h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi!
I love doing computer graphics! I got a degree in Fine Arts in the early 1980's before there were 'puters, then went back 10 yrs ago to take Phototshop & design classes.

Currently, I'm learning 3D graphics at home, using Poser & DAZ. As impresive as those can look, they take forEVER; a nice, clean logo or smiley in Photoshop is a much quicker sourse of gratification

Lady Brianna the Oblivious
1427183

Hi - I did some smilies; you can check them out here: http://www.geocities.com/lady_brianna_the_oblivious/SmileyFarm.htm

Oh, very cool. I like the Cyclops and the Thinker especially.

Let me pull out our form letter here...



Thanks for volunteering to be a Community Artist.

To join this volunteer scheme there is an art test. This is because the standard of Edited Entries on h2g2 is very high, and the Editors would like the illustrations to match this

Two random Edited Entries have been picked using the Infinite Improbability Drive. You are asked to do a picture for each of them. You can look in the <./>GuideML-PictureLibrary</.> for the kind of graphics used in the past, use the entry for inspiration, and use the internet for research, but make sure that you follow the specifications that you can find on the <./>CommunityArtists-What</.> page.

Please produce just the main image for each title. For this test each image must be rectangular, not more than 200 pixels wide and have a black border that is one pixel thick. (We prefer 200 by 160)

Once the graphics are done, let the Editors know by Posting to this thread. The details for sending them into h2g2 will then be given to you.

If your pictures meet the Editorial standards then not only will you become a Community Artist but your test pictures will be uploaded to h2g2 and added to the entries.

Your entries are:
A455898 - The Complete Robot by Isaac Asimov
A652295 - Expatriate Bars in Paris, France

Feel free to ask questions and good luck.

NB: The same rules of copyright apply to images as to text. If you are in any doubt as to what this means, please ask. Also, the Editors do not want to see photographic manipulations or montages.



Hope that wasn't too intimidating! Just let us know when your graphics are done, and since it looks like you have web space, post your link to the graphics in this thread.

Ok, here goes!

http://www.geocities.com/lady_brianna_the_oblivious/graphics.htm

These look great! I like the charcoal-esque drawing of the Paris bars, especially. I note there's a little bit of diffusion dithering on the Asimov graphic, and I'm not sure how to tell you to get rid of it. I do my work in Illustrator, so when I export my files I have pattern or none selected for the dithering. I've alerted my fellow artists, and I'm sure somebody will know more about that than me.

That's just a very minor quibble, though - good work!

I think I can uncheck "dithering" when I save it ... I didn't pay attention this time! It happened, I'm sure, while trying to get it under 20K.

I'll go back to my .psd version & save again, and see what I get.

Thanks!

Ok ... apparently, the dithering is a part of the pattern I used to make the cloud background; it an included-in-Photoshop pattern that I made transparent & put color behind.

If I take out the dithering, I end up with seperate gray & purple blobs ... interesting blobs, but not ones that look good with the robots & portrait.

Is "no dithering" a big deal? Should I take out those layers & do something else with the background?

Naw... It's not that important, and it looks fine the way it is.

Ever so sorry for taking so long to come back to your application, Lady Brianna. With the election due to be announced this week we've been rushed off our feet.

I'm very pleased to say we'll be sending you an invitation shortly to join our Community Artists' mailing list over on Yahoo groups. Many thanks for volunteering!



(Oh, and check out your Personal Space - you should see something new on it, if you use the standard h2g2 Skins to view the site in )

LOL! I was tempted last night to post, "Hello? Hello", but Peer Review has taught me patience (of a sort... I'm still yelling "Hello?" at the computer screen!)

Thanks!!!