Title: Enchanted Atlantis
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Artist: le_mot_mo
Rating: G
Prompt: John and Rodney in Enchanted by Disney.
Medium: digital drawing + graphic
Character(s) and/or Pairing(s): John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Notes: I have spent hours and hours working on this piece. Gazillions of Photoshop layers were used and abused. In the end I had a movie-poster for 'Enchanted' John/Rodney style-- completely AU. Enjoy! :o)
Preview:


( Link to the art. Be aware! The entry is image heavy! )

Okay, first of all-- thank you for all the great suggestions and requests for coverart in my previous post. The work is going well and I'm still dilligently working on icons of all the different shows that were suggested, two more coverarts and a banner/wallpaper, but since three covers are finished, I decided to already post them.

In this post you'll find:

+ 1 cover for Pict Nae Scot, written by inkscribe (Carson Beckett/Evan Lorne)
+ 1 cover for Equinox, written by runpunkrun (John Sheppard/Rodney McKay)
+ 1 cover for Tourist, written by seratonation (John Sheppard/Rodney McKay)

PREVIEW:



( All three covers underneath the cut )

Okay, I find myself in somewhat of a dilemma. I have some spare time coming the following days and I'm really in the mood to create some icons and other artwork. The only thing is-- I'm not quite sure what fandom or non-fandom stuff I should use. I'm already contemplating some SGA stuff, that's a given since I'm deeply in love with that show. :o) But for the rest-- I just don't know. There are so many TV-shows and fandoms out there.


So that's why I'm posting this. I have a question for you:

If you would like for me to make icons/artwork of a TV-show/fandom or something non-fannish, let me know in a comment from what TV-show/fandom (or whatever else) you would like to see me making art. And I'll see if it tickles my fancy and inspiration to create something.

Also, more specifically, if you do suggest a certain show, please tell me where I can find screencaps for it. Even better, if you have some great screencaps/pictures lying around from a show (SGA or any other show), actors or actresses. Screencaps/pictures that are just begging to be made into an icon, go ahead and post them here, or post the links where I can find them. And I'd be happy to make some arty stuff with them.

Whatever I create won't be exclusive for anyone, since everything will be shared for everyone on LJ. But everything will be up for grabs for all of you, so that's good too right? :o)


And now for something that will be exclusive and only for SGA fandom, since that's the main fandom I read the most fanfic about:

If you have written a fic and you'd love to see a cover for it, this is also the place to ask me. I've never created a layout for a fic before, but I'm willing to try. :o)

ETA: the offer for covers is now closed. I'm going to work on the four covers I promised in the comments. :o)


If I don't get any responses on this post, then I'll just pick out a few shows myself and make some arwork. But it would be fun if I could get some suggestions-- in the interest of pleasing the wonderful people watching this community. :o)

Phew, it's been a while since I posted resources and icons, but here I go. There are still tutorials in the make. Hopefully I'll be able to finish them soon. Sorry to keep you all waiting so long for said tuts, but life is unpredictable and my job is taking up much of my time. :o)

In this post you'll find:

• 9 texture sets: 6 icon-sized & 3 large texture-sets
• 1 fanart made for bellehwan at the secret santa exchange community: sga_art_santa
• 1 John Sheppard wallpaper (104x768 + 1280x800)
• 21 SGA icons

This entry is image heavy!


TEXTURES:

LARGE:

• SET 1 - Cosy: 6.1110x800
• SET 2 - Plans: 8.1148x800
• SET 3 - Cloudy & Grey: 14.1110x800

ICON-SIZED:

• SET 13 - Sky High one: 72.100x100
• SET 14 - Sky High two: 36.100x100
• SET 15 - Beyond a Shadow (B&W): 30.100x100
• SET 16 - Rough: 40.100x100
• SET 17 - Unpolished: 70.100x100
• SET 18 - Unpolished B&W: 30.100x100

( Click here for the texture sets )



FANART (Shades of Us) + WALLPAPER (John-centric):

FANART:



( Click here for the fanart and wallpaper )


ICONS:



( Click here to see all the icons )

( Things to know: rules/info/resources )

Okay, a second attempt to draw a portrait, with more details this time. So, it's not really a sketch anymore, but an actual drawing. Once again Joe Flanigan was the subject. I figured-- if I can manage to draw TEH hair, I can draw anything. *g* Ah, anyway, I really like this one. I'm sure there are a few little flaws, but nothing big and obvious. I just stopped tinkering with it, because sometimes you can tinker too much and that's the moment when you can't just hit a 'one step back' button like in Photoshop. So, I just pronounced it finished.

I'm really starting to get the hang of this again and I've enjoyed every minute I worked on this portrait. I want to try another subject for the next portrait-- any suggestions? Feel free to let me know in a comment.

So without further ado--

Subject: Joe Flanigan (John Sheppard on SGA)
Material: different graphite pencils on normal white A4 drawing paper

Preview:



( Full portrait under the cut )

Hello folks. Lovely day today! :o) I'm swamped with RL work right now, but I figured I owed all of you an update of some sorts. :o)

A whole bunch of new textures are in the make and it won't be long now before they'll be posted. There's also a new icon batch that'll be posted sometime next week or the weekend after that. Hmmm, let me think, oh yes-- there are two tutorials in the make. They were requested some time ago, but I never found time to finish them. Christmas break is around the corner and I'll do my very best to finish them. Promise.

For now, I'm hoping to tie you all over with a sketch I made. First some history-- I used to sketch and draw a lot. Ever since I was a child I've been walking around with paper and pencils. Up until I was 19 I went to a part-time art academy during weekends and evenings. I truly enjoyed it. Then I went off to college and the drawing just kind off-- stopped. I had very little time and I decided to put it on the back-burner. That was about 9 to 10 years ago.

This weekend I suddenly felt like drawing/sketching again (because I was stressed out of my mind), but I was afraid that I couldn't do it anymore. So, I dug up my old sketch-book and searched for a suitable reference picture to do a portrait.

I worked on it for a couple of hours, so it's only a sketch. It's not perfect in any way. There's some shading that's off and there's some other details that might not seem right, but overall, I like the result and since this is my arty LJ, I decided to post it here too. Well-- that and the flist convinced me to post it here. I love them a bunch.

So, without further ado--

PREVIEW:



( Under the cut: full portrait sketch of Joe Flanigan (a.k.a. John Sheppard from Stargate Atlantis, a.k.a. TEH body TEH lips TEH hair) *g* )

le_mot_art has a new layout for journal and userinfo, as of today. While I was doing some work for the header and the userinfo graphic, I fell in love with the subject: John Barrowman. :o) Now, I've always loved John as an actor and singer-- and I surely could appreciate his appearance, but I never really grasped just how beautiful the man actually is. He is absolutely gorgeous-- so, I decided to push forward and make some John Barrowman fanart, wallpaper and icons-- for everyone to enjoy!

In this post-- all John Barrowman:

• 1 fanart (800x600)
• 1 wallpaper (1024x768 and 1280x800)
• 10 icons

FANART/WALLPAPER:

Preview:



( Click here for the fanart & wallpapers )

ICONS:

Preview:




( Click here to see all the icons )

( Things to know: rules/info/resources )

Okay, I have fanfiction plotbunnies leaping around in my head, but it's no use, since apparantly-- I still can't lay off THE Photoshop. *g* So, I decided it was time for a new tutorial.

A few people requested a tutorial for this icon:



GOAL OF THE TUTORIAL:

Technique wise:

1) Preparing a screencap saturated with blue colours (+ some selective colouring)
2) Cropping a screencap + erasing
3) Composition of a subject on a small 100x100 canvas.
4) Working with vivid, sharp and crisp colours.
5) Combining contrasting colours on a small canvas.

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Photoshop CS2: It's adaptable to older/newer versions of Photoshop. I'm not sure about other graphic software.

DIFFICULTY LEVEL:
Easy to medium difficulty. Just like in my other tutorials, I've written down every step in the process to make it easier to follow-- so it should be doable for beginners.

( BEFORE WE BEGIN )

MAIN TUTORIAL:

( STEP 1: THE CONCEPT )

( STEP 2: PREPARING THE SCREENCAP )

( STEP 3: CROPPING THE SCREENCAP )

( STEP 4: CREATING THE ICON )

( SOME IMPORTANT THINGS )

Enjoy!!!

I wanted to post this entry on Monday or Tuesday, but then I lost my internet connection. To make a long story short, I threatened and coerced the repair guy to come early, because I really really needed my Internet connection for-- work. *g* Yeah, well-- little white lie. When he finally arrived, I wish I would have dressed up a little, because-- OMG-- that was one fine looking man. So, I've been staring at the hot Internet repairing guy while he was checking my connection-- and yes, there was butt-crack when he bent over to replace my modem. ;o) I think he noticed me watching him-- at least twice, which might be good or bad. *g*

Anyway, finally, I'll be able to post some new stuff-- and a little challenge for anyone who feels up to it.

In this post you'll find:

• 6 texture sets
• 1 SGA McKay/Sheppard fanart (1000x665) - not completely worksafe because of a vague picture of a naked behind *g* + wallpaper (1024x768 and 1280x800)
• 15 SGA icons

This entry is image heavy!


TEXTURES:

While I was in Italy, I picked up a few new words from the lovely smilla02, P. and especially L. I couldn't get them out of my head, so I decided to use them as inspiration for a new texture-set. I give you the 'Gormitti' texture-set. *g* All the pictures used to create these sets were royalty free stock-photographs and some of my own texture pictures.

In some of these textures I tried to create a structural effect. They're fun to use in icons and other art-- as you can see in the fanart and the icons below-- most of them are made with these textures.

• SET 7 - Vulcano: 25.100x100 + 1 large
• SET 8 - Mare: 40.100x100 + 1 large
• SET 9 - Aria: 50.100x100 + 1 large
• SET 10 - Terra: 50.100x100 + 1 large
• SET 11 - Foresta: 50.100x100 + 1 large
• SET 12 - Albero: 45.100x100 + 1 large

( Click here for the texture sets )


FANART/WALLPAPER + CHALLENGE:



( Click here for the fanart & wallpapers )


ICONS:



( Click here to see all the icons )

( Things to know: rules/info/resources )

For my second tutorial, we'll be making this:



(800x600 fanart with Rodney McKay from Stargate Atlantis as the main subject)

Fanart wise: You'll learn how to make the McKay fanart.

Technique wise:

1) You'll learn about a blending technique that requires layers, textures and for which we'll be erasing parts of the images in such a way that everything blends together seamlessly. So, in this case, you'll learn how to incorporate colours and screencaps to a very light background, to make it look as if they're painted with aquarels or drawn with pastel chalk.
2) Adding colour with textures and layers.
3) Like in the previous tutorial, you'll also learn something more about preparing the screencap, cropping the screencap, erasing technique and creating an appropriate background for your (fan)art.
4) You'll definitely pick something up on composition and placing of main subject-- and less important subjects, on a bigger canvas. (This can also be adapted to smaller (fan)art, like icons)

(Don't go running off now. Just like the previous tutorial, I tried to make everything as comprehensible as possible :o)

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Photoshop CS2 (It's adaptable to older/newer versions of Photoshop-- and probably also to other graphic programs, because it's mostly texture and brush work. But don't ask me for tips on those other programs, because I'm not familiar with any of them.)

DIFFICULTY LEVEL:
Medium to diffult level for beginners, but it's do-able if you follow every step-- yes, I've written them all down-- every last one of them. :o) (I've worn out my fingers) Also, it's not necessary to use the entire tutorial-- beginners can just pick out some tips and odd parts to try out and begin with. For more experienced users, this tutorial shouldn't give any problems.

Please keep in mind that I'm not a native speaker, so I apologise up front if you find any big spelling/grammatical mistakes.

BEFORE WE BEGIN WITH THE TUTORIAL:

( ONCE UPON A TIME... + FACTS )

MAIN TUTORIAL:

( STEP 1: THE CONCEPT )

( STEP 2: PREPARING THE SCREENCAP )

( STEP 3: CROPPING THE SCREENCAP )

( STEP 4: CREATING THE MAIN BACKGROUND + ADDING RODNEY TO THE COLLAGE + BLENDING EVERYTHING TOGETHER )

( STEP 5: THE FINAL RESULT )

( SOME IMPORTANT THINGS )

Enjoy!!!