Artwork from a Newbie to the Comm!

[off-the-post18.livejournal.com]

Hello Everyone!  I have been following this Comm for a while, but this is my first post here.  :)  *waves*

For Xmas, I gifted myself with Photoshop and over the last couple of days have been playing around with it like crazy.  I have always been so jealous of those people with the PS skillz and hate asking them all of the time to make me stuff....thought I'd try and learn for myself.  LOL.

For my first project I decided to work on a story "banner" for my new Stargate fic that has the pairing of Cameron Mitchell/Evan Lorne.  The story is AU and is of the angst, hurt/comfort variety.  It is slash (obviously) and is tentatively titled "My Yesterday's In Front Of Me."  No, it is not finished yet and I am not going to post it until it is complete.  This is the first long piece of fiction I have written in a long time and I am enjoying writing again.

Anyways...below the cut is my effort.

 


I have mostly been learning how to use the program through tutorial vids on YouTube and ones found on LJ.  I know I have a ton yet to discover, but I am pretty darn happy with my initial attempt.  :)

If you have any suggestions, comments, critiques, etc...feel free to let me know...but please do not beg, borrow or thief my little piece of artwork.  Thanks!!  :D

Comments

[somehowunbroken]

I'm quite impressed with your Photoshop skills so far - lovely!

What cap of Cam is that? Sweet mercy his eyes are gorgeous :) (Also the rest of him!)

[off-the-post18.livejournal.com]

Thank you! The problem I am going to have is that I am so freaking picky that I have a hard time leaving something alone. LOL. PS has been a lot of fun so far though.

The cap is from S10E18 'Talion.' It is one of my favorite caps...but then, I am a sucker for Cam-Whump. :D

[somehowunbroken]

Good luck with PS as you go on :)

And I'm a sucker for Cam-whump too! And schmoop, and angst, and... well, Cam. But this isn't the comm for that :D

[off-the-post18.livejournal.com]

I think I have read all of your Cam stuff (yes, I am terrible at leaving FB...I used to FB everything, guess I need to get back into doing so.)

Anyways...he (Cam) is one of my favorite characters to use b/c he whumps (and other things) so easily! Plus, like Evan, there is still a lot we don't know about him and it gives us writers something nice to tackle.

[somehowunbroken]

I do like that about Cam, that he's kind of mold-able as a character, yeah :)

[sublimatedangel]

Amazing work for someone new to Photoshop! And I love the pictures you chose... the expressions on both are so complicated, and from your description, match the story very well.

One -tiny- critique? I think it should be "yesterdays" with no apostrophe. I'm also not sure about the comma in that line but I'm not as good with commas... maybe check with a beta?

[off-the-post18.livejournal.com]

I have been debating about the yesterdays/yesterday's thing for a while now. It is from a song and the official lyrics have it as "yesterday's" but I don't think it looks right. Guess I need to go hound my grammar beta. :D (glad to know someone else thinks it is odd as well!)

Thank you! I had a hard time finding a pic of Evan that worked well...had to manipulate the one I found a little as it was. So far, I have enjoyed PS a ton, looking forward to making more.

[dodau.livejournal.com]

What song is it from, I think I recognise it and it;s bugging me

[fififolle]

Wow! You've done a fantastic job - that is really gorgeous!
I only play at graphics, but it looks like you know more than me already, so all I can say is - YAY!
So very pretty.

[off-the-post18.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I've been scouring the web for tutorials on how to use the program...there are so many shiny buttons to choose from. LOL.

And yeah, very pretteh! :D

[lorientad.livejournal.com]

it's amazing. i really love it

[off-the-post18.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I love it a lot too. :) Now to just get the story that goes with it finished.

[rubygirl29.livejournal.com]

Welcome! You've chosen my favorite Lorne pairing :-D Don't they look good together? Your graphic is lovely, and I do love that song by Garth Brooks.

Happiness!

[dodau.livejournal.com]

Never mind, that will teach me to read it all before I post. But at least I know I did recognise the song.

[off-the-post18.livejournal.com]

LOL! I realized I forgot to give credit to Mr. Brooks. Oops. Will have to make sure I do so when I post my story.

[off-the-post18.livejournal.com]

It is a favorite pairing of mine as well and yes, they look gorgeous together (heck, Cam with anyone looks yum!) ;)

Thanks so much! I love the song as well...it came up on my iTunes while working on this and just kind of stuck.

sorry if this sounds a little mean/crule/horrible...

[sparkyqueen.livejournal.com]

very good for someone who is just beginning to play with PS.

even though i don't play with it that much can i make the suggestion of laying off the blur tool. it was a good idea, and i'm saying don't use, because it really dose help, but you've been a little heavy handed esp. around their chins.

also when combing pics like this it helps to use pics with the light source in the same sort of position...

other than those nit bits it's a lovely piece, fantastic background

Re: sorry if this sounds a little mean/crule/horrible...

[off-the-post18.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the suggestions, I will take those in mind as I work through more pieces! :) I don't mind criticism as long as it is constructive, it is helpful to the learning process.

I knew zilch about PS when I started...and I still have a ton to learn.

Finding a pic of Evan/Kavan that would work for me was the hardest thing.

[camshaft22.livejournal.com]

Very NICE!!!

[off-the-post18.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Your icon is from one of my favorite pics of Cam. :)

[denyce.livejournal.com]

Welcome!

Very pretty, thank you for sharing.

Doubly so since its your first, and yay for being so tenacious teaching yourself - mega kudos. Hope to see more of your work in the near future, and psst pimping Lorne/Cam is slated for Oct- not that you have to wait that long ;)

[off-the-post18.livejournal.com]

Hello! :)

It has been a challenge to learn all the ins and outs of PS...I still don't know what 1/2 of the buttons do, but I am learning more and more each day.

I already have a couple of further things planned out in my head that would go with my story, so I am sure you will see more things in the future.

The story is coming slowly...it very well may be October before it is totally complete! LOL. (if it is, it will be huge!!) :D

[denyce.livejournal.com]

Anything you have, fic or art that you're willing to share would be welcomed =)

& epic would be awesomeness!

Side note: Do you have any particular tutorials you like, could share links to? I've used UT for other tutorials 'how to draw' but haven't ventured into any PS... maybe if I start watching them a few hundred-thousand times I could attempt something. That's said with a huge conditional maybe ;)