Not to blow my rep for genius, but it's completely the tools.

The lighting correction is done with 2 methods: duplicating a screen level until it's light enough and using the most amazing gradients. Seriously. oxoniensis made a pack of "Skin Gradients" and they'll correct just about anything. No talent required. *grin* As for the color, Photoshop has "Color Balance," which is what I tinkered with for this particular icon. I wasn't kidding when I said this was more a base than icon because all I did was prep the image. :) But thank you for the compliment!

You should do more icons! First of all, they're fun. And second of all, this world really, really needs more Teryl icons. It's damned rare to find them, or, at least, I seem to have trouble finding them. I made exactly one Sam/Janet icon back when I very first started because I had a pic that just demanded it. I should revisit the pic I used and see if I can make something I like better now that I have more knowledge of what the tools do.

Where are your icons? I'd like to see what you've done! :)

I really should commit the time and energy to learning how to properly use the tools I've got. I mean, I've got photoshop, it's just a matter of trial and error to get a proper understanding of how everything works.

As far as where my icons are... um, they are kind of just sitting in my LJ under the avatars tag (http://replicarter22.livejournal.com/tag/avatars). if you'd like to avoid all the explanations as to why on earth my brain insisted on expressing itself via an avatar, you can just look at my photobucket avatar gallery (http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i319/replicarter22/avatars/by%20me/). It contains any avatar I use on any site. A lot of it is inside jokes, or something that was funny for about two seconds, but occasionally there are a few ones which are actually decent. There are about 90 in there, plus a sub gallery that contains 34 icons/bases/whatever that pertain to the winner of the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest.

I do warn anyone who chooses to look, there is very little of value in there, and a lot of duplicates with slightly different framing or colorization.

You should have warned me about that Tetris icon! I now have that visual stuck in my head like some people get songs stuck in their heads. It's evil genius.

Your icons are better than you credit yourself for -- I like the humor (when I get it) and your animation is awesome. I'm intensely envious of that skill; I've ventured into it only when forced thus far. :)

I so didn't come up with the idea for the tetris icon, my friend mercedesblack made one, and I decided that I should make one myself. I need to redo it and make it so that it plays out properly, drops blocks until it actually clears all the lines.

The type of animation that I do is really simple, all it takes is about an hour to learn how to use the animation pane in ImageReady. The interface is pretty much just the same as photoshop, so if you're familiar with that, it'll be really easy.

I had the benefit of being walked through Image Ready by deani_bean and I understand the really, really basic principles. But making a single animated icon means assuming a directorial role and making a series of icons.

I can't explain it but I think better in static format than in motion. I think this is true for a lot of people because I've seen a lot of what strikes me as animation for animation's sake. But some things - and that darned loop of Tetris is a prime example - work really, really well as animation. In fact, they require it to work. To my mind, animation should be reserved for when the message requires it. But then, I'm old and curmudgeonly. :)