My entries for Round 1 of btvsats20in20, plus extras: (The not really-real) Buffy Summers

[red_satin_doll]

ETA: bangel_4e notified me that my original entries for NS+Mono and Artists Choice 1 were not qualified so I've switched them out. Let me know what you think.

My first-ever 20in20 entries for Round 1 of btvsats20in20 were inspired by the Jo Chen's Cover art for "The Chain"; so I decided to claim Buffy Summers as my subject (no surprise) but with a twist: the "not really-real" versions that populate the Buffyverse: impersonators, dopplegangers, alt universe versions; Buffy reimagined in her own and in other people's dreams.

All icons made by me in ipiccy and Photobucket. Many thanks to bangel_4e and spikesredqueen for their patient and tireless hand-holding.





    Teasers

10 Themes
Strong	Favorite Moment	NS+Monochrome	Comics	Blending
Earth Tones	Provided Texture	Ex.Close Crop	Smile	Focused
5 Category |BLACK AND WHITE
Cat 1	Cat 2	Cat 3	Cat 4	Cat 5
5 Artist's Choice
AC 1	AC 2	AC 3	AC 4	AC 5

Alts and extras to be posted separately.

WANT? TAKE, HAVE, ENJOY! - But give proper credit always!
DO NOT alter, claim as your own or repost to other websites without my permission.
If you snag an icon, letting me know is always appreciated. Feedback feeds the savage fan artist.

Comments

Re: THANK YOU FOR THE RECS!

[endeni]

Yay, you're very welcome! *hugs* Thanks so much for telling me you enjoyed those stories, I'm always a bit afraid that I'm spamming people with all the recs... :D
Oh, and I'm surprised you didn't come across pprfaith's Buffy stuff before, you're in for a real treat then. ;)

Re: THANK YOU FOR THE RECS!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Oh goodness hon, everything you've rec'd to me has been SUPERB. I told Kikimay about the Buffy/Loki story because I knew she'd love it.

And have you seen all the links in my posts? It's what I do *lol* So no, no worries at all, not when the material is so good.

you're in for a real treat then.

Right now that sounds lovely. There are so many people out there active online and not just in this fandom, its impossible for me to know all of them. But more Buffy lovers out there? Yes please.

[debris4spike]

As i said in my last icon set, I have had a look at iPiccy and enjoyed playing a bit with it - thank you very much.

I love how you commented about "poor" Cat 4 ... I feel the same very often. The ones I am not happy with, and don't think are great are ones that others love.

That is the great thing about art ... it truly is in the eye of the beholder.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

ETA: I just saw that set! Thank you for the shout out, I left comments there.

So what did you think of ipiccy compared to gimp? I'm already frustrated with what I "can't" do but have no idea if it's because I'm experiencing the limits of what I know vs the limitations of what it can actually do.

I found a series of blogposts comparing different programs like ipiccy and pixlmator etc but a lot of what the gal says is already a bit over my head right now anyway http://busyteacher.wordpress.com/2012/06/24/photo-fun-part-iv-pixlr-express/

I'm "lahr-nin' " but slowly. :P

"poor" Cat 4

*hugs Cat 4* poor thing, with a face not even a mother could love. At least now it has my pity vote *lol*

The ones I am not happy with, and don't think are great are ones that others love.

I was saying the same to kikimay upthread - she loved and snagged an icon I called a failure, and that was a huge lesson to me. So has the voting for this round - except I'm not sure what the lesson is!

[debris4spike]

I still like GIMP - I think I could probably do most things with iPiccy, but I'm used to "my" programme. I tended to do most of the basics on GIMP and then a few extra's with iPiccy. I did like their colour boost ... much less than GIMP does, so that's handy to know for some icons.

I don't tend to work out most of the debates and helpful contrasts that anyone does!!

[comlodge.livejournal.com]

As always your cap choices and cuts thereof are way cool! Love Favourite moment - pulled me straight to it.AC2, the coloring of her face, blur into sharper., Earth tones is so very earthy and love the words. The lighting in AC5 is just lovely. Strong, NS, Cat 2... stopping now. Great bunch of icons. Well done.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

What do think of ipiccy's text options compared to Gimp's? Did you try it? I still find PB easier to work with on that account, with exceptions (ipiccy has an old English font but otherwise a lot of their fonts are too fancy-shmancy for icons.)

one of my favorite effects to play with right now is Orton effect, which gives the entire image a soft "bloom".

I don't tend to work out most of the debates and helpful contrasts that anyone does!!

Sorry, dear, come again? i don't understand.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I'm blushing like a rose right now - or a beefsteak tomato, take your choice. *hugs* Thank you so much, Janice for stopping by and commenting! Ok, I admit it was shameless of me to pimp this post but I was sooo anxious when I made these of what you might think.

Love Favourite moment - pulled me straight to it

Smiling right now - I really love that one too, and it's not gotten much notice, so I thought perhaps it was too "weird"? I have no idea how I made this one to be honest, and could not have planned the way her head just emerges from the "gunk".

And AC5, ah me I deleted more tries of that icon than any other. That is one I started in ipiccy because it was coming out too pixelated in PB. And I wore my fingerprints into the blemish tool. *lol* Also Earth Tones, lots of blemish tool on her face.

love the words

Thanks! I misremembered John Donne's "She Walks in Beauty" as "She Comes" but it works I think.

Any concrit, perchance?

[debris4spike]

LOL - it took me a moment to work out that sentence as well! No wonder my English teacher thought I was a twit!

You commented about a link where someone was comparing 2 different products. I said that I usually found those sorts of links not very helpful ... and usually (as you said) too technical.

As to fonts, I have found that GIMP automatically updates any fonts I add to my pc, so presumed that PB would do similar.

Just going to do some Star Trek icons - so will see what I can use the iPiccy for *g* (Thank you)

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Ah, thanks for the clarification sweetie - and your English teacher was the twit, not you!

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Ah, thanks for the clarification sweetie - and your English teacher was the twit, not you!

<As to fonts, I have found that GIMP automatically updates any fonts I add to my pc, so presumed that PB would do similar.</i>

Gimp updates fonts? Ooohhhh *glazed eyes*

PB doesn't because it's not a downloaded program to my computer, it's a separate site like ipiccy; Photoshop might have but my sweetie never used fonts in it and we don't have it now.

Looking forward to seeing your next set of masterpieces!

[comlodge.livejournal.com]

I think it's the lighting on her face, the perspective and the way the head stands out so very much whilst blending into an interesting background that lends itself to the feel of image. It was again the first icon to grab my eye when I opened this post. It's a dramatic scene and I think that icon does it justice.
There were so many excellent entries in this round and it really depends what takes a person's eye and what their preferences are. I think I've said before that I seldom pick the winners in icon challenges. :D
There are two icons here that are a little jarring for me. Blending - I think it is because the faces are two different sizes and the one on the left dominates too much - it's lighter, has a harsher expression and it is bigger than the right. I'd have liked the features to be around the same level. Love the red lips by the way and the idea and it's just my thoughts on perspectives.
Close Crop - I love the cut. I love the lighting and the colour. The slash across her lips seems a bit out of place or perhaps I think it needs to be a bit more blood coloured, a bit more wound like. Her mouth got her into trouble (as mouths always do) both opening it and not opening it when she perhaps should have so I quite like the idea of this one.
I really like your experimentation, stepping outside to have a go. The lighting in a lot of them is great and I don't know if that was accident or you worked hard to get it. EG the orange glow across her body in Monochrome is so excellent to pull that whole image together. You've taken advantage of the image's lighting in many of these and lighting just changes the message so much. Remember, keep doing it for yourself. It's very nice when others like your work but you have to like what you do, you are the driver that will make you grow. :D

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for the concrit, Janice, it's much appreciated! I really have trouble "seeing" my own work a lot of times, and figuring out what works and why. I understand better now why artists need communities and feedback from other artists. And I admit I tend to be suspicious of praise, have been all my life (now more than ever because my ex-boss had nothing but kind words and praise for my work. I keep trusting and then feeling like a fool for having done so, ever since I was a schoolgirl.)

ETA: Thank you also about the advice about doing it for myself; I needed to hear that. My mind was starting to wander in a "what do I need to do to get more votes?" direction which felt icksome.

You're absolutely 100% right all the way on Blending, no arguement there. That would be the one I'd most likely toss out the window if I had another chance. My AC 1 (Beer bad/Bargaining) was meant to be my blending icon and I should have kept it at that. I did that one in a rush near the end and it shows, whereas AC1 I took a great deal of time and care. The two photos are too discordant with one another just as you said.

The slash across her lips seems a bit out of place or perhaps I think it needs to be a bit more blood coloured, a bit more wound like.

A bit more saturated, you mean? I can see that - more like this perhaps? (The second one is more extreme, using the draw tool in PB, which is entirely opaque. I am just starting to experiment with draw, paint and burnishing tools in ipiccy which allow more subtleties and transparency. I think I can achieve better results eventually)




Or is more naturalistic better? (This was my alt Close Crop)


Her mouth got her into trouble (as mouths always do)

*LMAO*