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Twilight Fancies19 viewsKaylee, half passed out, drifting in and out to a faerie-like dream land. It's a bit different. And it's a bit shippy (but in an unsullied way: just some harmless swooning on the part of our fav' mechanic). Not an overly complex image. But I played a lot with the lighting, and I'm now fair content with the the dream-state like properties it's breathing. After all these years, it really does get harder creating new and undone themes. All-in-all, I set out what I wanted to do.albatrossSep 07, 2009
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"Going Dark"17 views"Going Dark" tells the story of Kaylee getting shot. Like an eclipsed sun, there's Dobson's bullet, frozem in mid air, as 'seen' by Kaylee, who walks into the cargo bay at the wrong time. I accentuated Kaylee's stomach wound, but it's the only graphic element in the entire image. In fact, most everything else is purposely opposite to bad stuff; it's all dream-like, sweet, with pretty flowers, butterflies, and even one of River's pink elephants shows up for the occasion (from the unshot episode 'Dead or Alive'). No nightmares for Kaylee, no bad conscience visiting upon her, no worries even: you just gotta have faith in people, yourself included.
I actually first started out with the idea of an eclipsed sun (which is what the 'bullet' once was: a photo of an eclipsed sun). And for the longest time I had been planning to call it "When the sun goes dark." Then I suddenly realized that Kaylee has a perfect 'Going dark.' line herself as well (in the pilot). Much better, of course. :)
The source-material of Firefly, even when taken directly from Blu-Ray, remains of questionable to low quality. There's a lot of ugly 'noise,' which really becomes near unmanageable when taking 'zoomed-in' outtakes from the more darker passages. That particular scene with Kaylee entering the cargo bay is. sadly. of said low quality. So I had to resort to covering up the worst part (of her face). Same for Dobson's hand firing the gun. Ain't about what I want, but what it needs.
A lot of light-play again. Instead of using the image of the sickbay's real surgical lamp, I tried to emulate its bright, crackelee-mirror inner surface with a few filters (top-right corner). I also put a light-source behind Kaylee’s bed post (extending to the back and to the left, into the rest of the 'room'). It's supposed to work the illusion that there's extra room between the operating table and the wall (kinda positioning Kaylee's makeshift bed somewhere on the big blue floor).albatrossSep 07, 2009
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"He takes so much looking after!"23 viewsIt's Love. In point of fact. But not between Kaylee and Simon per se. No, the love expressed here is that of River, deeply happy for her brother. You could feel the sadness in her when she said: "You gave up everything for me." And now she just basks in the joy of finally seeing her brother happy again. And thus it was written, Love seeks not itself to please, nor for itself has any care, but for another gives its ease, and builds a heaven in hell's despair.albatrossAug 25, 2009
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"Incipit Vita Nova"300 viewsPersephone, 2517, the year Dr. Simon Tam first sets foot aboard Serenity. A pivotal moment that marks the beginning of a new life for River and her brother. This piece shows Simon, on the ramp of Serenity, where he meets Kaylee, who introduces him to Mal (O.S.). That pose of Simon alone, briefcase in hand, is enough to make me want to cry. He looks so out of place! And he is. All because of River, for whom he sacrificed everything, just so she could be safe. This is a man who, were it not for his great love for River, would never be here! The Title is taken from Dante's "La Vita Nuova" (= The New Life). And we see a page, supposedly from Simon's diary, which reads, paraphrased after Dante, "In that book which is my memory, on the first page of the chapter that is the day when I first entered Serenity, appear the words: Here begins a new life (= Incipit Vita Nova)."albatrossFeb 11, 2009
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Walking Among the Stars125 viewsI decided to make what I wanted to do with an earlier work, but which didn't work out at the time: a 'live' Galaxy Map. Combine that with my unrelenting adoration for Femshep, LOL, and there ya have it: "Walking Among the Stars."
"Walking Among the Stars" stars my own Kira (which I just call 'Jane' here for generic's sake), standing on a small base at the center of the Galaxy Map crossbars, surrounded by several planets and moons, with the whole Traverse at her disposal, so to speak. I actually had to remake the Galaxy Map crossbars from scratch, as the real ones proved too hard too blend properly, and looked a bit distorted anyway. As these things go, it was all-in-all a lot harder to make than it looks (especially 'Femshep in the spotlight on center pad' took ages to blend nicely; whoever said blending is easy should be taken into a the yard and be shot!).
Actually, this sort of wallpaper is not my usual style. I always prefer to work from a theme. But, with a bit of good will, Walking Among the Stars can be considered a theme, too. :) So, here's to hoping ya like it anyway! albatrossOct 12, 2008
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"Never knew I was lonely, until I was not alone."111 viewsIt is late-night (11:15 PM, to be precise); and we find Dr. T'Soni in her Normandy quarters. sitting at her desk, alone, working on her journal. The rest of the Crew is either in the Mess Hall, or has already turned in. Not Liara. She is used to working alone, and generally prefers the solitude. Today was an enervating day for her. She had managed to get herself stuck in a Prothean contraption at Therum, was attacked by geth and a very nasty Krogan, and subsequently rescued by Commander Shepard, who -- despite the potential risk -- welcomed her aboard the Normandy. So here she is. making an entry in her journal. Yes, today was different. For the first time she realizes she's been lonely for quite a while. It never much bothered her before, really; but, earlier, when she was talking with Commander Shepard, she had felt sad when the Commander left, and suddenly wasn't too eager to isolate herself at a new dig site for yet another 50 years.
Okay, that long-winded bit is the theme. :) Hence, the Title: "Never knew I was lonely, until I was not alone." (Extended Commentary below)albatrossSep 18, 2008
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Hero Worship141 viewsFemshep and Liara, they remain a fascinating item. :)
A bit of an unusual image, this time, though. The whole theme is basically Liara giving Femshep that significant 'Hero Worship' glance at Therum. Much of it is actually rather self-explanatory. There's a bit of that 'swimming-pool' design holding cell Liara got herself suspended in; and, of course, a hero-shot of Femshep, once more unto the breach (at her showdown with Saren), half of her face appearing in Asari blue (the color, given the right frame, near as good looks that way because of Saren's biotic attacks; but split over half her face, I figured it made for a nice metaphor, what with a human/Asari romance and all).
Took me hours to make. Primarily because I kept adding stuff I needed to throw out afterwards anyway. :) Like pieces of a Galaxy Map, a background image of Saren in a corner, etc. None of it worked, really. So, at long last I decided just to leave it "as is".albatrossSep 12, 2008
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We're just too pretty for God to let us die! 118 viewsHard as I tried, I've never been able to create a Femshep as pretty as my Kira -- I really hit a 'magical chord' with her. So, Kira it is, then. :) albatrossSep 04, 2008
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Count On Me128 viewsI've always had an outspoken fondness of Ashley, though heretofore found it difficult to cast said appreciation into something half-way meaningful. Then it occured to me that among Ashley's most endearing personal traits are her loyalty, her honesty, and her sense of duty. So, why not depict those?
To the left and to the right is footage from Eden Prime: geth in pursuit of Ashley -- where my Kira first meets her. That red cylinder thingy in the middle represent our view into the future, as it were, depicting a wounded Ashley, and Femshep coming back for her. For the longest time I wanted to slap a text on the whole thing, like:
In the fulness of time she will be willing to die for you.
You won't let her.
Cute, but needless, really: the image is entirely self-explanatory 'as is'. Ashley was ready to die, and Femshep wasn't willing to let it happen. No extra text is necessary, really.
When you look up the 'tube', pay particular attention to Ashley's face: she looks, if not defeated, then certainly resigned to her seemingly imminent death. Dunno about you, but that scene gives me the shivers every time. The Ashley on Eden Prime is, at the time of that scene, rather shocked, just having seen a guy gruesomely impaled by two geth. That is how I choose to see Ashley: not as an abrasive, loud-mouth girl she's often mistaken for, but as a decent human, with her heart in the right place, moved by what moves people just like everyone else.albatrossSep 03, 2008
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Too many Ghosts129 viewsI wasn't done with Talitha yet. It's such a thankful subject: nothing prompts the heart than that which tugs it. And it's also a serious matter (I'm sure a highly talented artist could do a serious work of, say, 'Driving around in the Mako' -- but I'm not that person).
The Title, "Too many Ghosts", is from BDtS (spoken by the last remaining scientist, who decides to bale too). It fits Talitha and her past with the Batarians perfectly. We see a ghost-image of a Batarian scumbag pointing a gun, in 'parallel' with Talitha in the present. The guy forced in the floor is supposed to be her father (barring actual footage of said history, you'll forgive me that I used one of the present-day scientist hostages). 'Young' Talitha, on the right, also a ghost-image, repeats in short what she says in the game: "But the masters, they have lights and hoses. Daddy's-- He's melting." And such depicted a bit literal (whether it actually happened that way, or whether it's just the way she recalls it, to her that was the reality: she remembers a light, and her daddy 'melting').albatrossAug 26, 2008
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The Taint of Indoctrination113 views"The Taint of Indoctrination" stars dear Shiala, Femshep (as onlooker), and a struggling Matriarch Benezia. It's very simple, but I think it works.albatrossAug 19, 2008
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Paragon130 viewsDedicated to Talitha (Extended Commentary below)albatrossAug 17, 2008
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