, but I'm lazy.

Eh, not worth the trip, trust me.

Fantbulous Willow icon! <3

Like Deb I'd choose:
Squirrel them away for a future challenge.
Display them as alts/extras on my entry post
Show them off in a separate post on my journal/website

The ones you really like and are different from the entry could be reworked for a different challenge later, those that are mere variations could appear as alts on the main post and you could show the remaining ones separately. It's up to you. :D

That's what I do with OWL anyway. As you know I don't do 20in20s for the stress factor, I would do tons of different icons and never be able to choose. You my dear are very brave! <3

Time is my worst enemy and I missed the May deadline for the Darla post. :(
However the new theme @ nekid_spike is intriguing: all witches, demons and vampires in both shows, I do hope to get something done before the end of June. *crosses fingers*

I'm looking forward to your alts post! <3

Fantbulous Willow icon!

Thanks sweetie!

I realize I've already done all three things with OWL and slayerstillness extras. With the last rounds of OWL and SS I was doing at the same time, the ideas for one flowed into the other (my icons of Faith's hand that won best crop was originally intended for OWL, as was the Spuffy icon A Broken Halleluliah), same with slayerstillness prompts Negative space and simplicity.

And I like to show off the extras afterward but what's different with the 20in20 is that I don't have to wait to show them until after the voting is over. Doing so many icons is really overwhelming, and I took too much time doing it but I love not having to worry about anonymity. And I get feedback right away - Immediate gratification FTW!

I would do tons of different icons and never be able to choose. You my dear are very brave! <3

Oh good I thought I was the only one who did tons! I did the math and I literally do on average 5-9 times more icons than I need for any challenge (including OWL) not even including the ones that I delete before I even enter or that die aborning.

And I don't know about "brave" but thank you very much!

However the new theme @ nekid_spike

Oh good luck with that? Do you have a link btw?

I didn't do the slayerstillness vampire prompt because it didn't inspire me at the time, then I did those Vamp Willow icons after the fact. I do want to do a VW set sometime, maybe for a 20in20. She's just so gorgeously trashy.

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I think I can, I think I can...maybe? (ooh, look, a poll! And a Willow icon! Shiny!)

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