This one should go without saying, but let's say it just in case. Don't be rude, don't be entitled, and don't bring any drama to this comm. If you want to be a jerk, then... well, don't. But if you have something constructive to say, feel free to say it. Feedback aimed to help me improve is appreciated!
Patience is A Virtue
If you take a peek at the archive for this comm, you'll see that I can go years without activity and don't always post frequently. Fact of the matter is: I burn out easily when I do side projects like making icons. There's so much other stuff I have to do, from real life to actually roleplaying, so icons usually take a backburner.
I'll only open requests when I'm feeling up to the task, then close them if I start feeling like there's too much on my plate. While I can promise I'll make every attempt to fill requests and do sets I've mentioned working on within a reasonable amount of time, I cannot promise I'll actually succeed. Life happens, as do distractions. So please be patient.
Absolutely No Hotlinking
My icons are now hosted on a subdomain, but that doesn't mean we should be all wild 'n free with bandwidth. Please be respectful and help me avoid overusing resources.
Editing Is Alright
I wouldn't necessarily call my recent icons bases, as I toy with the colours and lighting quite a bit, but you're still welcome to use them as such. Edit hair and eyes, add scars, border it up: do whatever you want and share them if you'd like. The only requirement is that you credit me for the bases. (Also, feel free to show me the finished products!)
Comments Are Loved
Seriously, don't be shy! Or do, if you want; I don't require comments. They are, however, a nice little treat to find in my mailbox and a good indicator of which styles, croppings, and subjects are most popular.
Credit Me
I'm not going to hunt you down or demand you add credit if you choose not to, but I will make frowny faces at the screen and think you're kind of an ass.
Please credit empireants in the icon comments when uploading to whatever journal site you use, primarily so others can find their way back to this comm and gather icons for themselves. Also credit me if you're posting a set in which you used my icons as bases. However, there's no need to credit me per individual use on cast lists. Just make sure you rehost the images elsewhere instead of hotlinking.
« Frequently Asked Questions » (okay, these are really just anticipated questions right now)
Who are you?
I'm Forsythia (formerly Sorcha), and I'm basically the lurker you never knew existed since I've been hiding out in an amazingly long-lasting PSL for the past few years. I'm just your average roleplayer who doesn't want to admit that she's getting old and is deeply confused that there are highschoolers born after the year 2000. My main journal is forsythia, though it's perpetually a work in progress.
What does empireants mean?
Empire Ants is the name of a song by Gorillaz. Back when I made this comm, I couldn't figure out a name so I just went with a song I was obsessed with at the time. At one point, I also considered some variation on either Stylo or Superfast Jellyfish for the name; both songs are from the same album as Empire Ants.
Where did you get ______?
Good question. Unless the icon set specifically lists a resource (check the tags), then chances are high that I don't remember. If you want a link to the direct source, check the resources page, where I often link each individual source (except generic image searches).
Can you send me the image used for ______?
If you can't find the image at the source or the source is generic (unknown, tumblr search, google images) then feel free to ask this. I don't mind floating an image or two your way if I still have them saved and there's no direct source to obtain them.
Why do you make so many versions of the same caps?
I haven't figured out my preferred cropping style, yet. Nor have I figured out what others prefer to use. Combine that with being an indecisive person by nature, and it's inevitable.
What .psd did you use on ______?
Nobody knows, not even me. Usually, I make my own alterations on a per-batch and per-scene basis, though I have a small number of colourings and lighting effects laying around from years ago. If I ever bother to download new ones, I'll link them on the resources page.
What program do you use?
Most of my older sets are made with the open-source program called GIMP, which is actually very nice for a free alternative to Photoshop. Nowadays, however, I use Photoshop CS5 Extended.
Will you make a set of ______?
Maybe! I'm always floundering without proper direction, so I often accept suggestions here. Don't be shy; even if your suggestion is someone I've iconned before, the absolute worst that can happen is that I politely decline.
The only stipulation is that I make no promises whether suggestions will be accepted or when those added to my planned sets list will be filled. This is to preserve my own sanity, as I tend to take breaks from iconning and get overwhelmed quickly when I feel pressured. I will, however, let you know if I accept or decline and when your suggestions are iconned.
Will entries ever be locked to members only?
Probably not. However, I cannot see the future. Even if I do lock entries at some point, chances are high that I will leave membership open so that nobody needs to wait for my approval before seeing icons.
Are there limits to who you'll icon?
I prefer not to touch Suicide Girls, because I recall several years ago when the site specifically asked people not to use their models for roleplaying purposes. I also don't like the idea of iconning random people and stick to stock photography and public figures: musicians, models, YouTubers with reasonable popularity, people on television and in movies, etc. In other words: I'm not going to icon Random Person On Instagram unless they're an influencer or a reasonably popular model and I'm not going to icon Random YouTuber unless they have a significant following. I know it may seem arbitrary, but that's how I personally prefer to balance the slight creep factor of iconning; I stick to public (even if occasionally niche) figures.
How do you handle it when someone you iconned dies?
I hoped this would never be an issue, but sadly it's now relevant. Though this is subject to change if a special case comes along, the way I intend to handle it is to not delete past sets but also not make any future sets unless a year or more has passed since their death. Personally, I don't believe there's anything wrong with making or using icons of a public figure whose media is still out there in the world being monetized and consumed, so there's a likelihood I will still icon deceased actors and musicians. Not sure how I feel about models or YouTubers, but that feels like more of a grey area since they're less famous by default and an old video still being available feels different from an old movie.
Will you icon people who are already deceased?
Maybe, maybe not. It depends on the person, how famous they were (and still are posthumously), and how I feel in the moment. If they died a decade or more ago, I probably won't be bothered by iconning them. If it's been a handful of years, I'll try to get a feel for how their fandom handles new fanworks and use that as a guideline alongside my own judgment. If it's only been a year or two... eh, probably I won't do it, because their fanbase needs time to grieve. Though, there's always a very high chance of me not even realizing someone is deceased when I make icons, especially to fill suggestions. Thus, you should consider this more of a courtesy guideline than any kind of promise.
How can I contact you?
Comments are screened on this post, so feel free to drop a line here if you have something sensitive to say or you're just feeling shy. Otherwise, you can comment on any particular icon set if you have questions/concerns pertaining to it or email me via sorchadevilbear at gmail.