Activity #61 - Ask The Maker

[tinny]

this banner features an icon by abyss_valkyrie

May is always a bit low on traffic, let's see if we can make June more prolific! (If you want to make icons in addition to discussions, I have extended our May activity until the end of June, so you can do that, too, if you like.)

Ask The Maker is where you can ask your favorite makers about how they do that thing. You can ask for tutorials, guides/"How to", or ask any other questions related to their work. Check out the Maker thread (below) for makers who have signed up and are ready to answer your questions.

You can also ask questions to the community at large, and hope that someone is able to answer them. Do this in the Questions thread (below).

I am looking forward to interesting questions and discussions!

Please promote this activity!

You can use this code here:
<center><img src='https://tinny.dreamwidth.org/file/541651.png' title='Activity #61 Ask the Maker 2022' alt='Activity Header #61 Ask The Maker 2022' /> <user name="icontalking"> <a href="https://icontalking.dreamwidth.org/64357.html">Activity Post</a> </center>

The more participants the merrier! I will promote it at an official promo comm.

Here are the rules:

1) Maker-Driven


Rules for makers who want to sign up

Sign up by commenting to the Maker thread.

Please don't sign up if you know that you can't or do not plan to fulfill the requests you get within a month (until the end of June).

If you are an icon maker and you're willing to write tutorials, guides or answer questions (Q&A's), please sign up here with your name and where you post your work. Please state what you're willing to do/answer and if people can hotlink your work or not. Use this posting template:

<b>Username + where you post your work:</b> <b>What can we request from you (tutorials, Q&A, guides etc.)</b> --->(If you know of anything that you're not able to answer/do, please mention it)<--- <b>Can we hotlink your icons?:</b>

There is no fixed time limit in which the signed up makers have to write these tutorials or answer questions, but it would be nice if everyone managed to post their answers within the next month. I will make the activity result post mid-July. Even if you take longer than that, please try and answer your questions. Please let people know if you find out you cannot fulfill the requests. Try not to leave people hanging.

All tutorials/Q&A etc. need to be posted in your community/journal and be posted publicly. In-depth explanations on tutorials is not a must, but highly encouraged.

When you finish your requests, post a link to them as a reply to the original request comment here. That way, I and the person requesting will be able to see them and I can add them to the activity result post at the end of the month.



2) Question-Driven - I have a question and anyone can answer



If you have a question about techniques, a specific look, etc, but you can't ask any maker directly (e.g. because they didn't sign up or are not on DW or because your question is more of the general kind), you may ask your question in the Questions thread.

Be aware that there is no guarantee that you'll get your question answered. You will increase your chances by asking specific questions about specific techniques and by giving icon examples, from different makers if possible. Please don't ask about single specific icons, nobody should feel pressured into participating.

Please don't hotlink icons from other makers without asking them. Reupload the icons (e.g. to imgur.com or postimages.com or your dw account) instead.



What's What


Question categories and examples

Guides - a guide is a general explanation post. The maker will make a post explaining how to achieve a particular effect, use a technique, use a tool, etc.

#1 - Text and typography in gimp by cool_spectrum
#2 - A guide to picking textures (from our 2019 round) by seraphina_snape

Tutorial - a tutorial is a step-by-step description of how to make a particular icon. Only the maker of an icon can make a tutorial of how they made that icon. If you ask for a tutorial, you must provide said icon with your question. This kind of question only makes sense in the Maker thread.

Trippy Tutorial by tinebrella
Tutorial (from 2020) by abyss_valkyrie
Tutorial by tinyumbrella

Q&A - everything that doesn't quite fit the first two categories. Ask away, hope for the best. :)


Maker thread

Questions thread

Comments

Maker Thread

[tinny]

Makers, please sign up here

Re: Maker Thread

[aurora_amethyst]

Username + where you post your work: aurora_amethyst @ 1wonderment
What can we request from you (tutorials, Q&A, guides etc.)
--->Anything really. I usually save my PSD's, so I can usually throw a tutorial together fairly quickly. I've never done Q&A before, but I'd be happy to answer any questions. I've done a guide of sorts on using textures and color layers on screen and lighten, so I wouldn't mind doing guides as well. ^^ I use Photoshop but have used GIMP and PSP in the past although I haven't used GIMP or PSP in forever, so there's not much I can do there. (Although I could go back and download GIMP....).<---
Can we hotlink your icons?: Sure, no problem.

Re: Maker Thread

[starla]

Hi! I really like your use of texture in a lot of your icons and would love to see how they came together!

Specifically from your examples these two:


Not from your examples, but the composition/text/everything about this one is also super stunning and I'd love to know more.


But generally I'm just going to say I love your lighting and general composition!

Re: Maker Thread

[aurora_amethyst]

D'awww! Thanks! ^^ I've just posted a tutorial this icon:

I'm working on the pink icon as well. I can do a tutorial for the 3rd icon, or would you prefer a guide on lighting and/or composition? ^^

Re: Maker Thread

[aurora_amethyst]

I've just posted the tutorial for this icon:

Re: Maker Thread

[aurora_amethyst]

I've posted a composition guide along with a mini tutorial for this icon:


^^ Click here

Re: Maker Thread

[fallleaves]

Hi would love tutorials on these or how to do them. Especially love the animation effects and the colors in these icons. Thanks! If that's too much just let me know and I'll pic a few out of them.

Re: Maker Thread

[applepips]

It would be really awesome if you could do a guide on composition and how you approach/tackle it! I love love your composition!

for example:

Re: Maker Thread

[smallrobot]

Hello! I have found your account while looking for Detective Conan icons, so I would like to thank you for making so many anazing ones!! 💛 I've saved a bunch and am using some right now.
That said, I wanted to ask which software or web application you use to make gifs, and whether you are creating gifs from DVDs, video files, or Youtube? And whether you know a good application to create gifs from Youtube in particular and/or to compress them without a crazy amount of pixelling? I was just completely blown away by the quality of your gifs.

Re: Maker Thread

[tinny]

Username + where you post your work: tinny, I post everything to my personal journal, the tag is:
https://tinny.dreamwidth.org/tag/art-icons

What can we request from you (tutorials, Q&A, guides etc.)
Anything you like. I keep all my psds, and I like writing tutorials. Just please check out the tutorials and guides I've written in recent years, so you don't accidentally ask me a question I've already answered.
https://tinny.dreamwidth.org/tag/art-tutorial

Can we hotlink your icons?:
Sure.

Re: Maker Thread

[starla]

This is a really cool composition. I really like how the background is done! Would love to know what sort of technique you used for it. :)

Re: Maker Thread

[fallleaves]

Hi! I would love tutorials on the following, if they are not to much. I can always just pic a few, but these are the one's I love the most. Thank you! :)

Re: Maker Thread

[applepips]

hi hi, I have two requests if it isnt too much to ask! :D

a tutorial for this painty fellow!



and a more general guide for composition, with some of my faves for example :D

Re: Maker Thread

[applepips]

Username + where you post your work: I am applepips and I post at inkblush
What can we request from you (tutorials, Q&A, guides etc.) I am not in the habit of saving all my PSDs so individual icons might be a little difficult for me to recreate. But still, I can give it a fair short by backworking my way through it lol. Q & A's and guides on the other hand are definitely no problem at all!
Can we hotlink your icons?: Sure you can :)

Re: Maker Thread

[starla]

Hiya! I really love the Taeyong icon in your examples and would love to hear the process that went into it a little bit. I really love the colouring and the way the textures work together and just... basically the whole icon.

Edit:

Dis one

Re: Maker Thread

[fallleaves]

Hi! Would love some tutorials on the folloing, if it's not asking to many that is:



Thank you! :)

Re: Maker Thread

[aeriiths]

Username + where you post your work: aeriiths @ hunters_chance
What can we request from you (tutorials, Q&A, guides etc.)
Tutorials are fine, for the most part I save my PSDs (if I can't find something I'll either have a go at recreating it or let you know it's disappeared into the ether). I can also do guides/Q&As :)
Can we hotlink your icons?: Yep that's fine!

Re: Maker Thread

[starla]

Hiiii I'm just gonna slide in here, but... these icons right here?



Stunning. Absolutely gorgeous. I'd love to see something about what techniques you used for the colouring of them! They're so dreamy and soft and pretty. (And from fandoms I know nothing about, so won't use even though UGH GORG)

Re: Maker Thread

[fallleaves]

Hi, I would love tutorials on the following:



Also would love to know how you got the coloring effects on these, love the color vibrancy on them:

Re: Maker Thread

[applepips]

pls, I would love love a colouring guide for anime, with general focus on it looking vibrant, glowy and all HQ! :) also how like you make all the icons look smooth and pretty!

Re: Maker Thread

[goodbyebird]

Username + where you post your work: spankulert
What can we request from you (tutorials, Q&A, guides etc.) Tutorials from the last two posts, Q&A + Guides if I can remember what I was up to lol.
--->(If you know of anything that you're not able to answer/do, please mention it)<--- accidentally deleted all my textures and past PSDs a while back...
Can we hotlink your icons?: Yup

Re: Maker Thread

[starla]

My crusade to make sure everyone on this post feels appreciated and hyped up is drawing to a close! I promise you're last on my list, but no one here is the least. Y'all are all amazing! *_*

I'd love to know about the colouring process because she's Glowing and having a peek at some images from that game (AC: O?) that must have been a trial. I know all the AC games I've played the lighting has felt pretty... eh.



also just a quick question. Would you mind sharing the texture used to make the lines in this icon? :3

Re: Maker Thread

[novindalf]

Username + where you post your work: novindalf at split_loyalties
What can we request from you (tutorials, Q&A, guides etc.) I only really have time for Q&As I'm afraid. I keep copies of all my textures and fonts used in icons so can certainly answer anything about that!
Can we hotlink your icons?: Sure

Re: Maker Thread

[starla]

Compositional question for you. I always have a hard time with composition in that it usually feels really awkward say... having a subject floating in an icon.

Yet these two just look so right and natural, yet when I do it... I just kinda feel like something is off if that makes sense? Any tips on how to go about this sort of look?

Re: Maker Thread

[fallleaves]

Hi, I would love tutorials on the following, if it's not asking to many that is:




Thank you!