pic-a-thon II

[wildsweetone]

we have a mutual admiration society.

i have been playing with illustration again lately. i don't think i'm very good at it--Eve, Neo, Liar, and Lauren are all very talented illustrated poets imo, but it's a fun and relaxing exercise for me.

thanks for the good words, sweet one.

you are very good at it.

 

[Salvor-Hardon]

OK I'm still fixated on this idea (thank you Angeline) and have one but need the right picture to go with.

Anyone have a rather large picture of a women's tummy, a bit above her navel and a bit below as well. Preferable empty space on either side of her.

 

[Angeline]

OK I'm still fixated on this idea (thank you Angeline) and have one but need the right picture to go with.

Anyone have a rather large picture of a women's tummy, a bit above her navel and a bit below as well. Preferable empty space on either side of her.

Search here:

Stock Xchng

Almost everything there has no usage restrictions. I find a lot of stuff to illustrate there.

 

[Salvor-Hardon]

Search here:

Stock Xchng

Almost everything there has no usage restrictions. I find a lot of stuff to illustrate there.

Thank you !

Way to feed my addiction!

 

[Angeline]

I do love jazz.

(but the photo won't load)

 

[Salvor-Hardon]

Photo by McKenna of AH fame

Thank you gorgeous.

 

[Guest]

Poof

Gone!

 

[MinorMonster]

Fearing I might be blind to my own mistakes...

...is this readable? As in, are there no doubts in what order it's supposed to be read?

 

[LeBroz]

Fearing I might be blind to my own mistakes...

...is this readable? As in, are there no doubts in what order it's supposed to be read?

No problem here, that I can see. I fell in the flow with no problem. Although someone that is somewhat science-challenged might not 'get it.'

But then, that's just me...

 

[WickedEve]

Fearing I might be blind to my own mistakes...

...is this readable? As in, are there no doubts in what order it's supposed to be read?

First glance looks like it would be a pain to read, but it's surprisingly easy.

 

[annaswirls]

ooh I thought it was quite readable.... I wanted to animate it and I never want to animate text. I liked how it flowed

Fearing I might be blind to my own mistakes...

...is this readable? As in, are there no doubts in what order it's supposed to be read?

 

[Guest]

Like Fish

"Like Fish" was done in Arcsoft 2000 and finished in Photoshop CS.

 

[Guest]

Between the Bars

"Between the Bars" is also done in Arcsoft 2000 and finished in Photoshop CS.

 

[WickedEve]

"Like Fish" was done in Arcsoft 2000 and finished in Photoshop CS.

There's something fishy about this.
Submit it!

 

[Guest]

There's something fishy about this.
Submit it!

Har!
I am going to submit both for Author's Survivor.

 

[Angeline]

Har!
I am going to submit both for Author's Survivor.

They're both excellent! Nobody does illustrated poems like you. You are inspiring me to go work on one.

 

[wildsweetone]

"Between the Bars" is also done in Arcsoft 2000 and finished in Photoshop CS.

love this!

last stanza, line one - It's hard to slip - perhaps?

i love the 'tip of tongue'... actually i love the rest too. lol

nice illustrations. do you photograph them yourself? - i meant to ask you that before.

 

[Guest]

Thanks all for the comments. I submitted them to Lit yesterday when I posted a preview, and before WildSweet1 found my word drop. Eh oh well, that's what revising is for eh?

 

[Angeline]

Thanks to Neo, I got inspired. Dunno if it's any good, but I had fun making it.

 

[Guest]

..........

 

[Angeline]

Oh, c'mon Ange, y'know that's good. I really like the color suggesting warmth. I see that it's necessary for you like it was for me to add that extra layer underneath the text in order for the words to pop from the busy art. It works for me though. Very gooooooood. Thank you.

Thank you! I got the idea to add the translucent layer to pump up the text from your poem. And truly I don't have very good perspective on my poems, especially the illustrated ones because what works textually in an illustrated piece is not always appropriate without the illustration. I think that's the key to good illustrated poems: the text and the illustration have to be balanced. I find, at least for my own illustrated poems, that the text doesn't always work as well on its own. Some people (ahem, RainMan) argue that is why illustrated poems aren't as good overall than non-illustrated ones, but the art form is slightly different, has different requirements so to speak.

 

[wildsweetone]

i don't know if either of you realise, but you do have the ability to turn down the background image. i prefer doing this mostly, instead of messing about with layering the font.

here's a quick example i just did to show you...

to achieve this particular look... create a canvas, open your image, move your image onto the canvas, change the opacity from 100% to 50%, add the text for the poem (i left that at 100%), add the text for the signature (i altered that to 75% opacity).

 

[darkerdreamer]

I find, at least for my own illustrated poems, that the text doesn't always work as well on its own. Some people (ahem, RainMan) argue that is why illustrated poems aren't as good overall than non-illustrated ones

I have never understood that sentiment, though I have heard it often. If the words worked just as well without the art, what is the point of the art other than to pretty up the poem?

Also, WS1, I love the piece you just posted. It actually made me thirsty. Very thirsty.

 

[wildsweetone]

I have never understood that sentiment, though I have heard it often. If the words worked just as well without the art, what is the point of the art other than to pretty up the poem?

Also, WS1, I love the piece you just posted. It actually made me thirsty. Very thirsty.

glad you liked it. sorry about the thirst. lol

for me nowadays, the point of combining words and illustration is for one to enhance the other. for the words to speak the illustration, and the illustration to speak the words. they have to be 'as one', or they don't do the job i require of them.


when they're not as one, when the words have a different meaning to the image, or vice versa, then they are not equal in impact and a viewer/reader has difficulty connecting the dots between the two.

 

[Angeline]

I have never understood that sentiment, though I have heard it often. If the words worked just as well without the art, what is the point of the art other than to pretty up the poem?

Also, WS1, I love the piece you just posted. It actually made me thirsty. Very thirsty.

It's a matter of opinion, I realize, but to me an illustrated poem is a hybrid of a poem and a piece of visual art. When I started doing illustrated poems about three years ago (after a suggestion by Senna Jawa to try it), I noticed that the way I was using words was different than if I wrote an "un-illustrated" poem. At first I thought I was just editing to visually fit the words in the space better (which would support your position), but then I realized that I was also editing to try to make the words and photo complement each other--to make a cohesive piece of art. I don't see that as writing a "lesser" poem (necessarily), but rather as creating a different kind of art.

I'm not sure if that adequately explains it. Maybe others who do both "normal" and illustrated poems can weigh in on this. Lauren? Eve? Neo?