Electronite

"Rescue Shelter Boys"? Seriously?

/facepalm

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There Clear About They're Intentions, Two!

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Eye Fixed You're Typo Four Ewe.

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Yes I agree that the thumbs (on both hands) are off. I'd suggest you'd get good value out of practicing drawing thumbs for a while. Just take some time to observe your thumb on your hand (use a mirror even) in various poses. Compare to the poses you used in your doodle. The tweaks to your doodle should prove to be minor but should make a solid difference.

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Thanks, and I agree about the thumbs. What I really need is a full-length mirror.

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The next thing I would suggest to tweak is the general clutter in and around the face. There's so much tiny but intense linework all crammed together. It kind of unbalances the piece, especially how the elements of the piece below the collarbone generally have sparse lines. It's hard to figure out how that might be improved, but perhaps if you increase the size of the head a bit to give you more skin area within which to buffer the beard, hair, mask, mouth, teeth, tongue, and nose, (not to mention the pauldrons, axeblade, and right bicep that are right up on the face as well) you might relax some of the pressure.

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Well, I didn't put alot of detail in the armor yet, but it will be there eventually (for example, he will be wearing piston boots), so that should balance out somewhat in the final piece. I'm trying to go for a foreshortened look on his arms, with the left being close to the viewer and the right being further back. The head could stand to be a bit bigger, but then I'd want to make his left hand larger as well, which just might serve to cancel each other out in the end.

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Finally, I think that a couple of your anatomical proportions are slightly off. For the most part the clothing being loose covers up the need for super-accurate anatomical proportion. But it seems to me the right hand is too small for the right bicep, and the head is too small for the left hand. I might suggest increasing the width and length of the axe shaft to give it more of a look of heft, increasing the size of the right hand to match it and line up better with the bicep, and increase the size of the head a little to match up with all of that. If it helps, you can try using your own hand to grab as much of your face as possible, to give yourself an idea of how the proportions between a hand and a head tend to come together.

But still it's a good effort. Keep it up.

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Thanks, I really appreciate the feedback. As I said, the size difference in the hands was intentional, though I may have gone too far with it. I think his upper torso could be twisted a bit more into a profile though too, now that I look at it more. I'm pretty happy with his legs and feet positioning. But it definitely needs more tweaking.

I've Honestly Never Seen Profession Art Drawn. Could You Provide A Sample, Please?

Thanks Very Much In Advance.

:Smiley-Face:

So awhile back Alex made up a sketch of my Ice/Axe tanker Commander Canuck in his '98 sketches' thread. I never thanked him in the thread because I'd let my account expire, but I did thank him on his blog (because it was a nice gesture and an awesome sketch!)

Anyhoo, a friend of mine saw it and wanted to color it, so I told him I'd try to make it into some nice lineart.

That was two months ago.

Fast forward to today, and I finally get the itch to doodle again, so I came up with a rough sketch of the Canuck getting ready to do a little 'long division.' I'm not too happy with his left arm, and the thumb on that hand seems... off as well, but I think I kinda like the rest. Is there anything else I could tweak, and how so?

Thanks in advance.

What's to stop him from sending in 271 urine-soaked dollar bills?

I spoke with a friend of mine today who is a police officer about this incident, and he had seen the video and read an article about it. He said that, going strictly by the book, the officer didn't break any rules in how he dealt with Moats, but he agreed that considering they were right in the hospital parking lot, it would have taken no time at all to verify Moats' story before getting into an argument with him. Had he pulled over before arriving at the hospital, he (my friend) may have been more skeptical (people will say damn near anything to avoid a ticket sometimes.) But given where they were it would have taken such a small amount of effort to confirm his story that he agreed it was a poor judgment call not to go ahead and do that. It may or may not have gotten the guy out of a ticket (Moats agreed he ran the light), but it would have avoided him not being with a relative as she passed away.

If the officer loses his job, it will likely be to try to prevent a civil suit against the police department.

Agreed, Rad. The officer didn't appear to have broken any regulations that I'm aware of (though I don't work in that field.) The officer said he drew his weapon but didn't point it, but Ryan's wife had her hands up as if it were pointed at her. That might be the only procedural point he could be in trouble for -- though I can understand the officer drawing his weapon when four or five people jump out of a car during a traffic stop.

Were I in the officer's place, I would have gone into the hospital with them to verify their story. I probably would have then given him a warning about running red lights and not stopping immediately when pursued, but agreed that the circumstances this time made his actions understandable.

(Edit: The officer has issued a public apology. )

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Officer apologizes after delaying Texans' Moats as mother-in-law died

Associated Press

DALLAS -- A Dallas police officer who drew his gun after pulling over an NFL player rushing to a hospital to see his dying mother-in-law apologized Friday for his actions.

The statement from officer Robert Powell was released through his attorneys and referred to his March 18 traffic stop of Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats in a hospital parking lot.

"I wish to publicly and sincerely apologize to the Moats family, my colleagues in the Dallas Police Department and to all those who have been rightfully angered by my actions," Powell said in the statement. "After stopping Mr. Moats' vehicle, I showed poor judgment and insensitivity to Mr. Moats and his family by my words and actions."

In the statement, Powell also said he has attempted to reach Moats but without success.

"Again, I am very sorry for what I did and ask for the forgiveness of all those touched by these unfortunate events," Powell said.

Powell, a three-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department, was placed on paid administrative leave Thursday pending results of an internal investigation into the incident. Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle said he was "embarrassed" and "disappointed" after viewing video taken by a dashboard camera inside the officer's vehicle.

Powell stopped Moats outside Baylor Regional Medical Center in the Dallas suburb of Plano after Moats rolled his sport-utility vehicle through a red light. By the time Moats received a ticket and a lecture from Powell, the player's mother-in-law had died.

"I can screw you over," Powell, 25, said at one point in the videotaped incident. When another officer came with word that Moats' mother-in-law was indeed dying, Powell's response was: "All right. I'm almost done."

Police officials said Powell told his commanders he believed he was doing his job and that he drew his gun but didn't point it. Kunkle said Powell wasn't necessarily acting improperly when he pulled out his weapon, but that once he realized what was happening he should have put the gun back, apologized and offered to help the family in any way.

"His behavior, in my opinion, did not exhibit the common sense, the discretion, the compassion that we expect our officers to exhibit," Kunkle said.

Moats' wife, who was in the car along with other relatives, said Powell pointed his weapon at her.

"He was pointing a gun at me as soon as I got out of the car," Tamishia Moats told The Dallas Morning News.

Ryan Moats told KRLD-FM in Dallas in a phone interview Thursday that after the officer pointed the gun at his wife, he pointed it at him.

"I just tried to stay as still as possible to not scare him or do anything to make him react," he said.

Moats earlier told the newspaper he believed Powell should be fired but backed off that statement in his radio interview.

"All I know is what he did was wrong," Moats said. "He stole a moment away from me that I can never get back. I'm really not the judge on what should happen to him."

Video from a dashboard camera inside the officer's vehicle, obtained by Dallas-Fort Worth station WFAA-TV, revealed an intense exchange in which the officer threatened to jail Moats.

Powell ordered Tamishia Moats, 27, to get back in the SUV, but after pausing for a few seconds, she and another woman rushed into the hospital. She was by the side of her mother, 45-year-old Jonetta Collinsworth, when she died a short time later from breast cancer.

"Get in there," said Powell, yelling at Tamishia Moats as she exited the vehicle. "Let me see your hands!"

DeMaurice Smith, who was elected as the NFLPA's executive director earlier this month, issued a statement Friday about Ryan Moats' recent run-in with a Dallas police officer. Here is a portion of that statement:

"I expressed my condolences to Ryan's family and I am very sorry for their loss. I have also spoken with the Dallas Police Dept. about their continued investigation of this matter and appreciated their swift reaction with respect to this incident. We stand by to offer any assistance asked of us and Mr. Moats' family." More ...

"Excuse me, my mom is dying," Tamishia Moats said. "Do you understand?"

Ryan Moats explained that he waited until there was no traffic before proceeding through the red light. When Powell asked for proof of insurance, Moats grew more agitated and told the officer to go find it.

"My mother-in-law is dying! Right now! You're wasting my time!" Moats yelled. "I don't understand why you can't understand that."

As they argued, the officer grew irritated.

"Shut your mouth," the officer said. "You can either settle down and cooperate or I can just take you to jail for running a red light."

By the time Moats, 26, received a ticket and a lecture from Powell, about 13 minutes had passed. When Moats and Collinsworth's father entered the hospital, they learned Collinsworth was dead.

Earl Jackson, Collinsworth's father, said he knew what Powell was doing was wrong.

"This guy, he wouldn't listen to nobody," Jackson said in an interview with Dallas-Fort Worth station KDFW-TV.

Moats said he wouldn't have had a problem with the officer giving him a ticket after letting him go into the hospital.

"I don't know what he was thinking," he told KRLD-FM. "Basically, I was just shocked. I was very shocked that he wasn't budging on it. I even said I can't believe that this was happening."

Kunkle said the video showed that Moats and his wife "exercised extraordinary patience, restraint in dealing with the behavior of our officer."

"At no time did Mr. Moats identify himself as an NFL football player or expect any kind of special consideration," Kunkle said. "He handled himself very, very well."

The Moats family, who are black, said they can't help but think that race might have played a part in the white officer's behavior.

When the exchange was at its most contentious, Powell said he could tow Moats' SUV if he didn't have insurance and that he could arrest him for fleeing because he didn't immediately stop when Powell turned on his sirens. The pursuit lasted a little more than a minute.

"I can screw you over," Powell said. "I'd rather not do that. Your attitude will dictate everything that happens."

The ticket issued to Moats was dismissed, Dallas police spokesman Lt. Andy Harvey said.

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Normally I'm on the side of the police, but this wasn't right. The guy did break the law, but the officer did not handle the situation properly, IMO. If you do a search on YouTube for 'Ryan Moats,' you can see the dashcam video.

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Police officer, who delayed Texans' Moats as relative died, placed on leave

Associated Press

DALLAS -- A police officer was placed on administrative leave Thursday after pulling over an NFL player who was rushing to see his dying mother-in-law, drawing his gun, threatening the player with jail and holding him in the hospital parking lot as the woman died.

Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle apologized to the family of Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats over the March 18 incident and announced that Officer Robert Powell would be on paid leave pending an internal investigation.

"When we at the command staff reviewed the tape, we were embarrassed, disappointed," Kunkle said. "It's hard to find the right word and still be professional in my role as the police chief. But the behavior was not appropriate."

Police officials said Powell told his commanders he believed he was doing his job and that he drew his gun but didn't point it. Kunkle said Powell wasn't necessarily acting improperly when he pulled out his weapon, but that once he realized what was happening, he should have put the gun back, apologized and offered to help the family in any way.

"His behavior, in my opinion, did not exhibit the common sense, the discretion, the compassion that we expect our officers to exhibit," Kunkle said.

Moats' wife, who was in the car along with other relatives, said Powell pointed his weapon at her.

"He was pointing a gun at me as soon as I got out of the car," Tamishia Moats told The Dallas Morning News.

The Moats family didn't immediately return messages left by The Associated Press.

Powell, a three-year member of the Dallas police force, stopped Moats outside Baylor Regional Medical Center after Moats rolled his sport-utility vehicle through a red light. Video from a dashboard camera inside the officer's vehicle, obtained by Dallas-Fort Worth station WFAA-TV, revealed an intense exchange in which Powell threatened to jail Moats.

Powell ordered Tamishia Moats to get back in the SUV, but after pausing for a few seconds, she and another woman rushed into the hospital. Tamishia Moats was by the side of her mother, 45-year-old Jonetta Collinsworth, when she died a short time later from breast cancer.

"Get in there," said Powell, yelling at 27-year-old Tamishia Moats, as she exited the vehicle. "Let me see your hands!"

"Excuse me, my mom is dying," Tamishia Moats said. "Do you understand?"

Ryan Moats explained that he waited until there was no traffic before proceeding through the red light. When Powell asked for proof of insurance, Moats grew more agitated and told the officer to go find it.

"My mother-in-law is dying! Right now! You're wasting my time!" Moats yelled. "I don't understand why you can't understand that."

As he argued with Moats, the officer grew irritated. "Shut your mouth," said Powell, 25. "You can either settle down and cooperate or I can just take you to jail for running a red light."

By the time Moats, 26, received a ticket and a lecture from Powell, about 13 minutes had passed. When he and Collinsworth's father entered the hospital, they learned Collinsworth was dead.

"I really felt bad for them because I know they were just in tears," Jordan Woy, Moats' agent, told The Associated Press. "Not only were they really sad about (Moats) ... not getting a chance to see the mother-in-law, but you get shaken up when you're in that sort of situation."

The Moats family, who are black, said they can't help but think that race might have played a part in the white officer's behavior toward them.

"I think he should lose his job," Ryan Moats said.

When the exchange was at its most contentious, Powell said he could tow Moats' SUV if he didn't have insurance and could arrest him for fleeing because he didn't immediately stop when the officer turned on his sirens. The pursuit lasted a little more than a minute.

"I can screw you over," Powell said. "I'd rather not do that. Your attitude will dictate everything that happens."

The exchange soon ended, and Powell returned to his cruiser to write a ticket. A few minutes later, another officer approached Powell to tell him a nurse said the mother-in-law was dying right then and Moats needed to get into the hospital.

"All right. I'm almost done," Powell said in response.

The ticket issued to Moats was dismissed, Dallas Police spokesman Lt. Andy Harvey said.

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ZE GOGGLES! ZEY DO NOTHING!!!

Dear HotButteredSoul,

I read your fantastic guide and was inspired to try my own Death Soup recipes. For awhile I liked adding Salt into the mix with Salt Crystals. It didn't bother me at all to apply Salt with crazy Fire blasters around spewing orange numbers everywhere, because I loved the power for the huge defense debuff and the great graphics more than the sleep -- although it certainly comes in handy when you're watching your teammates happily play in the mud and some ambush comes along behind you!

However, I decided as I gained levels and my range of available ingredients grew that I didn't need so much Salt anymore. In fact, I became loath to be very near my Death Soup when I served it. So I took Hover and Teleport as my travel powers of choice, which means I don't have Stone Cages (so ugly), Stalagmites (need to be on the ground to use), or Salt Crystals (ditto.)

Am I crazy like a fox, or just crazy?

Best Regards,
Floating over Founders Falls

Wow, that's just an awesome drawing.

Just awesome.

Wow, both of those are awesome! Love the crosshatching in the first one.

Congrats, Kat!

Wow, these are all looking fantastic! It's hard to pick out any that stand out more than the others.

That's a pretty nice pic. In other news, the sun is kinda warm.

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gramps in hospital so holding off sketches for a bit.

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Thoughts and prayers to your grampa and family, Alex.

Wow, congrats to your grandpa!

Here's a shot of Commander Canuck, my Ice/Axe tanker.

He was a former lumberjack in Quebec who discovered a set of powered armor deep in the woods that could freeze the water vapor in the air enough to form sheets of ice over it. A touch of paint and a hero to the Great White North was born!

GIMP is very good. There's even one with an interface very similar to Photoshop called GIMPship.

http://www.gimpshop.com/

Not too shabby. The pose is nice, and it's obvious who you're drawing without having to look at the character's name, which is always a good thing.

I would work on your anatomy some; grab pictures off the web with poses similar to the one you want to draw so you can see how the various body parts are shaped and fit together. Mostly her arms seems a little too slender to me. And then try a bit of shading (which I admit isn't easy! I don't consider myself to be great at it yet.) to help give the figure some depth.

Still not a bad effort at all.

That's a familiar looking scarf, too. And the Nemesis Staff he has might not have come directly from the original owner, yes?

Very cool piece.

WOW!! The level of detail is simply outstanding.

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Okay, as promised, here are the prizes for the winners of the trivia contest. Thanks for your patience, hope you enjoy!

Herricane

Captain Canuck

Thor's Assassin



TL

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BWAHAHAHA! I love the Canuck! Thanks a bunch!

No worries here, TL.

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Itsy bitsy nagging question: Shouldn't the raised fists in the crowds be sticking out of sleeves?

Other wise looks great. Love the shadowy enforcer type behind the screaming zealot.

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You get clothes when you earn a medal or three to pin on them.

Nice piece though!

Wow, all those look really awesome!