Happy Birthday DEBRIS4SPIKE!
I wanted to do something special for debris4spike's birthday and knew I wanted it to be Spike and/or Spuffy-centric. I confessed to her one day that it's very dificult for me to work with images of men in my icons and artwork. I have beloved brothers, uncles, cousins, male friends and coworkers; I enjoy a variety of male actors and characters in tv and movies. But actually working with images of men is another matter altogether. So I pushed myself with this. I was going to do a collage with Spuffy hand imagery, or various scenes throughout the seasons but when I looked at the screencaps for The Gift and nearly started crying, I knew where to focus. There is such a purity about this moment. And it's all in the eyes, in their faces:
01)
Is it bad form for an artist to say they're happy with their own work? Well, rubbish to that - I was so happy with how this came out, and so suprised by it. I didn't plan the way the curves of the borders echo the necklines of their shirts, didn't realize at first that Buffy and Spike look to be at eye level with each other as opposed to the screencaps; and wasn't aware at first how lighting their faces so and eliminating a lot of the details and shadows captured the feeling of - or my feelings about - the moment better, I think, than the screencaps themselves do. In the caps they both look very tense and somewhat guarded; here, he looks friendly and open, she looks sad and a bit exhausted, morally and physically. I was so happy with this I went overboard and made color variations, as one does:
Teaser icons - there's more to come...[Well one does - doesn't one?]
Click all images below to view in full size:
02)
These were made almost entirely in ipiccy. I made a collage and - did other stuff. I would tell you if I could remember! There were light effects, that I do recall. #3 was the original version I brought over to Photobucket; then I sharpened it quite and added the text.
03-04)
05-07)
And then I remembered that Deborah is color-blind, and I worried she might not be able to see this very well. Looking at her icons I'm not aware of this except as she's mentioned it, so it's easy to forget. She's James Marsters fan, a Spike and Spuffy fan who also celebrates the great, interesting ladies in her icons: Buffy Summers, of course; her award-winning Willow icon for btvs_hush Challenge 272 is one of my favorite icons of the year so far; as well as the women of Star Trek Voyager (esp Captain Kathryn Janeaway) and Blakes 7. See the Servalan icon I snagged for further confirmation. Check out the delicate colors of her Willow "Becoming" icon for Challenge 273, or her Broken and AC4 Blakes 7 icons for season20in20 with their marvelously controlled and assured composition and color effects.
She may see "differently" but what an eye! And what a heart and soul to go with it.
So I made a mono+purple version just in case she couldn't see the images above properly; thankfully she assured me she can, and has given me permission to post all of these. She particularly liked the text effect in #8; that's Pacifico font from ipiccy, made using the "invert" effect in the pull down menu of the text adjustment box. Then the light leak effects layered over that give the grey lettering an unintentional (but nifty) ombre effect.
08)
I couldn't resist trotting out my landlord's rose as a texture again for the fun of it. A bit more lushly romantic than I usually allow myself to indulge in:
09-10)
Deborah asked me to pick one of the pieces above and make an icon of it for her, but I've not been able to do so successfully, 1-7 are just too busy as images to work successfully or maybe I just lack the skill and know-how. I tried using 8-10 but Buffy and Spike both end up looking so stern and Sarah's cheek pixilates something awful. I did better - marginally - going back to the original caps or using another image altogether.
11-14)
15-19)
I do like the way #19 looks like a mid 20th-century advert illustration. But by this point I hit the wall of my ability to stare at a man's face for hours on end, even a handsome one. I can't explain it. And 20-22 below are strange even by my standards. IF ANYONE OUT THERE CAN MAKE AN ICON OF ONE OF THE LARGER WORKS OR CAN TEACH ME HOW TO DO IT IN iPICCY, PLEASE PM ME.
20-22)
Want? DO NOT take or have without checking with the artist (moi) and nicely asking debris4spike first. Do not alter, claim as your own, hotlink or any of that nonsense that sensible, ethical people would never think to indulge in. 'kay?