Not giving up my day job

[gwyn]

I wanted an icon of Spike from Not Fade Away and didn't want to ask anyone to make it for me, since it's only rarely I can con someone into it, anyway, and I had an idea in mind. This is the first icon I've ever made myself, with the copy of Photoshop Elements talking_sock so kindly gave me for Christmas last year. Even though it's the Joe Schmo lite version of p-shop, I still have a lot of trouble grasping how to use it. P-shop queen of the experts black_bird_777 gave me some tips which I've promptly forgotten (here's warning you, hon, that I need more lessons), and while I managed to figure out how to do what I wanted for a couple of these, some of them turned out way different than they looked when I closed them out, especially the Lindsey one. I'd managed to get some cool lighting effects and now it just looks washed out... may have to try this one again later. The problem is, of course, that I have no idea what I'm doing, and I'm no artist. I have a good eye for beautiful things, but I can't translate that into creating it (the same reason I'm such a pedestrian vidder).

Anyways, just in case someone's looking for a really amateurish, boring, and lame icon, you're free to take if you find it mildly amusing -- these are definitely the baby steps of a non-artist, so feel free to laugh mockingly, I expect it. I'm having a lot of trouble with the whole brush concept, and keeping the type clean -- stuff that's probably totally easy for most folks to understand leaves me scratching my head. But anyways... All of them are made with captures from the lovely wisteria_'s screen caps site.



1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

And now I need to go back outside again and quit wasting time with this stuff. Every time the sun comes out, I go outside to work on stripping the chipping paint off the deck, and it rains, so I come inside, work on these stupid things, then the sun comes back out. Grrrr.

Comments

[electrcspacegrl.livejournal.com]

I think #1 and 2 are pretty good. I'm not very good at icon making icons myself (see userpic) and I pretty much gave up trying and just use other people's.

I'm snagging #2 to maybe use in the future. Will credit. Thanks!

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Well, I see so many beautiful icons out there that it's initimidating to want to make them, but when you have an idea and no other way to get it made... necessity is the mother of invention!

[electrcspacegrl.livejournal.com]

Yeah I just stopped trying to use text because I suck.

[varina8.livejournal.com]

I like #1 and #2 a great deal. My ondolences on the deck. I hate chipping paint, ranks up there with stripping paint. That one is my least favorite task in the universe.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it was a fun weekend. Not. Oh well, at least it's ready for the wood restorer now. ;-)

[kathyh]

I like those very much, particularly 2. YOu are most definitely not a non-artist. I use Photoshop Elements myself and do find it frustrating when I can't quite do some of the things that other programmes will do. I find that the more I make icons and see what other people can do the more hyper-critical I get of my own. Trouble is icon-making seems to be addictive.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I'm just bewildered by the tools, and I have a hard time putting what I see in my head onto "paper." For a while, I tried my hand at collage art, and I wasn't bad, but I also wasn't good. I have ideas but can't seem to translate them visually.

[umbo.livejournal.com]

Those are far, far better than my initial attempts at icons, or even my more recent attempts! Of course, I'm using a freeware program rather than any version of photoshop, but still, I think these are beautiful. I'm not going to take one, because I prefer my icons with just "shell" on them, but I have to say I'd be very pleased if I had one of that picture of Wes with my name on it...

*hugs*

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I'll see what I can do -- I'm not sure if I can unlayer or use the original psd file and get the same effect, but it's a test maybe! I'll only learn from doing.

[lumenara.livejournal.com]

These are much more artsy than the icons I usually manage. You might want to try brightening up/changing the text colors on #3 and #6, though, they seem a little hard to read. Otherwise, I think they're lovely.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you know, I tried best I could to brighten the Wes one, but the type treatment I chose won't let me get better than this latest version, and now that I see it on the Windows monitor I'm stuck with at work, it does look dark. I hate that most Windoze machines register everything so damn dark -- I guess I'm spoilt by the lovely monitors I always have on my Macs! Wah! Oh well, it's not like anyone's going to use them, so I think it's okay if I just use them myself and pretend they're fine. ;-)

[rainkatt.livejournal.com]

Love the Spike one. I seem to be collecting icons with that pose... will probably use a bit later, and I will credit.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I know. I amassed quite a collection too, but then I realized that none of them were *quite* what I wanted, and that's how I ended up doing these.

Hey! I'm having some technical problems with the vid (the slow-mo effect is doing this weird vibrating thing in some shots), but otherwise, if I can work them out, am just about done. If you think of it, drop me your address again, and I'll send you the latest disc and you can see the vid that started all the tape mania. I'm pleased with it except for the tech problems, though I don't know how well it'll go over for most folks.

[fishsanwitt]

Stop beating yourself up :) These are cool! I love #1 and #5.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you. It's just hard when you see the wonderful stuff others come up with, and know that you're not really in that league but wish you were.

[sweet-ali.livejournal.com]

Gah, stop your beating of yourself, these are pretty good, considering this is your very first try. And hey, you know how "talented" i am, as you are the sole bearer of the one icon i've ever made :P

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Well, I love my icon -- it's the only time anyone's ever made one just for me! And you used just the right shot.

[sweet-ali.livejournal.com]

Aw, well, I'm glad you like it, sweet *smooch*