Avatar Creations 2018 - 2021

a reply to: operation mindcrime

Miss the giraffe but I love Mario!!!

Thanks

I'm sure Mr. giraffe will be back at some point too.

a reply to: operation mindcrime

I don't know how you do what you do graphically, but I am happy that you do what you do. I can't even draw a matchstick man, with or without computer.

a reply to: Zarniwoop

I got a lot of respect for people who actually manage to align their animated avatar with a matching background and you even top it off with a matching banner.....cool beans

Peace

a reply to: LightSpeedDriver

Believe me, I have trouble with drawing also. I tried it...didn't work out.

This is what happens when I rely on my drawing skills...




Sure it's a unique picture but not really usable. I only succeed at googly eyed characters...lol

So I just stick to taking bits and pieces from other pictures and try to make something out of it..
(he, beter goed gejat dan slecht bedacht...lol)

Peace

a reply to: operation mindcrime

wow! thank you so much. cooperation and brainstorming are great things. because now i notice how much more specific i can be with my request.

i think the angle of the statue you used is exquisite. i like the light on her face. but it is nefertiti isn't it. i prefer portraits of my favorite queens like

Ahmose-nefertari with her queenly headdress


the mitanni queen kiya with her stunning haircut


meritaten


or great royal wife tiye with another powerful headdress

it does not have to be a female, i also would like the real great ones like

thutmose III


amenhotep III

i do like your idea with the pyramids and the eye of horus, they would fit, but now i think i would like to stick with the theme of the 18th dynasty and suggest


amenhotep's palace malkata


or his earlier temple at thebes

if we are using symbols then maybe the aten


thank you so much for researching into the lamps. of course the oillamps and candles are the appropriate items to use. i also like the look of these things, i don't know their name. i think they make impressive flames.



all these are suggestions only. maybe you have better ideas.

ah yes, and a minor detail. i don't really fancy the black background and would prefer charcoal or a fade from dark to fire.

thank you again, and no need to rush.

a reply to: lucia2389

Good morning...

I did do my homework when I started this avatar and I learned a lot about the 18th dynasty because it was all well...Egyptian to me...lol

It is indeed Nefertiti but I got stuck when I tried to find out what kind of lighting was common in those days. The lamp you described sounded like a "Fanous" but I never found out if they were in use back then. I would love to learn more about that..

But back to your avatar. I am so glad you added some pictures and some more details on what you would like to see, it really helps with creating these avatars.

I'm going to start working with the new stuff you provided and if will hopefully post some results today but first...coffee!!!

Peace

a reply to: operation mindcrime

hope that coffee kicked in nicely

yes, the lamp i described is what you name as "Fanous". but they were definitely not used back in those times so they can't be used in this avatar. i just read that they used hundreds of oil lamps to light their statues at night. i can't find an image with hundreds of oil lamps. and a single oil lamp is not that suitable - i don't know - it's up to your imagination

a sprinkle of stars or the hint of a dawn will do also. or maybe just the symbol of the Aten.

not too long ago egypt was also merely "egyptian" to me. then i dived straight into the 18th dynasty which must be the most interesting dynasty. it is the one most spoken of anyway. it is so fascinating, it's all i read about right now to really get to know it. i'm glad you brought up the question about the lamps, that's about the one thing i would not have bothered to looking into. but even that subject is interesting.

originally posted by: operation mindcrime
a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

I didn't want to keep posting bumps for this thread but I'll be damned if I let this thread die a silent death..

Good to see you by the way...

Peace

I love the avatar that you did for me. I've been thinking of a change but, I'm rarely on anymore so...meh...
I still love it though and helping you folks out with a bump.

Peace

a reply to: TNMockingbird

There have been times that I didn't log on here for months and we all have that...but that shouldn't be a reason to settle on something that needs changing.

I still got all the layers for that avatar so tweaking it should not be a problem and I would love to help you out with any changes that you might want....

Peace

a reply to: lucia2389

Progress is slow but steady...been one big distraction festival here today so I don't think I'll get around to posting some results but hang in there..

Today I learned even those ancient egyptians made building mistakes and the temple at Thebes was aparently build to close to the Nile so it fell in ruins..

Those collosi in front of the entrance were relocated (some other king took 'm and got killed by achillies) and in an earthquake one fell apart. Because of the cooling and heating up of the desert climate it began to "sing" and it became a legend even in greek literature..

As I said, not making a whole lot of progress but I am loving this assignment for all the things I'm learning.

Keep you updated...

Peace

a reply to: operation mindcrime

no worries good man! festivals have to be celebrated as they fall.

the two colossi once were the guardian statues at the entrance to Amenhotep III’s mortuary temple where they still stand. they are depicted on the second image of buildings i had posted earlier. they stand a staggering 20 m/60,62 ft high. this temple once was the largest and most luxurious in the land. it never was equalled only usurped by some pharaoh – we won’t name him here. eventually the whole theben necropolis was named memnonium.

as you mentioned, annual floods had damaged the foundation of the temple which was built of sandstone at the edge of the nile. later when the temple collapsed, the site and the broken down stones were used by later pharaos as a quarry. lucky the two statues, both of Amenhotep III, were made of a harder sandstone and survived but not without suffering bad damage.

it must have been in the 1st c bc, ca 1300 yrs after their construction, that, mainly the northern statue, crumbled such that the loss of its upper parts and a deep cleft into lower parts made it sing at dawn.

that must have been when the statues were named after Memnon, the name of the bloke you mentioned. he actually was an aethiopian king who helped defend troy from the greeks and got killed by Achilles.

Memnon’s mother happens to be Eos, greek goddess of the dawn. the legend has it, that when she heard about her son’s death, she started weeping every morning just after the rise of the morning star and her tears form the morning dew ever since. that's where the sound came from.

it was said, to hear the singing brings good luck. it attracted tourists from far around. even roman emperor Septimus Severus, in 199 ad or so, arrived, saw and, overpowered by awe as i imagine, tried to restore the singing colossi by adding sandstone blocks. that’s when the statue sang for the last time.

i think the stuff you pick up while you venture into this egyptian themed avatar is great. those ancient times are by far not lost and we get to hear more and more by newest researches.

so just enjoy exploring, i also get side-tracked all the time. i’m so deep into their graves at the moment, i have no outlook for it. it might just as well be important to plant some oil lamps here and there into the dark of this avatar.

a reply to: operation mindcrime

i found a rare authentic illustration of an ancient egyptian oil lamp on a section of the 'book of the dead'

a reply to: lucia2389

Hey that's cool!! You'd think I would have come across that picture after browsing for 2 days straight but I haven't...thanks!!

Sorry for not updating today but don't worry, I didn't go MIA (again)...

I finally learned how to moderate myself and not burnout on making avatars so it takes a little longer than it used to.

It's 02:30 were I am and this is the third night in a row that I'm skipping sleep. (I wish it was by choice but apparently depression and insomnia go hand in hand).

The upside of my mental status is that I got plenty of time to work on this stuff...

I am afraid I'm going to have to scrap the result I already have because it is not working out. Don't worry though, creativity is flowing like the Colorado river and I expect something to happen on the next attempt...

I hope I am not keeping you waiting too much..

Peace

a reply to: operation mindcrime

it also took me ages to find it. eventually i stumbled over it deep deep in the graves of pharaos. totally unexpected.

and isn't that picture cool! its a mummy with 'ba' above it to reunite with the 'ka' and to form the 'akh' (these are different parts of a persons soul) in the afterlife of the deceased. i tried for hours to find the meaning of that symbol thingy that ba holds in his hands. no results here either, but it does not concern the avatar anyway.

keep taking your time. quality and creativity can't be pushed. and for now i'm enjoying to dig through graves in the company of ancient grave robbers and real life indiana joneses.

and sleep well.


eta: the more you stay away from the computer the healthier ! i hope i won't get banned from ats for having said that. and for having spoken such friendly advice without being asked for, i have added you to my friends.

originally posted by: lucia2389
eta: the more you stay away from the computer the healthier ! i hope i won't get banned from ats for having said that. and for having spoken such friendly advice without being asked for, i have added you to my friends.

Haha...No moderator on ATS has ever banned a member for giving friendly advise. (In fact even they sometimes advise members to take a break).

My state of mind has noting to do with ATS. I've been going through Hell in real life and I am currently on my way back. Making these avatars and ATS in general is kind of my therapy and I wouldn't want to go without it.

Not sleeping isn't healthy but I don't believe in medication to fight symptoms and my doctor respects that...I have been out of a job since 2018 started so I'll probably fall asleep during the day....oh well...life

Thank you for your concern and I really value you adding me to your friend list..

Peace

ETA: sorry for the off-topic DTOM but I needed to share that....back to avatars!!!

a reply to: operation mindcrime

hello mindcrime! how are you? is my requested avatar still in the making?

meanwhile i have finished my short story, it is ready to be posted. it is a story about egypt and i would like to sport an egyptian look to go with it.

so i will temporarily use the avatar you had started initially and will replace it as soon as you might post further editions on it.

in other words: please stop the parties and/or sleeping now and please get to work on the avatar if you don't mind.....

a reply to: lucia2389

Goodmorning Lucia,

I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting...

I wasn't exactly partying or sleeping...(as a matter of fact last night was the first time I slept this weekend).

I was hosting a thread here on ATS because I needed to find some answers. ATS is more than just a conspiracy site and I can honestly say that some members have replied with answers that are still resonating with me and it helped me a lot with getting through a hard time.

This isn't the thread to explain it all but if you want to know why I haven't replied you can follow this link

So therapy session is over and I'm getting back to your avatar right away.

I hope you can give me a little more time and I will post some results. Again, sorry for keeping you waiting....

Peace

a reply to: operation mindcrime

not at all. no need to apologize. and i'm glad you had a good session with friends giving you support and good advice.

a shame nobody else here in this thread is contributing with the creations. i wish it was not all up to you. i guess i could have made an avatar myself, but i was looking forward to have something different to that what i can come up with.

for now i used your first draft and that is ok too. thanks for trying.

a reply to: lucia2389

Hi Lucia,

Well I guess you could say I failed you miserably....

It all went wrong when I tried to find the same effect of the first design but with the specifics of which pharaoh it should be...it never got that same feel as the first face.

I've put as much of your wish list into this one (thutmose III, egyptian torch, temple at thebes and the Aten) but the background is still dark..etc



I should scrap this one and start over again but I just can't find the correct images. It is actually proving impossible and maybe an other member could pick it up from here..

I hope I haven't disappointed you, I know I've disappointed myself with this assignment...

Peace

With the hieroglyphs in the background and some filter adjustments it might just work....



Peace