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amberdreams
spn_j2_bigbang and my second J2! I struck lucky again with this story - a thriller/love story by 
nyxocity (and I'm happy to say I have finally got over my visual dyslexia over spelling her username!).Click on the banner to go read the fic!
This is the story summary that snagged my interest - I mean, Alaska, Mexico and running for their lives? Awesome.
Summary: Eight years ago, Jared spent his entire summer on a tropical island off the coast of Mexico. He fell head over heels for Jensen, but their lives were going separate directions at the end of the summer, and they never quite got together. Now, in present day, Jared is a marine biologist working on a project in Alaska. He's amazed to discover the captain of the ship he's chartered is none other than Jensen. Jared's overjoyed, but Jensen is less than thrilled--he's a changed man since that summer so long ago; withdrawn, passionless and solitary. Still something of the bond between them remains, and neither of them seem to be able to escape its pull completely. When Jared's project leads them into danger and leaves them running and fighting for their lives, Jensen's secrets begin to come out, drawing them back together--but can they survive long enough to figure out this thing between them?
Of course when it came down to it, I ended up illustrating something totally different from what I'd expected...
Here's the title piece/book cover
I wanted to make this kind of folk arty, to go with the Alaskan vibe.
This next one is supposed to represent the first moment Jared sees Jensen, back in Mexico.
And a detail of Jensen's torso (because that was the part I was most pleased with!)
I did a chapter divider, based on a motif in the fic about Jensen having a collection of flotsam and jetsam, including old fishing nets.
I had wanted to draw some of the items (shells, pebbles etc) to go inside the hole in the knot, but ran out of time...
But I did draw a bonus scene (from the Alaskan sections) which nyx hasn't seen yet because I did it this morning. Hope she likes it!
The process
For anyone interested, I drew the main pictures in pencil, then photographed them to play with colours in Photoshop and PaintTool Sai. Except for the book cover, which was all drawn in Photoshop.
I had intended to do something with this drawing of a net, but then couldn't work out how to use it, so I just cut a section out and used that for the chapter headers.
This is the Jensen in Mexico sketch
I used a photo of a model, a guy holding a bunch of fish and another guy holding a knife, plus a paparazzi snap of Jensen as refs for this pose. Phew.
And this is the pencil versions of the Jared and Jen bonus pic
I only realised after I'd drawn Jared's face that I needed to sit Jensen on his right so I had to flip Jared when I put them into Photoshop. Doh!
Oh and this is the background I've used a couple of times, a painting done in Sai of a Mexican beach. It's in the background of the first Jensen pic, then again for the chapter headers. The wall and doorway in the Jensen pic was from this photo that came up in a google search for old doors.
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Date: 2014-06-16 01:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-16 01:39 pm (UTC)I was pleased with the rope! :D
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Date: 2014-06-16 01:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-16 01:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2014-06-16 02:00 pm (UTC)The rope is gorgeous and the cover art is so beautifully colored and then there's the guitar.
Nice work!
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Date: 2014-06-16 02:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-16 02:08 pm (UTC)And way to go you, posting so close to your prior posting date! The art is colorful and beautiful and fantastic. Never been to Alaska but we got places like that book cover in Washington and it made me immediately homesick :D The net is super impressive! It's a pity you didn't use that entire drawing but thank you for including it, because it's so pretty.
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Date: 2014-06-16 02:13 pm (UTC)I loved the rope idea but just couldn't see how to make it work the way I wanted to, but I didn't want to waste the drawing, so... It's nice people are liking it! And of course, I've never been to Alaska (or Washington) though my parents did go on a cruise there so I'll take that as a secondhand experience. LOL
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Date: 2014-06-16 03:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-16 04:22 pm (UTC)Thank you!!
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Date: 2014-06-16 05:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-16 09:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-16 09:21 pm (UTC)Jensen's freckles are always fun... Thanks for the comment about Jared too, I always worry about my pencil skills when it comes to likenesses.
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Date: 2014-06-16 09:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-16 09:22 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2014-06-16 09:47 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2014-06-17 01:12 am (UTC)I also appreciate when an artist gives us the details about how s/he created the art. I have no talent in that arena, myself, but I like reading about the different methods/techniques. So thank you for sharing that, as well.
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Date: 2014-06-17 01:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-17 04:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-17 06:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-17 05:43 am (UTC)ā”
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Date: 2014-06-17 06:18 am (UTC)xxx
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Date: 2014-06-17 06:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-17 08:17 am (UTC)Everything here is awesome! Great works indeed!!
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Date: 2014-06-17 12:38 pm (UTC)Thanks for the nice comment!
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Date: 2014-06-17 10:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-17 12:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-17 12:22 pm (UTC)The boat and Alaskan scenery is so detailed. And such detail in the rope knotting. Kudos
The name of the fic and the name of boat are very Firefly.. the title is lyrics from the theme song and the boat Serenity is the name of the firefly ship captained by Mal Reynolds.. At first I thought it was going to be an AU firefly crossover.
Since I'm not reading the fic I can totally enjoy the beautiful art you made. I would imagine you are spot on the story though as you always are. <3 <3 <3 <3
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Date: 2014-06-17 12:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2014-06-17 01:34 pm (UTC)I ended up illustrating something totally different from what I'd expected - I can relate to that, but it's not a bad thing, right? Your images are wonderful; I've been to Alaska, and you definitely grabbed the feel of it with your story header. The amount of detail in the houses in the background and the guys on the boat is ridiculous!
I like how that background returns in the bonus scene where you create a great sense of depth by putting the guys up close.
The chapter divider is beautiful, talk about detail, woah. I may like the pencil version even more.
*gulps* *gulps again* JENSEN! FRECKLES ALL OVER <3 <3
Gorgeous mixed media background too. Thank you for that close up, but even after studying it intensely I can't figure out how you made that perfect nipple. Plus waterdroplets. Djeebs.
I bow down to you.
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Date: 2014-06-17 01:40 pm (UTC)I giggled a little at the thought of you examining Jensen's nipple... I assume you mean the on on the left of the pic as that one deffo works better than the one on the right. Just playing in PaintTool Sai which has some really cool watercolour effects with its brushes that Photoshop doesn't - and that I couldn't do with real watercolours because I'm too hopeless without the erase function!
Thanks for all the encouragement!
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Date: 2014-06-17 01:46 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2014-06-17 02:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-17 08:10 pm (UTC)*staring in awe*
Congrats on well delivered!
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Date: 2014-06-17 08:16 pm (UTC)