A Few Fall Icons

[chomiji]

I've been making some autumn icons. It seems to me that there ought to be more fall artwork for some of these manga! In particular, I'm remembering a Samurai Deeper Kyo "extra" pic of the main cast at a tea house, with golden/red maple leaves all around, but I can't find a copy in any of my usual places ... .

Anyway, if you know of any good art with an autumnal theme that I could use, please let me know!

1. Akari (SDK)	2. Ginko (Mushishi)	3. Hakkai & Gojyo (Saiyuki)
4. Ritsu (Fruits Basket)	5. Sai (Hikaru no Go)	6. Kubota & Tokito (Wild Adapter)

The Japanese on Akari and Ritsu's pictures ought to be koyo - "autumn colors" - so if I've got it wrong, can someone please let me know? Thanks!

Comments

[kispexi2.livejournal.com]

#5 and #6 are particularly pretty.

[chomiji]

I guess maybe I should number them, eh? Were you thinking

1 2 3
4 5 6 ?

If so ... Sai is very decorative. It's too bad he's a ghost. The art for Hikaru no Go is by the same artist who did Death Note. The Kubota/Tokito pic is rather odd - I think it must be a really early one, or meant to be for Araiso, because they don't look quite right - especially Tokito.

I need to go back through the reams of Saiyuki art and try to find something for Sanzo and Goku. The golden leaf picture works for Goku, but the matching purple one has Sanzo clutching all his leaves at waist level, without any of them drifting past his face, so that doesn't work for an icon (he'd be teeny).

[kispexi2.livejournal.com]

I was.

The same artist as Death Note? Gosh, it looks so much older, more traditional, you know? As for the K/T one, I like what you've done with it. It has a touch of the phoenix about it.

Sanzo's purple is a real problem for autumnal colours, isn't it? Maybe Sanzo in civvies with a leafy background?

[chomiji]

Well, Hikaru no Go's main characters are a middle school lad who goes from being indifferent about Go to a something of a prodigy and a young Heian Go master whose ghost haunts the kid's Go board. Fujiwara no Sai is always drawn in the garb of a Heian nobleman kicking back casually ... which is still a ton of clothes from the modern viewpoint. This gives Takeshi Obata, the artist, the opportunity to get very creative with his "extras" and covers - everything from Death Note-ish portrait montages of young Hikaru and his Go opponents to beautiful season-themed portaits of Sai.

I found a pic of Sanzo I like for this, but he's got his shirt open ... LOL! A might chilly for fall! I'll have to see how ambitious I feel with Photoshop. Minekura has some other pix of people with scarves around their necks ... .

[kispexi2.livejournal.com]

Quick fly-by: there are some autumn-type pics here although you've probably already seen them. If not, a bit of sepia toning with the whiter ones, maybe? (I'm so un-technical it's not even funny!)

[chomiji]

It's hard to find a pic of Sanzo where he doesn't looked PO'ed ... but that's what I'm going for. He doesn't have to look happy, just contemplative. I can add falling leaves into background if necessary - I'll steal the leaves from something else. But he should really be dressed for the weather. There's actually a pic of him in a white duffle coat that I might use - it would be easier - but I'm taken with his expression in the other pic.

There are a bunch of different ways to add in color with a graphics program. You can put in layers that act like cellophane layers in old-fashioned technical art, and then add color to the layer. You can make that layer have special qualities - for example, make it change any color below it to the color you've added, or you can just use it to darken what's below, or lighten it.

I tend to either have a specific idea that I want to carry out in my icons, and search for a picture that will work (with a little editing, if necessary), or I see a picture, and think of an icon I want to make with it.

I don't tend to do the "take a pretty piece of art and ring lots of changes on it" thing, although I've learned some of the techniques that people use when they do that, and find them useful. I mean, there are already tons of fangirls doing that particular thing, and most of them have it down to an art and are better at it then I would be.

[kispexi2.livejournal.com]

vom_marlowe did give me some links to using layers but I'm afraid I've never followed the tutorials through. Never seem to have time, you know? One of these days! Meanwhile, I'm happy to look at the pretties people like you produce. :-)

[kispexi2.livejournal.com]

Ah, I can definitely see the similarities with Death Note in the first picture. And the second one, with the flowers, reminds me a little of KM's fondness for characters and flowers.

[ipperne.livejournal.com]

this you looking for?
found it floating around on my harddrive^^along with so many other pretty pictures^^

don't know about those odd blue lines... I can try and dig another one out if you need it tho

[chomiji]

Yes, That's the one! Oooh, thanks!

The blue is really strange (looks like maybe the original was wrapped in plastic when it was scanned/photographed) , but I think it's OK - I'm mainly going to use Kyo and Yuya, maybe Hotaru as well (he'll get his own icon), and just heads/shoulders.

Hmmm, you know who's missing in that picture? Yukimura-sama! How can you have a party without Yukimura? And he gets into the natural beauty thing, too - remember "What a beautiful night!" in "Dragon of the Blue Sky"?

[ipperne.livejournal.com]

you're welcome.
Well, if the blue gets in the way, just tell, I might be able to find a new one.

You're right. he is missing, but maybe that's why Kyo looks strangely peaceful, maybe even happy? An entire gettogether without Yuku flirting around him? who knows...

No, can't remember that. been too long since I read that sidestory it seems. Been too busy to read anything but new volumes of anything lately.
But, on the positive side it means that my Danish Doujinshi store is now up and running^^

[chomiji]

So is it for doujinshi in Danish ... ? Or to sell Japanese doujinshi, but the site is in Danish?

(At the beginning of "Dragon of the Blue Sky," you see Yuki-sama with a big smile - the same one I use for my "Happiness!" icon - saying "What a beautiful night!" Then the view pulls back and you can see that they're camped on this little, narrow ledge with a steep cliff below it ... everyone is freaked out by the height except Yukimura, who's too blissed out by the moonlight to care!)

[ipperne.livejournal.com]

It's for selling Japanese doujinshi to the part of the people who get freaked out over japanese sites^^

So I made a homepage that basically says that if it's available, there's a possibility it can come to denmark. Artbooks are popular too, I've found out.

Ah, I reemember now^^ lol, imagine Kyo's face if he was actually freaked out. I think it's impossible.

[chomiji]

(Just found this again after losing track of it ... .)

You're right, Kyo wasn't freaked out - he was his usual impassive self!

[artillie.livejournal.com]

Here's a better quality version of that one.

[chomiji]

Thanks!! I'll have to wait 'til I get home - the firewall at work doesn't believe in Photobucket.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

*rummages through SDK file*

There's one that was pretty clearly drawn early on of Kyo, Yuya and Benitora with falling maple leaves, and a Kyo cover that's pretty clearly set in autumn. The closest thing to a teahouse pic I have is Okuni, Sasuke, Kyo, Yuya, Bontenmaru, Benitora and Yukimura in a bar.

[chomiji]

Thanks for looking ... ipperne and xskadi were both able to find versions of the picture I was remembering. It should give me a nice Kyo+Yuya icon (and you will be welcome to it, if it strikes your fancy when completed).

Which volume was the autumn Kyo cover?

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Myeh. At work now, so I can't check. It was in the 30s, I think. It's mostly reds (aside from Kyo himself) and kind of almost glowing.

[chomiji]

This one, I guess? Vo. 34 ... it's pretty nice!

Sadly, that's a lousy image ... I'll have to see where there's a better version.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Gorgeous!

[chomiji]

Aww, I'm glad you like them! Please feel free to gank any of them that you wish - I will be making at least a few more.

[despina-moon.livejournal.com]

Very nice!

I love all of them but woot! Ginko! (He doesn't get enough love.)

[chomiji]

Well, you're welcome to take him home with you! (I haven't decided which one(s) I want to keep yet, myself. I'm leaning toward Akari, because that's such a pretty picture of her, and she's such a complex character.)

I've actually got one more SDK (from the art that ipperne and xskadi were searching out for me, above) and one of Sanzo ready to go, too. I think I'm going to do one of Goku and then call it a done deal. Unless I find some autumnal art for one of my other series ... . I keep thinking I ought to be able to find something with autumn leaves from Bleach and/or Blade of the Immortal, but I haven't, thus far.

[blue-hobbit.livejournal.com]

Seasonal icons are a really great idea, and I love yours. The Akari one is my favorite, but Gojyo and Hakkai are very pretty too :)

[chomiji]

But wait! There's more ... I also now have Kyo, Kyo & Yuya, and Sanzo ones, but I haven't uploaded them yet.

I'm glad you like them! Feel free to adopt one or more, if you like ... . I'm fond of the Akari myself - there are so few good color pictures of her, let alone one where she looks this serene.

[blue-hobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, that sounds good, can't wait to see those :)