Pangea

I'm sure most of us have seen parts of the Batman ad campaign featuring the "Why So Serious" doodling of the Joker (Essentially, take a picture of someone then big black circles around his or her eyes and giant crazy red smears for a smile). If not, check out www.whysoserious.com.

So I figured, why not see if people would be willing to much up some of their favorite screenshots. I like this idea because anyone with "Paint" can do it, and it requires no artistic talent. Furthermore, we should get some pretty entertaining images.

To start the ball rolling, a very quick "Why so serious" of my main hero, Pangea. I figured I would start with a normal portrait shot, and, if people respond well to this thread, take a bit more time to change up some action shots later.

Why So Serious?

This is my second day working on this piece. In this update, I have started doing a little flat shading to figure out where I want shadows to go, and how I want to define the character's bone structure.

The fire is just a place holder, so I can figure out shadows around my light source. The red glasses is also a place holder, as I am deciding where I want to add color (The lips and first strands of hair on each side will probably also be colored).

I still need to do a tremendous amount of shading and fix some perspective/anatomy errors, but the piece is beginning to come together.

Wyld Fyre stage 2

Well, I said I was a bit rusty and wanted to practice--I started sketching tonight, and a quick pencil portrait of Wyld Fyre convinced me there was a cool finished piece lurking somewhere within the scribbles.

Anyway, last time I posted a pic here of Thor's Assassin, I showed the stages of progress as I did more work each day within a thread. I like doing that, as people can see how my pieces evolve over time, so I am doing it again with this Wyld Fyre piece.

So, this is after approximately an hour of work doing an initial clean up the rough sketch. There is no shadin yet, nor color, nor framing, nor effects, nor perspective or scale checks, nor...well, you get the idea. It should at least show somewhat where I'm going with the piece.

So, without further ado, Wyld Fyre stage 1.

Update 2: (info will be the same on my artist comments and my bump post for this thread) This is my second day working on this piece. In this update, I have started doing a little flat shading to figure out where I want shadows to go, and how I want to define the character's bone structure.

The fire is just a place holder, so I can figure out shadows around my light source. The red glasses is also a place holder, as I am deciding where I want to add color (The lips and first strands of hair on each side will probably also be colored).

I still need to do a tremendous amount of shading and fix some perspective/anatomy errors, but the piece is beginning to come together.

Wyld Fyre stage 2

This thread will be updated as I do more work on the piece.

I will post my favorite personal screenshot from pre-I5 days.

Pangea showing how to make crowd control work.

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Also: Wow, I didn't know I could draw the body once and then just reskin it into multiple characters and call than a commission! I've been doing way too much work.

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It's like the guy I knew who sold limited edition prints on laser printer stock. Not the most noble thing to do...

7/16 actually, I guess the midnight roll over got me.

Thanks for the thread, TA...I turn the big 3-2 at 6:15 AM. We'll see if my joints still work after I wake up.

I posted in the satisfaction thread that I was willing to do some artwork for someone that liked my style, but it kind of got buried on page 9. That said, I believe it is a good thing, because that picture of Thor's Assassin from my Deviant page was the last thing I've drawn before this past weekend.

Long story short, my linework has eroded a bit, and I need to get it back up to the level that I like it at. So, I'm asking for some people to volunteer characters for me to draw or practice with.

As always, some caveats. First, I am a bank officer in consumer lending and mortgage--for anyone who has been following the news, my life is a bit crazy right now. There is no guarantee about when or if art will be produced if you send me screenshots.

Second, I am going to be doing a lot of sketch work, so there might not necessarily be anything posted for your character.

Third, I will probably create 3 truly finished pieces: one color action scene, one monochromatic (like those on the front of my DA page), and one pencil. I will pick which characters end up getting those based on what I feel I need to practice.

So that's it. If interested either post links to reference shots in this thread or send me a pm. If you have an under hundred word description of what your character does, who he or she is enemies with, etc (post your enemy references, too if it is a personal character). I need some interesting scenes that might translate well into action shots.

Thanks. *Goes to purge his PM folder*

This is 9 pages in at this point, and I don't know if anyone from the lists will see it...however.

I am an artist who has been looking to get back into the swing of things, and this seems like a good way to do so. Now, a couple caveats, I work as a bank officer, and my time is limited for at least the next two weeks, but, if someone is willing to wait a bit (on top of the big long wait from the original queue, heh), I will get a piece finished as soon as the craziness dies down.

My DA gallery in my sig has a link to the only CoH art I've done for Thor's Assassin, but the scraps are filled with quick doodles, pose studies, etc. If anyone from the list reads this and likes my style, let me know.

I'm going to take this one at a time, so first come first serve, as it were.

The firstscreenshot I took is me and a buddy figuring out emote in Atlas Park. This would have been July, 2004, and the screenshots were still saved in tga format.

This one was taken a few seconds after the first and gives a better view of the original Pangea (The guy on the left).

This was my first TF complete screenshot after finishing up Positron. Including myself, I believe 3 of the 5 people pictured there are still playing 3 and a half years later.

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Dress? You mean this isn't one of those clothing optional weddings?

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Oh man, I thought all weddings were clothing optional.

I gotta go make some apology phone calls.

I studied Japanese in school, but I only really learned it when I was thrown into a town for 2 years with a total of 2 other native English speakers.

Apparently, according to many of my friends, I spoke with a Tokyo-accent and used the slang of junior high school students (the people I taught). The second part is probably why I never taught Japanese to business men, heh.

There are manga/animation/game design schools that do, in fact, accept foreign students, so feel free to start looking up some of those options. (The one I took my students to also offers intensive Japanese lessons along with the art training.)

Also, you might want to consider looking into Digipen as you are a Canadian native--seeing as how the school is essentially owned by Nintendo, they can also place people into Japan.

Finally, Konami runs a game institute in Japan that accepts foreign students with the caveat you are expected to know Japanese before you come.

I'm not trying to be a bit much; I'm honestly trying to help as far as what to expect and what they need to know/do (Hence, why I posted the job listing site and advised getting a study visa.). The only thing I tried to be blunt about was nipping the citizenship thing in the bud, as that is not how immigration into Japan works.

That said, there is a couple things I want to reinforce--culture shock doesn't care whether you are certain it is where you want to be; it is the reaction to making a radical readjustment in your life. I lived there, I speak the language, my wife is Japanese, I have led trips of 30+ students to Japan, and I have spent a great deal of time there. Every single time I go through culture shock, and, honestly, I almost did not make it through my first month living there on my own.

I really suggest a trip before moving with any sort of permanence for one very simple reason--get the most severe reaction out of the way when you KNOW you get to leave again. Being able to go through it once is a great way to be sure you can go through it on a large scale, and it allows you to prepare for it.

A great deal of study has been done on culture shock, and there is a pattern most individuals go through--the first few weeks present an euphoric feeling of adventure and excitement. From about 3 weeks to 5 months people hit the culture shock wall and, to varying degrees, reject their adopted culture. Around 6 months comes what most people want, which is when cultural acceptance takes root, and the transition can really start. The key is being able to get through that middle stage.

Finally, teaching jobs require a college degree and Japanese sponsorship to obtain a visa. Call it a good goal to set if you have not made it the collegiate level at this time. (If you have, start looking at that job listing service I posted.) All visa entry requirements, regardless of type, can be found at http://www.mofa.go.jp/ under the visa link.

Oh yeah, studying abroad--it is much easier to do this even as a person just finishing secondary education. http://www.studyjapan.go.jp/en/ is a good place to start doing your research on this option.

Again, not trying to be a killjoy, but there is some research that needs to be done to ensure you get to go when you want and to do what you want. Again, if you're looking for permanent residency, start looking up the skills that Japanese companies are looking to import, peruse the mofa page above to see what needs to be done, and start making some educational decisions so that you leave a program with the skills necessary to get a job over there (many skilled labor positions require just certification in a 1 year program.).

If you're looking to teach you need to get the equivalent of a Bachelor's (regardless of concentration), assuming you do it on the level, and, frankly, spending a year in Japan studying at one of their schools should boost you fairly high up the candidate list when it comes time to interview.

I just finished reading Juggy's response above me, and he raises a few very, very valid points. First of all, you need the equivalent of a 4 year degree to get a job teaching in English.

Secondly, simply forget about becoming a Japanese citizen--it is not happening.

Third, you should really, really visit Japan before deciding on moving there for any length of time--the idea of moving without actually being there is the absolute definition of "rushing in".

Fourth, if you don't go into teaching and you are not working for a Japanese company that is willing to sponsor you then work visas are extremely hard to land.

Honestly, just based on the details you've given I would suggest you look into studying in Japan for 1 or 2 years--study visas are much easier to get, most allow up to 20 hours of part time work, and it gives you a shot at looking up close and personal for jobs.

Finally, if you really do want to see some job listings for teaching--http://www.ohayosensei.com is updated quite frequently.

My own experience was teaching as an AET in Saitama-ken through the JET Program. Feel free to send a PM or reply here if you have any questions about my actual experiences.

I use a 4x5 Wacom Graphire and I love it dearly. I have smaller sized hands, so I have no issues with the tablet-mapping to a tinier space. Honestly, I looked at other brands, but I saw nothing that made me willing to give up the Wacom even at a cheaper price.

As a teacher who has to monitor a study hall...GET BACK TO WORK!

Also, nice drawings.

He's so happy he's showing us his mouth--I've never seen that before.

That was great.

Now I have to go look up that band.

edit: I just iTuned the full Avenue Q soundtrack--I actually recognized a few songs in there, so what the hell.

Thanks for the help with that

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New bunny ears.

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...im just not seeing it.....where am i supposed to be looking... O.O

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I couldn't think of a caption that would get past the censor (actually had to change the name of the jpg to get it to work due to that). Maybe a better name would be bottom-head.

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well, I have 2 that I've posted before, but some people may not have seen them, and I think they are THAT cool so they need to be posted repeatedly ad nauseum.

Neither was actually taken by, but are of me.

Pep Rally being eaten by a Rularuu eyeball taken by my fellow Legendary Captain Triage, and Pep staring down a wisp overlord taken by Wittylibrarian.

-Pep

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I still love that first picture...it's good enough that you wish Cryptic would get someone to animate a "struggling not to be eaten" sequence.

Screenshots without posing, set-up, or after action. Has to be during some sort of action where you clicked the button and, after checking later, you ended up with a cool image.

I'll start off with my favorite 5.

I just wanted a picture of the funny CoT hanging from the rail--I managed to get the shuriken in the frame. It just makes the picture all the more amusing (to me at least)

This'll hurt just a bit.

Same character--I have no idea why I was taking this picture, but it caught one of my ninjas in an apparent wrestling maneuver (swinging the poor mob around by his neck):

WWE, here we come.

Same character--decided to take a pic while doing a flip...got this amusing pose.

New bunny ears.

My brute--I wanted to take a pic of him fighting Wretch. Ended up with what I think is a ver cool pic--managed to get the mob framed between the raised arms.

Rock smashes Scissors!

Finally, my all-time favorite personal screenshot. I took this of my controller and namesake while particpating in the Freakshow version of the respec trial. It just feels so...superheroish.

Sometimes, controllers make popcorn.


edit: fixed pic 3

My ninja/poison MM - Mourning Sorrow.

She is a facilitator of fatal dealings. Also, she likes being upside down.

That was, without a doubt, the worst CoH comic put out ever. Strong words I know, but nothing felt "on" in issue 12--the writing was hackneyed, cliches were riddled through out the text, the fan characters from the beginning of the arc are never seen again, and the ending just flat out blew--as did the entire fight. Hell, even the art seemed off this time with oddly shaped eyes, disjointed limbs, and some really bizarre poses.

Ugh, I'll be honest, the Blue King series felt a lot more true to the game than this stuff.

Well, I just emailed the EFF about this discussion, and I hope to see a response from them at some point. I'll post again if they email me back.

There have always been discussion about this particular topic, and it seems to geenrally boil down to the character is yours, the parts you use to make him or her are Cryptic's.

From the EULA

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To the extent that NC Interactive cannot claim exclusive rights in Member Content by operation of law, you hereby grant (or you warrant that the owner of such Member Content has expressly granted) to NC Interactive and its related Game Content Providers a non-exclusive, universal, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, sublicenseable right to exercise all rights of any kind or nature associated with such Member Content, and all ancillary and subsidiary rights thereto, in any languages and media now known or not currently known.

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Basically, they can use your characters anyway they see fit, but the idea of who they are is still yours.