Experimenting...

[jo_anne_storm]

With GIMP and some of the latest features.  Which can be very frustrating when I'm trying to follow a tutorial I don't understand and the boys want something every five seconds.  And the youngest melting because the icy pops weren't frozen yet made it all the more fun...

I adore that picture of "Young Jack."  Micheal somethin'-or-other, I think.  I found it on his personal site, the only place that has it, apparently.  It was taken by People Magazine, but never used.  BTW, he's lounging on a couch, not a jean-clad leg or showing some contortionist ability.  I may need to smudge out the seam in that.

The hardest part was finding a pic of Dawn that I could comfortably put with it.  Most of them of decent quality also had her looking like a skank, didn't fit the mood, or just didn't work. 

As far as the actual manip part goes, I think it's the simplest one I've done since the beginning.  There's no interesting design elements hidden in the background, no textures or collages.  It's just Jack, Dawn, and a dance club.  There's not even my favorite flower that I think I've used in just about everything.

The letters were what was giving me fits.  The tutorial I was originally using was awful.  I couldn't understand half of it; giving up made me feel better.  Then, I found a better tutorial...  And then I found a funtion within GIMP that did it for me.  Yay!  Still gave me a few fits, though. 

Hopefully it will keep it's translucent background.  I haven't checked that particular piece since saving it.

Um...  What else...  I guess if it had a title of theme it would be "First Date" or "Bronzing" or somesuch.  I like the pic of Dawn in the background looking at him with girly feelings while he's just laughing and having a good time.  I think that describes their relationship pretty well ATM.

OK, I think that's it for tonight.