Category Archives: Meta

META: What the heck am I doing?

Posted on June 29, 2010 by | Comments Off on META: What the heck am I doing?

I just wanted to give a quick update as to what all is going on here at HeroMachine World Headquarters in the greater metropolitan Bayfield, Colorado area.

First, I am still finishing up details of updating all the old HeroMachine mini-Editions to the new UGO.com page dimensions and layout. Hopefully they'll all function in a more similar fashion after this and be easier to work with.

Second, I'm working full tilt on the HeroMachine Mech Edition for the paying client, which you've seen a bit of art for in the Pilots preview.

Third, Friend of HeroMachine Mark is working on Rifles. So don't think all progress on HM3 has stopped just because I am working on a mini-Edition -- it hasn't. He's doing a great job on them, I've seen the first 40 or so items and they are his usual outstanding effort. I think you'll all be pleased when they're ready. We've got plenty of material for those so no need to post requests or links.

Just for funsies, here's another Pilot I did the other day.

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Posted in Meta, News & Updates

META: On the road again …

Posted on June 1, 2010 by | Comments Off on META: On the road again …

Starting this morning (Tuesday, June 1) I will be traveling to my new home in Colorado. I should arrive there on Wednesday, June 2 some time, and hope to have full Internet access by Friday, June 4, at which time I'll be fully active on the site and the program once again. During all that time, however, I will be checking in via my iPhone to answer urgent emails, approve pending comments, etc. I have also scheduled daily Random Panels and Sketches of the Day through Wednesday; a Poll Position question for today; and a Bad Costume post for Wednesday.

I'll hopefully have a new Recipe from Hammerknight on Thursday, and a special guest blogger post by Ian Healy, frequent poster here and author of several super-hero novels.

If I'm a bit slow this week to respond, that's why. Be good!

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Posted in Meta

Open Critique Day

Posted on May 27, 2010 by | Comments Off on Open Critique Day

If you have an illustration, HM or otherwise, that you would like to get a critique on from me (or from anyone else who wants to chime in!), please leave a link and any details you think pertinent in the comments below.

Please limit the critique requests to one illustration per person. Thanks!

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Posted in Open threads

Open Critique Day

Posted on May 20, 2010 by | Comments Off on Open Critique Day

It's Open Critique and/or General Help Day once again, so feel free to post your illustrations (HeroMachine or otherwise) you'd like to get a critique on, or any other general help topic you like, and we'll see what we can do to help.

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Posted in Open threads

Open critique and help day

Posted on May 6, 2010 by | Comments Off on Open critique and help day

If you have a question about HeroMachine, or art, or comics, or why we park on a driveway but drive on a parkway (apologies to Steven Wright), feel free to ask in the comments and I won't judge you.

On the other hand, if you have a piece of art, either from the HeroMachine or that you've done by hand, you can request a critique from me and the community at large in the comments, and we will judge that! Just a couple of things to keep in mind:

  1. Please limit critique requests to just one per person.
  2. If you're offering your feedback to someone, please be constructive.
  3. Never get involved in a land war in Asia.

Finally, Hammerknight has managed to shake loose some time and sent in this excellent recipe for how to handle shading with HeroMachine. Many thanks to him!

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Posted in Open threads, Tips & Tricks

Open Critique and Burning Question Day

Posted on April 29, 2010 by | Comments Off on Open Critique and Burning Question Day

If you'd like to get feedback on an illustration you've made (with HeroMachine or even an actual personally-produced drawing), post a link in the comments and I'll do my best to provide a helpful critique. Actually, anyone is welcome to provide feedback on them as well, but keep it constructive. Just saying "This sucks, I hate it" is a perfectly valid emotional response, but not at all helpful in terms of actually helping the person make it better. You'll have plenty of chances in your life to tell someone you don't like their work, so just let this one slide by if that's all you can think of to say.

Also, if you want some help on how to use HeroMachine, this is the place. Or, if you have a general question you've been wanting to ask but couldn't find a way to slip it into the other posts, feel free.

(Image ©DC Comics, Inc.)

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Posted in Open threads

Open Help Thread – Critique Day!

Posted on April 22, 2010 by | Comments Off on Open Help Thread – Critique Day!

I've been too busy drawing and re-drawing armor to come up with something clever for today's Help Topic, so consider this an open thread to talk about whatever you like. Or ask a question about HeroMachine or drawing stuff too, of course, but in general this space is now Open To The Public.

Edited To Add: On second thought, you can also use this to post a character you have, or have been working on, and would like a (friendly!) critique about. I'll be happy to give an opinion on what I think works, what doesn't work, things you might do, etc., as would the other commenters, I am sure.

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Posted in Meta, Open threads

META: Blog update

Posted on April 18, 2010 by | Comments Off on META: Blog update

I've updated the WordPress installation running this site to 2.9 and installed the new template for look and feel. If you're seeing weirdness, try CTRL-Refresh to reload the page. If the weirdness persists, try clearing your cache and reloading. And if the weirdness STILL persists, call Ghostbusters.

Comments, insults, praise, general commentary, recommendations, explicit directions on where to shove my non-existent design sense, etc. are all welcome. Well, not ALL -- who needs praise?

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Posted in Meta

META: New blog look test

Posted on April 18, 2010 by | Comments Off on META: New blog look test

I spent the last couple of days implementing the last blog layout change we discussed a few weeks ago. I've got it running on a test server if you want to take a look via this link and let me know what you think. Obviously it doesn't have any real content in it beyond one post I cut and pasted, but you're looking for the basic layout and not the words that go in it, if that makes sense.

I did change the header up significantly; when I sat down to actually code it, enough time had gone by to let me look at it with fresh eyes and I decided the original was just too heavy and busy. I think this one is a lot cleaner and easier on the eyes. I also changed the footer to match the new UGO look a bit better, and did away with the gradient at the bottom.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts. If there are no huge problems I'll probably roll this out live overnight, which involves a bit of scariness in upgrading the WordPress version.

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Posted in Meta

How to Draw Batman in a Bar

Posted on April 15, 2010 by | Comments Off on How to Draw Batman in a Bar

I did a plain text version of this once, but I thought a video would be easier to follow. If you ever wanted to draw Batman in a bar using nothing but letter shapes (and who among us has NOT wanted to do that?!), here's your chance to learn how.

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Otherwise, consider this your (late) "Help!" open thread, feel free to ask anything you like about how to do something in HeroMachine, or an illustration question, or all but one thing associated with the meaning of life.

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Posted in Open threads, Recipes, Tips & Tricks