Roguehill

Thanks for more pointers, Electric Knight! I think that characters with this sort of quirk are much more effective when they seem like otherwise likeable people. I can imagine a group hanging around and talking when something slips....like the pro-Malta stance...and everyone is like "what the?...where did that come from?" It would make people more likely to engage and try to influence the character's views than to just say, "Yeah, he was a creep anyway. Good riddance!"

Letting people know OOC that you appreciate their patience is a great idea, too...especially with PUG RP. Of course, if I play it right, it won't come up most of the time.

I've gotten Stillshot to about level 30 without too much RP interaction with people. I've got to come up with the bulk of what his personality is like, so I can stitch the quirk into it...instead of it being all about the quirk.

Hi, all.

I have a character, Stillshot, who is a technology, archer/EM blaster. As a young man, he was caught in a fight between a super-powered hero and villain, and lost his sight. He build a helmet that gives him artificial vision, and uses it and other devices to bring down super-powered villains.

The thing is, he dislikes super-powered people...heroes and villains. He sees them as dangerous, destructive and upredictable, and sees himself as a champion for the common man. He has some sympathies with the Malta group because of this view.

I do believe that his opinion could change as his exposure to super-powered heroes grows, but...how the heck do you start roleplaying a character like this and not seem like a complete jerk?

I'd love to get the character involved with a roleplaying SG on Virtue...but I'm not even sure how get involved.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Let's see. You're roleplaying a jerk and are confused as to why you're not making friends? I mean, it's possible, and all...but the odds are against you.

Maybe you need to find other sythetics to socialize with.

I've got to say that, not only is it fun to compete in these...I'd advise anyone to stop by just to see the spectacle! Thanks to the Praetorian Legion for putting this on!

-Margrave Rook

Howdy all!

Just wanted to put a word out that I've posted the latest installment in my "Sea of the Dead" comic. I plan to be putting out a new panel every week (depending on holiday madness, of course). Also, I'll be doing a step-by-step feature of Eric Diaz's sculpt of the Revenant as well.

Enjoy the goodness!)

Thanks guys!

I can't say that I'm "choosing" the style or subject matter with this project, it has kind of grown organically out of the compost that is my imagination.) I'm doing it just because...well...I have to. If anyone enjoys it along the way, so much the better! It's the same way with the style I work in. I remember once trying to develop a "style", but the older I get, the more I realize that it just comes about from reaching a certain maturity with your work. At some point, you just stop trying to copy from folks you really enjoy and do your own thing. I really dig Adam Hughes and Travis Charest, but...my work isn't much like either of them. (shrugs).
I've got to say that I'm having fun, though! I'll be working on Panel 3 of the "Sea of the Dead" today!

--Roguehill

Howdy folks!

I've been a bit quiet here of late because I've been hard at work on my pulp-supernatural-thriller story "Sea of the Dead!". If you're interested in seeing how it progresses, take a peek!
Comments are always welcome!

Roguehill

Nice one! Very dramatic!

Wait! I know! I know!

16, right?

Happy Birthday, Hex! Eat cake and ice cream!

[ QUOTE ]
That's what a printer is for.....and even then paper degrades over time. Nothing is forever but it's nice to have it while it lasts.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well actually, acid-free paper is archival, but I don't know about the printing process. The main reason we have "old Masters" work is that they were working with pretty basic (and safe) material.

Hmm..maybe I should look into stone carving....

I was at a conference the beginning of this week that centered on Distance Learning technologies (what..you think I make my money reading forums? ) and I attended a session on archiving digital content like word documents, pdf's and, oh yes, art.
Did you know that there's no real way to save digital artwork other than to load it up on a server and...well...maintain it forever?
That's right, CD's slowy degrade, magnetic disks fail, etc.

So here's the deal. All of us artist who work in a digital medium are essentially spending our time creating "temporary" art.....stuff that probably won't last another 20 years unless it's being continuously hosted somewhere. That means that lots of really good art is actually going to "fall off of the planet" after a few years.

Is this something that you've considered before? Does it really even matter if your work survives? I'm still pondering the topic myself, but I thought it would be interesting to hear what others have to say.

*clap clap clap clap!*

Nice job!

I'm working on getting a character to 14 just so he can have wings (he's 12 now).

....I can't believe I've been doing this stuff since beta...!

Woot! I'll post pics of my character, Black Atom and a short bio soon!

Ooo! Am I three??

Woah! Hang on a second *Transforms into Gamer-Geek mode*

V&V was my first-ever Superhero RPG back when I was a kid, and is still my preferred system (not that I do tabletop much anymore ). Reading all this stuff about "playing yourself as a superhero" really makes me smile inside.

Coincidentally, I've been playing my Archery/Energy blaster and have been having a blast (ha!). I think I've tried all the other blaster sets, but I haven't enjoyed any of them like the archery set. Go figure....

As for the piece....I love it. Yes, perhaps a muted red sign or banner in the background would be more unifying, but I don't really think you need it. The focus is on the figure, where it ought to be, and you notice the background second.

It also makes me remember what the editors told the artists of the old pulp magazines in the 30's: "You can use any color on the cover you want....as long as it's red."

(Ugh. Now I'm going to have to get one of Doug's pieces for myself...)

Thanks for the comments and support, folks!

-Servo - You have a keen eye there, my friend! I agree completely that the raised leg isn't as "natural" as it could be (or even should be), which is something I was debating about when I was looking in a Yoga magazine (my wife's) for reference. In the end, I chose to keep it this way because it was just a bit more dramatic. What I think is really interesting is that the picture must be pretty "realistic" for folks to make the comments they've made...which is great! Working the line between "realism" and "dramatic hero-ism" is an interesting place to be. Thanks again!

- Graver - Oh-ho! Now THAT is something I didn't catch. I guess I was focusing too much on the breasts to give the butt it's proper....attention? Actually, I wanted to keep Plasma a bit on the lean side because....well...she's not a playful, emotionally accessable character in my opinion. More like Batman. Because of that, I didn't want to make her too...volumptuous. The feeling I get from the Plasma Stream player is that the character is mostly business with her only real passion being for flight. Still....I hate to see a lady shorted in her....assets? I'll give it some thought.

- Su Lin - That is a very insightful comment. One of the things I learned early is not to expose art too quickly to the critic. Even though they mean well, a critical word can really wreck the "feel" of a piece. I read somewhere that artists should treat new work like babies and not hurry to expose them to the "cold eyed critic". That said, I feel that as long as an artist is giving critical thought to the design of a piece, he (or she) can give three responses:
1. "I hadn't thought of that. Thanks!"
2. "I hear what you are saying, but this is the way I planned it."
3. "Uh...ok. Thanks for your time!"

In the end, I think that if the artist feels solidly about the design of the piece (and actually says so), the buyer of the piece should feel confident that they are getting a "carefully considered" piece of work as opposed to "Hey! That looks good! What do you know....".

Thanks again for the feedback!

Alright, here's the second stage of the drawing with costume details in. I'll probably move to digital inks after this

Plasma Stream WIP 2!

Sofar, I'm liking it!

[ QUOTE ]
Concentrating on the boobs is like concentrating on the size of David's "twig and berries" and totally neglecting the masterpiece of Michelangelo's work.

[/ QUOTE ]

Um.......

...my name is David. What are you saying about my twig?

Thanks for all the...er....boob-back. Actually, they are the only part I wasn't satisfied with.

*coughs*

Time for some reference. Yeah...that's the ticket....

I usually do my drawing in an 11X14 strathmore sketchbook (the hardback kind) with an HB pencil lead in a mechanical lead holder (I love em!). I use a clickable eraser and add Ebony pencils if I'm doing full-out pencils. I used to use Prisma markers and sharpies to ink, but I'm entertaining the idea of going completely digital inks using my Wacom 4X6 tablet.
For colors, I used to do watercolor, but now it's completely digital using Photoshop CS.
Oh, and I just finished construction of a dedicated art-station in our library including an adjustable easel. It will be my first-ever in-home workstation and will save my back all that pain from bending over a pillow in my lap!

I've started working on my next commission, the character "Plasma Stream". I did this VERY rough sketch to get approval from the player for the direction it's going in.

Take a peek!

The Player of Plasma Stream only asked for a sketch, but may want to proceed with inks and maybe colors depending on how well things go.

Woah! That......Rox!

That's a great gallery for a great looking character!

Ohhh yes! That's got the stuff! Good work there, DJ! I guess that getting Jug a bit filthy might be interesting, but.....maybe someone sprayed him off with a hose before snapping the photo! (which explains why he looks so ticked off!)