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[Windrider]

Good Lord, the end is in sight.... but how to upload into digital what is currently an 11 x 14" panel?  I might have to bring it to work tomorrow to have our product photographer shoot it for me.... If I'm too late then that is my own darn fault but for some reason I have NOT been able to refrain from being annoyingly detailed.... and re-doing the background approximately 7 times.  Bad Kelly!  Lucky thing I am not professional.  I would be fired repeatedly.  

I have a professional 11 x 14 scanner, but even so I've had to scan artwork in two (or even four) pieces and splice them together in PhotoShop.  It works just fine, you just have to be REALLY careful that the artwork is square on the scanner each time and keep the color settings the same for each scan.

If you have any problems with the "splicing" due to slightly darker edges on the scans (sometimes happens) or the pieces being slightly off alignment, just make sure there is a big enough overlap and play with a very big and soft airbrush eraser to blend the two layers.

By the way, the original art for Full Circle was too big for Wendy's scanner, so we had to scan it in two pieces.  The pieces didn't always line up perfectly but that wasn't such a big with just line art, we redrew in PS any tiny places that weren't working.  Not so easy on full color work.

[Joyrider1978]

Yeah, I scanned my old Timmorns-head-full-of-heads pic way back in the day and it was the worst headache ever.  My scanner is A4 size which is remarkably unwieldy for scanning 11x14"s and so on.  And it definitely does the dark edges.  So since our photographer was out of the office today, I did the best I could with my photo lightbox and Canon Powershot ............................which means, however, that I have finally sent it!  Provided your email address hasn't changed, my entry should be waiting in your inbox!  Hurrah!

Now it is time to get a massage to work out my hunched up shoulders.  Arting is painful work.  Also, now to begin the (seemingly interminable) wait for the final calendar!! 

[Windrider]

Not so long a wait this year - only December!  And now it is my turn so get carpel tunnel syndrome formatting everything!

Good job everyone!

[Windrider]

The Calendar Contest is CLOSED for judging!

The art that is.  Give us 'til Monday or so to get everything judged and then I'll be contacting the writers for poetry!  You poor writers, you are only going to get a couple weeks to come up with anything, but in past years I've been amazed at how you all rise to the occasion.

Many thanks to all the artists for your participation - there was obviously lots of thought and effort put into ALL the entries.  I just have to give the artists a shout out: This is the first year where EVERYONE picked a different character!  I don't think there is any overlap at all.  Yay!  This is a very good thing, because during judging it is often difficult to balance the need for a good cross section of characters with selecting the best of the art.

[Afke]

I'm glad to hear that! You know, I even got another idea for this theme. It's crazy! I think I'll just post a sketch in the gallery here once I find a chance to draw it. I loved this theme. I think I even voted for it 3 times in earlier polls, so I was just really glad with it. It had so much possibilities! I can't wait to see what you make of it!

[Mournsong]

I considered doing more, but other stuff got in the way... One entry is plenty anyway and working together with a colorist (Mirr) was fun!

[Windrider]

Things are almost ready for the big upload!

I have a question about wallpaper desktops for people here - a little late, I know, but we can always add to it once the calendar is up. What size wallpapers are the most common? I know I am an oddball with a huge widescreen, but what sizes would be best for you guys to use? And don't computers automatically downsize a too-large image to fit your screen?  I need to know this since all the calendar images are also available as wallpapers.

Looks like these are the standard sizes:
800 x 600 (does anyone actually have a screen that small anymore?)
1024 x 768
1152 x 864
1280 x 1024
1400 x 1050
1600 x 1200

So far I have only the 1024 x 768 made. Does that work for everyone or which other size should we add?

[Joyrider1978]

I don't know much about standard sizes, but I have a widescreen as well, and my display settings tell me it's set at 1280 x 800.  Is there a way for you to (easily!) do 2 versions, one universal standard-screen-size, and one universal widescreen-sized?  If it's not easy to do, my vote would be for standard 1024 x 768 since I'm sure everyone can see that properly.

Thanks again and again and again for being such a kick-butt organizer wizard arty awesome lady!!

[Faerydae]

My laptop is set at 1920 x 1200 if that helps any.

[Frozenleaves]

I have the setting 1440*900 (wide screen ), but I use a laptop.
Well, the standard 1024 x 768 is good, but there should be also a widescreen one. I would say between 1280 x 1024 and
1400 x 1050.
Anyway, I want to thank you so much for the wonderful fan calendar we get every year. Yes, the artists do also their part for the project, but it is also you, who organize and put everything together to this wonderful gift. Also thank you to all other helpers

[Afke]

I think Joyrider has a good idea, since everyone seems to be using different settings nowadays. I still have 1024x768, but a lot of people I know have widescreen.

[Windrider]

Thanks for the replies.

Widescreen sizes (as taken off the most popular wallpaper site):
1280 x 800
1440 x 900
1680 x 1050
1920 x 1200

There are actually screens larger than this (such as mine) but I usually have mine set for that last one.

Sounds like lots more people are getting widescreens so we should include a widescreen wallpaper. This is not going to be fun. For Cafe Press, we need the calendar art to by proportioned 8.5 x 11 inches. To make this into a widescreen wallpaper will mean either cutting off the tops and bottoms of the art or adding something to the sides. I may not have time for it this year.

Or maybe I will. I don't know for sure, but I think Richard may not be able to unveil the new calendar until the new website launches.   

Anyway, I think I'll make a poll of screen sizes for next year.  My only concern with having images posted in the highest res wallpaper size is that people could make high quality prints from the art without the artist knowing.

[Eregyrn]

Windrider -- it may not help you this year (don't know if it's too much work), but I ran into a similar issue when offering desktops for our group's calendar this year. 

One person had a suggestion for widescreens which wouldn't interfere with the artwork, and that is -- use the "leftover" space to one side or the other to put a small calendar grid in (just a smallish square with the days/dates).  She was saying that she likes having such a small calendar available at-a-glance, and it would be small enough that it wouldn't overwhelm such a big desktop.  She sent me an example, which got my brain working; I can pass it on to you if you like.  It's one way, at least, to almost make it look like that extra space at the side has a purpose (even though it's just filler to make the image wide enough for the screen).

[Foxeye]

I'm 1920x1200, but I don't mind at all if the images don't fill my screen. Better that way even, since it means no icons cover the beautiful artwork.

[Windrider]

Good news is, I spent all afternoon making widescreen wallpapers for this calendar - so we will have them this year (I just finished right now). I cringe a little, though, because under such short notice I did have to do some drastic cropping and slightly cheesy Photoshopping to get it together. Next year with more time and planning, I'll come up with something better.

Bad news is, I haven't heard from Richard at all.  Most of the calendar was ready for upload on Tuesday, but I assume his silence means that the calendar unveiling will be part of the website upgrade.

My Mac Cinema Display is an 2560 x 1600 widescreen, but will adjust any image to fit according to the user's instructions (stretching, tiling, letterboxing, etc).  Don't all computers do that or is that a Mac thing?

[Foxeye]

Depending on the version of windows you use, it can do something similar. Unfortunately older Windows only have three options - stretch, original, and tile. Which means if it is too big, and not the same aspect ratio, you are somewhat SOL. I know Windows 7 has more options, but I can't remember about Vista.

[Windrider]

The Calendar has been sent!

As of now, Richard has not decided if he'll put up the calendar right away or wait until the website launch. Let's not pressure him. I can't imagine doing a complete website redesign on a deadline - especially a website the size of elfquest.com and you just know that good ol' Murphy is going to throw some bugs in at the last minute.

[Windrider]

I case you didn't see the news at the Scroll, Richard can't get the calendar up o the website until the transfer to the new site is complete.

However...

He did put the calendar up at Cafe Press, for those who want a sneak peek!  And.... last year's calendar has been revamped into a second choice of a 2010 calendar.  http://www.cafepress.com/elfquest

Thanks Richard!  Enjoy, everyone!

[Wildfire]

Oh, WOW! I'm really looking forward to seeing that in detail!

[Joyrider1978]

Okay, weird, Foxeye!  We're back-to-back Minyeh's!  I'm sure no one could really care less about Minyeh and yet we both snuck her in... I don't know why that strikes me as weird but it does!

And now I *really* can't wait to see these in detail!  And to read all the poems!  That's really nice, I think, all the choices between images and size.  Thanks, Windrider and Richard! 

[Foxeye]

Minyah is a star!   I think it's awesome. 

[Wildfire]

Foxeye, who is the Sun-Villager in your picture? It looks like Maleen, but I can't remember her joining Darts followers?

[Foxeye]

She never had a name.  She's just the jackwolf rider with the dark, high ponytail, and a scarf on her head.

First appearance, facing away in the second panel
Waaay in the back on the right of the last panel
Towards the left of the father tree

She also shows up in the kings of the broken wheel, while the jackwolf riders are still in the forgotten grove. I think she even had a line (well, ok, she just shouts Shushen's name ).  Of course, after they stopped by the sun village in KotBW, we never heard from her again.

I have wanted to use her and Newstar for the "contrasts" theme for a while,  but I saw a way to use them for Finding Ones Place, in case Contrasts is never chosen.

I can't wait to be able to read the poem!

(Admittedly, my favorite in the drawing turned out to be the guy in the back with the "OMG Snake!" expression.)

[Windrider]

The 2010 calendar submissions gallery will be open for public viewing and commenting on Friday, January 14 (tomorrow!).  I will post all the poetry submissions in the thread on the fanfic forum at the same time.

Usually we give the calendar a couple weeks in the limelight, but with all that is happening over at the official EQ site we have no idea when Richard will be able to get it posted.  But meanwhile, you can enjoy the artwork and poetry as submitted.  Be sure to encourage the artist and tell them what a wonderful job they did.  It is the truth, every year the submissions just keep getting better - but that does mean that the competition keeps getting stiffer, too!

It was pretty difficult to judge the entries this year.  We usually have to juggle picking the best art with getting a good mix of characters (which is the answer to some of your questions about why certain entries are not chosen).  Not this year; everyone chose a different character!  Rather, this year what was difficult was that so many entries were equally good and so some of the judging was based on how well artists portrayed the theme.

Enjoy!

[Windrider]

The gallery is now open!  Wheeee!

Let's give a big thanks to Foxeye for organizing the gallery so we could host the contest here!