GIP!

[rj_anderson]

Because
a) you can never have too many Snape icons (he's the little black dress of fandom);
b) it fits in perfectly with one of the main points in my Convention Alley presentation, and will be a good reminder to me that I really need to write that outline and essay;
c) I'm very pleased with the results I'm getting as I'm learning more about text and brushes in Photoshop; and
d) I thought it was about time somebody used hymn lyrics on an icon, and the quote here reflects what I believe about myself, and my own relation to God.

So there you have it.

Comments

[sabrinanymph.livejournal.com]

Very nice job! Both on the photoshop-ness and on the icon itself. I really like the text in relationship with Snape, but then I'm such a redemptionalist when it comes to Severus Snape, I suppose I couldn't help but like it.

I also just really love the colours. And the background, mind if I ask how you did it?

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

The beauty of the screenshot I found for this one (and I can't remember where I got it, alas) is that the background was already that lovely mottled blue-green. All I did was apply a layer of thin vertical stripes, with the opacity set to around 40% -- most people would do it with a brush, but since I have Photoshop Elements and most of the user-made icon brushes around are for a more advanced version of Photoshop, I just used the GIF image of the brush instead. Then I used the eraser tool on that layer to remove the stripes from Snape's face and body.

I found that in order for the text to show up properly against that brushed background, however, I also had to carefully erase around the text as well -- otherwise, even if I put the text layer on top of the brush layer, it turned out all jaggedy-looking.

Hope that answers your question!

[sabrinanymph.livejournal.com]

That does make it much easier, doesn't it?

I've found that I need to somehow get more brushes on my photoshop. I see really neat ones out there all the time that I'd love to use, but I haven't quite figured out how to get them into my program.

Thanks for the info, also. Everything I've learned for my icons is because I've asked someone else how they did theirs! It's a great way to learn. And it's a lovely icon. I've always thought, ironically perhaps, that Snape and religious verses mix very well. Every time I hear Rich Mullin's song 'Growing Young' for example, I can't help but think Snape. It's probably a sign of obsession... two fold obsession because I love the song as well.