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Music, writing, art are forever entwined
This is why I firmly believe that creative types (of any kind) are just a little bit crazy.
I have no idea why my creative muses decided they wanted to try being visually artistic, but they did. If you're brave, you can see the fruits of this labor behind the cut:
I've been looking at various contest communities to see if anything else interests me, and it appears there are a lot of "new" banner makers out there - hence, quite a bit of discussion on what programs they use. I've been thinking for awhile now that I'd like to have some sort of simple banner to advertise my "Fleeting" collection, something to break up the wall of text that accompanies the headers in the post. I thought, what the hell, I don't really need to do my very-important homework (*snerk*), let's see what's out there that's fairly easy to use but more sophisticated than MS Paint.
The process was...interesting...and after an inordinate number of hours, I managed to use this and this to come up with this, which will be accompanying my Inuyasha![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
un_love_you posts in the future:
First attempt has been trumped!
Holy God. I don't know how contest community banner makers do it, especially those that make individualized ones for three or four places worth of winners. There's nothing like building a whole new appreciation for these talented people, than after you've attempted to emulate them!
I'm not a visually artistic or musically inclined person in the least, but it's been a fun experiment to work with this - a different outlet for the muses, I guess. Just as they demand some certain song to work with, they like having a pretty visual representation to remind them of their jobs (if I can keep them in line, that is!). I've made a couple more for myself, which you can view on my Master Fic List, but I think this one is my very, very favorite:
I have no idea why my creative muses decided they wanted to try being visually artistic, but they did. If you're brave, you can see the fruits of this labor behind the cut:
I've been looking at various contest communities to see if anything else interests me, and it appears there are a lot of "new" banner makers out there - hence, quite a bit of discussion on what programs they use. I've been thinking for awhile now that I'd like to have some sort of simple banner to advertise my "Fleeting" collection, something to break up the wall of text that accompanies the headers in the post. I thought, what the hell, I don't really need to do my very-important homework (*snerk*), let's see what's out there that's fairly easy to use but more sophisticated than MS Paint.
The process was...interesting...and after an inordinate number of hours, I managed to use this and this to come up with this, which will be accompanying my Inuyasha
un_love_you posts in the future:
Holy God. I don't know how contest community banner makers do it, especially those that make individualized ones for three or four places worth of winners. There's nothing like building a whole new appreciation for these talented people, than after you've attempted to emulate them!
I'm not a visually artistic or musically inclined person in the least, but it's been a fun experiment to work with this - a different outlet for the muses, I guess. Just as they demand some certain song to work with, they like having a pretty visual representation to remind them of their jobs (if I can keep them in line, that is!). I've made a couple more for myself, which you can view on my Master Fic List, but I think this one is my very, very favorite:
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I ended up making a sort of header banner for one of my fics on accident once, when I was trying to make a contest winner banner for a totally different fic (which was also mine, go figure). XD I'm way too chicken to post it with the fic updates though. I'm inordinately proud of it, but I don't think I'm ready to show it to anyone else yet.
I'll have to go check out the others you made. These things always fascinate me for some reason.
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I've never really looked for anime screencaps before so it's all still hearts and roses for me, hehe. I don't want to use somebody's fanart (even though there are some WONDERFUL pieces that would make my life easier) because that would make me feel awkward.
I've been using Photoshop long enough that the rest of the process is a snap - seriously, removing backgrounds and retouching images is half of my job. Not so good at adding extra brushes, textures, etc. but the basics are second nature by now. lol
o.O Just thinking the word "Photoshop" makes me want to keel over. I feel like it's something I'd never, ever be able to use no matter how much I wanted to or tried :P These were done with Paint.NET's software. I've been doing photo-editing for a good five years or so now, so that experience definitely helped.
It really does get easier with practice.
Indeed :) The Fleeting banner took the longest because it was my first attempt at *everything* - cutting away backgrounds, retouching, coloring, etc. Mostly I'm having issues with getting everything sized properly...and having the patience to recolor. I'm sure there's an easier way to do it than by hand, but I figure it's good to be acquainted with the hardest way first, LOL!
I'm way too chicken to post it with the fic updates though. I'm inordinately proud of it, but I don't think I'm ready to show it to anyone else yet.
You totally should!! You can take my "wow this is awkward but I totally wanna share" road and put it behind a cut :P
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Really? It's actually pretty easy to use. I mean... somehow I even managed to teach my mom how to use it... lol
I figure it's good to be acquainted with the hardest way first, LOL!
Yup! My sister and I started photo-editing in MS Paint way back in the day, before "graduating" to Paint Shop Pro. When my sis went on to become an art student she had to get Photoshop, which she shared with me. I use PS at my job, too, so I get lots of practice. I went the same route with web design, too. I'm one of the few web designers I know that can create an entire webpage, start to finish, using only photoshop and a text editor (most of my "designer" friends can't create squat without Fireworks and Dreamweaver to do all the work for them). XD I figure if you do it the hard way first, it doesn't matter what equipment you have, you can always manage to get the job done. And I actually have a lot more respect for the people that do things the hard way and do them well, because, well, it's harder. lol
You can take my "wow this is awkward but I totally wanna share" road and put it behind a cut
lol, I dunno. We'll see. *prods the banner again*
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I'm honored that you are offering to do one for me.
I found a great Miroku pic (but not the one I want - I am holding out to find a certain scene from episode 78) that fits with (my read of) your story, and I thought it'd be a good spark of inspiration to get through the entire prompt table :) I don't know about you, but knowing I'll write 30 pieces to finish it is kinda intimidating.
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Then I suppose there's hope for me yet :P
I guess its because people treat it like it's Srs Bzns and get all into the different brushes and textures and effects and whatnot (I can honestly say, I don't know what half of those things are...), and there are serious digital artists who use it to create their work. Since I could never do that, using it to do something like make header banners for my fanfiction seems like a bit of a waste?
I use PS at my job, too, so I get lots of practice.
*shrug* Well, I'm using this software for my own personal use & enjoyment. One of the reasons I could never be an artist, aside from complete lack of any sort of drawing skill, is that I am totally a perfectionist - nothing would *ever* pass my personal inspection, LOL.
I'm one of the few web designers I know that can create an entire webpage, start to finish, using only photoshop and a text editor (most of my "designer" friends can't create squat without Fireworks and Dreamweaver to do all the work for them). XD
I feel you. Back when I still had my website (eons ago) I used an HTML editor but coded the entire thing by hand. When I *had* to use Dreamweaver for a class, I was all WTF? It was very frustrating to use as I'd already taught myself some shortcuts that it didn't recognize.
I figure if you do it the hard way first, it doesn't matter what equipment you have, you can always manage to get the job done. And I actually have a lot more respect for the people that do things the hard way and do them well, because, well, it's harder. lol
Totally agree! Experimenting with this has ramped up my appreciation for artists of all stripes 100x. It's definitely harder than it appears, to do something well and make it look flawless.
lol, I dunno. We'll see. *prods the banner again*
You know you want to...dust it off and make it shine again... :D
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<3
PP
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I'm going to give Paint.net a try. PhotoShop makes me want to throw my computer out of the window! Instead, I just curse at an inanimate object, solidifing my position as a crazy woman!
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Just make sure you go to the right website, LOL...it's a bit confusing, because the name of the program is an amalgamation of 2 pieces of software. But the instructions are pretty intuitive:
http://www.getpaint.net/
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That's the limitation of only using official artwork - Sesshoumaru's clothes never change :P
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Yeah, you just have to ignore the SRS BSNS people... and then once you know the basics it's really not that bad. You can do a lot of things with Photoshop, but you don't have to.
It was very frustrating to use as I'd already taught myself some shortcuts that it didn't recognize.
I know! I hate clunky html-editor code, and the roundabout way you have to do most things... I had to use Dreamweaver and Fireworks to create a site for a class once. lol, I used those programs for all of two days, then gave up and coded my site by hand.
It's definitely harder than it appears, to do something well and make it look flawless.
*nods* No kidding. My sister once worked on a single vector every day for over two months before she could call it "good enough" to turn in. It's an awesome piece, but daaaaaamn it took a long time. I don't have the eye or the patience for "real" art, lol, but I can manage little banners and some web design.
You know you want to...dust it off and make it shine again... :D
I do. But something's not right yet... Not quite sure what it is, but I'll keep prodding it till I figure it out! XD
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I can totally see that, though. I hate how perfectionist I can be, and it seems this sort of art is harder to correct that a piece of prose or poetry - you really have to commit to every change you make, LOL.
I have to say, though, as I was doing this (basically, photo-manipulation), that I don't see where art thieves have the time/patience/diligence to thieve, especially if they aren't lazy and just snatch something out of a gallery - but if they manipulate it in some way (which is what seems to cheese off the artists more than simple re-uploading). Crimeny, it'd be easier to draw something from scratch yourself!!
I definitely don't have the patience to draw or paint. With my writing, I can let it sit for days (or weeks, or...months...), but with art, I feel like it'd be staring me in the face all the time, LOL.
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Oh! Your banners were fine! I was just a little ignorant... but, damn, Is it me or is he somehow HOTTER without the facial markings?
(In my most secret thoughts, I sometimes think his moon looks silly...)
<3
PP
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Yes, I think that ever since I saw this portrait I've realized that he looks great with or without his facial markings *drool*
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I had a look at the episode myself, so I can tell you exactly. It's at 15:43, when Miroku & Sango pass each other on the veranda. If you can get the shot where both of them have their eyes closed (I had to run it frame by frame to make sure I wasn't mis-remembering), I'd be forever grateful, and then some.
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Thanks!!! *eternally grateful, as promised* :D
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