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[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

[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]

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.)