As some of you may know, I have considered my skills with creating normal Hair assets sub par at best. With that in mind I started thinking of ways to compensate for this weakness. I've been experimenting with resourcing hair art from existing pieces and transforming them into HeroMachine assets. My first experiment with this can be seen below. I used Sue Storm hair as a resource and created vector artwork that can be added into HeroMachine.
Original Artwork:
HeroMachine Artwork:
Now the pitch. I'm asking any interested Machinists to scour the Internet for hair art that I can use as a resource for hair creation and then add to HeroMachine. For the first phase of Project Hair I would take the top 6 suggestions (either chosen by me or a poll) and add them into HeroMachine as soon as I can manage it.
Now the catch. Image Requirements and Suggestions:
1. The artwork must be black and white and created in a style that is compatible with the HeroMachine aesthetic. Essentially Comic Book style inked artwork like the Sue Storm example above.
2. Avoid hair with headgear. I just want the hair.
3. Bigger is better. If the image is too small it may be hard to see the details necessary to create the hair artwork.
4. I've found inked artwork depicting heroes with lighter hair, better suited for HeroMachine adaptation. Dark hair is usually depicted with larger black areas. If we want hair with bigger, black shapes we can go that route though.
5. Post the link of the artwork into this blog post. Or jump on over to my item creation thread in the forums and add the suggestion there. http://www.heromachine.com/forums/topic/dblades-whiz-bang-item-dispenser/
Together we can make HeroMachine a whole lot hairier.
Here’s some of my suggestions for art for hair examples:
http://spiderguile.deviantart.com/art/Black-Queen-Jean-Grey-aug6th2014-473605451
http://spiderguile.deviantart.com/art/Nightcrawler-inks-June2nd2014-473059811
http://spiderguile.deviantart.com/art/Storm-Drink-n-Draw-Feb19th2014-435773622
http://spiderguile.deviantart.com/art/Supergirl-Paris-Manga-2011-264426257
http://spiderguile.deviantart.com/art/Black-Cat-unmasked-90241479
http://dlimaart.deviantart.com/art/Black-Cat-389468744
http://vagnerskyblue.deviantart.com/art/Baroness-518465668
http://vagnerskyblue.deviantart.com/art/Mary-Jane-Watson-485721462
http://vagnerskyblue.deviantart.com/art/Silet-Hill-377884482
http://vagnerskyblue.deviantart.com/art/ragnorok-commission-194197650
http://vagnerskyblue.deviantart.com/art/Black-Widow-188223066
http://vagnerskyblue.deviantart.com/art/Aphrodite-IX-185779601
http://lcfreitas.deviantart.com/art/Magik-519693549
http://lcfreitas.deviantart.com/art/Mary-Jane-501702280
http://johncastelhano.deviantart.com/art/Leochaid-Ink-505885184
http://johncastelhano.deviantart.com/art/RIGANA-ink-501796440
http://johncastelhano.deviantart.com/art/Eiko-1-ink-514816991
http://edhale.deviantart.com/art/Jade-by-Francis-Manapul-470016792
http://edhale.deviantart.com/art/Black-Canary-by-Vagner-Fernandes-373765830
http://edhale.deviantart.com/art/Witchblade-by-Vagner-Fernandes-372849973
http://edhale.deviantart.com/art/Powergirl-by-Brett-Booth-366334284
http://edhale.deviantart.com/art/The-darkness-by-Tyler-Kirkham-353139762
http://edhale.deviantart.com/art/Supergirl-by-Marcio-Abreu-350685699
http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1266048
http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=878215
http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=699811
http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=667256
http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=614735
http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=160503
As you can see I try find some male hair but its mostly female hair
Adam Warren douse amazing hair with some very simple lines. http://pre14.deviantart.net/f842/th/pre/i/2015/083/7/1/empowered_vol_9__out_aug_19___cover_inks_by_adamwarren-d8myx27.jpg
http://pre14.deviantart.net/f1c8/th/pre/i/2015/160/b/f/1997_dirty_pair__devil_kei_angel_yuri__doujin_illo_by_adamwarren-d8wn8hc.jpg
http://pre07.deviantart.net/28cc/th/pre/i/2015/070/5/1/inks_for_mrs__deadpool_variant_cover_by_adamwarren-d8la5eu.jpg
http://pre01.deviantart.net/dc06/th/pre/i/2015/050/4/3/inks_for_x_factor_variant_cover_by_adamwarren-d8inenb.jpg
Some suggestions:
http://mrexumsclasses.weebly.com/uploads/1/3/0/1/13017462/superhero-comic-man.jpg
http://ecoloring.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/male_superhero_coloring_page.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ips0WcxKmQw/VJpJCq5bxyI/AAAAAAAAGlg/nGMTE9mILN0/s800/free-printable-superhero-coloring-pages-az-coloring-pages.jpg
http://40.media.tumblr.com/88e8cd4a595048e190304fce5d025070/tumblr_ni1koeTlxn1td8kieo2_r1_1280.jpg
http://static1.squarespace.com/static/51b3dc8ee4b051b96ceb10de/t/544675a3e4b0da769d41b9c3/1413903780071/neil-gaiman-explains-why-sandman-wasnt-in-the-dc-movie-line-up
http://orig12.deviantart.net/7636/f/2010/348/9/4/jason_todd_sketch_by_jiuge-d34wlng.jpg
Hi, old-timey lurker/casual Heromachine user here.
As much as I want new hair, I am worried here. Are you sure this is legal? This is taking artwork from artist and putting them in a software that makes (very little, but still) money. It might be considered fair use because you have to redraw the hair a little and recode it, but I would double and triple check that to be sure. Just so nobody gets in trouble.
If this solution turns out to be unusable, may I make an alternative suggestion? A lot of people in a previous comment thread expressed admiration for the hair artwork of this artist: http://dark-sheikah.deviantart.com/ Maybe we could ask her if we could use some of her design in Heromachine? Would that be something feasible?
If you have already made sure this was legal, awesome. Like I said, I like the idea, I’m just not sure it is legal.
dblade, hate to be a downer here, but I’m inclined to agree with collex here. It might be an idea to check this out first and if needs be, ask for permission. As much as I want new hair items, I’d rather still have heromachine.
Who ripped off copyrighted characters?? I didn’t see anyone rip from copyrighted characters.
With that said…
http://orig05.deviantart.net/566e/f/2015/301/d/9/plagiarism_by_nugarius-d9epr9p.png
I think you’ll be ok. 😉
I have hair stuff too, D, but it looks like you got more than a few suggestions already.
Those items are already in a blurry grey area, but since they are original drawings and not strict copies, there is an argument for fair use that can be made. But extracting pieces of artwork to use them as is is a different thing altogether.
I discussed this with Jeff before posting this blog and he said it was okay to do so. If he decides that this is unacceptable at any time I will cease the Hair alterations.
Looooooong hair for men!
http://orig01.deviantart.net/26c3/f/2012/272/1/a/sentry_returns_page_2_inked_by_kingvego-d5g9nlj.png
TL;DR: Yes, I talked with dblade about this and I think it’s ethically and legally ok, though as always I acknowledge that I might be wrong and I’m willing to have my mind changed.
Copyright laws are a confusing mess and in the US you can sue anyone for anything. So the answer legally is, there’s no clear legal guideline for this kind of situation. IP attorneys make a lot of money for this reason.
Having said that, you can’t copyright a hair style. You can copyright an illustration, but others are allowed to sample from your work. The hair portion of an illustration is a very small bit, particularly so if it’s one panel on a whole page in a whole comic book full of pages. It’s not like a logo that has a distinctive and marketable identity (in other words, it doesn’t matter that Superman’s S logo is just in one small part of the panel, it’s his logo). His HAIR, on the other hand, is just hair.
So then I thought about how I would feel if I saw some hair from a drawing I’d done used in something else. Or a glove, or a style of drawing an eye, or something equally small and relatively generic. It wouldn’t bother me. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong for it to bother someone else, of course, and setting aside any legal issues, if an artist told me something in my app were uncomfortably close to something they’d done, I’d take it down even if legally it’s ok.
Anyway, that’s my thinking on it.
First sample from Project Hair.
http://www.heromachine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Hair_Night.jpg
http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=1258257&GSub=144942
http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=131873&GSub=16526
http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=84158&GSub=3531
http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=21694&GSub=2356
Some suggestions :
A reverse mohawk ( like the Centauris in B5)
A sidewise crests ( like Despero)
Thin tentacles
Bony plates
http://media.comicbook.com/uploads1/2014/07/pacheco-cap-falcon-103088.png
http://40.media.tumblr.com/958ee3f64906fe8be1f60cdb98d629c6/tumblr_nvknunxhsU1qc9h6eo1_1280.jpg
More African American hair that isn’t an afro! For men and women. I’d love to see more receding hairlines too but I’m having trouble finding them.
A few more for your consideration:
http://madman1.deviantart.com/art/Mark-head-shot-15538418
http://madman1.deviantart.com/art/WonderWoman-Day-14-inks-480694854
http://madman1.deviantart.com/art/Batmans-Rogue-Gallery-inks-444135741
http://madman1.deviantart.com/art/Green-Lantern-2011-inks-211167291
http://madman1.deviantart.com/art/Abreu-White-Queen-Inks-200597965
http://madman1.deviantart.com/art/Goth-Ghost-Girl-inks-68505892
http://madman1.deviantart.com/art/SheDragon-1-20257662
http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1093508
http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=1023170&GSub=157829
http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=717120&GSub=31026
http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=412974&GSub=66253
http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=67897&GSub=9525
http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=190108
http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=155912
http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=991726&GSub=135023
http://lcfreitas.deviantart.com/art/Joker-551247277
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Miho-564682760
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Vampirella-Inks-518780841
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Stargirl-Inks-497672267
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Bounty-Hunter-480144619
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Inks-459119360
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Feruda-ink-425592793
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Power-Girl-Inks-386999161
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Shahrazad-1-Inks-369092035
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Power-Girl-Inks-365790993
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Aspen-Inks-338164935
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Princess-Leia-Slave-Inks-286834208
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Green-Lantern-Inks-324209189
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Dragon-Lady-Inks-2-0-274852732
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Riot-Shell-Inks-262395230
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Velocity2-Cover-212350809
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Wraithborn-Cover-2a-Inks-213811732
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Power-Girl2-213522199
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Jessica-Rabbit-inks-188667242
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Velocity-2-Page-Inks-185994117
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Elsa-Bloodstone-Inked-182835479
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/The-Baroness-Inked-180315020
http://devgear.deviantart.com/art/Red-Sonja-Inks-177862795
Thanks for all the links! I will take a look at everything and pick some out for adaptation to HeroMachine 3