Sylum Clan

Nothing is True. Everything is Connected.
Sylum Clan
Camelot Clan / Character Introduction0

Sylum Inspiration: Arthur Pendragon

Camelot: Clan Leader

 

Born Arthur Aurelianus in 7 AD, Tintagel, England, the illegitimate son of Lady Igraine.

A strong and intelligent boy, he grew up working the land, teaching himself to read and write to better his status and position.

At the age of 12 he swore allegiance to Utha Pendragon ‘Chief Dragon’, Tribal Elder of the Southwestern Britons and Cornish Celts, taking his mentor’s name.

Arthur was Turned in 43 AD by Utha Pendragon during the Battle for Maiden Castle in Dorset, after sustaining life threatening injuries while facing the army of Vespasian.  The Romans were invading Britain and the tribes of the West and South gathered to defend their land at the great hillfort.  Utha was beheaded by a Roman soldier shortly before Maiden Castle fell to the Romans, leaving Arthur to defend himself, and in time to defend his country as the fabled ‘Once and Future King’.

 # #
Sylum Charities0

Sylum Charity: Dolly Parton Imagination Library

 

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth until they begin school, no matter their family’s income.

After launching in 1995, the program grew quickly. First books were only distributed to children living in Sevier County, Tennessee where Dolly grew up. It became such a success that in 2000 a national replication effort was underway. By 2003, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library had mailed one million books. It would prove to be the first of many millions of books sent to children around the world.

Dolly’s home state of Tennessee pledged to pursue statewide coverage in 2004 and global expansion was on the horizon. After the United States, the program launched in Canada in 2006 followed by the United Kingdom in 2007, Australia in 2013 and the Republic of Ireland in 2019.

For More Information: Imagination Library

 #
Character Introduction / Tallikut Clan0

Sylum Inspiration: Benoit Fransiscus

Tallikut: Clan Leader

Benoit was born in Gaul. His father was a Roman soldier, who earned his freedom, his mother, was the daughter of a scholar. His mother saw to his education, his father saw to his ability to defend himself.

His father had always said he inherited his mother sense of compassion and trust, he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing in the world they lived.

Through political and diplomatic means, Benoit became close with the Meridius Family. He was there the fateful day when soldiers road into the farm.  Instantly he knew the situation was bad, and grabbed his charge, young Alejandro and ran.

And didn’t stop.

He knew if Rome was to discover the boy had lived, he would be hunted down and killed.

He kept running until he hit Britain.

When Alejandro became ill, he found Severus, the nearby Roman Garrison’s doctor. He begged him to save the boy, that it was important for him to live, his family name needed to survive.

Severus slowly got the story out of the Benoit, while helping the child.  Over the next few months the two became friends. In time he told Benoit about his nature, and gave him away to watch over not just the kid, but his children, and children’s children. To make sure the family name survived.

He took it without remorse.

 # #
Guest Posts1

Guest Post: 5 Quick Photoshop Tips by taibhrigh

 

Me again, taibhrigh, Sylum’s Resident Artist. Today I’m here to talk about 5 quick tips for Photoshop. If you are using one of the other tools some of this information should be adaptable.

ONE

Layers Are Your Friends

A layer can be just about anything in photoshop –from a background to text. If you are going to modify something on an image layer –say removing an earring or changing the contrast– make a copy of that layer (and rename it because “person copy 1” and “person copy 2” won’t help you identify why you made the copy, but “person earring removed” will).

Why layers? Because once you go to far along with your change on the layer you really can’t go back (especially if you’ve closed the file). Even if you have your edit history tracking.

Also, overlays, patterns, etc are easier to manipulate on their own layer.

TWO

Never Merge or Flatten Unless You Are ABSOLUTELY Sure

Especially the “Flatten” option. This literally merges all lays, including text, into one single layer –text will no longer be editable. Once this is done and you close the file, you are not getting the layers back.

And then if you are absolutely sure, click “save as” and save the file as a new version, then flatten and save.

THREE

Round not Square

Use solid round brushes at 100% fill and opacity to remove background from around the part of an image you want to keep. Yes, a pixel is a square, a human body is not. Yes, the round brush may take a little longer, especially if you are doing close detail removal. But, the round brush will keep you from turning the person into noticeable pixels (jagged edges) –especially around the face.

If you are having problems seeing if you have removed enough of the background, try creating a new layer that is underneath the layer you are modifying. Make this new layer a solid, bright color that is not in the image.

FOUR

Overlay and Soft Light with Layers

Are both a quick way to change a shirt color or add a background pattern. These layers can be kept at 100% opacity and fill or lessened to whatever you think works best for what you are trying to accomplish.

FIVE

Kerning

This is the spaces between letters in a font. This is what will help make your text a little more readable. In photoshop you have two ways to increase and decrease this space. Sometimes you will need to use both. Sometimes you are going to decrease one but might increase the either. The “VA” on the character palette will change the kerning for all words/letters selected. The “V/A” (sometimes there will also be a little arrow under the “A” that’s pointed towards the “V”) is the option to change the kerning just between the two letters between the cursor.

Cursive fonts may even be set to negative kernings to make the letters actually connect correctly.

Questions? Leave them below.

 

 # #