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

[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.