Icon stuff

[pensnest]

I'm trying to start up a new icon challenge, one which incorporates tutorials as part of the process. For those of you who are interested in making icons, the community is called severalplums, and I'm hoping to have a few participants so that I can post the first challenge next weekend. Do join, and let people know about the community.

And,

Chasez Challenge icons had to incorporate a black and white element.





Lance challenge was those gorgeous pictures from The Advocate. I'm keeping the first place one, as I'm very happy with it, but the others are up for grabs if anyone wants them.

Comments

[milosflaca.livejournal.com]

Is is going to be popslash centered, or? Can you elaborate a bit more about it?

I'm specially interested in the tutorial part. I would really like to learn how to make icons.

[pensnest]

I may use an occasional pop picture, but no, it's not going to be popslash-centred.

I just thought it would be interesting to have a friendly, collaborative kind of icontest! Besides, I need fresh inspiration now and again, too, and it's interesting to see how other people go about making icons.

I found that the best way to learn how to make icons was by entering challenges! Having just a handful of pictures (or in the case of severalplums, just one) gives you a place to *start*, and then you get to see what other people do with that same material. It helps. It took me a long time to achieve my first banners...

[turloughishere.livejournal.com]

Oooh, the first Lance icon is FABULOUS!!

[pensnest]

I think so too! I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. :-)

[randomling]

I'm really interested in the tutorial part, though I don't have Photoshop - more info would be great!

[pensnest]

As for not having Photoshop, there is a free graphics program available, called GIMP. I have *no* experience with it myself, though I have heard the learning curve is rather steep... but there's probably a GIMP tutorial community somewhere around.

I'd never have learned about what Photoshop has to offer if I hadn't done a lot of browsing in icon_tutorial, but I do find that these days there aren't many really helpful tutorials posted. So, I thought, let's try something different.

[rikes]

I like the icon challenge idea, although as with other challenges, my icons are usually way too simple. But maybe I'll try anyway because I need practice. So far, my graphics skills = my Paint Shop Pro skills, and now that I have Gimp on Mac I have no idea what to do.

[pensnest]

See, I like simple icons, and very often I only add complications because they're made for an icontest. But... getting a really pretty simple icon is very rarely merely a case of cut+paste, and I've often spent a long time on a colouring that someone who hasn't seen the source pic would never realise is anything different. (Which is why I'm intending to put the source photo up with the voting on severalplums.

I can't help you with GIMP, as I've only ever used Photoshop - but I expect there is a GIMP tutorial community around somewhere, which might be useful. For some people, it helps to find out that things like Layers exist (I did not know about layer blend modes when I started making icons), but I know you are somewhat more informed than that!

[rikes]

You're totally right about "simple" icons, though I usually fiddle with them so long that I don't remember what I actually did. But it might be interesting to make notes once.

Hee, I do know about layers! Though I did find the blend modes quite by accident.

[pensnest]

I really like icons that don't look as though they've been coloured - but very often, to get that effect, you have to 'fiddle' for ages. At the moment I'm very much into gradient maps, but no doubt that will change!

I think it was Turlough who informed me of the existence of blend modes. Way back!

[krew-90.livejournal.com]

Hello! I just thought I'd comment here!

I would prefer that you put the banner on your own server--makes everyone's lives easier in the end, in my opinion. (I hope I wasn't rude. I really didn't mean to be!)

And your Lance 1st place banner is fantastic, by the way. ♥

[pensnest]

Not a problem, I'll get that sorted.

Thanks :-)