New Illustrated Poetry Thread

[Tzara]

Very good, thought provoking poem on your first attempt. You should do more. To improve this piece, I believe you need the text to pop, it is over powered by the red and all the eye sees is red since it's a bold color—and I can't see the color red, so you know that's something. I think if you can just ignore the first half detail of the image and darken it, your text portion of your illustrated poem will grab the reader too.

Thanks, J.

I find the form intimidating, since my Photoshop skills are nonexistent, aside from being able to start the program.

It's a very different challenge, though. Kind of fun.

 

[Angeline]

Thanks, J.

I find the form intimidating, since my Photoshop skills are nonexistent, aside from being able to start the program.

It's a very different challenge, though. Kind of fun.

My photoediting skills suck, but I can make some decent illustrated poems, so I know you could too. The thing about it that has always fascinated me is that the process of fitting a poem to an illustration can become very interactive (as opposed to just sticking a poem on a picture), and you see ways to edit your poem you never would have considered were you not making the illustration. And if everything works just so, the words and images enhance each other. In my Time Zone piece, the poem itself is nothing. It would be a throwaway on its own. But the images give it tone and context. Of course it's obviously better when both words and images are great, but it really is an interesting process.

 

[Tzara]

My photoediting skills suck, but I can make some decent illustrated poems, so I know you could too. The thing about it that has always fascinated me is that the process of fitting a poem to an illustration can become very interactive (as opposed to just sticking a poem on a picture), and you see ways to edit your poem you never would have considered were you not making the illustration. And if everything works just so, the words and images enhance each other. In my Time Zone piece, the poem itself is nothing. It would be a throwaway on its own. But the images give it tone and context. Of course it's obviously better when both words and images are great, but it really is an interesting process.

Well, I wrote that piece based on the picture. The poem, I think, is meaningless without it, and the picture is rather dull.

So, kinda the idea.

The problem is that I'm not sure I have the patience to even do the basic kinds of manipulation you guys are talking about. And Evie's PS talent is just making me feel severely challenged about my TIFF potency, OK?

 

[Angeline]

Well, I wrote that piece based on the picture. The poem, I think, is meaningless without it, and the picture is rather dull.

So, kinda the idea.

The problem is that I'm not sure I have the patience to even do the basic kinds of manipulation you guys are talking about. And Evie's PS talent is just making me feel severely challenged about my TIFF potency, OK?

My poetry mantra is always "I'm only competing with myself." My goal is always to better my last best effort.

 

[Tzara]

My poetry mantra is always "I'm only competing with myself." My goal is always to better my last best effort.

Well, of course, yes.

But I'll parrot the Pat C argument (or my memory of it, anyway): Wouldn't my time be better spent trying to make my handling of words better, rather than dragging myself up to mediocre skills at Photoshop?

 

[Guest]

Well, of course, yes.

But I'll parrot the Pat C argument (or my memory of it, anyway): Wouldn't my time be better spent trying to make my handling of words better, rather than dragging myself up to mediocre skills at Photoshop?

If that were the case and everyone who did illustrated poetry here didn't in the begining because of that reason, there would still be only two (2) pages of the Illustrated Poems category. Ha, just sayin', ya know?

Do you remember that Ange?

 

[Angeline]

If that were the case and everyone who did illustrated poetry here didn't in the begining because of that reason, there would still be only two (2) pages of the Illustrated Poems category. Ha, just sayin', ya know?

Do you remember that Ange?

Yep. If that were true I don't know that I'd even be writing poems at all. Maybe I'd be too discouraged before I even started.

I think even if one feels they have no talent for a certain medium it's still good to press on and see what you learn. I was very surprised that the process of choosing what to illustrate and finding the right fonts, trying to fit it all together can actually improve the poem. I never would have it expected it to work that way, but it can. And if you don't keep trying you never find that out.

 

[normal jean]

Well, I wrote that piece based on the picture. The poem, I think, is meaningless without it, and the picture is rather dull.

So, kinda the idea.

The problem is that I'm not sure I have the patience to even do the basic kinds of manipulation you guys are talking about. And Evie's PS talent is just making me feel severely challenged about my TIFF potency, OK?

I have spent, no, wasted, hours upon hours attempting what Ange and Neo claim is basically easy. I'm with you on this one, Tzara, better to work at something I know I can improve on that be just another mediocre picture poem in a sea full of Ange's good stuff. MAybe I should feel the same way about my non-pic poems too, but not today.

Most of the time I get inspired here, but all that illustrated stuff does is frustrate me.

 

[Angeline]

I have spent, no, wasted, hours upon hours attempting what Ange and Neo claim is basically easy. I'm with you on this one, Tzara, better to work at something I know I can improve on that be just another mediocre picture poem in a sea full of Ange's good stuff. MAybe I should feel the same way about my non-pic poems too, but not today.

Most of the time I get inspired here, but all that illustrated stuff does is frustrate me.

Fair enough, sweetie. If anyone had suggested five years ago that I'd could do illustrated poems I'd think they were nuts. I've never seen myself as someone who has even a drop of visual art skill. But I got pretty good at it, so you never know...

 

[normal jean]

Fair enough, sweetie. If anyone had suggested five years ago that I'd could do illustrated poems I'd think they were nuts. I've never seen myself as someone who has even a drop of visual art skill. But I got pretty good at it, so you never know...

I remember when you were just getting started with them. I was impressed with your "baby steps".

The first one of yours I remember is Diana on a Cliff....something like that.

Anyway, I am not saying I will never ever work on them again, just not now, not until I get some better software, or some one-on-one instruction time with you or Neo.

I am a visual learner, so just telling me what to do won;t cut it, I need to see it being done, real time.

 

[UnderYourSpell]

I've asked already but no ones been forthcoming yet

 

[champagne1982]

I'm sorry Annie, I'd been hoping that someone more knowledgable than I would offer you a bit of tutorial...

Once you find your pic, then you need editing software, if you want to place the text onto the scene, or you can also upload them to MSWord and lay out your text and pics in that doc editor.

To add a layer of text, you just use the text editor box and drop the words in where you'd like to see them. I hope that helps a bit, since I'm a pure neophyte when it comes to this stuff.

 

[Guest]

I have a tutorial here on Lit under my neo username.

** edited: I sent a link to UYS.


​

 

[UnderYourSpell]

oopsy came out fuzzy lol how do you get typing on it

 

[champagne1982]

oopsy came out fuzzy lol how do you get typing on it

LOL. There should be a text tool tab on the menu bar on the left of the editing program.

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Well I'm trying yes I know very trying !

 

[Guest]

oopsy came out fuzzy lol how do you get typing on it

I love it.

 

[Tzara]

oopsy came out fuzzy lol how do you get typing on it

You're very talented, UYS. I quite liked it, though I would have thought that your poem would have turned out more like this:

Though, perhaps, you are, even with spray paint, ambilextrous.


I know. I'm making up words again. I thought your post was very funny, Annie. That's what I mean.

 

[Tzara]

If that were the case and everyone who did illustrated poetry here didn't in the begining because of that reason, there would still be only two (2) pages of the Illustrated Poems category. Ha, just sayin', ya know?

Do you remember that Ange?

I am not meaning to diss you guys. I very much enjoy your work.

But I find futzing around with Photoshop boring. My wife is the photographer. I've thought about working on a book with her, where she shoots pictures and I write poems (or general commentary) to accompany it.

But me fussing with some picture just so I can write a poem about it? Prolly not.

Just not me.

It's the kind of thing I might occasionally muddle with, but not seriously. So, consequently, badly.

Don't mean it's a bad thing to be working with, just that it doesn't seriously appeal to me.

 

[UnderYourSpell]

You're very talented, UYS. I quite liked it, though I would have thought that your poem would have turned out more like this:

Though, perhaps, you are, even with spray paint, ambilextrous.


I know. I'm making up words again. I thought your post was very funny, Annie. That's what I mean.

Heyyyyy ! Tut I can't even do it properly the right way round and you astound me with reversing it! Smart arse! lol

 

[Anschul]

Heyyyyy ! Tut I can't even do it properly the right way round and you astound me with reversing it! Smart arse! lol

I don't know much, but I think this is one of the best I've seen, frontways or backways.

I use an illustrator program (it's called Arts & Letters) into which I import the photos first, and then add text using its text tool. I usually write in the windows wordpad, copy the finished product, and paste it into the graphics software text tool. I find using Word is too limiting. It's okay for a simple "add Picture, add text, save file", but for creativity, a good illustrator is a better way for me to go. I also, having spent some time taking documentation pictures for work, don't much like PhotoShop. I think it alters reality. To me, photography is capturing a moment of reality.

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Can it be done on that GIMP thing you sent me and if so how?

 

[Anschul]

Can it be done on that GIMP thing you sent me and if so how?

Yes it can. I'll put together a set of directions later today, and send them to you.

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Oh thankyou then I can drive folks crazy with my new toy!

 

[UnderYourSpell]

testing testing