Monthly Archives: January 2008

Contest final custom illustration

Posted on January 31, 2008 by Jeff Hebert

Scorp has approved the final version of the contest-winning Mideios’ final illustration, so without further ado, here he is: And just to refresh your memory, here was the contest entry itself, direct from the HeroMachine: Many thanks again to all … Continue reading →

Posted in Challenge Prizes, Challenges, Cool Characters, News & Updates | 3 Comments

Progress on Mideios

Posted on January 30, 2008 by Jeff Hebert

The illustration for Mideios, the contest finalist, is going very well. I’ve gotten approval on the black and white lineart, and though you might like to see how it’s going so far (click the image for a larger, non-pixelated version): … Continue reading →

Posted in Challenges, Cool Characters, Digital Illustration Lessons, Fantasy & Sci-fi | 1 Comment

Mad-Dog!

Posted on January 29, 2008 by Jeff Hebert

I suppose if you’re going to name your super-hero self after a cheap and fruity wine beverage, you ought not to be surprised if your costume also looks cheap and fruity, as if you’ve just staggered out of “your” alleyway … Continue reading →

Posted in Bad Super Costumes, Super-Hero Stuff | 4 Comments

And the winner is …

Posted on January 28, 2008 by Jeff Hebert

The winner of the first HeroMachine “Free Custom Character Portrait Contest” is … Mideios! Congratulations to Scorp, he did a great job. I’ll be working with him over the next couple of weeks to create the custom portrait, and when … Continue reading →

Posted in Challenge Favorites, Challenges | Comments Off

Free blank figure templates

Posted on January 27, 2008 by Jeff Hebert

Maybe you want to see the character you’ve designed in a pose unavailable in the HeroMachine. Maybe you want to try freehanding your own illustration, but you’re not very good at drawing the basic figure. To help you out, I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Cool Characters, Digital Illustration Lessons, Tips & Tricks | Comments Off

Tweak (and I don’t mean the South Park character)

Posted on January 26, 2008 by Jeff Hebert

Sometimes I get the impression that non-artists think illustrations just leap full-blown and ready-made from the pen to paper, already fully formed and perfect. My friend, nothing could be further from the truth. The odds are that the image you … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Illustration Lessons | Comments Off

Just three days left to vote!

Posted on January 25, 2008 by Jeff Hebert

You only have three more days to vote for your favorite HeroMachine character, with the winner getting a free custom portrait of their creation. If you haven’t voted yet, the poll’s there in the right column, so get clicking!

Posted in Challenges | Comments Off

Words as sounds

Posted on January 25, 2008 by Jeff Hebert

Usually when it comes to onomatopoeia, a sound gets turned into a word. But super-heroes have the power to reverse that, turning words back into sounds. In addition to generally involving massive amounts of violence, that’s just one way onomontoPOWia … Continue reading →

Posted in OnomontoPOWia | Comments Off

Layers without a computer

Posted on January 24, 2008 by Jeff Hebert

A while back I posted a quick tour of how you can use layers to improve your digital illustrations. But not everyone has a Wacom pen tablet, Photoshop, and Flash. Or even a computer. So how can you improve your … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Illustration Lessons, Tips & Tricks | Comments Off

Stab helmets

Posted on January 23, 2008 by Jeff Hebert

Here’s how you rip off a popular character owned by a rival comics company, Image style. First, make part of his costume unmistakably derivative: Look closely, it’s pretty hard to spot! Not. Then, make sure the derivative costume element is … Continue reading →

Posted in Bad Super Costumes, Super-Hero Stuff | 2 Comments