Discussion Time!

[seraphina_snape]

It's Friday! Let's talk about icons! :D

Do you have a favourite "subject" to icon? Like a favourite character, or a favourite show? Are there people/characters/shows/movies/other things that you always come back to and make icons of? And how do you decide on a subject?

Comments

[seraphina_snape]

Personally, I do tend to go back to my faves (Leverage, for instance) whenever I want to make icons but don't have a set challenge to work on. But for me screencap quality is also a factor - if I don't have screencaps that are at least of a reasonable quality, I probably won't bother.

I also tend to make icons of women more than men. No idea why - maybe just because they're prettier?

[magicrubbish]

Of course there are certain topics that always make me go all excited and inspired to go on icon making . And also there are subjects that are added as I watch new things and become part of new fandoms.

[magicrubbish]

Interesting . Mine is just the opposite . I almost always make icons of men only , I rarely make icons of ladies unless for some specific reason , like e.g for actress_ic of Lj.

[seraphina_snape]

True. One of my 'markers' for when I have truly settled into a new fandom is when I start writing fic or making icons. *g*

[seraphina_snape]

That really is interesting. Maybe it's because most of my favourite characters are women? Idk.

[alexia_drake]

I only make icons for challenges, and as requests such as for a Christmas exchanges. Most of the time I icon my fave characters from my faves TV Series at the time, or of past tv series I liked. Very rarely about movies, and it also has to be something/someone that fits the challenges. I also make some stock icons for one of my icontest communities if there is a lack of entries or if I really feel like making some as well. Mostly of cute baby animals. lol

[alexia_drake]

As the owner of actress-ic, you might find it funny that I also prefer to icon men! lol I have joined the community years ago when there was a lack of entries, then I became a banner maker to help, and finally the main mod when all of them wanted to stop. lol

[seraphina_snape]

lol Yeah that's pretty funny.

[seraphina_snape]

I think challenges and exchanges are a great way to get some inspiration. Sometimes it's hard to icon without a prompt or something to guide you along.

I don't really make a lot of stock icons, but I'm intrigued. Baby animals are adorable and probably make for awesome icons. Did you make the cat icon you used for your comment? Because that's lovely.

[alexia_drake]

Yes, I made that icon years ago, and it's still my favorite. Feel free to browse my journal with the tag icons: stock.

[seraphina_snape]

I definitely will!

[magicrubbish]

Yes totally makes sense , because most of my top favorite characters are men , and when it comes to women , I seldom find some one likeable in any tv series or movies lol. So there you go !

[magicrubbish]

Hi-5. All the icons I make of women are usually because of some requirements and almost never out of free wish ( like long hair , red hair hair porn , accessory etc. or as you said actress. )
Hey , have you ever thought of opening an actors_ic , since like me , you too prefer making icons on men ?? :D It'll be so much fun and we can drool in a gang ;)

[magicrubbish]

Completely agree . This is so me ! I don't feel myself as a part of any fandom unless or until I "give back" so to speak in some way , either by gifs , icons , metas , edits , picspams anything !

[magicrubbish]

Hi5 on that . I almost NEVER make icons without challenges or icontests . I confess that I need the structure that the challenges or contests provide . Winning does not matter , because participation itself is so much fun ! I eagerly wait to see what the other participants came up with as well.

[magicrubbish]

Kittens are hearts. They are like concentrated packets of adorbs !
I loovvveee making stock icons lol. I look forward to it . I do make a lot of stock icons. The abstract nature and unpredictability of stock icons give me strong creative and visual kick. <3

[seraphina_snape]

I hear you. I've seen so many potentially awesome female characters ruined by writers/storylines/etc. It's even worse in movies where the shorter time frame means women are generally reduced to a handful of stereotypes.

[sandy79]

Absolutely! Currently, it's on the actor side Sebastian Stan, which of course continues to almost all his roles in TV and movies (at least where I know a source of good caps). On the movie side, we cross a bit, as I tend to use almost the whole MCU for icons as well.

To mix it up a bit, I tend to use other of my favorites, like Supernatural (and it's actors, mostly Jensen), White Collar (and Matt Bomer in general), and the occasional other (former) TV/movie favorites (but usually only when the themes/challenge fits none of the others XD)

I know for sure that I have done not very much in terms of stock icons (most of the stock icon communities I participated in the past have closed completely or are on infinite hiatus, and with those still open, I usually miss the deadline ;) ) The only stock icon comms I participate in most regularly are world_icontest, foodie_itest, food_stillness and total_icontest (on LJ).

And like the rest of you here, I tend (and prefer) to icon men, though I have a couple of favorite actresses as well.

for those interested in my icons - just go to my journal (both here on DW and on LJ) and click the tag "medium: icons" (I just need to finally make some collection posts of all the icons I did in the past two years for small challenges)

[seraphina_snape]

Same! It's a great way to get in contact with other fans, too.

[magicrubbish]

Yup , that's it. You've nailed it . As a woman , and dare I say a quite feminist woman , I always look forward to seeing awesome female characters but rarely are they given the chance , screen space or screen time to justify their narratives . Very little character arc or even worse extremely poorly written or even if started promisingly , destroyed over the years .
This is really frustrating , when will we see true representation of what we ladies actually stand for ?? Either they're damsel in distress or insufferable boss bitches ! Can'e we have strong yet kind , vulnerable , emotionally available , resourceful, intelligent but very sensitive female characters ??
Pick any fandom , just any , and the difference in writing female characters over their male counterparts are so grossly incompetent or unsatisfactory that some times it makes me suspect whether it's deliberate. :[

[magicrubbish]

Yup , and also earn their trust too. Some times fans are suspicious of new arrivals and duly so ! There are many trolls who enter the fandom only with bashing intent in their minds and they be like .. " Don't take me wrong, I'm a huge fan of .... ," and then they proceed to tell you 1000 things they hate about that fandom !! :\

[seraphina_snape]

I haven't really watched any of the MCU movies since... uh. Iron Man 2 (which kinda sucked), but tumblr has kept me informed. :p Sebastian Stan is really pretty - I can see the appeal. *g*

I don't think I've made more than a handful of stock icons, and all of those were for various challenges.

Huh, seems like I'm the odd one out. Now I feel like going through a few of my icon posts and count the ratio of men vs women.

[seraphina_snape]

Agreed! There is the occasional gem, but you have to go through a lot of garbage to find it and it stinks.

[seraphina_snape]

Yeah, that's true. Although I don't really get it. Of course there are always things you don't like, but what's the point of focusing on them? My favourite TV show is Leverage and one of the five main characters is an alcoholic. I have a multitude of problems with that, but that doesn't mean I have to go around and bash everyone who likes that character! Instead I just don't focus on that character when I write fic or make icons.

[alexia_drake]

My new obssession is the TV Series Timeless (sadly it has been cancelled after only 2 seasons) and the lead is a woman, and I think she's a strong female character.