Challenge #5 The Pen is Mightier Than The Sword

[kerravonsen]

Yes, we are here again, after our break! Welcome to the fifth challenge: "The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword". For this challenge (in honour of NaNoWriMo), you must create text-only icons. No images, just text, and colouring. Use your favourite quotes! Be creative!


Techniques:
- text
- colouring
- layers

Examples:
(by refche)
(by trixieleitz)
(by mistraltoes)

Useful (GIMP) tutorials:
- basics

Rules:
1. From one to four icons can be submitted.
2. You have two weeks to submit the icons; that is, they are due on Thursday 15th of November (that's my time, Australian time, so for some of you that will be the 14th).
3. Icons will be submitted in comments to this post. All comments will be screened, to preserve anonymity.
4. As soon as I can after the 15th, I will make a voting poll here. People will then have about a week to vote.
There will be two sections in the voting: (a) "Best embodiment of style"; this you vote for whichever icon you think demonstrates the style/technique of the given challenge (b) "I just like it"; where you vote for whichever icon you simply like the best.
5. You are required NOT to post your icons anywhere public until after the voting is over, so as to preserve the anonymity of the entries.
6. When the voting is over, I'll announce the winners here. Discussion of the challenge will be encouraged, especially discussion and demonstration of techniques used.

In short:
Due 15th November, post entries here, don't show them elsewhere.

Comments

[siluria]

Quik and late question...

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

Because I've just wondered if I'm doing it wrong again :(

Are we allowed to used textures and brushes? I assumed yes, but on rethinking (rather late, I know), I'm now not so sure...

Re: Quik and late question...

[kerravonsen]

Yep, brushes and textures are fine. The idea is to concentrate on the text, but that doesn't mean one can't enhance the background -- when I said "no images" I meant the kind of representational images that people usually use in icons: images of people and things. Textures are fine. Brushes are fine.

Re: Quik and late question...

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

Thankee!!

And here are my entries...

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

[shrike-15.livejournal.com]

This time I thought I add some lines why and how I made the icons just in case I don't find the time later to write things down....

Writing a Science Fiction story at NaNo I thought a reminiscence to John M. Harrison would fit well. Done with desaturation and masks and resized text-layers.

Several lines from the classical "Voyage of Bran". I tried to capture the impression of a manuscript with the waves of the sea.

Several lines from "As you like it" (Blow, blow, thou winter wind). The first years of November when I moved to Freiburg were always foggy. So that's how it looks: mirrored, seamless and pale.

Duplicated and scaled Novembers all over. Have you seen Tom Waits "Black Rider" musical? "November has tied me to an old dead tree, make word to April to rescue me...." I like it though it is so minimalistic, or because of this?

[kerravonsen]

1. 2. 3. 4.

[taibhrigh.livejournal.com]

http://home.earthlink.net/~taibhrigh/icons/quotes01.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~taibhrigh/icons/quotes02.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~taibhrigh/icons/quotes03.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~taibhrigh/icons/quotes04.jpg

[jthijsen.livejournal.com]

Ooh, two more of my faves! May I nab 1 and 3 pretty please?

[jthijsen.livejournal.com]

I love the first and the third. May I nab, pretty please? Will give credit on my icons page and any other place you like.

[kerravonsen]

See my icon journal and comment there.

Thanks!