Ask the maker 5.0
It's July 15th and it's time for round 5 of Ask the Maker! here at icon_talkHere you'll get the chance to ask icon makers who sign up questions about their icons and other graphics. You can ask for tutorials, guides/"How to", or ask any other questions regarding their work so the makers can compile a Q&A post with the answers to all the questions they get
( Read more... )
So, let's begin.
If we are being real, I should probs say that all my icons start with the idea that they'll have text. When people have asked me to do them icons of things I do not watch, I panicked, because I knew there was an 70% chance that I'll want to stick text to it (actually, most of the icons I have done for capchallenge that are of fandoms I don't know... have text). So, basically, I just think everything needs text unless it proves it doesn't not. If anything, I actually pay more attention to which caps I'm using when I KNOW I'm NOT using text, because I know I want to focus on something else (whcih doesn't always mean I won't end up putting text to it either lol).
As to WHAT text, Sometimes I know what text I want to put (like, the last batch with Sarah's icons, I had to think the text first before I started so that I was sure where I was going) and sometimes I just know I want something, or the icon is missing something, or there goes some text but I don't know what. So I'm very very random, and I tend to use LOTS AND LOTS of quotes. Quotes are you best friend. They usually tell something, they relate to ~~a story~~ present in the icon, etc. (more on this later)
On this one I was determined to use the "specially not tom" but it just wouldn't work, so I started by doing the numbers, got this and then went back to use the first quote, and even had to add more text so that it would fit.
so basically, that's my process, a very NO PROCESS. I just want to put text on everything I guess. Actually, it's not unusual that textless icons that make it to the light HAD some text tried on until I have up. like this one, just to put an example. And sometimes there are quotes I want to use no matter want and I do try to find how to make them work.
As to tips about text. I have re-written this multiple times, because it's very hard for me to point out what I do. even for myself, I feel is very intiuitive and as I keep on experimenting new things it becomes even less of a method but more of a wooobly wabbly thing. So I'm just going to point out some basics and some very personal views on the subject and hope they are somehow helpful.
The first two you probably have heard them way too many times but...
- Like everything, you should go step by step. To experiment and change and keep finding new stuff you need to feel comfortable with the basics, or whatever you were doing before first. like. I know that Times, with considerable separation between lines (like this) is my comfortable zone, to put it some way. From there I experimented with colours, sizes, bold/italics, and so on. There are other fonts I feel as comfortable as with this now, but it surely does help to have a safety blanket.
- TRY EVERYTHING. eventually I know there are some fonts I like best, that work best this way or another, but mostly is because... I have used them before, so it's not that I can say WHY they work, just that they do. I used to (and still do sometimes) go through EVERY FONT I had until the word looked alright. And then of course, there's tons to play with, letter separation, lines separation, colours, bold/italics, sizes. Etc.
Reply
So with that said, here comes the part where you wonder if I'm drunk, but I hope my personal view on this helps a little? It's nt exactly tips, or precises tips at least, but more of a ~~text feels declaration.
Text has personality. It asks as much as it gives. It becomes a very important piece of the icon most times.
like this & this. They are two completely different icons imo. the whole focus of it changes. Imo, and maybe this doesn't show with what I was thinking or the results, but but whatever, imo, the textless versions focus on the emotion, the raw emotion and nothing else, while the icon with text focus on the story. it's big and there, it sorta even washes the emotion out of her face (which was the reason I decided to keep the textless one). So it's very important imo to take into consideration where and what I want from text, because it can become too overpowering, or it can just look like a last thought addition.
So for something that becomes such a strong element, and isn't part of the actual image, or even composition sometimes. it's just this thing we put on top, like another layer of interpretation and we just ask it to PLEASE PLEASE WORK. So I guess here are some things I ask from my text, and I hope it'll help make sense all this rambling I'm making because I'm so bad at this.
- it has to tell something. text has to have a story. I tend to use TONS of quotes because it's very very easy to tell a story with them, mostly because we are familiar with the situation, sometimes they even belong to the cap, because they add something else to what it's already on the icon.
- texts needs to be placed where it needs to be placed. centered text is one of my faves. it's easy and it works on almost everyhting (as in the block of text centered, not the text itself, agh, i can't do english sorry). but if it's centenred make sure it's actually on the center of the icon and not a little to the right or a little to the left. actually AVOID ALL LITTLES. I have this thing were if you are doing something you do it full, else it will lok like if you are unsure if it should go in the center or on the right, per example~ so, placement is a big thing for me. (negative space is perfect, but so are cheeks. and backgrounds).
- text needs to be part of the icon. I'm pretty sure you are well aware of this, and the most obvious is changing colours. but sometimes bolding things, changing sizes, moving text around so that it works as part of the icon can be very useful. like this. You need to feel that something is missing when the text is gone.
So, I know these are pretty general, but unless we are talking about the specifics of something, I really wouldn't know where to start (she says, after writing a wole book on the subject apaprentely. god, this looks long, I hope I didn't bore you!). Anyway, feel free to ask for any clarifications or for anything else you want to know. :D
WOW. how did I write two comments on this thing. LIKE HOW. like. OMG iM SO SORRY I TALK TO MUCH. it's just text gives me feelings and I don't know how to say things in a single phrase. .
Reply
Leave a comment