My Entries for Round 3 of btvsats20in20: TARA MACLAY, A WOMAN FOR ALL SEASONS

[red_satin_doll]

My original claim for this round of btvsats20in20 was Tara in S4, but starry_night kindly allowed me to expand that.






    Teasers

10 Themes
Full Body	Minimalism	Heartbreak	Yellow	Matching Background
Fear	Grunge	Favourite	Touch	Mod’s Choice
5 Category |MAGNIFYING GLASS
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 will follow in a separate post and oh boy do I have alts.

Comments - including honest critiques - welcome. (You can't be harder on these than I am.) If you're wondering what I was aiming for with the Fear icon, my inspiration was clockwork_hart1's Tough Love Tara-POV fic "Shadows and Light".

My mom is coming for a week long visit tomorrow so if I do not reply to comments, that's why.

starry_night if you need to disqualify my entries, I understand and that's ok. I'm really not fussed about that. I learned a lot, and quality time spent with Tara Maclay is NEVER time wasted.

I would love to make more Tara icons, and more Willow/Tara icons. Oh goodness I could go on forever. But I've realized two things: 1) 20in20 isn't a good fit for me. 15 would be more like it. I have alternate versions but I run out of steam and then realize I have to come up with five more new ones. Ugh.

2) that my days of icon making are numbered. My new bifocals make it so much harder than before, slower; and I find myself thinking in terms of banners and large artworks as a consequence. The icons for Full Body, Touch, Cat 1 and Cat3 all started life as larger artworks. Which I will show off in another post because....

3) I FINALLY made artwork from the final scene in Dead Things that I'm happy with. (Thanks, ipiccy!)

Comments

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

I think these are fabulous. My favorites are: Heartbreak, Fear, Touch, Cat 1, Cat 4, AC 1.

So sorry that the bifocals are interfering with your art. But I know you'll adapt and come back stronger and more creative than ever.

Sending good thoughts for the visit with your Mom. *hugs you lots*



Gabrielle

[rbfvid.livejournal.com]

They all are so beautiful that I can't even pick which ones I like best.

ETA: Wrong thread, but nevermind)

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

As long as it comes into my inbox, it's all good! (Also, I encourage my guests to converse with one another as they enjoy tea and cakes, so make yourself at home.)

Thanks muchly hon, and I just left a reply at su_herald at your first post, it's a dandy one. (I love those long lists.)

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thank you sweetie! And, you named some of my favorites. They all have a story behind them.

I was terribly afraid that the set would come off as "pick on Willow day" - now I want to do a proper yummy Willow/Tara set.

I'm feeling very calm about mom coming, which is good. So there's dust in the house? We'll clean together, mother-daughter bonding! (really, my mom loves to go to other people's houses and clean and organize. For free.)

*hugs you back* I shall try to make sure I check in here at least once a day whilst she's here, btw.

[debris4spike]

As I expected - stunning and well worth the wait!

I love the Full Body ... great cropping, and words. I love that scene ... wish their friendship had been able to really grow, without other problems over-shadowing it.

The image on Fear is lovely ... as is your work on Mod's choice. Hard to do justice to that lovely original image, but you have managed it.

Love Cat 1 especially - there is something about that image that capture both the loss that Buffy is going through, as well as how Tara always felt she wasn't a real Scoobie. The colouring is also great in Cat 3 & 4 ... and truly beautiful in AC 4

Love AC 1 ... I know you have a special respect for hands, and this is a great reminder of what their relationship was about when it was at it's best.

Wonderful job.

I know that the voting is going to be impossible again this month!

OOoops - forgot to wish you all the best for your visit with your mum.

I shall be sorry if you don't make more icons, as your work is both stunning, and has inspired me to stretch my boundaries.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the detailed comments sweetie - I was thrilled when I saw this come in my inbox yesterday! I wish I had time to give this justice, but with mom coming - I can say thank you, and the ones you pointed out are amoung my favorites. You were definitely among the people I had in mind while I was making these.

I love the Full Body ... great cropping, and words. I love that scene ... wish their friendship had been able to really grow, without other problems over-shadowing it.

I love this one too (I had to snag it for myself!) and yes to everything you said there. I have been wanting for two years to do something that captured that scene but never could, so to finally do so made me so happy. I had to make much larger versions first in order to get this - I can't wait to trot those out (I keep thinking what a powerhouse Tara would have been in S7.)

as well as how Tara always felt she wasn't a real Scoobie.

And I wasn't even conscious of that, so glad there's more "there there"!

I love the coloring in AC4 as well - I tried to decide between that one OR Heartbreak and couldn't so I went with both. She has such a lovely face - that and the fear cap, there's something about her, the architecture of her face is amazing - like a mountain, something eternal, something beautiful but not "dainty" or just surface-pretty.. I fell in love with Tara and Amber all over again making these.

inspired me to stretch my boundaries.

Really? And that's my prize right there! I'm not sure what I've done but I'm glad. You're a talented artist and you have so much heart, such compassion for these characters, and for the neglected ones (Joyce, etc) that I hope you keep going in those directions because it shows in the love you give the characters. Your Full body is still one of my personal favorites.

I don't think I shall give up icons, but I'll be doing more large work alongside. It's just easier to see.

Tuesday, August 12

[livejournal.livejournal.com]

User rbfvid referenced to your post from Tuesday, August 12 (http://su-herald.livejournal.com/739647.html) saying: [...] by thecynicalslayer Tara Maclay Icons [...]

[zanthinegirl.livejournal.com]

Oooh, pretty! I love the one with Dawn; that's my favorite Tara scene!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm very happy with how that came out.

[eilowyn.livejournal.com]

Hi, I completely disappeared and came back to your icon post! Snagging one of the Buffy/Tara icons for reasons. And I expect you'll be disappearing for a few days while your Mom's here?

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Snag away! I do have lots of alts but I think these are the best (except for maybe the Tara and Anya one, I have more grungy versions); and I have some large versions I love but I won't have time to post them this morning.

Yeah, I am going to be mostly MIA I expect while she's here (until the 20th) so lots of things won't get answered. I'll try to check in at least once a day.

[snogged.livejournal.com]

The Full Body one is lovely and evokes all the feelings. I love the sharpness of Tara's image in "Yellow" and how she seems to pop off the screen. The Tara/Dawn makes me smile. Those two were always great together.

Of the Category 2 icons, #1 and #4 are my faves.

For Author's Choice- I love that you draw attention to hands in the first one. Tara had beautiful hands that kind of remind me of that Jewel song from the '90's. AC 5 makes me laugh.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

You named some of my absolute favorites here. :)

ETA: Laughter was my goal with AC 5, so mission accomplished! It's not the prettiest icon by a long shot by I had to have at least one humourous one here.

And goodness yes, why aren't there more Dawn and Tara icons? or Dawn and Tara fic for that matter?

Which jewel song are you referring to? I didn't follow her very much. I do love hand imagery (I love women's hands in general, especially strong hands), love the hand imagery in the buffyverse and wanted something to pair with a Buffy/Faith handclasp icon I've made and also, I love the parallel between the spiritual handfasting in Hush and that in Chosen.

Hand imagery is my crack.

[snogged.livejournal.com]

This is the song I was thinking of:



My hands are small, I know, but they're not yours/ they are my own/ and they're not yours/ they are my own/ I am never broken.

The end is a bit religious, but the tone and theme of the song makes me think of Tara.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

The end is a bit religious, but the tone and theme of the song makes me think of Tara.

Oh this was during that veru short period when I had any interest in jewel

(and then she came out with that pop song and the video for it where she's in short shorts and a white tank top and suspenders as a "fireman" squirting a fire hose between my legs and...I am still trying to scrub the memory out of my mind's eye. A fireman when the floods roll back? I think not.)

You know what you reminded me of? The Indigo girls song "The girl with the weight of the world in her hands" If I could do fanvids I'd want to do one of Buffy with that song but I don't know why I didn't realize how PERFECT that would have been for this icon for both Buffy and Tara.
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/indigogirls/thegirlwiththeweightoftheworldinherhands.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EBtEdr47b4&list=PLE2C109996425A29F&index=19

Tara and Dawn are both "intermediaries", bridges between the The Hand (Buffy) and the Mind/Spiritus (Willow) .

[starry-night.livejournal.com]

Not at all, these are totally fine. In fact I love them...and also, yay for Tara icons <3
Great colouring and texture use in this set. I really love full body, yellow, fear, touch, mod's choice, all of the Cats, and AC 1, 2 & 5 :D

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

*phew!* (I could have just asked and spared myself some anxiety but I'm always working right up to the very last minute - none of these was "set" until I hit the post button.)

I'm so glad these work for you, and thank you for the compliments! I really worked a lot with color and texture on these, trying to teach myself, and I'm surprised by how cohesive they are as a set, mostly. At least to my eyes.)

[lokifan]

Full Body, Mod's Choice and AC4 are my favourites, but it's a lovely set all-round.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thank you sweetie! Those are definitely three of my favorites too (I almost left out Mod's Choice and AC 4 but just couldn't), but I'm glad they work together. I'm super-pleased with how the set came out overall.

[oh-cheezit.livejournal.com]

TARA!!!!! *bawls*

my favorites, yellow, cat3, cat4, cat5 ac1, and ac4

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

There, there, hon. *hugs*

Yay for Cat3 love! I have other versions of that I might should have used instead - looking at the row I realize it doesn't quite go.

Yellow was fun, just painting the background at a light opacity. And I really love AC4. I almost didn't inlcude it but could not bear not to have it there.

thank you so much.

[kikimay]

I'm back and your icons are really pretty! OMG the "Risk the pain" for Tara too, so appropriate! Best icon the Full Body Ones. One of your bests.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

YOU'RE BACK! *hugs* I've missed you sweetie, how are you?

And Thank you! I have textless versions of the Risk the Pain icons but I loved how well the First Slayer's words worked for Tara (Honorary Summers Woman).

Best icon the Full Body Ones. One of your bests.

This time I will actually agree with you. :)

[kikimay]

I'm good, thanks. I really needed the vacation. I'm glad we agree because it's a really kickass icon.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

See? You survived the semester! :) We all knew you would, Kiki.

it's a really kickass icon.

I added it to my user pics - I'm not sure if it's a good thing to do before a contest vote but I love it so.

I have textless versions - plus banner/poster size versions. I had so much fun with that image.

[kikimay]

See? You survived the semester! :) We all knew you would, Kiki.

Now it starts again. *shivers*

Can't wait to see the banner/poster.

[spikesredqueen.livejournal.com]

These are fab icons! My faves are AC2, Cat 4 & 5, Yellow, and Grunge! Great work here!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I'm really honored that you think so, thank you!

I love the way cat4 & 5 turned out - I sort of wish I'd done the entire category of just W/T in that scene. This really sharpened my desire to do a W/T claim.

Did you make that W/T "love" icon? It's gorgeous (and if you did HOW did you get the text behind Willow?)

[spikesredqueen.livejournal.com]

You should do a W/T claim if that's what you want to do, I'd love to see what all you come up with!

Yes, I did make it, thank you! :) I'll try to explain what I did the best I can. I use Photoshop and all I did was place a text-layer with the text I wanted and basically erased the part that covered Willow's arm so it looked as if she were standing in front of it of it. I used another icon (Kenzi from Lost Girl) with this reply for another example of one I made where the text is behind.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I'll try to explain what I did the best I can. I use Photoshop and all I did was place a text-layer with the text I wanted and basically erased the part that covered Willow's arm so it looked as if she were standing in front of it of it. I used another icon (Kenzi from Lost Girl) with this reply for another example of one I made where the text is behind.

Oh thank you for the explanation! I understand what you said although I don't think ipiccy gives me that capability. At least not while I'm working on both layers at once - I'd have to work on them as separate images and then guess where the erasure should happen.

You do a lovely job of it - and it's such a nifty effect I'm surprised I don't see more people use it. Is it particuarly advanced, difficult, or simply one not many people think to employ?

[spikesredqueen.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's difficult or advanced really. It just probably is something that isn't used too often is all :)

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Perhaps it looks harder than it really is? Of course any effect is daunting until you master it.

This round of Tara icons I really worked on "vector masks" and cutting shapes, based on one quick video tutorial and lotsa frustration.