Thanks for explaining. It helps me understand the flipside of my own experience.
it rarely takes me more than 15 minutes to read a story Ah. Yes, I am a fast reader too, but only if the writing flows well. I have this hideous handicap when it comes to poorly constructed prose. I actually slow down. My 'edit' brain kicks in and I start correcting the grammar and composing author queries... it's hideous! You'd think it would be logical for a fast reader to read unsophisticated prose faster, but not with me. WOE! (seriously, I would love to change this about myself)
I'd say that I'm not image oriented at all I guessed that about you. And it fascinates me that I would have thought I was like you. I've always been a natural 'text' person. I've always been drawn to words. When we travelled to Spain when I was a toddler, I revealed that I could read by reading out brand names I recognised ('Coca-cola' was my first 'read' word apparently--what an indictment of the twentieth century!). I'm sure this was because I didn't recognise the spanish and was craving text. I read obsessively. I can't sit still without text in front of me. I read walking along the road and I get really pissy when people think it's weird to do that. And, like you, I much prefer icons with good text to those without. (However, I'm training my eye!) So where this attraction to the visual is coming from I don't know...
since I know the source material for SV so well I almost always know where the clips are from and how they're being manipulated, which often throws me out of the vid *nods* I've had that experience. I know what you mean, but it makes it all the more special to me when I see it pulled off successfully. However, the same is true in writing for me. If I see a writer pull out the standard cliches without a new 'spin' that works for me, I get thrown out of the writing.
there are really a limited number of Clexy shots, and they get re-used so much that it lessens the emotional impact for me. The shot of Lex's expression in Shattered when he sees Clark stop the car? I hate when people use that one gratuitously. I totally know what you mean. Somehow I just enjoy the hunt for good vids despite that... I'm sure the same is true for fic. But I don't quite have that personally. I really love fic recs because they do my work for me. *is hideously lazy*
What program were you using? I've gotten the hang of doing most of the basic stuff on the GIMP photo editor (which is basically like Photoshop, but free), though before that I was using Paint and irfanview.
Geek! *spazzes about the icon* I got Gimp. I likes Gimp, I think, though it's ways are still mysterious to me... I have created a total of two icons, neither of which I am satisfied with. But it's a start! For a K of small visual literacy, it felt good. *dopey grin*
Most of the stuff you find in icon_tutorial is oriented to Photoshop or PSP, but once you figure out the basics you can still get some ideas from that community, and they do have a few GIMP specific tutorials in their memories.
Thanks for explaining. It helps me understand the flipside of my own experience.
it rarely takes me more than 15 minutes to read a story
Ah. Yes, I am a fast reader too, but only if the writing flows well. I have this hideous handicap when it comes to poorly constructed prose. I actually slow down. My 'edit' brain kicks in and I start correcting the grammar and composing author queries... it's hideous! You'd think it would be logical for a fast reader to read unsophisticated prose faster, but not with me. WOE! (seriously, I would love to change this about myself)
I'd say that I'm not image oriented at all
I guessed that about you. And it fascinates me that I would have thought I was like you. I've always been a natural 'text' person. I've always been drawn to words. When we travelled to Spain when I was a toddler, I revealed that I could read by reading out brand names I recognised ('Coca-cola' was my first 'read' word apparently--what an indictment of the twentieth century!). I'm sure this was because I didn't recognise the spanish and was craving text. I read obsessively. I can't sit still without text in front of me. I read walking along the road and I get really pissy when people think it's weird to do that. And, like you, I much prefer icons with good text to those without. (However, I'm training my eye!) So where this attraction to the visual is coming from I don't know...
since I know the source material for SV so well I almost always know where the clips are from and how they're being manipulated, which often throws me out of the vid
*nods* I've had that experience. I know what you mean, but it makes it all the more special to me when I see it pulled off successfully. However, the same is true in writing for me. If I see a writer pull out the standard cliches without a new 'spin' that works for me, I get thrown out of the writing.
there are really a limited number of Clexy shots, and they get re-used so much that it lessens the emotional impact for me.
The shot of Lex's expression in Shattered when he sees Clark stop the car? I hate when people use that one gratuitously. I totally know what you mean. Somehow I just enjoy the hunt for good vids despite that... I'm sure the same is true for fic. But I don't quite have that personally. I really love fic recs because they do my work for me. *is hideously lazy*
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(Don't tell anyone, but I tried to make an icon myself the other day... O.O It was a nervewracking but fascinating experience!)
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I got Gimp. I likes Gimp, I think, though it's ways are still mysterious to me... I have created a total of two icons, neither of which I am satisfied with. But it's a start! For a K of small visual literacy, it felt good. *dopey grin*
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The best GIMP tutorial I've found is this one, just for it's step-by-stepness: http://cryptictac.livejournal.com/55598.html
For a more basic introduction to the various tools, go here:
http://learn.lowtech.org/gimp/
This is another good one, though less about icons and more about just figuring out the various features of GIMP: http://forums.nintendo.com/nintendo/board/message?board.id=techsupport&message.id=205758
The GIMP community is helpful, though it was fairly low traffic, last time I checked. It is here: http://community.livejournal.com/gimp_users/
Most of the stuff you find in icon_tutorial is oriented to Photoshop or PSP, but once you figure out the basics you can still get some ideas from that community, and they do have a few GIMP specific tutorials in their memories.
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