ARCHIVED: WIPs - Interfaces & Static PCXs

[Blue Monkey]

I honestly can't tell the difference between them. Great image though.

The cartoon effect is slightly more "contrasty". If you look at the dark edges, such as the folds of the men's coats, you'll see that they are darker & thicker. Just an experiment. I like the original better myself.

I like "C".

I like D because it's a good view of the activity inside the Exchange, but I also think C is the best image. I'll index those 2 - & if KingArthur has another choice then his as well.

 

[KingArthur]

I can't choose between the Left hand Subscription room from the first set and View 'A' from the second set of images. If pushed I'd go for the subscription room just because it captures the esssence of the inner workings of the place (I like the clocks showing times in different parts of the globe perhaps?!).

 

[Blue Monkey]

I can't choose between the Left hand Subscription room from the first set and View 'A' from the second set of images.

I thought that there were to be both a Royal Exchange & a Lloyds wonder?

 

[KingArthur]

Oh of course. I was in a rush when I posted.

 

[Blue Monkey]

A Christmas Carol - I'll be interested to see what you come up with.

Still quite bit of messing around to do, but is this on the right track?

 

[Moosezilla]

Blue Monkey you have a gift!

 

[Balthasar]

That's a wonderful image BM, but I think I was hoping for something more evocative of Dickens, and what's generally referred to as the Dickensian world.
One of the reasons that "A Christmas Carol" merited inclusion here as a wonder is that Dickens managed to combine not only all of what we think of as the traditional elements of an English Christmas (much of which was actually quite new to them at the time) into his story, but to add an overlay of social consciousness onto that, reflecting a real debate in Victorian society - the extant to which the "haves" have obligation to the "have nots". The characters of the Crachet family were central to Dickens' argument - the anti-reformers of the time wanted to characterize the poor (as many do even now) as victims of their own indolence and bad character ("I can't afford to make idle people merry" says Scrooge), yet Dickens presents us with Bob Crachet - loyal, uncomplaining, and making the best of a bad situation - and poor Tiny Tim, the innocent victim of circumstance - as antithesis of all that the anti-reformers were saying. Indeed, in the end, the "crime" that the ghosts accuse Scrooge of is being on the wrong side of that debate, embodied in his vocalization of their argument that the government was already providing sufficient services - "Are there no prisons? And the Union workhouses? Are they still in operation? The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?"
The publication of "A Christmas Carol" changed that debate irrevocably and forcefully, and by tying it to Christmas, annualized it as well, so that no one, henceforth, could indulge in the pleasures of the season without simultaneously thinking of the suffering of the poor. That is why this story, of all that was written in the 19th century (and this mod is, among other things, a celebration of 19th century transformative literature), deserves to be a "Wonder".

Chew on that before you settle on an image. With all due respect.

P.S. I think I've inadvertently written the civilopedia entry for this here...

 

[Blue Monkey]

That's a wonderful image BM, but I think I was hoping for something more evocative of Dickens, and what's generally referred to as the Dickensian world.
...Chew on that before you settle on an image. With all due respect.

I am certainly aware of the import of "Dickensian". Whilst your little essay may make a quite good pedia entry it is no help at all to my knowledge of what you wish to see - which could be anything from the 5 of Pentacles to a delivery boy with a turkey.

I have looked at quite few etchings that accompanied the original publications, stills from a few of the filmed versions, etc. Coming to a single visual that expresses the spirit & message of the story is quite a trick. A ghost? Which one? Cratchets at dinner? Which one? Xmas party? Which one? Personally, I'd like to find a good image of Xmas Present with his two little guests clearly shown, but so far I haven't.

 

[Balthasar]

I am certainly aware of the import of "Dickensian". Whilst your little essay may make a quite good pedia entry it is no help at all to my knowledge of what you wish to see...

Oop. Sorry. Admonishment accepted. I do get verbose sometimes, and deserve to be called on it. I've been all caught up in this election, and after arguing days and days with my brothers, it spilled over here, I guess. Not a bad little essay, though... So I apologize for that. I certainly appreciate and respect the work and thought you've put into this so far.

Tell you what: allow me to come up with some sample images for this for you to choose from (or to inspire you), and I promise I'll stay off my high horse on the next go round. Cool with you?

 

[Blue Monkey]

Tell you what: allow me to come up with some sample images for this for you to choose from (or to inspire you), and I promise I'll stay off my high horse on the next go round. Cool with you?

If I came off combative then I also need to apologize. I'm pretty good at finding images - I just need a hint of the general type. Most of the reproductions of John Leech's etchings/engravings are either too blurry or too small. One idea I've had was to do a sort of triptych from his etchings of the three spirits - possibly with Marley's ghost instead of "Past". Would that get the Dickensian idea across? I could throw together a quick prototype.

I've still got the LFO on the "easel" as well.

 

[Balthasar]

That sounds good. I look forward to both of them.

 

[Blue Monkey]

Here's a Q&D mockup for Xmas. Posted only for subject matter & very basic layout.

One alternative I've thought of would be to trim the main images so that the three ghosts are larger - with Marley on the right & Future on the left so that they face the Present. & then paste in Ebeneezer kneeling down front.

 

[Blue Monkey]

Here are some Q&D variations on the alternative I mentioned above.

large image

Spoiler :

Obvious to some, but worth mentioning for the benefit of others who may wish to post a comment:

• No attempt was made to blend borders between pictures, so far.
• Note the contrast/color saturation differences between some of the "Xmas Present" - it's the same original.
• Ignorance & Want, the other ghosts, and the kneeling Ebeneezer are separate layers.
• The superimposed images are also just rough cut-outs.
• Opacity of those elements can be changed without affecting the main image.
• This also means that the composition is flexible.
• I have very large originals to work with, so it should be no problem to swap out Ebeneezers & still have good looking backgrounds.

 

[KingArthur]

Definitely D for me. A & B are slightly incongruous with a smiling Scrooge before the poor ghostly urchins. It would be nice to see how that scene would look if you could switch Death to the right hand side and Marley(?) to the left.

 

[Balthasar]

I would also say D, but I would "horizontal flip" the center characters, or the whole thing, instead. It seems to then put more emphasis on Scrooge. Looks magnificent.

 

[Blue Monkey]

Definitely D for me. A & B are slightly incongruous with a smiling Scrooge before the poor ghostly urchins. It would be nice to see how that scene would look if you could switch Death to the right hand side and Marley(?) to the left.

I would also say D, but I would "horizontal flip" the center characters, or the whole thing, instead. It seems to then put more emphasis on Scrooge. Looks magnificent.

I spent last night & this morning knocking out a draft that I think incorporates the sense of the changes you have both requested:

• Kneeling Scrooge instead of smirking
• Flip-Flop Future & Marley
• Adjust composition to emphasize Scrooge

Spoiler :

The more I look at the various versions the more they all look too busy & crowded to me. So here's a simplified one with Xmas Present & orphans, but with the kneeling Scrooge. It's got the essence of the story: ghosts, a Xmas spirit, & the remorseful Scrooge - sort of a "reform now or else!" version:

Spoiler :

Both, of course, would require quite a bit of cleaning up to be ready. EDIT: I could eliminate some of the blank space by cropping the top, CnP the flame of the brand to be closer to Present's hand, & enlarging the whole to fill more of the image.


I'm going to concentrate on knocking out a version of the LFO & leave finalizing whatever choices are made on Xmas until after that one's ready to upload.

 

[Balthasar]

Something like this perhaps, from your last image? I didn't know how else to describe it other than to do a mock-up:

Spoiler :

I'd be very tempted to put holly in the upper corners.

 

[Blue Monkey]

Something like this perhaps, from your last image? ...

I'd be very tempted to put holly in the upper corners.

I was also thinking that the bg needed to be darkened - but perhaps not that dark. Post that bg for me to work with, if you don't mind. I can probably find some decent "Boston Charlie" for the hall.

 

[Balthasar]

Sent the whole GIMP file to your regular email. Haven't heard the term "Boston Charlie" in years....

 

[Blue Monkey]

Sent the whole GIMP file to your regular email. Haven't heard the term "Boston Charlie" in years....

Thanks!

Work proceeds on the LFO (mostly adding cloud cover & other work on Vicky's House today). That is, when I can tear myself away from reading Peshawar Lancers.