Entry tags:	projects: alternity
Crossposts:	http://jenett.livejournal.com/1153205.html

So, I really was moved to create a squid on the mantelpiece icon, but of course, at 100x100, you cannot really appreciate the fine details. (and seriously, this did qualify as "totally reasonable work-related task, even if it is not the one that is perhaps most pressing on Monday morning." since part of my job is to get more familiar with various Adobe tools so I can help people with them)

(Also, I'm pretty sure this is one of my only acts of visual transformative work, so, y'know, wanna share.)

This is a public post, so I should explain the inspiration. One of the running lines on the players list for the HP Alternity game is about putting squid on the mantelpiece for future use. (Like Chekhov, but more squiddy.) We try to do a really good job with this, and I keep wanting to talk about bits of it, and that really needs an icon.

But icons of squid on mantelpieces do not exactly grow on trees. Or seaweed. Or whatever my metaphor is here.



Step one: Locate fireplace
Run a variety of searches (I did this part last night) to see if I can find a shot of a fireplace from one of the in-game locations.

I couldn't find one that would work well for Buckingham, but I did find one from another location that's named in game relatively often.

(For people not reading Alternity: wizards have taken over the UK have reclaimed most of the stately homes, and assigned them to various Loyal To The Protectorate folks. The Lord Protector, aka Voldemort, naturally took over Buckingham Palace. The game website, linked above, has more info on the general background.)

Here's the image (it's from the Painted Room at Spencer House.)



Step two: Locate squid

The other mantel image I was looking at would have required a statue, and it's actually sort of hard to find images of squid statues that would work on a mantlepiece. Clearly, a gap in the art world.

Also, editing an image to put a statue in front of a mirror is, um, complicated, and I'm trying not to spend all day at this.

So, the other reason I like this image is that I could do something with those bas relief. Given the current Roman themeing this year, it was natural to go look at mosaics, which are a) easy to find and b) easy to edit. They also go well with the neo-Classical style of the room.

The images are from a floor mosaic from the House of the Dancing Faun, in Pompeii.


Step three: Apply magic of Photoshop
So, I did a bunch of cropping and resizing of squid images. And added the text. (The two squid images on either side are the same thing, just flipped horizontally.)



I'm not entirely crazy about the text layout, but I'm having trouble finding something I like better, so it'll do for now. (Also, this is the point where I dither about how one spells mantelpiece, determine that el is more common, and go and fix the actual icon.)

Step four: Scale
And then resize to the icon, which you can see on this post.

Feel free to use and share, if you'd like. A link back to this post would be awesome if you do.