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Language:
English
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Published:
2024-01-19
Updated:
2025-06-18
Words:
400
Chapters:
8/30
Comments:
9
Kudos:
66
Bookmarks:
2
Hits:
2,022

Title Art for Various Stories IV

Summary:

Title art for stories that strike my fancy -- if I can find images that match my ideas.

***
Newest chapter is a cover art inspired by an old pro-fic Sci-fi story, Study in Still Life, by Eric Frank Russell..

***

Notes:

My muse has decided, at random, that I must create art for fanfic that I've enjoyed. At least she’s finally mellowing; I’ve usually finished reading the story before she pokes me to make the art. My photoshop skills are still developing, though I seem to have developed a style -- big and bold, and as realistic as I can manage.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: You Know I Dreamed About You (Before I Saw You) by BeeLove

Chapter Text

Background is a closeup -- bottom of wooden door, set in walls of mortared stone, with a mottled-stone stoop in front of the door. A blue silk drawstring bag stands on the stoop; it is embroidered in gold thread with leaves and flowers all over. A number of meaningful items lie in front of the bag, along the edge of the stoop -- a round white polished stone, a small brown leather satchel, a handful of rich brown dirt, a spiraled ‘button’ seashell in shades of variegated brown, and a small twisted yellow beeswax candle. There is no text.

Internal art inspired by an Old Guard AU story, You Know I Dreamed About You (Before I Saw You), by BeeLove.

This is a delightful story -- highly recommended -- which already has art by prose-n-scripts. But I couldn’t resist; I just had to see Yusuf’s “welcome” bag that he used to settle into his new home -- and here it is.

 

 

 

Chapter 2: Dough & Joe, by Ignisentis

Chapter Text

Background is a faded, pixilated view of a narrow European city street, paved in cobblestones, with a green door set into a stone wall on the right, and an ivy climbing the wall next to the door. Bakery and coffee shop items occupy the four corners and the center of the picture. Top left - a gleaming silver coffee machine, with two spouts. Top right - a large platter covered with a variety of crunchy cookies, donuts, and small breads. Bottom left - another large platter covered with sweet rolls and breads, and fruit-filled pastries. Bottom right - a small plate with a large slice of rich, two-layered, chocolate cake, with fork ready on the plate. Center - a large earthenware bowl filled with a mass of rising bread dough. Above the bowl to the left is a long baguette. Below the bowl to the right is a large croissant. Text reads ‘Dough’ across the baguette, ‘&’ on the bread dough, ‘Joe’ across the croissant.

Title art inspired by an Old Guard story, Dough & Joe, by Ignisentis.

 

 

  

Chapter 3: The Good, The Bad, and the Tony, by Tipper

Chapter Text

Background is a stereotypical Old West town, looking down the center of a dirt street with weathered wooden buildings on each side. The town appears relatively prosperous; several of the buildings are two stories, and many have a roof overhang to protect those walking on the wooden sidewalks that connect all the buildings. The far end of the street is lighted by a brilliant sunset of streaky yellows, golds and oranges. Tony DiNozzo stands in the foreground, right in the middle of the street, looking directly at the viewer. He’s wearing Clint Eastwood’s outfit from ‘The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly’ -- long-sleeved white shirt, with a tanned, sleeveless sheepskin vest on his torso, and a brown, blanket serape thrown over his left shoulder. Text reads ‘The Good, The Bad, and the Tony’ in the sky above and around Tony’s head.

Title art inspired by an NCIS story, The Good, The Bad, and the Tony, by Tipper.

I haven't even read the story yet, but as soon as I read the title, an image of Tony in that iconic costume flashed into my mind. I absolutely had to turn it into cover-art. Astute observers will note that I've flipped the body -- serape over left shoulder instead of the original's right shoulder -- but it made the shadowing of face and body match up better.

EDIT: After reading the story, I realized that I could make the cover match the story better. Abby owns the saloon, and the sign now reflects that. I also made the signs for "Eatery" and "Sheriff" a little easier to read. It's not supremely (or even mildly) important, but I wanted the cover to be as accurate as possible. So here's the new version --

Background is a stereotypical Old West town, looking down the center of a dirt street with weathered wooden buildings on each side. The town appears relatively prosperous; several of the buildings are two stories, and many have a roof overhang to protect those walking on the wooden sidewalks that connect all the buildings. The far end of the street is lighted by a brilliant sunset of streaky yellows, golds and oranges. Tony DiNozzo stands in the foreground, right in the middle of the street, looking directly at the viewer. He’s wearing Clint Eastwood’s outfit from ‘The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly’ -- long-sleeved white shirt, with a tanned, sleeveless sheepskin vest on his torso, and a brown, blanket serape thrown over his left shoulder. Text reads ‘The Good, The Bad, and the Tony’ in the sky above and around Tony’s head.

 

 

 

Chapter 4: Ordinary Life by Astolat and Speranza

Chapter Text

Background is a whiteboard completely filled with mathematics and physics equations, calculations, symbols, and formulae; it is edged by a boarder of red. In the lower left corner, a bust of Rodney, wearing a black tux and bow tie, looks toward John at the upper right. In the upper right corner, a bust of John, wearing a blue suit-shirt-tie ensemble, looks toward Rodney in the lower left. Text reads “Ordinary Life” in red letters, centered between the two men.

Title art inspired by a Stargate Atlantis story, Ordinary Life, by Astolat and Speranza.

 

 

 

Chapter 5: Through Another's Eyes, by Dolimir

Chapter Text

Background is a streaky, very light tan office wallpaper. On the back wall, at top right, sunlight shines past green bushes seen through the lower pane of a window. At top left is a metal cabinet, with door partially open to show office supplies stacked on the shelves. Between window and cabinet, against the back wall, is a massive, 80’s-era copy machine. In the foreground, right of center and partially obscuring window and copy machine, is a padded office chair on rollers. A large, heavy-duty stapler stands on the chair. Below cabinet, to left of the chair legs, text reads ‘Through Another’s Eyes’.

Title art inspired by a Sentinel story, Through Another’s Eyes, by Dolimir.

 

 

 

Chapter 6: Gemini, by Unilocular

Chapter Text

Background is a faded nebula in washes of blue with streaks of pink. It stretches from a central nucleus to each side like butterfly wings across a starry black sky. Top left, Tony DiNozzo, in a sharp blue suit, is turned toward the other side; his eyes are slightly narrowed to study the situation. Top right, a Tony DiNozzo look-alike with wire-rimmed glasses, wearing a black turtleneck and black leather jacket, looks side-eyed at Tony. Text reads 'Gemini' centered under the two Tonys.

 

I wasn't satisfied with Tony-twin's sweater and jacket; there wasn't enough visual definition, but I'm limited by the images I can find on the 'net. Then I stumbled across the better example that my muse was demanding; where was it the first time I searched? Don't know if the universe was being uncooperative and hid it the first time, or if it took pity on me and gave me what I wanted. Anyway, I've redone the cover with a new sweater and jacket for Tony-twin.

 

Background is a faded nebula in washes of blue with streaks of pink. It stretches from a central nucleus to each side like butterfly wings across a starry black sky. Top left, Tony DiNozzo, in a sharp blue suit, is turned toward the other side; his eyes are slightly narrowed to study the situation. Top right, a Tony DiNozzo look-alike with wire-rimmed glasses, wearing a black turtleneck and black leather jacket, looks side-eyed at Tony. Text reads 'Gemini' centered under the two Tonys.

Title art inspired by an NCIS story, Gemini, by Unilocular.

 

 

 

Chapter 7: Because the Night, by Liadan14

Chapter Text

View of left wall and back wall of a barren room, made of dingy, stained, once-white bricks, with a concrete floor. A vent/grill is high on the back wall at the right. A green 5-gallon bucket is at the left, in the corner where the walls meet. Forward, to the right, a folded blue blanket is on the floor. A blister-pack of pills is on top of the blanket, and two bottles of water stand on the floor behind the blanket. Text reads ‘Because the Night’, sprawled across the back wall.

Title art inspired by an Old Guard story, Because the Night, by Liadan14.

 

 

 

Chapter 8: Study in Still Life, by Eric Frank Russell

Chapter Text

Background is a fantasy starscape. A medium-sized blue planet is in the center, with large swirls of rings around it. Above is a smaller red planet, with a cluster of asteroids circling it. Thousands of stars are dotted across the whole scene. A long, elongated spaceship fills 2/3rds of the page, partially covering the blue planet; twin thruster blasts glow orange from the rear engines. Laying on top of the spaceship, in the middle, is a giant, messy pile of file folders, full of disorganized pages that are spilling out; the pile rises almost to the red planet. Text reads ‘Study in Still Life’ below the spaceship.

Title art inspired by an old pro-fic Sci-fi story, Study in Still Life, by Eric Frank Russell.

This is an entertaining story that plays with the theory that paperwork will always be with us. If you want to check it out, it starts about halfway down the linked page.

 

 

 

Notes:

Note to Guests: I apologize for disabling your ability to leave a comment. But AO3 is being hit by what fans on Reddit are calling the “praise bot” or “nice-comment bot.” Even though the comments are “nice” (although very generic, with no relation to the actual story), it’s unpleasant to get one. As I said in a discussion, The only “payment” authors get on our works is kudos and comments. Getting a bot comment is like being paid in counterfeit money. It’s exciting to get a notice of a new comment -- then to open it and realize it’s a bot is a real sucker-punch.

Regardless of your access for leaving (or in this case, not leaving) a comment, thank you for visiting. I hope you enjoyed the artwork.