More icons

[vilakins]

The last of them, I think. I made these are for quarryquest who wanted the carnivorous plants from Saurian Major. She has a choice of two--a single plant, and three of them with Avon and Vila. quarryquest, I haven't added any text so let me know if you want any. These were hard to do, what with the pictures being so monochrome, so I took some liberties with the colour. And hey, comics aren't supposed to be realistic! Amyway, let me know which one you take. :-)

Comments

[mistraltoes.livejournal.com]

Oh, that second one's really cute! :)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Yeah, if quarryquest doesn't want it, I'll either keep it or put it up for adoption.

[spacefall.livejournal.com]

I love these icons. :))

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Me too, which is why I'm having so much fun making them.

[trixieleitz]

Have been meaning to say, that is a neat effect - how do you do it? Is it similar to how I did my Inara icon, with added colour?

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Actually it's a lot easier, I found. I'll have to have another go at that. How do you get your marbled background effect? I love your icon--it's just beautiful and very elegant.

Anyway, the tutorial is here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/not_a_painter/5352.html). If I could adapt your Gimp tutorial to PSE2, I'm sure you can. Basically I improve the contrast and lighting, apply poster edges, set the threshold levels till it looks workable, do some cleaning up and freehand drawing of missing lines, add two now layers and move the first one to the top, delete the white, colour in the next layer down, then add an effect or colour graduation to the bottom layer.

I was going to add some cartoons to my site and I think I'll use this method to create them--when I get the time.

[trixieleitz]

That looks like a useful tute - thanks!

I did the marbled effect thus:
Create a new layer;
Render solid noise (In Gimp, [rightclick]/Filters/Render/Clouds/Solid Noise);
Adjust layer opacity until you like the effect. I used about 20%.

I hope you can re-create that in PSE - I don't know what filters it comes with! I did something similar to your chocolate icon, and to altariel1's Garak "make an end" icon.
Another thing I like to do is make the new layer larger than the image. Then you can move the texture around if it's too dark over a key part of the image, or if you want a light patch to highlight something.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Cool, thanks! I wondered if it was clouds. I'll have to have a proper play sometime. I did a test one but I don't think I chose a good pic.

[redstarrobot.livejournal.com]

It is, but I found that the "posterize edges" step in the Photoshop tutorial is a real bitch to replicate in Gimp...

[trixieleitz]

Does it go anything like this? That's how I made my default icon.

[jekesta]

Wow, those are great:) I love the colours.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :-D

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

These are wonderful... have you thought about Brian the Spider?

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Not a lot, no. Why, do you want one?

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

Probably wouldn't use it, I must admit (I've yet to get the hang of this icon business - I've a free account and it took me a while to work out how to put my little Alice picture up :)

But thanks for the offer. I was just quietly boggling at the flesh-eating lilies and thought of my favourite cut-price arachnid...

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I've had a request for one now, so you'll see him soon. :-)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

BTW, you can load up to three icons on a free account (go into Manage->User Pictures and browse your HD, but untick the default option unless you want to make the new one your new default). If you add keywards to them on the same page, you can choose which one you want on any post or comment. Choose one as default though--if you don't, no picture will show at all.

[trixieleitz]

Why, do you want one?

I would have left out the comma ;)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Hee. There's no accounting for taste.

Icon

[quarryquest.livejournal.com]

Can I have the right hand one please? No need for a caption I don't think.

I had an idea for another one too. Brian. With something like "Eek - scary spider!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

The one with Avon and Vila? How about 'Flora and fauna' as a caption? I could do that tonight depending on when I get in (I have a rehearsal). Anyway I'll post it; see what you think.

I think 'Brian the Spider' would be a good caption. I love that he has a name. Or something comic-y like 'Giant mutant space spider'. :-D

I'll stick with Brian The Spider

[quarryquest.livejournal.com]

It is more comic. Flora and Fauna is good too!

Re: I'll stick with Brian The Spider

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

OK, I'll give you the captioned Avon and Vila one tonight when I get home and probably do Brian in the weekend.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I've just sent you the 'flora and fauna' icon. I'm going to see if I can screencap Brian in the weekend as HoK is one of the 4 eps I burned onto DVD as a test when I didn't think the BBC where going to give us them.