But first, a word from our sponsor:

[red_satin_doll]

btvsats20in20; Please vote in three TIEBREAKERS for Round 4 (Cat & AC placement and promo picture) and remember to vote in all three. (None of mine btw, so no vested interest here. Nor any kickback or payola deals for the pimpage. No money changin' hands. Not even brownies. I'd accept brownies. With or without nuts.)

Sign-ups for Round 5 "Rainbow Challenge" began today and will remain open throughout the round as always. This time there is no need to announce a claim but themes will be forthcoming; see the sign up post and this post for details.

The remaining Tara alts/extras from Round 3. It astonished me all over again how lovely Amber Benson is:

01 If someone wants to put text on this or play with it...I just can't be fussed, I like it as-is.

    Teasers for more icons behind the cut.....

    02-05
I couldn't remember where I got the phrase for #3 until I looked again at velvetwhip's userpics the other day; although I was vaguely aware of a debt to Barbara Krueger (and goodness knows how many graphic artists.) I had always wanted to do that combination of text overlay with out-of-focus close-up.


      06-10

        

11-14
I had a lot of fun playing with this cap.  Really.  To other folks these might be old hat but to me they were something in the way of luminousity I'd never achieved in an image before. I didn't even notice until I was nearly finished with the set how the flame from the candle disappears into her hair but I love that it does. The trees in #13-15 & 23-25 are from a photo I took in my backyard.

15-18 You're not seeing all the deleted efforts. You're welcome!

19-21
Lessons learned: Save everything before I add text.  Apply the shine effect (21) after I save a textless version AND after I add text. I didn't. I wanted to add "Yoga is good for the body and soul". Couldn't scrunch it in, and the shine made it hard to read.

22-25
The resemblance of the trees to scars on Tara's face was one of those accidents that pleased me and completely freaked me out; unintentional in any case, and you can read into it what you like, or nothing at all. Be back before Dawn....




 

Comments

[snogged.livejournal.com]

Beautiful work, sweetie!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thank you, m'lady!

It actually feels good to put these out there, I have such a backlog of stuff I've let pile up since the last round.

ETA: How often would you say is "too often" to post? (not like I'm going to ever hit that mark really.) But sometimes I want to post stuff and I "just" did a post a few hours before, does it really matter?

[bangel-4e.livejournal.com]

I've read all of this and all I could think was: UHMMM BROWNIES!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

*wicked chuckle*

ETA ignore my previous ETA assuming you even saw it and - yeah, brownies!

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

These are marvelous! Also, I'm chuffed that my userpics played a small role here.

You are becoming a better artist every day!


Gabrielle

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much, Gabrielle! I've had so much support here in what I'm doing.

It's fun to remember how much I was struggling to learn certain techniques (like cutting out shapes) that round.

And I'm sure you know which userpic I mean - the Willow S4 heartache one, I can't recall who made it (my bad for not giving proper credit.)

You are becoming a better artist every day!

THANK YOU. *hugs*

[kikimay]

I really like the unfocused banner and the icons 4 and 5 especially. I just love this "write on the skin" effect.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thanks sweetie! I really like that poster too (I meant to "finish" it or something but don't want to touch it now.) I actually prefer icons 2-3 to 4-5 but you know I can't resist playing with that text texture now that I know how to use it.

But THAT WOMAN'S FACE MY GOD. Very different to Sarah's face (esp late seasons) but both timeless in different ways, and I love working with both of them. I've seen photos online of Amber in Supernatural, I think? Recent ones where it appears she's lost some weight and it looks so so wrong on her.

[kikimay]

She seems thinner, yes. I think she really is.

(Btw, love the icon you're using now. And brunette Amber with short hair? HOW?)

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, interesting! And thank you so much! I'm not just "seeing things" when I see that aspect of scarring? I meant it to mean something very different but - I like there's another "there there"..

Did I ever say congratulations on the otherworldlyrics win, btw? I honestly cannot recall.

ETA: I just saw the winners posted at slayerstillness, congrats on Most Creative!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

ETA: I just made this icon my default, thanks to you noticing it!

It's a shot from "Dust Up" (2012) as the character Ella.
http://cherrygrrl.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Amber-Benson-as-Ella.jpg
http://cherrygrrl.com/interview-buffy-fame-indie-passion-more-with-amber-benson/
http://www.horrortalk.com/movie-reviews/2938-dust-up-movie-review.html

Something about a meth addict husband and a mashup of horror film and musical and lots of gore. Um, sure, whatever. BUTHER EYES MY GOD I HAD TO DO SOMETHING WITH IT. I want to use it again in a banner. Maybe for Kwritten's fic series? :)

I've seen some other shots from that film that - aren't so nice.

[kikimay]

It's really lovely and Amber looks good with short hair, plus she looks more mature in a sexy, really nice way. I love to use new photos to imagine the characters post series and in a happy place.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

It's really lovely and Amber looks good with short hair,plus she looks more mature in a sexy, really nice way
Amen. Have you seen this one of her from Sundance film fest (around 2010?)
https://media.zenfs.com/en_us/Movies/PhotoG/2010-sundance-film-festival-portraits-amber-benson-40517.jpg

And I know your love for Michelle Trachenberg, have you seen this pic?
http://s133.photobucket.com/user/RedSatinDoll/media/BUFFY/8dawn168_zps88c089f7.jpg.html?sort=6&o=13

[kikimay]

Amen. Have you seen this one of her from Sundance film fest (around 2010?)
https://media.zenfs.com/en_us/Movies/PhotoG/2010-sundance-film-festival-portraits-amber-benson-40517.jpg

Wow, the hair are fabolous and she looks very good. (I really like cute short hair XD)
And Michelle looks good too. They're aging well.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Well they're still quite young after all. *lol* But yes, Amber does look very good with short hair and I wouldn't have expected it, she's not a tiny woman. But neither was Gertrude Stein...and Gertrude wasn't pretty like Amber is but she had powerful features. Amber also does but in a different way - a face carved from rock on a cliffside. And GORGEOUS eyes. Which is why she needs a little softness and weight otherwise her features can look too sharp. I've seen a couple of pics where she almost looks underweight and it's worrying.

That shot of Michelle always reminds me of TigerDragon's post series Faith/Buffy tics on AO3, The girls in question series, where Dawn is their Watcher (and the Slayer/Watcher relationship is obviously very different to the show's.)

Friday October 10

[livejournal.livejournal.com]

User audela referenced to your post from Friday October 10 (http://su-herald.livejournal.com/752804.html) saying: [...] Jareth/Sarah, ensemble. Teen. Crossover with Labyrinth. [Images & videos] Icons: Tara [...]

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

What I see is her lost in the woods of her own sadness

That was exactly my intention! :) The phrase "lost in the woods" I used on the entry icon came from Morphine's Song "the Night/Lila", but you may already know that. That song has been a huge inspiration for me when it comes to btvs and artwork.

(I think you're the first person to single that icon out btw although I may be wrong. Memory, sieve, eek.)

As for OWL ... yes you've congratulated me a few times for that. Thank you.

:P

And wait, what is this about your hands?

The smile Vamp Willow icon I made was like that - last minute joke. The fact that that won a first place and not so many others I've worked really hard on reallly boggles me still.

[desdemonaspace]

How lovely! You do beautiful work.

She is my favorite Jossverse character.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much! That's quite the compliment. (your banner/manip on your journal is lovely, btw.) Welcome to my journal and please look around - I have other Tara-related artworks and posts with more to come.

How did you find out about this post btw, via the su_herald?

[lynnylou.livejournal.com]

Just stunning!

[snogged.livejournal.com]

I don't think it matters at all.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Oh goodness, thank you muchly!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I don't either, to be honest - particularly when there's interesting content to share.

[desdemonaspace]

I believe so, or perhaps Petzipellepingo's daily recs. If you like Tara fanart, you should check out the graphics in my Spike-Tara novel, linked to in my userinfo. I was lucky to have so many talented manippers gift me with beautiful graphics.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the rec, I'll check them out!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I don't actually do things like type. I use Dragon Naturally Speaking because I have major joint issues plus fairly chronic carpal tunnel in both wrists. I can't even hold a pencil or pen long enough to write a legible word.

Oh my gosh no, I didn't know. I'm even more in awe of what you achieve!

ended up selling it because I couldn't use it.

That's a shame. why not?

And I've never been that good at verbally telling a story. Especially detailed ones. If I do write fic, it's almost always a very broad overview.

Without having your challenges - I have an opposite problem with writing; I get too detailed, too bogged down along the way but am horrid at the "grand plan" or plotting. I have reams of notebooks filled but I'm going in circles; whereas I'm very good at public speaking and thinking on my feet. And digital art - there's something oddly visceral about it. And no plot to lose - everything has to be there in the single image or not at all.

So I show her videos and help her pick out books at the library.

Not trying to minimize what you've lost, but its lovely what you do together and that she has you. I'm glad that she has you. Encouragement and presence are terribly under celebrated.

so don't get all wibbly lip on me

I'm not I promise! :) No, I don't think you're whining, not one little bit. And I'm just admiring your spirit. (If I get teary-eyed now and again btw - I'm a crier. I'm convinced that is my job in life, to feel deeply on behalf of all the folks in the world who cannot. (or so I tells myself)