[Herr D]

“Dude! Jerry was really something. He couldn’t talk right but invented stuff. He mixed up a cleaner for his brother that ate all the mold out of the building we used for the last two raves. Then that girl Tawny? She had a bad trip one night, and Jerry stopped eating his carrots and mixed something up and poured it into her nose. She didn’t just get better, dude–she doesn’t have asthma anymore. He said ‘keep inhaler, see doctor’ but I don’t know whether she did.

Tawny was really friendly with him after that. She was always telling him to not go outside without someone watching him–he got lost, you know? Then his brother told him he was bored with the drugs he knew; wanted something that would really make him more alive. Jerry always loved making his brother happy. Jerry just stood around, munchin’ on his carrots, fiddling with stuff for a couple days.

Jerry’s brother had a bad trip then. Said he saw Jerry’s dandruff crawling down the drain and Jerry missing. Some other dude said he saw Jerry runnin’ out into the woods sayin’ he was gonna pour a drug out in the snow. Who knows what he really meant. Tawny went lookin’ but all she found were some tracks. The cops came then and shut us down for a while . . . ”

http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u438/jamais5/2014hm/HerrD-SceneOfJerrysDisappearance_zps976b178d.png

*snowman contest: not sure it this really counts, but there are four and a ‘third’ snowmen in this picture.

[Herr D]

Working on my own list as well. Somehow it’s harder this year, with me not getting to spend as much time on the site.

[Herr D]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Chapter 15:  Belle Notte, Being Naughty, Not Being Noble But–
Jennifer wondered for just a moment whether the van would get t-boned, or her apartment building would be on fire when they got there, because things were going just too well.
“So, you’re coming up to split the order, right?”
Mike raised his eyebrows. He glanced down at the large brown paper bag. He blinked. “Well, I could just ask you–yes, that would be best, I think. I’ve seen what you do with to-go bags at work.” He grinned.
Hey! “What does that mean?”
Mike smiled so hard it looked like it hurt. “I could tell you’ve been trading desserts for writing copy for Shelly. Her writing isn’t as good as yours.”
She was only mildly annoyed, and highly complimented, at how much he’d caught on to. She was so distracted by the conversation that she didn’t remember to tell him the elevator was okay until he had carried her halfway up to her room, canes, bag, and all. Tarzan? I just don’t mind at all. She got the bag to the refrigerator while he borrowed her bathroom. Good grief, that’s heavy! How much food did he GIVE us? Not even Tarzan could lift me up if I eat all that!
She heard him flush, turn off the sink, and open the bathroom door. She barely had time to half-turn before he was gently closing the refrigerator door, pushing her up against it, and nearly smothering her with a long, enthusiastic kiss.
Wh-? Ooohhhhhhh.
“Oh, Mike, let’s not do that TONIGHT.” Oh, that’s good–
“Oh, Mike, let’s not do that.” Who am I kidding?
“Oh, Mike, let’s not.” What am I saying?
“Oh, Mike, let’s–” Ooohh!
“Oh, Mike!”
“OH!”
[next installment, continuing Chapter 15, in 1-2 weeks]

[Herr D]

The technique Hawk mentioned is one I use commonly. Take any item in your picture; select another one, a few percent different in size, all three colors black and put it behind, protruding. For long shadows, mask that gradient circle to it to show instead and drop the second item to the bottom layer.

As for where? Experience is going to be long coming, but you could sample shadow patterns from other pictures with similar light patterns and objects from the web or IRL.

[Herr D]

“We CAN We WILL We MUST”

Major Ginnes had just finished updating the appliques on the wall when Captain Terok limped in. All eyes turned to face him as he swatted a few storm appliques to the floor, drew a piece of coral chalk from a pocket, drew an ‘X’ on the Sulfur Giants’ isle and a line RIGHT ACROSS THE EGG FIGHT that would be happening for another month. Gasps of ‘no’ and ‘impossible’ whispered through the room. Ginnes stood up from reflexively bending for an applique, saw the chalk work, and looked on in disbelief. Terok sat down heavily and gave a sarcastic half-salute with his stump of a right arm.

“I saw the everberry tree grove,” he said. I had six men left. Myself and the other survivor agree. Had we had a full crew starting through, we would now have enough to feed our entire population.

“But we can’t do that!” blurted out Ginnes.

Terok pounded a fist on the table and said—

 

http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u438/jamais5/2014hm/HerrD-WeCANWeWILLWeMUST_zpsd94d02fc.png

 

*The blade became ‘bad wave appliques,’ the drumstick became the opposing shore and pieces of the lake, and the forearm became a hat, half a hat, a chair back, part of the non-drumstick isle, a chalk stub, an arm stub, and part of an arm shadow. I think that might be a record for me for most uses.

[Herr D]

“We CAN We WILL We MUST”

Major Ginnes had just finished updating the appliques on the wall when Captain Terok limped in. All eyes turned to face him as he swatted a few storm appliques to the floor, drew a piece of coral chalk from a pocket, drew an ‘X’ on the Sulfur Giants’ isle and a line RIGHT ACROSS THE EGG FIGHT that would be happening for another month. Gasps of ‘no’ and ‘impossible’ whispered through the room. Ginnes stood up from reflexively bending for an applique, saw the chalk work, and looked on in disbelief. Terok sat down heavily and gave a sarcastic half-salute with his stump of a right arm.

“I saw the everberry tree grove,” he said. I had six men left. Myself and the other survivor agree. Had we had a full crew starting through, we would now have enough to feed our entire population.

“But we can’t do that!” blurted out Ginnes.

Terok pounded a fist on the table and said—

http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u438/jamais5/2014hm/HerrD-WeCANWeWILLWeMUST_zpsd94d02fc.png

*The blade became ‘bad wave appliques,’ the drumstick became the opposing shore and pieces of the lake, and the forearm became a hat, half a hat, a chair back, part of the non-drumstick isle, a chalk stub, an arm stub, and part of an arm shadow. I think that might be a record for me for most uses.

*OPMC

*

********

Elementals live a long time, supposedly.

http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u438/jamais5/2014hm/HerrD-AnatesGlimmerSentOut_zps35cde472.png

 

Of course, a felonious light elemental should always be sent to prism . . .

*blog: redesign of other’s work.

[Herr D]

Your Gandhi was pretty good. Real people are tough. I’ve only tried Seger and Serling, myself.

[Herr D]

Good start indeed. I’d like to see Thraxus with a background. You’re probably ready to start highlighting and shading, too. Item: Background /Shapes, second to last circle gradient with colors 1 & 3 to 0%alpha, then go dark or light with color 2 and start applying it. Cantdraw did a tutorial on ‘shine’ somewhere in the ‘how tos’ or the ‘Tips & Trix’ sections.

Keep going!

[Herr D]

(5)

Story score: ………..F 4……C4

Bkgd score:………….F 0…..C2

Item DRAGON TAT:..F 3…..C5

Item NOSE: ………….F 2…..C4

Item BELT: …………..F 3…..C3

Bells: ………………….F 4…..C3

Whistles: …………….F 2……C4

(10)

Items-story:…………F 8…….C7

Emotional:…………..F 6…….C7

Both entries had an evocative blurb. Oddly enough, F’s lack of mention of context for the ‘Mindsmasher’ didn’t seem to take away. I would have expected a ‘new known associate’ bit from the officer, I guess. C’s blurb was elegant, requiring less wording for the same effect, something I might expect from an anthropological expert.

C had a background, if anything it was too symmetrical, making the lack of shadows too obvious.

(For me, it’s all about the misuses.) F used the tat as a tat, the nose as a nose, the belt as straps. He repeated the uses and did a very good job on the alien vest in general, but the uses themselves were, well, predictable.

C’s use of the belt as brackets was good, the nose as a torch was clever, but the tat’s use really got me. Energy effects too often look campy when they’re too visible. THAT energy effect’s entire PURPOSE was to be visible and readable through it’s simplicity. Great choice for composition and interaction of pic and blurb.

F’s posing and two-character composition looked somehow more dynamic than C’s, but the one chin shadow made up for it.

All in all, the girl with the dragon tattoos and her alien associate came close to the ritual initiate. It was 32-36.

Cliff? Hope your surgery went well! Pick 3! And we’re all dying to know what the guy’s destiny is . . . what did the elders say?

 

 

 

[Herr D]

YYIM, brand new t.v. station, invited all pundits in the nation to apply to work for them with a ten-grand signing bonus. The only catch? Pass through a supernatural door. It won’t let anyone through unless they’ve NEVER been unfair in criticizing others publicly through being uninformed or unwise.

http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u438/jamais5/2014hm/HerrD-YYIMDoor_zpsbe9744c3.png

*

********

Pindo the panda pundit. He might be a panda, but he’s a typical pundit. He’s completely backwards in every way!

http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u438/jamais5/2014hm/HerrD-Pandit_zpsc880ddd5.png

*

 

[Herr D]

Yah, Stulte, put your head UNDER the tap from now on. Take care–we want more from you!

[Herr D]

Good start. The Putin Copter I can’t help but hope gets decommissioned.

[Herr D]

Hey, thanx, Maaz. I thought I’d lost this one. (Funkm, I DID think of it as a bugle for sounding a charge.)

[mournful dirge played briefly for Maaz’ lost words]

Sorry I’m so late getting back. Contest closes Fri, 11/14 6pm EST winner to hopefully be announced and explained by 10pm. [sound of dice rolling] Here!

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[Herr D]

Not much action normally happens in Gran’s corner of the living room.

http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u438/jamais5/2014hm/HerrD-GransCorner_zpse1c981aa.png

*OPMC

[Herr D]

Not much action normally happens in Gran’s corner of the living room . . .

 

http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u438/jamais5/2014hm/HerrD-GransCorner_zpse1c981aa.png\

 

*That hair makes great yarn when you use it about 12 times. The legwear item makes a good part of a crafts bag, and the trumpet makes a good handle and a great brass frame for a tabletop mirror.

[Author]

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