The secrets on how to make artwork of the Sam/Jack ship family thread

[Blacky Kitten]

ok I've just put the boarder on one for the time being, which looks better??

original
http://forum.gateworld.net/picture.p...pictureid=6777

1pixel boarder
http://forum.gateworld.net/picture.p...pictureid=6779

I know i like the first one more... and with border. I don't know why, i just feel like that

[Aveo_amacus]

yeah I think with the boarder, still leaning towards the first one

well off to work catch ya later GimPS
(((GimPS family))) thanks for all your help

[Jumble]

yeah I think with the boarder, still leaning towards the first one

well off to work catch ya later GimPS
(((GimPS family))) thanks for all your help

There's no reason you can't use them both

[Aveo_amacus]

lol I might have to do that if I can't decide!!

[madaline_7]

I did the same thing today, Mada. VSS mentioned the song "Every Little Thing She does is Magic" over on the Ship Family Thread. It kind of caught my imagination, but no inspiration really struck. Here's the lyrics:
Spoiler for lengh

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Though I've tried before to tell her
Of the feelings I have for her in my heart
Every time that I come near her
I just lose my nerve
As I've done from the start

Every little thing she does is magic
Everything she do just turns me on
Even though my life before was tragic
Now I know my love for her goes on

Do I have to tell the story
Of a thousand rainy days since we first met
It's a big enough umbrella
But it's always me that ends up getting wet

Every little thing she does is magic
Everything she do just turns me on
Even though my life before was tragic
Now I know my love for her goes on

I resolve to call her up a thousand times a day
And ask her if shell marry me in some old fashioned way
But my silent fears have gripped me
Long before I reach the phone
Long before my tongue has tripped me
Must I always be alone?

Every little thing she does is magic
Everything she do just turns me on
Even though my life before was tragic
Now I know my love for her goes on

Anything?

I also like to use quotes as inspiration. Here's some angsty ones I found (don't ask, I'll never tell if I dwell in the Cavern):

Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak whispers the o'er-fraught heart and bids it break. ~William Shakespeare (I love the bolded part)


Even hundredfold grief is divisible by love. ~Jareb Teague

Um...something happier:

Can miles truly separate you from friends.... If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there? ~Richard Bach (again, I love the bolded part)

Er...not so happy again:

You left, and my heart is a ceaseless sermon of loneliness. ~Jaesse Tyler

Okay, and one of my all-time faves, from Jane Eyre:
I sometimes have a queer feeling with regard to you--especially when you are near me, as now: it is as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and inextricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame. And if that boisterous channel, and two hundred miles or so of land come broad between us, I am afraid that cord of communion will be snapt; and then I've a nervous notion I should take to bleeding inwardly. As for you--you'd forget me.

Wow, I love words! Hope you are inspired.

Wow, luvnjack! What gorgeous quotes . Thankyou for sharing. I especially love the one from Jane Eyre, whenever I pick that book up I can't put it down, its like reading it for the first time all over again!
Spoilered for size

Spoiler:

But Mada if you're looking for some inspiration I find the easiest thing is to start with the text, and then the theme of the sig generally builds from there. As for the text this is what I normally do...

Go through all of the episode names and see if there's one you fancy. For instance I'm currently throwing ideas around about doing a Jack-centric sig with "Enigma" as the main part of the text. If you want to do a Sam/Jack one then why not try something like "It was always there...Beneath the Surface" and then try a few angsty photos to go along with that. Maybe a reddish layer to them as well.

If that still gets you stumped, my next port of call is song lyrics. It helps if you have a selection of slow (sleepy songs, as I call them ) saved in your iTunes or WMP or whatever. Some of my favourites for S/J are <spoilered for space>

Spoiler:

Marc Cohn - True Companion
Baby I've been searching like everybody else
Can't say nothing different about myself
Sometimes I'm an angel
And sometimes I'm cruel
And when it comes to love
I'm just another fool
Yes, I'll climb a mountain
I'm gonna swim the sea
There ain't no act of God girl
Could keep you safe from me

My arms are reaching out
Out across this canyon
I'm asking you to be my true companion
True companion
True companion

So don't you dare and try to walk away
I've got my heart set on our wedding day
I've got this vision of a girl in white
Made my decision that it's you allright
And when I take your hand
I'll watch my heart set sail
I'll take my trembling fingers
And I'll lift up your veil
Then I'll take you home
And with wild abandon
Make love to you just like a true companion

You are my true companion
I got a true companion
True companion

When the years have done irreparable harm
I can see us walking slowly arm in arm
Just like the couple on the corner do
'Cause girl I will always be in love with you
And when I look in your eyes
I'll still see that spark
Until the shadows fall
Until the room grows dark
Then when I leave this Earth
I'll be with the angels standin'
I'll be out there waiting for my true companion
Just for my true companion
True companion
True companion

and...

Spoiler:

Brandi Carlisle - The Story
All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am
So many stories of where I've been
And how I got to where I am

But these stories don't mean anything
When you've got no one to tell them to
It's true...I was made for you

I climbed across the mountain tops
Swam all across the ocean blue
I crossed all the lines and I broke all the rules
But baby I broke them all for you
Because even when I was flat broke
You made me feel like a million bucks
Yeah you do and I was made for you

You see the smile that's on my mouth
Is hiding the words that don't come out
And all of my friends who think that I'm blessed
They don't know my head is a mess
No, they don't know who I really am
And they don't know what I've been through but you do
And I was made for you...

Give that a try, hope that inspires you !

Thanks you guys... and luvnjack... Words DO rock! LOL

Ok... so not happy with this... but ugh! I love what I am trying to do... just not what came out. Maybe I need some more pics... (different pics)



I still can't get that blending thing to work. Grrr

[josiane]

Thanks you guys... and luvnjack... Words DO rock! LOL

Ok... so not happy with this... but ugh! I love what I am trying to do... just not what came out. Maybe I need some more pics... (different pics)

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...-7/sig/ugh.jpg

I still can't get that blending thing to work. Grrr

Mada, love the idea, but the only thing I'd suggest is that that's not the best picture to use of Jack - he looks ill rather than sleepy! How about this one instead?



He looks so cute there, I just wanna... yes, well...

With the blending, what are you having trouble with? Did you try the instructions I posted before for Jumble (based on what Oma told me when I was having problems )? I can have a look back to find them and repost if you want? It's the kind of thing that once you know how, it's easy as anything, but I feel your pain because I couldn't do it for the life of me until Oma showed me how

[TrueRomantic]

So here's the sig I'm working on for Aurora.

She loves it, but neither of us can't decide if it needs anything else. What do you guys think?

[jasminaGo]

So here's the sig I'm working on for Aurora.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g4...d/Aurora23.jpg
She loves it, but neither of us can't decide if it needs anything else. What do you guys think?

It's so...pink. I like it, it might look a little empty but sometimes less is more. I don't think anything can be added without ruining the point of the sig. *shrugs*

[Jumble]

It's so...pink. I like it, it might look a little empty but sometimes less is more. I don't think anything can be added without ruining the point of the sig. *shrugs*

I agree with Jasmina about not adding anything, the simplicity is what makes it IMO. However my first, and second, reactions were that I find the border a bit too strong. For me it takes away from the border on the pic, which I really like. Perhaps try a narrower border and see what you think?

As I said earlier, borders are always a personal preference

[josiane]

I agree with Jasmina about not adding anything, the simplicity is what makes it IMO. However my first, and second, reactions were that I find the border a bit too strong. For me it takes away from the border on the pic, which I really like. Perhaps try a narrower border and see what you think?

As I said earlier, borders are always a personal preference

I agree with Jumble, I don't think it needs anything else but I would definitely tone down the border a little bit

[Sarai]

I agree with Jumble, I don't think it needs anything else but I would definitely tone down the border a little bit

Agreed the border is a tad thick, but apart from that very cute !

Aveo, as Jumble says it is of course your decision on the border, but just to throw in my two cents, I like the the one with the very minimal border. The theme ties in because of the border round the picture, and rounds off the whole sig nicely. .

[madaline_7]

Mada, love the idea, but the only thing I'd suggest is that that's not the best picture to use of Jack - he looks ill rather than sleepy! How about this one instead?

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m.../jackinbed.jpg

He looks so cute there, I just wanna... yes, well...

With the blending, what are you having trouble with? Did you try the instructions I posted before for Jumble (based on what Oma told me when I was having problems )? I can have a look back to find them and repost if you want? It's the kind of thing that once you know how, it's easy as anything, but I feel your pain because I couldn't do it for the life of me until Oma showed me how

Thanks for the pic Josiane!

Ok... here's v.2.... and I think so much better.... but... I'm still not happy with it.

I guess I need to stop expecting perfection out of the gate when I haven't played with it in forever.

[Luvnjoe]

I'm going to be contrary and say, Aveo, that I prefer the sig without the border.

So here's the sig I'm working on for Aurora.

She loves it, but neither of us can't decide if it needs anything else. What do you guys think?

I would try a drop shadow behind the text to help it stand out (again, contrary).

EDIT: Mada, you're getting there! Sometimes I go through 5 or 6 versions till I get to one I like! Keep at it!

[Jumble]

I'm going to be contrary and say, Aveo, that I prefer the sig without the border.



I would try a drop shadow behind the text to help it stand out (again, contrary).

EDIT: Mada, you're getting there! Sometimes I go through 5 or 6 versions till I get to one I like! Keep at it!

Absolutely agree! I guess I was so busy critisizing the border, I didn't really look too much at the text

[jasminaGo]

Thanks for the pic Josiane!

Ok... here's v.2.... and I think so much better.... but... I'm still not happy with it.

I guess I need to stop expecting perfection out of the gate when I haven't played with it in forever.


http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...-7/sig/Grr.jpg

You can always try the butt shot a pic from "Fragile balance".