My Entries for btvsats20in20 Round 11: " Surprise / Innocence "

[red_satin_doll]

My set for Round 11 of btvsats20in20:

As always, kudos and praise for my fabulous beta-Muse velvetwhip, for her ceaseless and generous encouragement, support and inspiration. And big THANK YOU to starry_night for once again extending the deadline.

Teasers:       

10 Themes
Vulnerable	Battle	Pink + White	Dress Up	Scenery
Obscured	Pattern	Strong	Vampire	Inside
5 Category |COLOUR PALETTE
Cat 1	Cat 2	Cat 3	Cat 4	Cat 5
5 Artist's Choice
AC 1	AC 2	AC 3	AC 4	AC 5

Some alts and extras:

           1 - 6




          7 - 12




          13 - 17




      18 - 22




       23 - 27




        28 - 32





      33 - 36

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~ Comments however are appreciated :)

Comments

[feliciacraft.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow! Too many to choose favorites! Suffice it to say that I love all of the Buffy icons and Joyce icons: Vulnerable, Strong, Cat5, and AC4.

I went through the alts 1-6, and 7-12, and agree with your final choices for both. Also partial to 13, 19, and 23 (the last because Cat3 is so haunting). You capture hurt Buffy really well!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Suffice it to say that I love all of the Buffy icons and Joyce icons

Thank you so much! This calls for a celebratory gif:



Which is to say, I LOVE your choices, obviously. :D

I went through the alts 1-6, and 7-12, and agree with your final choices for both.

I was ready to submit alt #2 for Pink and White - I have to give credit to my esteemed beta-Muse for making rethink that choice. Sometimes I fall a little too much in love with the surface, if that makes sense?

23 (the last because Cat3 is so haunting)

That image/set of icons has been very well received and I didn't expect that, but that one is a tip 'o the mouse to sweet_lyri; I wanted to try something in the style I've seen her use, with the character being submerged in shadow.

You capture hurt Buffy really well!

THANK YOU. Is it awful that this comment made my day? I love Buffy so much and it's probably a little mean to dwell on her hurt but I get her on so many levels.

[snogged.livejournal.com]

Oh wow! These are so fantastic.
Favorites include: vulnerable, dress up, obscured, strong, and AC 1.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thank you m'lady! I think dress up and obscured are two of the niftiest icons I've done. And they are both very "meta" (plus, working with images of men are a challenge for me.) I'm so pleased you noticed them. :D

AC1 was a very last minute choice btw.

[teragramm.livejournal.com]

Very nice! I especially like AC1, Cat3 and obscured. Great job!!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thank you hon!

Obscured is one of the icons I'm most pleased with; I had no plan with that one. and I'm really surprised by how popular Cat 3 has been so far. That icon was actually sort of a homage to sweet_lyri; I want to experiment with her style of submerging characters in deep shadow. I would have thought of the cat icons that people would go for #5. (Not that I'm complaining, mind. :D)

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

Just incredible! Wow! Excellent choices for the themes, excellent alts, just... wow!


Gabrielle

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I was about to say "you saw these...." and then realized you hadn't outside of the small handful.

And thank you VERY much for your input!

Earning a "Wow" from you is no small thing and I don't take it lightly

[baphrosia.livejournal.com]

All the fabulousness!!

(Every time I see the Giles one, I think "noose". And then I realize it's a handle thingie in his car.)

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

(Every time I see the Giles one, I think "noose". And then I realize it's a handle thingie in his car.)

*LMAO* I almost cut that background out entirely but - nah, not enough time, too lazy, it sets the scene, etc. Now I'm never going to be able to unsee "noose"

thank you for commenting, hon!

[double_dutchess]

I had the exact same thing with the noose; I thought it was intentional on your part!

And whee, icon :-)

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Damn I should have pretended it was intentional (isn't that what I always tell my friends who are writers?)

Therefore *ahem* It was a completely intentional meta statement on my part! (And you can buy this bridge in Brooklyn for zero percent down,,,,)

And whee, icon :-)

I thought it was about time I made a nice Giles icon.

[double_dutchess]

I thought it was about time I made a nice Giles icon.

But you already made a nice Giles icon before (cuppa tea). More is better though!

To be honest I was squeeing over you using MY icon -- I know, self-centered much (but I guess that goes for both of us :-)

ETA: umm, and it's gone now, so what I said really doesn't make sense anymore...

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh I forgot about that icon! It's what happens when you produce so many (and that one didn't win an award or get much attention. So i"m glad you remember it!)

To be honest I was squeeing over you using MY icon

Do you mean the Giles one *points to user pic* And yeah, I'm always jazzed when I see someone I know using my icons and then using them back at me is just an extra kick. So I try to do the same for other folks as much as possible.

[double_dutchess]

Do you mean the Giles one *points to user pic*

Yes I do -- it was also up there in your previous post, I swear :-) And I got a kick out of it too, so thanks.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Did it have the other icon before? I don't recall that it did but my brain = sieve so it's possible. Both your icons I've snagged are totally adorable at any rate and I'm proud to use them!

I wonder if you'll ever do a round of 20in20? I'd be interested to see what you come up with. Are you going to do the next round of Slayerstillness, "Family"? That's a perfect fit for the S10 comics actually.

[double_dutchess]

Did it have the other icon before?

It had this one; don't know what happened to it. And thanks!

It's highly unlikely I will ever do a 20in20 -- much too time consuming. And Slayerstillness is tempting, but time is an issue there too. In fact, I'm also not going to be able to make anything for whedonelite this round. Summer holidays are almost over, productivity drops...

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

It's highly unlikely I will ever do a 20in20 -- much too time consuming.

It honestly is - I can do it again now that I'm once more unemployed. And even at that I pull at least one or three all-nighters to get them done. Budgeting time and getting finished early are not habits I've cultivated.

I think what keeps me participating is partly the fact that it's forced me to really improve very quickly in a year but I needed to improve. A year ago I didn't know what a layer or texture was.

Summer holidays are almost over, productivity drops...

Ah well, I'll be grateful for what you do make.

[starry-night.livejournal.com]

These are beautiful hon! As always, great interpretations of the themes and I love your compositions and colouring. My faves are vulnerable, pink + white (and all of its alts), obscured, vampire, inside, C1-2, C4, AC2, AC4 and AC 5. Great set! :)

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

I was hoping you'd notice pink+white (and it's alts) especially, you were one of the people I had in mind when I made that one. You're the first person to single out the vampire icon; I have a special fondness for that character. You're also the first person to notice AC2 - highlighting the forgotten/misused characters in the 'verse seems to be a pet project of mine *lol*

And thank you once again for the extensions, as always. The four sets look terrific next to one another, don't they?

[starry-night.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome :)
And yeah, they really do look great together. That's why I love the voting posts and seeing all the different sets together.

[lokifan]

Oh, I love these! Especially pattern, vulnerable, strong and battle.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thank you hon!

Vulnerable and strong show two very different sides to Buffy, don't they?

[emmatheslayer.livejournal.com]

epic icons

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thank you muchly, hon!

I've taken a look at the voting posts and I'm super impressed by your icons all over again.

[double_dutchess]

Yes, you made it! I didn't want to look at this post before voting, and it turns out I voted for quite a few of yours. I love Vulnerable, Pink+White, Pattern, Inside, Cat 3 (als the blue variant #27), Cat 5 and AC 4. And I think the Obscured icon is sheer brilliance!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Yes I did, finally! it took more than one all-nighter to pull it off (Do I think I'm still 20 years old or something? *lol*)

Thank you for your support and encouragement btw because I almost threw in the towel more than once so - knowing there are folks out there who actually want to see what I produce is a HUGE motivation.

You like Pink+White, yay! I like the one too; I tried really hard to get that luster and smoothness to Buffy's face, the brightness of the color etc (and then I got and add surface grunge because that's the way I roll *lol*)

the Obscured icon is sheer brilliance!

*blushes* THANK YOU! That was basically a happy accident, I think - although now I can see the resemblance between it and the SMG icon I personalized for you. I've worked so hard recently to improve sharpness and clarity of my icons so it was interesting to go the other direction on purpose.

[double_dutchess]

I love how rosy and flawless Buffy looks in the Pink+White one.

And for Obscured you're right about the resemblance to the SMG icon. I hadn't even thought of that, but it's probably part of why I like it. But it's not just because it's a beautiful icon, but also because I really love how you interpreted the theme -- obscured by smoke! -- plus the simple fact that you did an uncle Enyos icon. I'm sure nobody has ever thought of that before!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

how rosy and flawless Buffy looks in the Pink+White one.

I love that one too - I probably love some of it's alts even more. I have no idea how I got her to look that good, honestly.

but also because I really love how you interpreted the theme -- obscured by smoke! -

Pink+white was going to be obscured (then Willow with her hat, then any number of Buffy, Dru or Willow images) and then I saw that cap of Uncle Enyos and that was that. I knew I wanted an Uncle Enyos icon because I'm sure I've never seen one before either

I had intended to include Jenny but that didn't happen obviously.

[killing-kurare.livejournal.com]

Oh my, I totally forgot to comment on your set :o

As always I adore the creativity you show when making icons <3 And your claims of course!
I think your sets are exciting for you try different styles. Vintage, vibrant, texture … I really like that ^^

Anyway, my favs are: Vulnerable (that one’s truly amazing, I’ve been in love with it right away), Dress Up (love that interesting blend of the frame :D), obscured (SOOOO CREATIVE!! And I love the use of colors and softening and stuff!), inside (the way you interpreted it is amazing :D And DRUUUU! Perfect pick :D), Cat3 (love the coloring with the shadows. It’s so dark, depressing, menacing even in a way … wow :D), Cat 4 (complete opposite :D light, sunny, colorful, Willow <3), Cat5 (love the idea with that border! And it’s such a great crop <3), AC3 (that one’s so deep in a way … I think it shows Drusilla’s state of mind sometimes, kinda clouded, lonely, misunderstood … you know?)
Furthermore I adore Alts 3 (love that subtil coloring), 4 (soft <3), 9 and 10, 13 (love the brightness) <3

Great work!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Oh my, I totally forgot to comment on your set :o

And I totally forgot to say THANK YOU for your kind and thorough comments, forgive me? Also, why haven't I friended you yet? What's wrong with me? Ok, I just amended that.

I think your sets are exciting for you try different styles. Vintage, vibrant, texture … I really like that ^^

*blushes* Oh gosh thank you you really are too kind! I do experiment a lot, I think because textures and layers are still so new for me, I only started working with layers a year ago so I'm very much a kid in a candy store. I don't know that I have "a recognizable style" but that in and of itself maybe is my style. I tend to go back and forth between very stylized and very naturalistic.

I'm very impressed with your picks, especially that you singled out Dress up, Cat 5, inside and AC3. I was really proud of those, especially AC3. You absolutely nailed what I was getting at with it. Dru deserved SO MUCH better than the story gave her; she's such a tragic character and yet she endures, she has a quiet strength despite everything. She parallels Buffy in so many ways and she's so completely overlooked and underestimated. It's tragic, isn't it?

[killing-kurare.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the friendrequest! Of course I also added you right away (well, kinda, for I just came back from vacation :3) :D
And yeah, I also forget to send these out (I think I didn't even add half of the people on my list ._.) because I see so much of people I like in the contests and ficathons and coms and stuff ...

And you deserve a detailed comment in my opinion because you do the very same thing :) You always have so nice words for my icons and sets, and I really like you as a person (as far as it comes to internet-activity, but you know xD) and so I'm happy my comment made you a little happy :D Even though I'm always soooo late when it comes to commenting >.<

So yeah, you're more than welcome :)

And I don't even know if I have anything like a 'personal style' ... I think it also depends on my mood *shrug* if you simply compare Tara/Willow and my Fanged Fours they are pretty different I guess ... Also in color and use of texture, vibrancy and stuff. So it's hard to tell :D And I totally get you when it comes to that 'kid in a candy store' effect! There are so many textures and possibilities! It's hard to choose sometimes ^^

Oh, Dru ... she's my Baby <3 I agree with you that it's a pity they didn't explore her character more, for there is so much going on with this poor lady they could've made more episodes about her.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Hey you never know I might have bodies hidden in the basement. (Ok I don't. My "darkness" is reserved for emotional angst and chocolate.)

Oh, Dru ... she's my Baby <3 I agree with you that it's a pity they didn't explore her character more, for there is so much going on with this poor lady they could've made more episodes about her.

They've brought her back for the Angel and Faith comics which I don't read but I expect they'll use her as a plot device as always. She has the most fascinating backstory of any of the Fang Gang (and almost any character in the Buffyverse period) and they had a fantastic performer in Juliet Landau and they did not know what to do with her.

I honestly think it could have been fascinating to have Drusilla come back rather than Spike. (Sacriledge I know.) In some ways she tracks with the ostensible themes of the series even better than Spike; she's definitely the first character to represent Buffy's slide into mental illness and she could have had a fantastic character arc. Her visions also parallel Slayer dreams. Joss ls fascinated by tearing characters down and rending them "completely powerless" and seeing what they do then. (This must be a middle class thing, IDK) Who embodies that better than Dru? Who experiences worse traumas, is torn down lower and further from her original personality as a human? She could have been incredibly powerful as either a Big Bad or an ultimate ally. But instead she's emotionally abandoned by her lover (fandom is really hard on her about that. Like, they forget she's a vampire and doesn't have to adhere to conventional human morals? And that she's mentally ill? Hello?)

And then she's pretty well ignored in fandom as well. It's tragic. She DESERVES some truly epic fic.