CGAN May 2016 "Fallen" - WIPs

Ignore this post. I figured it out.

I read the posting size restrictions for the site:

"File uploads to the forum are limited to a maximum of 512kb. Image files must also be under 1024x1024 pixels along their longest dimension. One way to reduce the size is to make sure your WIP images are only 72 ppi even when your work file is 300 ppi. In Photoshop you can use the "Save for web" function."

I've saved the file as a jpg using the "Save for web" option, and the size parameters are within the acceptable range:



However, the size of the image is still too big (nowhere near 512k). If I reduce the image to fit the size limit, it becomes pixilated garbage. I've uploaded WIPS and they seemed okay, but the full image at 512K is going to look like crap. Am I missing some trick to get it to look good?

Story version.



The Fate Of The Fallen Star.


"What's that?" asked Clarissa. "Up there in the sky?
That bright shining thing far away and so high?"

"That bright thing," said the owl in the tree,
"that is shining up high for all now to see,
is a star, like the star of your star-shaped balloon."

"My star-shaped balloon?"

"Your star-shaped balloon,
that floats behind you in the light of the moon.
But," said the owl, "while your star rises high,
that distant one falls from the deep, dark sky."

"What should I do if it falls down to me?
Should I catch it and keep it or just let it be?"

"Tie it to the end of your star-shaped balloon,"
said a big, booming voice that burst forth from the moon.
The voice was deep and the voice was loud,
echoing down from behind a cloud.
"Then," said the moon,
"your star-shaped balloon
will pull the other star into the air
And the two stars will then form a binary pair."

"A binary pair?"

"Yes, a binary pair.
If you don't understand ask the cat over there."

She looked to the owl but the owl didn't care.
He also said, "Go ask the cat over there.
He's lazy and fat and has far too much hair.
Hair that he leaves all over the place
as he scratches and meows and stares into space."

"If space is the place that he looks at and stares
then he'll know about stars and those binary pairs.
Hey, cat," asked Clarissa, "hey, cat over there.
Could you tell me now: What is a binary pair?"

"A binary pair is a system of two.
Two stars together in all that they do.
Together they spin and they turn and they pass
as they orbit a single centre of mass.
A Gravitational Well that both stars enter
to whirl round a mutual barycentre."
Cat sounded like one of those know-it-all nerds
from the way he used long, unnecessary words.
Beneath Cat's words it was plain to see
he wasn't quite as clever as he wanted to be.

But Clarissa didn't mind, Clarissa didn't care,
she'd learnt something new from the cat over there.
"Thanks, Mr Cat, with far too much hair.
I quite like the sound of a binary pair!
That star's long fall will not be the end.
I'll just send him back and give him a friend."

So Clarissa did catch the star from the sky
and with her balloon a knot she did tie
to connect the two stars with a gravity twine
so they would rise and float and forever long shine.

The (long awaited) End.

© Some sad person with too much time on their hands.

Awesome story Val It never ceases to amaze me the amount of detail and words you put into some of your pics!
You could be the writer, artist and publisher of that kids book, without any other talent required

Hans thanks for the feedback on mine, those guys are total legends to me so I like being compared to them !