5 Banners That Knocked My Socks Off

[clawofcat.livejournal.com]

I know I always am full of squee when I see a banner accompany a story, act as a beautiful header, or exist purely for our viewing pleasure. It's also safe to say that not everyone is interested in manipping and banner making is definately a graphic outlet that allows for a fair amount of flexibility. Really great at working with screencaps? Then banner making might be the righth choice for you. Here are a few beautiful contributions that really took my breath away this year. These are also all worksafe.

1. Frozen Memories by alwaysjbj    [Giles/Jenny]
There's not a lot of art dedicated to Giles & Jenny, and why not? This is a beautiful piece with some dramatic textures. The haunted look on Giles' face in contrast to the placid serenity of Jenny's reminds us of how gutting her death was.

2. Blood on Your Hands by marvelgirl_art    [Faith]
Wow. The splash of red on this black and white image makes the pic look like a massacre, which is pretty appropriate considering Faith's mental state by the time she gets to LA. We're brought into her guilt and confusion, but we also feel pity for poor Faith. She's so vulnerable here.

3. The Willfull Slaughter of Hope & Bang by sevendeadlyfun     [Willow/Tara]
These two companion pieces really illustrate how powerful text can be on a banner or any piece of graphic art. The words tell the story and the images illustrate them with wonderful clarity. Not only are these two pieces powerful and full of such base human emotion, but Seven very cleverly places the text in such a way that draws our eyes around the banner, highlighting each image in turn.

4. "Age of Unreason," Gunn by sueworld2003     [Gunn]
What struck me about this particular mock cover image from shapinglight's epic fic is the amazing texture that Sue is able to create here. It's gritty. Gunn's skin looks dirty, stinky, filthy, sweaty. It brings you in visually, but speaks to all your senses. It also makes you want to know why. Has he been working? Running? Abused? Of course, we won't know unless we check out the fic.

5. Passion by framedinlove     [Spuffy, Faith/Angel]
Contrasts in art are always very visually interesting, and framedinlove is able to highlight that here by drawing attention to the divergent and parallel emotional dynamic between these two couples. The header has movement and a really incredible sense of atmosphere, while also saying something about these two couples and who they are to each other.

Comments

[yourlibrarian]

I really enjoy story banners too. I'm holding out hopes for some great partnerships in the Buffy big bang project!

[sevendeadlyfun.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much, sweetie! I'm so excited you thought I was worthy to rec. Much loves to you.

[sevendeadlyfun.livejournal.com]

Big Bang project?

[clawofcat.livejournal.com]

No probs. You know I love your work. I was thinking about the rimming one, but then decided to keep it clean, lol.

I know I've been with the way suck about keeping in touch. There's been a lot going on in the last month and a half that's generally taken me away from fandom, and probably will continue to for the forseeable future. At least I get to escape my life next week. Gus and I are going to Cancun for 6 days starting on Thursday!

[jamalov29.livejournal.com]

Again very nice reading your thoughts on these great artworks.
I fell in love with your fabulous banner from framedinlove as soon as I saw itdisplayed on your journal , and recced it here a few days ago. :)

[sevendeadlyfun.livejournal.com]

Eh. You'll call when you can. I know your single girl big city life keeps you busy. Although, from what I've been reading, it sounds more and more like you and Gus are all couple-y. And Cancun? Very funderful.

So, are you gonna come visit me when I move to Italy?

[clawofcat.livejournal.com]

I heard that they were seriously lacking artists for the Buffy BBP. Also, when is the posting date? I think sometime in the spring/summer, right?

I'll say staight up that I'm always so jealous of fics that have art to accompany them. It's such an honor and a gift to have an artist produce something for you! Also with the pretty. *covets*

[yourlibrarian]

http://community.livejournal.com/buffy_bigbang/

[yourlibrarian]

Yes, I saw that too. Since the art often doesn't take as long, hopefully the word will get out in the extra time.

I've absolutely loved the partnership I've seen in the SPN big bang -- I ended up reccing a variety of those last year.

[clawofcat.livejournal.com]

I know your single girl big city life keeps you busy.
Sort of, yeah. I was out every evening this past week. And started going to the gym. And have been job searching. And renovating an apartment. And... you get the point. Life stuff. *gives it the finger*

Although, from what I've been reading, it sounds more and more like you and Gus are all couple-y.
*cough* Em, what? I haven't been writing about my life, so who has!? Was that you in the bushes the other night? Fuck. But in all seriousness, we're no more couple-y than usual. I haven't made an "arrangement" changes and I don't see it happening.

And Cancun? Sounds funderful.
I will totes post pictures. I'm sitting here researching swimming with dolphins as we speak! And then have to do laundry. Boo.

So, are you gonna come visit me when I move to Italy?
Wtf? When are you moving to Italy? And what part? I would totally visit. I lurves Italy. It was my first trip abroad. Memmmories! Does that mean no MA/grad school?

Should we not be discussing all this stuff on this thread, lol?

[clawofcat.livejournal.com]

Yes, framedinlove is such a talent. It's too bad we don't see more of her around. She's a star.

Didn't know that you recc'd her already! How wonderful. It looks like you recc'd just the Spuffy side of the manip, which is in itself really beautiful and arresting. In my mind though, it's the not the full piece of art if you don't see the finished product with Faith/Angel. She did an incredible job of taking "my" versions of the couples based on what I've written and transposing that to art. It's really how I see them: staid and supportive vs. wild and passionate.

[jamalov29.livejournal.com]

It looks like you recc'd just the Spuffy side of the manip, which is in itself really beautiful and arresting You caught me here. ;)I'm so addicted to spuffy.
it's the not the full piece of art if you don't see the finished product with Faith/Angel. I entirely agree.The result is breathtaking - but I didn't want to link to yourbanner for it was a gift that she did to you and I thought that maybe, you would make a list of your fav amazing artworks. I was right.:)

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

One and four are faves of mine. Great choices!


Gabrielle

[clawofcat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, both C and Sue do splendid work. Now go check out the other ones!

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the rec love, and very kind words. I'm so pleased to hear that you thought that illustration worked.

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

Excellent choices.

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

Terrific banners! I particularly enjoyed "Passion", but all the others are also outstanding!

[clawofcat.livejournal.com]

My pleasure. The whole "Age of Unreason" set was a lot of fun to go through. It was awesome of you to provide a link to the entire collection at your shared_wisom guest speaker post. I wouldn't have seen them otherwise

I'm so pleased to hear that you thought that illustration worked.
I was really torn between this one and the black and white Connor/Spike illustration you did. That was insane! You made it look like an actual sketch!

If I want to see more of your work, what's the best place to friend?

[clawofcat.livejournal.com]

Thanks. It was so hard to narrow this list down to just five!

[clawofcat.livejournal.com]

Hm, yeah, I was a bit biased with "Passion." She really tailored that one to my taste and did an incredible job. I love looking at it everytime I'm in my account.

You know, I seem to remember you did a banner for unbridled_b awhile ago. Is that up and accessible anywhere? I was looking for it and couldn't find it.

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

The best of my work is housed in my Flickr album over here..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16732835@N00/

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

Not a banner - I made an icon for her fic Forward to Time Past. I can be objective about my manipping skills and I know I'm a bad manipper, especially around such great artists. So I keep my experiments on my hard drive. :) Icons are easier to make so I occasionally dabble in iconage...

I recommend you to pay attention to this banner

http://marvelgirl-art.livejournal.com/23443.html

to the current fic A Place in Heaven
http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=obiwahn&keyword=A+Place+in+Heaven&filter=all

[snowpuppies]

Fantastic list.

"Bang" made me tear up. *sniffle*

[shapinglight]

Thanks so much for the links. Most of those are new to me. Even marvelgirl_art I only discovered yesterday, when I was astonished by her sheer talent (the Faith one you link to here particularly struck me).

As for Sue's illustrations for AoU, the story just wouldn't be the same without them. Every time she produces something, she amazes me all over again.

[clawofcat.livejournal.com]

Thanks. It was fun searching through journals and various bookmarks to come up with the list. I wanted to get an ecclectic bunch of pics.

"Bang" made me tear up. *sniffle*
Oh, I know! I think I went:
*eep*
"Oh dear..."
*wibble*
"Tara..."
*sob*

[clawofcat.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. I'm particularly happy with how this list came out. I managed to get a lot of different, and perhaps lesser illustrated, characters on here.

Yeah, I'm a big fan of marvelgirl_art. She did a really amazing Wes/Faith one that I would have loved to put up, but it's from 2007: We'd Face the Fighting with a Smile (http://marvelgirl-art.livejournal.com/24225.html). I'll have to spend some time looking through her whole catalog and leave comments. She more than deserves them.

Every time she produces something, she amazes me all over again.
You are so lucky to have an artist to regularly collaborate with, especially one of Sue's caliber. I am green with envy! BTW, friended glassdarklyuk to give the CoA and AoU a try. If they really freak me out, I can always stop reading.

[alwaysjbj.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the rec, sweetie! I'm honoured to be in such wonderful company.

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

"If they really freak me out, I can always stop reading."

I suspect that it will, but try and stick with it If you can, because when you get to the end and then move into Age of Unreason you finally start to see how complex and character driven this wonderful dark tale is.


I've read to the end now and it blew my mind. *g*

[clawofcat.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! I always love it when artists tackle lesser seen characters or pairings. That banner is a stunner, for sure.

[shapinglight]

Okay, I'll friend you back. CoA may be a little more freakworthy than most of what I post on shapinglight, but not by much, if you've read Finders, Keepers - and AoU is more of an adventure story with kink.

Anyway, even if you don't like the stories, it's worth looking through the entries for the art.

[framedinlove.livejournal.com]

Oh. Wow. *tries really hard to keep her cool but fails miserably* This is just. Wow. I mean, just look at all those other artists - they're absolute legends! Wow for the third time. It's indeed a great great honor to be listed amongst such mind-blowingly amazing artists.

Thank you so much for the rec - I truly appreciate it from the bottom of my heart! It makes me feel all bouncy and happy and cheerful (if a bit shy, too) that you find the banner I made for you to be worthy of such recognition. *beams and blushes simultaneously*

You're awesome and lovely, and I miss you!
*hugs*

[clawofcat.livejournal.com]

You need to give yourself more credit, darling. You're wonderful and totally deserve to be up there with those other artists.

I hope you're feeling a little better than you have been. I miss you, too! Keep the fighting spirit going, you hear? I'm off to Mexico for vacation with Gus, so I'll be back in a few days. Many pictures! *hugs*