Palabra's GIMPtastic Creations

[palabravampiress]

Hi all!

I started a thread called Help with GIMP, but that's not so much an art gallery as it is a "How do I do X?" thread. That being the case, I figured I'd start up a thread to show you guys what I've learned! Feast your eyes upon the finished products.

* Feel free to take any of these images. I'm not a stickler for crediting as long as you don't claim the work as your own.


Buffy Banners

Giles:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/GilesBanner-1.jpg

Indra:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/IndraBanner.jpg

Spike & Dru:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/SpikeandDruBanner.jpg

[Angels baby101]

They are all really good keep up the good work... but keep in mind we're not supposed to post anything other than wedonverse related art... just dont want ya getting lectured at or anything...

[Hello Cutie]

wow i like your spike and dru one :P pretty :P im relearning how to use photoshop (havent used it since i was 14 and obsessed with avatar-making) to do stuff like that, so my banner is one of my newer creations too (also, spike and dru rock and there should be more banners for them!)!!

Keep up the good work!! xxx

[spuffy]

Great job! I really like what you've done with some of the pieces, they look absolutely fantastic.

[Keanoite]

WOW...Pv you JUST started with this! Colour me impressed!!!

[Joyce Summers]

This is some really good stuff here; you smell of potential. In a nice pine-fresh-scent kind of way.

Some images aren't very definitive and make them difficult to see but I loved the colors you work with.

The Spike and Dru one came out really well.

Keep it up! (Some peppyness for ya there;))

[palabravampiress]

Thanks, guys!

It's a world of fun. I have slow motor skills and I'm colorblind, so even though I took an interest in making art when I was a kid, I gave it up because I was never very good at it. My hubby told me about a free graphics program, (GIMP) so I figured I'd try my hand at it. I'm actually really surprised at how easy it is. The computer will tell me what color something is, let me zoom in and control my movements up to one pixel, and even let me undo my mistakes! That makes art fun. It's a world of awesome.

Anyway, I updated the non-Buffy banners above to be resized for the Buffy Boards AND to include Buffy characters instead of non-Buffy characters. I just kept the backgrounds. :-)

Lorne:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/LorneBannerBB.jpg

Angel:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/AngelUndertheSeaBannerBB.jpg

Gwen & Amy from the New Horizons RPG:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/GwenRPGBannerBB.jpg


I think the Lorne one turned out the best.

[Lyri]

you've gotten really good REALLY fast, Palabra!! i LOVE the Gwen/Amy one from the RPG. Thanks for that! :D

but just a small reminder, only art related to BTVS/Ats/Firefly is allowed in the art forum. just to keep you right. ;)

[Bangelxx]

wow! fantasmical work there palabra!

[Keanoite]

Hey PV hun I hate to do it but I took down your non-Buffy stuff...I hope you don't mind but we got keep to the rules...keep up the art though...they're fantastic

[palabravampiress]

Here's a small update. I hope you like!

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/XanderandCordyBanner.jpg


P.S. I custom-made the chemistry brushes and the library brushes that you see in this banner and in the Giles banner.

[DarklyDreamingDrusilla]

Looking good PV. Love the Sprusilla one up there OF COURSE. And I love that you are making RPG banners keep um coming!

[Black Eye Guy]

Love the stuff pv, it's seriously arty for some first stuff! Mine was nowhere near as compositionally cool as yours was!

Keep it up!

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

i like that cordy/xander one, and all the ones related to the RPG (especially the one with amy in it :p); RPGing rocks! :D these are pretty awesome for your first works; keep 'em coming! :)

[palabravampiress]

Here's a Firefly banner. It's pretty, but sad.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/WashandZoe2.jpg

[Angel's vision]

Your work is brilliant, and GIMP looks amazing to use!

[palabravampiress]

Here is my first attempt at using bump mapping to create texture. What do you think?

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/TheZeppoBanner.jpg

[Tranquillity]

you've inspired me! i've downloaded Gimp and just wanted to ask, do you use the banner templates? if so, big or small? or do you use your own measurements?

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

like that new one :). whats bump mapping?

[palabravampiress]

you've inspired me! i've downloaded Gimp and just wanted to ask, do you use the banner templates? if so, big or small? or do you use your own measurements?

Oh good! Enjoy the GIMP. :-) I make my own measurements according to the siggy rules of the site on which I intend to post the banner. For Buffy Boards, I usually do either 125 x 500 pixels or 125 x 600 pixels. That way, there's still room for a line or so of text in addition to the banner.

like that new one :). whats bump mapping?

Thanks! Bump mapping raises specific portions of an image (basically, creating "bumps"). That's how I gave the Zeppo banner that textured look. If you look at the image, you'll see a TV behind Xander and Faith, some car parts behind Xander and the car, and some road-like lines and textures behind the bomb. I drew some of these with paint and some of these with an eraser so that, when I applied the bump mapping filter, the painted images looked a little raised and the erased images looked a little indented. It was fun.



So... I recently read Buffy issue #12. So I'm in a comic book mood. That gave me the itch to figure out whether or not I could use GIMP to make anything resembling a comic. I'm not too pleased with my first attempt (with the exception of the bottom panel, which I think looks awesome). Still, I thought I'd show you my rough draft.

I used Indra, of course, because I'm obsessed. The title, which appears in Sanskrit, is supposed to say "Chosen of Kali." I'm not so sure it worked, though, especially "of." There are way too many ways to say that in Hindi. And about the "aura" thing. My hubby saw it and hated it. He thought it was poor cropping. It's there because Indra has "Synesthesia," a medically documented phenomenon that allows her to see perceive the world differently. In Indra's case, certain people have "color" separate from that of their hair, skin, eyes, clothes, or any other color that is visible to the normal eye. So that's what the aura's about. I haven't added text, yet, but here's what I came up with for the images.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Indra-ChosenofKali.jpg


This is supposed to be the story of how Drusilla sucked Indra in. I really need to rework the first panel. In it, Indra is supposed to be entering the temple of Kali for her usual devotions. Dru sees her and follows her in. The second panel is a little better. I like the angle and I like how freakin' scary Dru looks in the background. I don't like that you can't really see the Kali statue very clearly, though. Anyway, Indra's supposed to be praying and lighting incense. Then I hit my stride in the 3rd panel. I just noticed that I screwed up Dru's aura on her hand, so I'll need to fix that. Otherwise, though, I am madly in love with this panel. I love the eyes. Obviously, in that panel or frame or whatever they're called in comic book land, Indra realizes that there is someone... or something... behind her.

So yeah... I need to work on the layout, on figuring out how to do establishing shots, and on a couple of other little things, but that's what I came up with tonight. What do you think?

[Vicariously]

looks like you are having alot of fun with the new program. I am gonna have to hunt for it and try it for myself now. And I will bookmark the help with GIMP thread as a reference :) Good work PV.

[palabravampiress]

looks like you are having alot of fun with the new program. I am gonna have to hunt for it and try it for myself now. And I will bookmark the help with GIMP thread as a reference :) Good work PV.

Thanks.

Yeah, I am having fun with it. I've been in a slump with my writing lately, so I guess I'm turning to this as a creative outlet.

[Bangelxx]

Awesome stuff palabra! looks like fun!:D

[palabravampiress]

Here's the fixed version:

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Indra-ChosenofKali-1.jpg

I lightened the first frame to give it more definition. In the second frame, I sharpened and lightened the Kali statue as well as Dru to make them look clearer. In the last one, I fixed Dru's broken aura.

[palabravampiress]

Okay...

So I'm playing around with colorization. Here is my attempt at changing JM's crazy platinum blonde hair color to something a little more natural. Before and after appear below from left to right.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Beauav2orig.jpghttp://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Beauav2recolor.jpg

[alexa]

Oh wow I couldn't tell which one you changed, until I read your post. Nice job.
He looks more yum with natural hair colour anyway ;)

[palabravampiress]

Okay, so...

In light of the fact that we have a contest going on in which folks are encouraged to make banners for other houses, I'm checking in with a banner I made for my own house pride. Because I'm nice, I've included a non-house version for you non-Raiden types. :-)

Raiden Version:

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Raiden.jpg


Non-Raiden Version:

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/FangedFour.jpg

[palabravampiress]

The hubby and I just watched Our Mrs. Reynolds, so I felt inspired.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Special.jpg

[palabravampiress]

I'll probably have more updates later on. I wanted to make "Good Bible," "Good Myth," and "By My Pretty Floral Bonnet" banners, too, but the screen cap site that I normally use seems to be down. Ugh. I did manage to make another one, though. I used similar techniques as those that I used in "Special," above, but I think this one turned out a little better.

So, check it out. I call it "Vera." Hehe.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Vera.jpg

[Kemy]

Aww! thats a sweet banner, they should have featured Vera a little more.

[palabravampiress]

Sorry for posting stuff little by little instead of in one big update, guys. What can I say? I'm scatterbrained when it comes to organizing my artwork.


All right... my Firefly screencap site still seems to be down, but I did manage to put together a little something in the Bonnet department:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/FloralBonnet.jpg


Also, since I use James Marsters as an actor image for two characters over on an RPG site, I have recently made some JM artwork that I thought you guys might want to see. In case you guys like it and want to use any of it on this site, I changed the text so that it is Buffyverse-centric. :-)

So here are two JM avatars:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/JMav2.jpg http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/JMav1.jpg

And here are two JM banners:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/SpikeBanner1.jpg

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/JMBanner1.jpg

[Angel's vision]

Good work PV! I liked the Fanged four best..

[palabravampiress]

Okay... I will stop doing "Our Mrs. Reynolds" pieces now. I swear. Just two more:

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/GoodMyth.jpg

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/GoodBible.jpg

[palabravampiress]

Got another one. We've got lots of Bander talk going on in the batsu thread (weird, but we do), so I felt inspired to make some Bandery goodness from... "When She Was Bad," of course!

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/WhenSheWasBad.jpg


Does anyone have any super cool text suggestions? I feel like my banners always fall apart at the text. Argh. My fonts and logo styles and spacing are all boring.

EDIT: In light of the above texty badness, here is the no text version:

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/WhenSheWasBad-NoText.jpg

[~angelic slayer~]

Awesome work hun!

I gotta say, not a fan of Firefly but I really, really like the banner you've got up there! It's a really cool design, and the textures really suit the scene. :)

As for the fonts and such, I wouldn't know what kind of text formatting options GIMP has (maybe googling a few tutorials could help you out?), and I agree with SOF for sure, a great way to make your font match that much better is to get more to choose from! ;) I'd recommend that site as well!

Keep it up! :thumb:

[DarklyDreamingDrusilla]

I love all of your Firefly banners! The Our Mrs. Reynolds ones are hilarious. The new Buffy/Xander one is GRR-REAT! The blending is really just awesome!

[palabravampiress]

DDD has inspired me to make a few comic-related pieces.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/BanderComic.jpg

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Season8.jpg

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/GottaHaveFaith.jpg


And here's a regular Bander banner:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/BanderEndgame.jpg

[edb]

Wow, you've really gotten the hang of GIMP now! :D Those banners are really great, the blending is really good - they look FAB! I especially like the Bander ones! :D

[palabravampiress]

I really like making banners from the comics. They present entirely different challenges. So...

Here's one from the Wolves at the Gate TPB:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/WolvesAtGate.jpg


And here's a Xander-centric banner from Wolves at the Gate IV:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Devotion.jpg

[Lyri]

Aw, the Xander one made me sad...I hate seeing sad Xander, lol. But your work is awesome. I love how I can see how good you've gotten. I especially like the 'Vera' banner! lol

[The Chosen]

Ooh I REALLY liked the placement on the Faith banner! I really like it!

And you're improving so much. It's really impressive!

[palabravampiress]

Okay... I tried my hand at making my first wallpaper. The blending was really hard to do, man. It's Chosen-themed, with extra emphasis on those who gave their lives in the final battle.

Anyway, I couldn't decide which version I liked better, so there are two versions: Bright and Less Bright.


Bright:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/ChosenWallpaperBright.jpg


Less Bright:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/ChosenWallpaperLessBright.jpg

[DarklyDreamingDrusilla]

Wow! Palabra your stuff is just getting better and better! I love all of your comic book stuff and the Chosen Walls are awesome!! Where do you get the pictures for the comic book stuff?

[palabravampiress]

Wow! Palabra your stuff is just getting better and better! I love all of your comic book stuff and the Chosen Walls are awesome!! Where do you get the pictures for the comic book stuff?

Thanks!

Mostly, I get my comic book images just from doing a Google Images search of phrases like "Buffy season 8" or "Buffy comic" or "Xander season 8." These most recent Xander images, though, I scanned from Wolves at the Gate IV. The Wolves at the Gate TPB cover I actually obtained from the Buffy Boards thread that discusses it.

[Senior Watcher]

you have done such a great job pv! im so proud of all the banners, buttons and wallpaper you have created.

doing what youre doing is what the essence of the buffy-boards is all about.

keep up the great work!

[Starlet]

I love the wallpaper:biggrin:

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

this is pretty sweet work, palabra. i especially like the new wall. hopefully more non-firefly, non-s8 coming soon? :p kidding; just on the lookout for spoilers and whatnot. make whatever you want :D.

[Angels baby101]

love the new stuff hun you've come so far in such a short time... :) great job

[palabravampiress]

Non-Firefly, non-S8 banners coming right up, SOF. In fact... they're New Horizons banners!

A shot of the currently active cast (minus the vamps and Illyria, whom I figure is keeping Spike company):
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/RPGBanner.jpg

A Dru and Indra banner with a focus on colorization:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/BigBads.jpg

A Xander banner, also with a focus on colorization:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/MissingToysXander.jpg

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

ooh, coolness! i like the top one best, because of the font and the colour that i like. the other two are cool also. i thought indra had darker hair...did you colourize that, or is it dyed?

[palabravampiress]

Okay... I only have one update today, but I think I may have finally gotten Dru and Indra into a banner that actually looks decent. In case you're not keeping up with New Horizons, Dru and Indra are currently set up in the Sedlec Ossuary, which is a church that is completely decorated with human bones. Also, they have the scythe. The thread is called "Playthings" and in my head, it looks something like this...

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Playthings.jpg

As usual, I'm not completely thrilled with the text. That's why I saved a version sans text, too. :-)
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/PlaythingsNoText.jpg

[palabravampiress]

I found a picture of Juliet Landau wearing a beautiful blue sari. That just totally SCREAMED Dru and Indra at me, so I made something even cooler! Check it out.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/PlaythingsSmoke.jpg

Sidenote: Juliet Landau is just insanely photogenic, isn't she?

[Crazy Flakes]

I LOVE your stuff, Palabra! And I can't believe how much you've improved since the beginning of your gallery...you've become a GIMP goddess! Like I said in my rep comment, I love the Juliet Landau banner you just posted; it's definitely my new favorite. The coloring is gorgeous, and the blue sari definitely does scream Drusilla.

[palabravampiress]

^ Thanks!

I think that last Dru & Indra one is my new favorite, too. I think it's the best thing I've done so far. That being the case, I might take Indra out and put Dru in twice -- once in the foreground and once in the background -- to have one that is just Juliet Landau/Drusilla instead of one that's RPG-based. Cuz, you know, not everyone wants an Indra banner. lol.

Anyway, I can't believe how well it turned out! I'm totally stoked.

[palabravampiress]

I found a neato picture of Juliet Landau, so I made a matching avatar, banner, and wallpaper set.

Avatar:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Druavatar.jpg

Banner:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Drubanner.jpg

Wallpaper:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Druwallpaper.jpg

[Joyce Summers]

You've definitely been widening and improving le skills du GIMP here. Just getting better and better each time- I already karmafied you for how much I love your new shiny blue Juliet banner and then you go ahead and wow me with this latest piece.
The wallie is fantastic! Of course it helps, like you said, that Juliet is so amazingly photogenic. But I love this piece completely!

[DarklyDreamingDrusilla]

I am loving all of your Juliet stuff! All of the RPG centric stuff is AMAZING!!

[palabravampiress]

Thanks, guys! I'm glad you're enjoying my GIMPness. :-)

I liked the way the Juliet piece seemed to "glow," so I made a Buffy piece using some similar techniques. Again, it's a three-piece set that includes an avatar, a banner, and a wallpaper.

Avatar:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Glowavatar.jpg

Banner:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/GlowBanner.jpg

Wallpaper:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/GlowWallpaper.jpg


This is one of my fave SMG moments. I love her awkward smile, here. Also, like Spike says, she does seem to "glow." I think it might have turned out a little too busy, but whatever; I also love that I made SMG literally glow.

[caitaintdead]

OH MY GOD!!! I can't get over how wonderful your "glow" pieces are, Sarah looks absolutely stunning, the colour is beautiful and the background is fantastically matched to the foreground. Even the pink flowers in the background look brilliant. I love love love it. I want to get it printed and framed. I've already raved about it but I need to also give you karma. Keep up the good work!

[palabravampiress]

Okay... I dimmed the lights a bit for this next installment because, well, it's a night piece. Anyway, here's some art based on the episode "New Moon Rising:"

Tara avatar:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/NewMoonRisingAvatarTara.jpg

Banner:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/NewMoonRisingBanner.jpg


Wallpaper:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/NewMoonRisingWall.jpg

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

aside from my bias of loving that ship, i think this new piece is actually very lovely. those are great pics to work with, and you made something wonderful from them. i also love the one with "glowing" buffy, the concept especially. and i agree that the new new horizons (:p) stuff is some of your finest work, as well. not only do i enjoy the concepts (even more so since i am part of the RPG :)), but i think you did a really good job with effects and blending the pics seamlessly.

[Dlou444]

Well, I don't know how you're doing it, but I'm VERY IMPRESSED! It makes me wanna try, except, then I wouldn't EVER get any work done.

I LOVE the Willow and Tara one. It ROCKS!

[palabravampiress]

^ Oh, yeah. It's totally distracting. It's also really bad for my writing. It's Creativity Light, you know? I still get the same rush that I get out of writing, but without the majority of the work. I mean, when I'm writing, I have to be all meticulous and research and blah blah blah in order to create believable characters and settings and whatnot. This stuff? Not nearly as hard. I often find myself doing this when I'm supposed to be doing something more constructive. :-)

As far as HOW I do it goes, well... mostly just trial and error. If you are willing to get distracted like crazy, then you should give it a try. It's fun and really not hard at all. Like most computer apps, GIMP has an Undo button. If you make a mistake,y you can just undo it and try again. That makes everything easier. Man, don't you wish everything in life had an undo button? lol.

[palabravampiress]

Okay, quick update:

I did an Angelus themed banner and av. I'm not 100% sold on either the font or the border, but I like the rest.

Avatar:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/TrollAv.jpg

Banner:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/TrollBanner-1.jpg

[Angel's vision]

DB in a chest revealing shirt Yummy!

[palabravampiress]

Here's something on which i have begun, but I can't seem to figure out the appropriate text (if, indeed, there is any).

Does anyone have any ideas?

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/metaphor.jpg

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

ooh, i really like that! :D and text? ...hm.... i tend to either quote lines or songs for quotes. obviously, no lines right there in that moment. so perhaps previous bangel lines? or part of a fitting song? hehe, ill be back if i can think of anything more specific :p.

[palabravampiress]

Here's a texty version, even though I'm still not thrilled.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/metaphorTEXT.jpg

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

it seems you've already gone through the scene, but here are some other quotable suggestions i found, which probably arent worth much, but i figured were worth posting anyway if for nothing else than for my own amusement :).

"always"
"please?"
"drink me" < yes, i realize you ended up using that already :p
"you have to live"
"the only way"

is there a specific message you're trying to present? like bangel-love angst? or the vampiric nature of angel? or just anything that works? :)

[palabravampiress]

^ Thanks for the ideas, SOF. I'm still working on that one.


In the meantime, I tried to mess around with perspective and dimension a little bit. I created an avatar, banner, and Wallpaper set for the Master. It was mostly an exercise in technique, but I think it turned out really well. For starters, I didn't use anyone else's textures or brushes. I used different text placement and fonts. Then, to cap it all off, I used a little bit of mapping and a lot of embossing to try to give things a 3-D feel. I think it worked particularly well with the text.

What do you guys think?

Avatar:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/MasterAvatar.jpg

Banner:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/MasterBanner.jpg

Wallpaper:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/MasterWallpaper-1.jpg (http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/MasterWallpaper.jpg)

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

i think it came out best on the wallpaper/avatar, actually. i think the perspective of his hand coming out looks AWESOME! :D the text also looks really nice. it pops and i like the fancy "M". although, now i have to get used to you using that av instead of that The Master BBer, wherever he went, hehe. plus, you dont have that pretty dru av anymore. gonna take a bit, but ill get it :).

[palabravampiress]

The new art classes have inspired me to make new art. Go figure, huh?

Anyway, I've been very interested in creating textures and a feeling of dimension lately, so here is my Fred-centric take on those themes:

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/HandsomeMan.jpg

[palabravampiress]

Sorry about the double postage. I just made a fun new Gunn banner, though, so I figured I'd post it. I'm actually pretty pleased with these last two banners. I think they're the most complex pieces I've done so far.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/AlreadyFallen.jpg

[Slayergal]

Awesome work palabra! I especially love the ice cold Angeleus!

[DrusillaRox]

wow. I just LOVE the master ones!!!!!!!!!

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

whoa! the pic of gunn on the left freaks me out! :p he's supposed to be a vamp there, right? awesome banner and concept! also, the fred one rocks! great pics of her! and i like the av you've got to match it so much better than the master one; no offense to him, fred is just so much more awesome! :D anyway, great work! :)

[palabravampiress]

^ Thanks! And yup. He's supposed to be a vamp. :-)

Oh, and here's my new banner:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/TheInitiative.jpg
Brushes by Leiyla and Droz928-FencePost, downloaded at Deviantart

[Darling]

OH! This is really good Palabra *_*

Pretty and criative o/

[palabravampiress]

All right...

I made a new wallpaper, banner, and avatar set starring Dark Willow. My regular screenshot site was down, so I had some trouble fine-tuning the images, but I think it turned out all right. Let me know what you think!

Avatar:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/VillainsAvatar.jpg

Banner:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/VillainsBanner.jpg

Wallpaper:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Villains-1.jpg (http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Villains.jpg)

Note: The wallpaper shown is preview sized. The preview is a link; click it to view the full sized version.

[palabravampiress]

Yay! The Buffy Boards are back! Happy Halloween, everyone.

In honor of Halloween and the BB being back, I have decided to unveil phase I of the Lineage Collection. Okay, so really, I just downloaded the newest version of GIMP and spent a lot of time playing with it while BB was down, and so now I have a big bunch of images to upload. Calling it a collection just sounds cooler.

If it helps, the pieces *are* related; each wall/banner/avatar set is based on the premise that certain images or artifacts from the early days of certain infamous vampires were recovered by the Watcher's Council for research and archiving. For each piece, I tried to mimic period appropriate styles and techniques as well as a certain degree of age-related wear and tear.

Note: In the interest of saving space, all wallpapers are shown in preview format. To view the full size version, simply click the preview image. As always, feel free to use the avatars, banners, and wallpapers.



First up: The Master
This 13th century illuminated manuscript features the first recorded image of "The Master," H.J. Nest, as a young(er) vampire. According to the brief notation included with the manuscript, it was recovered in the early 18th century by watcher Lord Price. The illuminated image is highly stylized, but it appears to depict the vampire known as "The Master" before he outgrew his more human features. The text cautions clergy to counsel their congregations against false prophets. Those who stray from the one true church risk falling prey to this mysterious blood-drinking devil, who is believed to lure devout souls by posing as a monk, priest, or other figure of religious authority. Behind his human facade, the text insists, the devil sports a true visage consisting of yellow eyes, sharp fangs, and a grotesquely deformed brow. The manuscript stands as a testament to the manner in which religious authorities in Medieval Europe framed factual information for political gain. it is, nevertheless, a valuable study of this infamous vampire's physical appearance and hunting habits.

Avatar:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/MasterAvatar-1.jpg

Banner:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/MasterBanner-3.jpg

Wallpaper:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Master-1.jpg (http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Master.jpg)




Darla:
This American Colonial woodcut, signed H.J. Nest, features advanced techniques far ahead of its time; is one of the first of its kind to be printed with multiple ink colors: red, yellow, and black, with white indicating deeper cuts that leave behind no ink. Curiously, the woodcut was not recovered in the United States, but was instead recovered by watcher Lawrence Wyndham in China shortly following the Boxer Rebellion. Due to the unparalleled skill of the artist, the resemblance of the subject to a known vampire, and the time and era to which the materials have been dated, it is widely speculated that the image depicts the final living, human moments of the woman who would later become the vampire "Darla." Furthermore, it is suggested that the artist is indeed the very same H.J Nest who would later become known as "The Master." Please note that such speculation remains unconfirmed.

Avatar:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/DarlaAvatar.jpg

Banner:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/DarlaBanner.jpg

Wallpaper:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Darla-1.jpg (http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Darla.jpg)



Drusilla:
Recovered from an abandoned factory in Sunnydale, CA, this recent recovery is a treasure trove of Victorian artifacts belonging to the vampire "Drusilla." The items were recovered, cataloged, and archived by watcher Wesley Wyndham-Price on February 14, 1999. Most notable is the diary of Miss Drusilla Whales. Not only does it contain a first hand account of the stalking habits of the vampire "Angelus," but its cover also depicts a sketch believed to have been drawn by said vampire's own hand as a threat to the victim. DNA tests performed on the blood-stained artifacts are so far inconclusive.


Avatar:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/DrusillaAvatar.jpg

Banner:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/DrusillaBanner.jpg

Wallpaper:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Drusilla-1.jpg (http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Drusilla.jpg)




I hope you like these pieces! Angelus and Spike will follow soon. I'm having a lot of fun with this theme. It's challenging to try to imitate artwork from different periods while remaining true to the Buffyverse theme.

[caitaintdead]

You were the last person I karmafied, so simple post - amazing idea. Love it.

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

wow! this is an awesome idea, and you've created lovely pieces! ill be back; more please :).

[palabravampiress]

All right... next up in the Lineage Collection...

Angel:
Recovered during the mid twentieth century by watcher Tabitha Giles, this unsigned Rococo oil on canvas piece was housed for generations in a storage closet of a Parisian sanitarium. Although the identity of the artist is unknown, the subject matter appears to be a boudoir scene between the famous vampires "Darla" and "Angelus." This interpretation is supported by the results of two independent appraisals, both of which agree that the materials have been confirmed as authentic to the pre-revolutionary time period. Fibers and paint chips date to approximately 1760.

Avatars:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/AngelAvatar.jpg http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/DarlaLoversAvatar.jpg

Banner:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/AngelBanner.jpg

Wallpaper:
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Angel-1.jpg (http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/palabravampiress/Angel.jpg)



Note: Although I had some trouble with the technical aspects of this piece, I feel the need to brag about the damask cloth background (complete with wrinkles, a satiny texture, age-related fading, and shadows and highlights). I also quite like that Angelus doesn't appear in the mirror. :-)

[Angel's vision]

PV these are amazing! Just truly gothic and very much 1600's!

[hannahfngrl26]

All of these are amazing. I wish I had any idea how to make anything like that. Very nice.