2 Episodic Wallpapers

[galathea]

I had an unexpected surge of artistic energy last week and spent some time with photoshop. I figured that it is unlikely that I get any S4 art done when S5 starts to air, so I used the opportunity to make some art from a couple of my favourite S4 episodes. I am pretty happy how these turned out, so I hope you enjoy them as well. :)



Fractured Mind: This wallpaper deals with Sam’s withdrawal induced hallucinations in When The Levee Breaks. Sam is falling to pieces, his mind fractured into manifestations of himself, represented by his younger self, Mary and Dean. While their voices haunt and mock him, he looks longingly towards the exit of the dark prison he spun for himself, but, obstructed from all sides, he is unable to break free. I cut the wallpaper into pieces and disarranged them slightly to visualise Sam’s fractured mind. I also used glass fragments in order to enhance the 'fractured' theme and striped light stocks to symbolise prison bars. The colour scheme is a mix of warm and cold colours, because Sam finds comfort (Mary) as well as pain (Sammy, Dean) in his hallucinations.

Fractured Mind

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Replaced: In this wallpaper I tried to visualise the conflicting emotions Adam, his half-brother in Jump The Shark, creates in Dean. The realisation that John made a new family for himself, while Dean lost his own, and Sam's eagerness to play the 'big brother' to Adam's little brother threatens Dean's roles in his family. He doesn't know his place anymore, feels replaced in the lives of the people he loves most.

At the bottom Sam is bonding with Adam over research, while Dean watches them from afar. Usually Sam and Dean work together, now Adam has taken the place next to Sam. At the top Adam is at John’s side, father and son leaning towards each other. Again, Dean’s place is taken by his half-brother. In the middle we see Dean, who doesn’t know anymore where he fits in the puzzle of his life, if he is not Sam’s big brother and John’s son. I thought the incomplete puzzle metaphor worked well with Dean’s insecurity, and I used the colours to emphasise Dean’s outsider status. While Adam, John and Sam are bathed in warm colours, Dean is separated from them in cold black&white.

Replaced

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You all know the drill, no posting elsewhere and no pretending it's your own. Just for private desktop use! *g* Resources as usual over at Salt'n Burn!

Comments

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

Wow. That PS blitz of yours sure did pay off, hon! Gorgeous work, as usual. I am in awe of your skill - the jigsaw effect is very impressive!

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Thank you! *hugs* Maybe the long break did me some good after all, because I really felt inspired and enthusiastic about making these. Heh, yeah, had to do a bit of research on how to do the jigsaw, but it paid off I think. :)

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

It so did pay off! Excellent work, and a whole new skill to add to your PS resume *G*

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

That's true! I love to learn new things in PS and was happy to find that this method even works in the low version I use. *g*

[francy-m79.livejournal.com]

Oh, wonderful work!! I epsecially love the second one, I love the puzzle effect and the whole layout! <3

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Francy. :) Heh, the layout with the stripes at the left side was more a spur of the moment thing in order to fill the canvas a bit, but I quite like it too. :)

[impalalove]

I like the jigsaw effect, honestly. ;)

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Kallie. *hugs*

[shawn-anne.livejournal.com]

AAAAAND she's arting again! *high five*

Dude, "Replaced"? BRILLIANT. Really love the work in that one. It really gets the point across. Really well done job on it, hun! *huggles*

*crawls back into bed for sleep*

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

*high five back* Yeah, maybe the break was a good thing. I feel more inspired at the moment. Maybe the nervous energy that comes from S5 being very close now translates into artistic energy. LOL

Thanks! I am glad everybody loves the jigsaw effect so much. I wasn't sure if the metaphor would work, so I am happy to hear that the point comes across well. :)

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

Beautiful work! I love "Replaced" and how Adam's existence can/could simply change Dean's perception of himself as a brother and son in one stroke.

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :) And yes! That's exactly the meaning I was going for in 'Replaced'. While I think it was good that Adam was dead in the end, it's interesting to contemplate how the brothers would have dealt with a more permanent presence of Adam in their lives and if Dean would have been able to define himself anew. :)

[chiiyo86.livejournal.com]

Hee. They're both really cool, especially the one with the puzzle pieces.

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :) Glad you liked the wallpapers.

[nikkimisplaced.livejournal.com]

Go Chris! Beautiful new art *hugs*

Love them both so much :)

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Aww thank you, hon! *hugs* Yeah, had an inspired couple of days.

Hope you are good, honey. I didn't really get to talk to you since our vacation. /sigh Stupid RL.

[dying-sacrifice.livejournal.com]

Oh wow that second one! It really kind of makes me sad to look at and think about because your description is just so TRUE, but I also really love it. The puzzle effect is just awesome. Wonderful job!

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I am glad you like the piece so much. I am always happy if a wallpaper of mine creates strong emotions in the viewer, so thanks for letting me know. :)

[marilyne-22.livejournal.com]

OH. WOW. I really adore "Replaced"; the emotion is so powerful and intense ♥

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Thanks, hon! *hugs* Intense emotion is always what I am trying to create, so I am happy the wall had the desired effect on you. *g*

[fotw-sv.livejournal.com]

Oh wow I love them both! I like the broken pieces in the Fractured wall and that little window above. It's out of reach at the moment. I love how you used their mom in that one. Beautiful job and the Replaced wallie too. Awesome imagery in both pieces and you really show the emotions of everyone so clearly. Your work always moves me. Congrats once again. *hugs*

*snags both*

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Aww thank you so much for your kind words. *hugs* I am glad the imagery worked for you. It's always the most challenging part for me to find a good visual metaphor for the characters' emotions. And thanks for saying that my work moves you, that's the best praise you can give my art. :)

[fotw-sv.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome. I love art that can make me think, cry, laugh, and feel pain or joy.

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Aw, thanks! And that's the kind of comment that keeps me going with fanart, even when I am in a funk. *hugs*

[vamplover85.livejournal.com]

Hey, it's steph! I'm trying to tag ya at your site, but it won't let me for some reason, and wanna know if you want to be affiliates? I tried to ask on there, but I couldn't....I have no idea why, but I just couldn't so i'm asking you on here. my site is, http://foreverdreaming.shattered-memories.net :) (Btw LOVELY update again! I wanted to comment on your site but I don't know why but for me it wouldn't tag! Stupid thing. But LOVELY to see another update again!!! :)

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Hey Steph! I guess I should put up a warning on my site concerning my tagboard. The tags do come in, but they go into a temporary file so I can screen them. I have to do that, because I am swamped with spam every day. I usually add genuine tags within a day or two to my tagboard manually. :)

And yes, I'd love to affiliate. :) I'll add you on my next update. Thanks for leaving me so much enthusiastic feedbck.

[helpspb.livejournal.com]

Wow! You just blow me away every time!Those are both so gorgeous!I love them! You're better with every new piece&I'm in awe of your skills. Just the cocepts - you're so smart,wow. It would never crossed my mind to picture it like this. Your wallies are always so epic&telling,I really love that about your art.

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I am glad you approve. Well, I hope I get better, I try to at least. although I have phases where I think I am in a complete stand-still with my art. ;) But I am very happy with these two as well. :)

[helpspb.livejournal.com]

You should be happy about them!! The ideas of concepts are so great that it scares me how smart you are,LOL and overall I love every piece of them. You surely do awesome job and don't let anyone/anything to stop you doing art! Your new wallies must be seriously one of the bests I've seen,so there ;P

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Wow, thanks for the kind words! :) I often feel that my concepts are way better than my actual art. *g* That's why I write so much, sometimes I can better express something in words than I manage in my art. But I am always glad if I can visualise what I want to say, too. :)

[helpspb.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome, thanks for the new desktop :D
Anyway I think your art is speaking for itself. I wouldn't need to even read what you try to express,it's more then clear and so neat.*thumb up* and it's just awesome that you get such a great concepts running through your mind :-)

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

I am glad to hear that my art is understandable even without words. :) Sometimes I just get stuck in the difference between what's in my head and what's on the canvas, and then I think the art is less than it could/should be. *g*

[helpspb.livejournal.com]

Hehe, I know the feeling. But really I wouldn't even need words to get it. That's so epic that it says everything...

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Thanks! *hugs*