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Topics - Quickman

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2
Entertainment / Steven Universe: The Crystal Thread
« on: August 05, 2016, 07:48:19 PM »
We need a thread for this, considering yesterday was the 100th episode.

[spoiler]All caught up and HOLY [tornado fang]ing [parasitic bomb] Bismuth, that piledriver thing was waaaayyyy hardcore.  Good god, that made my chest hurt watching that.

That episode, though... This show is so good.  ALL OF MY FEEEEELLLLLS[/spoiler]

3
Entertainment / Ken Penders Craptastic Topic!
« on: March 29, 2015, 09:24:12 AM »
Found some more Penders stuff.  Decided to toss it here.



TOTALLY ORIGINAL CHARACTER LIEN-DA



IT'S NOT KNUCKLES I SWEAR DONUT STEEL

Yeah, I'm going down the rabbit hole and actively looking for this stuff.

QuickEdit:  Hey guys, look!

A COMIC PAGE



QuickEdit: MOAR

*throws all the cards on the table, stands up, and walks away.*

4
Entertainment / Han Solo Flew Too Casual
« on: March 06, 2015, 01:21:37 AM »
Harrison Ford crashes plane

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  ;^;

Don't take Han away! 

6
Roleplay / RP Discussion: Character Introductions
« on: December 17, 2014, 10:25:45 AM »
So, how do you like to introduce characters into an RP?  It's easy to introduce them in an RP that you DM, but how do you prefer to do it in an RP that you want to join? 

Personally, I like to find a crowd scene and drop my character(s) into the crowd and have them comment.  Once they interact with the other characters, then I can move on with a brief introduction and then flesh them out further. 

For single RPs, such as those with one other participant, I'll generally have my character stumble upon them.  They'll just so happen to be in the area and they find the other player's character.  Characters of mine have been "dumped off" twice to meet other characters, and have happened upon another character's hideout. 

Even for established characters, I prefer to have my character approach the other.  They'll knock on a door, find them in a crowd, meet them at a certain place, etc.  It feels more natural for them to do that, rather than summoning the Plot Convenience Fairy.

So, how do you prefer to write character introductions?

7
Roleplay / Aloha AOHA! ALPHA OMEGA HOENN ADVENTURE!
« on: November 05, 2014, 06:40:33 AM »
Seeing as how the old one died a slow and agonizing death (and has taken on quite a funk) and we got a new Hoenn with new stuff on the horizon, I feel it's high time to bury the old Hoenn in a shallow, unmarked grave and go to the new one!



It was a pleasant and sunny afternoon outside of Littleroot Town, and we find the famed Pokemon field researcher Professor Birch out with his team, doing what he does best; studying wild Pokemon in their native habitat.  With him are colleagues Professors Hemlock and Mulberry, their Pokemon lab assistant, and their financial backer as they embark on a a research breakthrough of a lifetime!

Other Trainers and Pokemon Center Nurses have spoken about a new strain of Pokerus, and for the first time, Birch was able to find a wild Pokemon population with a stable infection.  Such a discovery would provide a bounty of new insight into the disease and how it affects wild Pokemon, and how such a virus would further benefit the growth and training of captive Pokemon. 

With his boundless excitement, Birch and his team journeyed out to Route 101 to observe a wild pack of infected Zigzagoon.  The information gleaned from such intense study would be beneficial to his academic and scientific goals, and Birch was eager to get a closer look.

Perhaps, though, he was a bit
too eager.

*Professor Birch snuck through the tall grass toward the back, his camera and sound recorder in hand.  His colleagues watched from a fair distance, with their Hypno lab assistant taking notes and operating additional recording equipment.  Birch's face flushed with excitement as he whispered into his recorder with each careful step.*

"I'm almost to the pack now... I stand about ten feet away from them, and the alpha male has not noticed me... Their scouts have not picked up my scent...  The wind is from the southeast... and blowing in my face... I can smell them, but they can't smell me...  The infected members appear more aggressive than the rest...  We've noticed that they will frequently battle other pack members, but these aren't dominance battles... they fight in order to bite...  We believe that's how the infection is spread--through salivary contact with open wounds...  The outward symptoms we've noticed were a marked increase in aggression, followed by marked fatigue; they tire easily... FLIR camera thermal imaging has also revealed an increase in body temperature..."

*As Birch was concentrating on his recording and sneaking, he didn't notice the Zigzagoon that had flanked him and approached him from behind.  It hung back a few paces and kept in step, sniffing at the ground and watching intently.*

*Several yards away, the rest of his team watched and waited.  Professor Hemlock looked through his binoculars, and then to Mulberry.  He had certainly noticed the Zigzagoon.*

"Think we should tell him?"

*Mulberry shook his head.*

"Nah.  He'll find out, won't he, Mr. P?"

*Mulberry looked over to the team's financial backer with a sly smile.  He then looked to their Hypno assistant, who was seated in a folding chair, with a notebook on his lap and an audio recorder beside him.  In one hand, he held a boom mic.*

*Mulberry glanced up again at Birch and the Zigzagoon, and then returned his gaze to his Hypno.*

"You're in for a treat, Prof."

*The Hypno said something that Mulberry didn't catch.*

*Back in the field, Birch was still recording when he felt a sharp nip on his rear.  He leapt to his feet and whirled around, finding a growling Shiny Zigzagoon.  Its teeth were bared and its fur was sticking out more than usual.  With a snarl, it lunged at Birch.*

*Birch screamed like a little girl and ran around in a circle with the Zigzagoon nipping at his heels.*

"SAKUUUUUURRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAA!  HEEEELLLLLLLP  MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!"

*On the sidelines, Hemlock, Mulberry, their Hypno, and the mysterious Mr. P all facepalmed.*

8
Entertainment / Two Girls Stab Another Girl to Appease Slenderman
« on: June 04, 2014, 09:53:50 PM »
Wisconsin girls charged with first-degree intentional homicide

Two 12-year-old girls concocted a plan to stab another girl in order to appease Slenderman.  The brother of one of the girls never suspected that his sister would go that far, saying that she simply liked creepypasta.  The girls will be tried as adults.

Creepypasta.com does not condone the girls' actions, nor does it encourage any violence against others and has issued a statement saying so, also expressing their condolences.

Looks like someone forgot to be taught the difference between fantasy and reality and will have to learn the hard way that actions have consequences.

9
Entertainment / HR Giger Passed Away
« on: May 23, 2014, 01:35:02 AM »
HR Giger passed away at 74

The man who brought us the Xenomorph and production design for Species has passed on.  His style was very unique and had seen use in Dark Seed game franchise.  He published his Necronomicon in the 70s, and his surrealist paintings found their way into museums, tattoo designs, and record album covers, most notably the "[ray splasher] landscape" for Dead Kennedys.

HR Giger is one of my favorite artists, and many others have been influenced by his style, which can be seen in some very unlikely places (Mewtwo's fortress on New Island has a very Giger-influenced motif).  While Giger may be gone, his work will live on through others.

10
Roleplay / RPG Discussion: Character Naming
« on: May 03, 2014, 12:45:24 AM »
Naming your characters; methods, meanings, etc.

Another TFN topic I felt pertinent.  So, when naming your RP characters, what methods do you usually use?  Do you stick to primarily existing characters?  Do you prefer OCs?  How do you go about naming your characters?  Do you use name generators?  Your own name and anagrams of it?  Nicknames?  Do you name by meaning, by sound, by look, the amount of beats?

If I'm not using an existing name (Trak or Quickie), I've used throwaway names for my RP characters (Funger Muckuss, Lizardon, Spanky, Iggy, etc).  For some games, I just don't put a lot of thought into the name and throw in whatever, which eventually just sticks.  It's a dumb habit that's followed me through the years, and still shows up.

For stories, I tend to stick to names with a certain sound.  I want a certain number of beats and certain consonants and vowels to reflect the sound I want.  Hard characters get hard names with hard sounds.  I want a gruff sergeant, so I want their name to sound like a dog's barking.  I want a weaselly administrator, so I want their name to sound important and snaky.  Slimy characters get slimy names. 

Meaning used to be an important part in name creation for me, until I learned that more often than not, sound commands more feeling than meaning.  You can have a character whose name means "ruler of the Death Castle," but the name "Mabuz" does not itself command fright.  The sound is all wrong.

11
Holy cow, am I doing a shameless plug?  Why yes!  Yes I am!

But yes, Bagged & Boarded is a web series that has been in development for a while and just made a Kickstarter.  You may have seen me mention it a few times, or at least vague references to a "secret project" I was working on from time to time.  Yes, I did a few things for this (not the video's artwork, though I am going to redo it, should I get the go-ahead.  Let's be honest, it needs better art and that better art needs my personal touch), mainly some comic covers (one full, another inked), and Ringman has worked on it as well, and has a starring role.

The series is about Gully and his friends as they track down the comic books that his ex had sold off.  It's basically a comedic scavenger hunt written by a bunch of nerds.  How can you go wrong?  But yes, this is still in development, and we hope to be able to make the entire series. 

Now back to your regularly-scheduled programming...

12
On TheForce.Net, I had started a discussion concerning violence in fiction, and early on, the topic dipped into the realm of RPGs, with a post concerning character histories.

Let's be realistic, here.  Dark and traumatic histories are dramatic, and we all love us some drama.  Admit it.  You do.  Drama is exciting and interesting.  If a character's history is traumatic, it also helps to shape who they are, and they are seen as a better person to have risen above such adversity.  Tragic histories can range from being created for the sole purpose of being a tool or an object of study, or to being smacked around as a kid.  Perhaps there was an incident in that character's lifetime that helped to shape who they are.  Death of a loved one, parent, sibling, beloved pet, their Kanto starter.  At some point in their life, there was a defining moment that helped to shape them.  Perhaps it was for the good, or for the bad, or they're still trying to make sense of it.  Dramatic histories are just fine for characters, if it helps to define their key traits and how they cope with the world.

However, there comes a point where the drama will be ratcheted up to insane levels, or deplorable acts are arbitrarily thrown in because the player thinks that it makes their character "more interesting."  Sometimes, when looking over character sheets, the histories become more and more traumatic, with ever-increasing amounts of violence and sexual assault in this bizarre one-upmanship contest.  And the players of those characters may see absolutely nothing wrong with that, as would the GM. 

Though, to many, as the linked topic has pointed out, there comes a time where you should draw the line.  A more "mundane" trauma can be far more interesting for a character than "I was raped lots, tee-hee."

So, what are your thoughts on developing character histories?  Are there any tropes you find yourself falling into?  Were there characters back in your own personal Cringe Era that were so overblown that you can't believe that no one had the sense to tell you to rewrite their history?  Do you like dramatic character histories?  How dramatic?  Do you prefer your character to be the average Joe Schmoe off the street with nothing special about their background? 

There are plenty of more discussion points than just those. 

13
Welcome to Wushu!  This has been discussed in various other topics, and after some planning, it's finally getting off the ground!  So, we're kicking it off with the rules and character signups for your first learn-as-you-play campaign!  Oh my god, exclamatory sentences are awesome, I can't stop using them!

INDEX

This is going to be a long introductory post, as this is RPM's first Wushu campaign.  Thus, everything needs to be explained, and I will attempt to be as concise as possible.  So, here's the golden rules of Wushu, the ancient art of roleplaying:
[spoiler=Basic description and rules!]
PRINCIPLE OF NARRATIVE TRUTH
“Everything the players describe happens exactly as they describe it, when they describe it.”

Basically, what you say happens.  All narrative and authoritative power is the player's.  You don't ask the DM if you can do something, and then role to see if you succeed.  You do it.  You do that something, and the dice merely determine how much you progress the scene.

And speaking of dice...  That's the DM's job.  Don't worry about pilfering a handful of dice from Monopoly or something.

Now, of course, there are exceptions.  Everyone should more or less be on the same page as the other players.  You don't bring forcefields to a Cops and Robbers game.  If your character pulls something out of their ass that comes straight out of nowhere and has nothing to do with the game or scene or anything, the DM (and other players) have the option to veto this.

Veto: If the description doesn't feel right, veto it.  This basically keeps god-moding in check.  If a character does something out of line with their character description, veto it.  If Jabba rushes from one end of the room to another so he can body-check some mook, veto the hell out of that!  Jabba doesn't walk-- he bounces.

COUP DE GRACE
“You can’t narrate complete victory without first resolving a scene’s mechanical component.”

You can't narrate blowing away everything and the entire challenge in your first turn.  For example, you're a bounty hunter after a wily smuggler.  You can't narrate hauling the smuggler in and getting paid in your first scene.  First, you need to find that smuggler.  Then, you need to apprehend him.  But, that smuggler has friends!  You need to get passed those friends.  There are mechanical story points and challenges that need to be met before a scene is over.  This rule also prevents blatant god-moding.

EVERYTHING IS A DETAIL
Basically, the devil is in the details.  We're using a modified version in which the DM awards dice to players depending on their narrative and how well it progresses a scene.  If you give us a really good narrative that describes you ass-kicking your way through a platoon of mooks with such finesse and flair, so you can fight your way across the room and disarm the locks to the door that has trapped your fellow players in a garbage masher, you'd get more dice.  If you give us a narrative of filler that does nothing but describe how awesome your bicycle kicks are, you don't get any additional dice, as you had not progressed the narrative.

Go nuts.  Describe stuff in detail.  But, avoid mindless filler.  Progress the scene and do it with style!

...CHOOSE THE RIGHT DETAILS FOR THE GAME
Continuing... make sure your details make sense within the context of the campaign.  If you're playing a Star Wars campaign, keep it Star Wars related.[/spoiler]

CORE MECHANICS
More rules!  This is going to be long.
[spoiler=Core mechanics]
Description
Wushu uses a dice pool.  Basically, a handful of d6.  Each item of your description is a die, and for this campaign, there is a cap of five dice.  By all means, go nuts with your description, but keep in mind that it won't earn you additional dice.  Also keep in mind that the dice are awarded by the DM.  You need to impress us (Ringman and I).

Basically, a description would go something like this:  "Fett steps into the room (1) and eyes the competition. (2)  He pulls out his blaster (3) and fires off a round of shots in quick succession (4), which topple the unsuspecting faceless mercenaries like dominoes. (5)"  (Note: You don't need to add the numbers.  Those were to show what equals to a die.)

Resolution
After your description, the DM rolls your dice (default is three) and they tell you how effective your narration was in bringing the scene closer to a resolution.  Keep in mind, everything happens how you describe it.  If you kick down a door, you kick down a door.

Yin and Yang (Defense and Offense)
When faced with opposition, the dice would be split into two separate pools, which would be rolled against each other and your character's traits.  This is where it gets complicated, the main reason why the DM would be handling all of this.  Yang dice are offensive dice.  Yin dice are defensive dice.  Your successful Yin rolls cancel out someone else's successful Yang rolls.

Successes
Characters are defined by traits (more later), which are rated from 1-5.  When it's time to roll your dice, pick a trait that's relevant to the actions you described.  If you don't have one, the default rating is 2.  Every dice that rolls above that trait's rating is a failure.  Rolls under that rating are a success.  If there are any Yang successes that have not been canceled out by your Yin rolls, you take a hit.

Chi
Chi could basically be seen as energy.  Default Chi rating is usually 3.  If your Yin does not cancel out the opposing Yang, your Chi takes a hit.  For example, if there is a remaining Yang die, your Chi takes 1 hit.  Keep in mind, though, that you can still play and kick ass just as fine as you did before.  The Chi is your narrative power.  If it reaches 0, you become incapacitated and unable to narrate.  At the DM's discretion, Chi points can be awarded after a round or so.  Until then, though, your incapacitated character is at the mercy of the DM's whims.

CONFLICTS
Mook conflicts
These nameless, faceless NPCs are as the player describes, in any number as the player describes.  The scene will be assigned a threat rating (general number on how many mooks there are), but the description of these NPCs are all left to the player.  Go nuts.  They can be cloned as needed.

The threat rating will be determined by the DM.  The easy equation we plan to use would be the dice cap minus 2, times the number of rounds (DC-2xRN=TR).  So, the dice cap is 5, minus 2, times, say, ten rounds, which gives us a threat rating of 30.  Now that you're confused, keep in mind that this is the DM's job.  So, if you want to DM a Wushu campaign, I hope that you're taking notes!

Each Yang success by the player reduces the Threat Rating by 1.  When the rating reaches 0, the player who knocked it out gets to describe the coup de grace and resolve the scene.  Basically, if your turn eliminates the threat rating, you get to describe the killing blow.

Mooks don't roll any dice, so each player facing mooks must get 1 Yin success per round, or lose 1 point of Chi. 

Nemesis conflicts
Basically, the boss.  These guys (usually one, but they can have mini-bosses on their side!) are treated as a player.  They have a character sheet, traits, weaknesses, they describe their actions and they roll.  The DM will handle these.  These are NPCs with attitude.

The coup de grace rule still applies here.  When the boss's Chi is knocked down to 0, the boss is essentially defeated and the player who delivered the final blow gets to describe the scene resolution.  Keep in mind that since the boss is a character, they can also do the same to you!

Scab rolls
This is for when you want to roll against something without making a big production out of it.  Say, stumbling across the room to find a light switch.  Grab dice equal to the relevant trait and roll them, comparing them to the following scale:
1- Good work!  You succeeded without fail!
2- Good success, but mission (barely) accomplished.
3- You succeed, but there are some consequences.
4- Garden variety failure.
5- Really bad, embarrassing failure.
6- Failing so hard that it defies comprehension. 

These types of rolls can also work for sneaking past guards.[/spoiler]

CHARACTER CREATION
[spoiler=Character creation basics]
Traits
These can be anything from a profession to an adjective.  It's good to have a nice balance of physical (fighting) and mental traits.  Traits start at 2 and you can have 8 points to raise them.  A maximum of 3 traits is usually a good amount.  And it's good to have some generic and catch-all traits to make up for anything that might come up in the narrative.  Otherwise, if your traits are far too specific, you'd be rolling against a 2 for most of the game.

Weaknesses
These are traits with a rating of 1.  They can be anything.  These are to balance out your character and keep the god-moding in check.  These will not come into play often, as normally, your character would try to avoid their weaknesses, whatever they may be.  Your character sheet will have two weaknesses, both rating a 1.  If you attempt to act against your weakness, you need to roll a 1.  Only a 1 is a success.[/spoiler]

Time limit
Players will have twenty-four (24) hours to submit a narrative during their turn.  After that point, if the player has not submitted a narrative, the DM will commandeer that player's character for that turn.  This time limit is mainly to keep the game moving along.

Discussion
So, there you have it!  That's the basics of Wushu.  Ringman and I will DM the play-as-you-learn game, and we have pre-built character sheets already.  There will be a period of signups, which I may start either later this weekend, or wait until Monday.  But, until then... after you slogged through the tl;dr, you guys up for Wushu? :D

15
Entertainment / George Lucas is Retiring, Citing Fan Discontent
« on: January 18, 2012, 08:40:51 AM »
The Bearded Flanneled One doesn't like the criticism anymore.

I have mixed feelings about this.  One, I'm glad as that means he'll stop messing with the OT and re-cutting it over and over so that it matches his "original vision" that he's just making up as he goes along on some days.  On the other hand, though... I hope he makes the right decision to keep a firm grip on the creative and licensing rights of his creations, as if they were to fall into the less-discerning hands of Lucasfilm... I shudder to even think...

16
Off The Wall / Amish Use Facebook
« on: June 21, 2011, 04:52:38 AM »
Amish Youth Hitchin' Up to Facebook

Saw this in my local paper today and thought I'd share it.  Only in Pennsylvania (and possibly Ohio and anywhere else there are large Amish populations) would this make the front page...

17
Entertainment / "I Love You!" "I Know." R.I.P. Irvin Kershner, 87
« on: November 30, 2010, 06:02:02 AM »


Director and filmmaker Irvin Kershner has passed away at age 87.  He is most fondly remembered as the director of Empire Strikes Back and gave us the most romantic exchange of dialogue when he told Harrison Ford to just wing it.  On the advent of the 30th anniversary of ESB, this will no doubt hit many Star Wars fans hard.  The man was a genius, he will be missed.  Cinema has lost a legend in his own right.

Here's to you, Irvin Kershner.  May the Force be with you, always.

18
I found this to be just silly and decided to type it up.  But before we get to the article at hand, a bit of background.  Every Tuesday, the York Daily Record has a "Teen Takeover" feature in the "Living" section.  The articles are written by students from around York County.  Here is one of those articles:

Quote from: Fanfiction.net a great site for aspiring writers, media fans
By Usha Baublitz

A little more than a year ago, a friend of mine showed me a review she received on a story she had written for a website made for media fans.

I'm gonna jump in here real quick to remind you all that the author is in middle school. 

Quote
The site allows users to write and post stories about the casts and characters of their favorite books, movies, TV shows and cartoons.  I was immediately interested in fanfiction.net because I have always loved to write stories and the site allows you to post them anonymously--saving you the embarrassment of anyone knowing that it's your story they're reading.

Users and visitors can also review the stories written by other users.  Fanfiction.net is free, and it's the perfect way to waste time by reading stories by other people who enjoy the same things you do.

Like lemons, slash fics, and Mary Sues.

Quote
It's also considered to be an international journaling website, so there could be someone halfway across the planet reading your story.

Welcome to the Internet.

Quote
The site categorizes stories by genres, subjects, and status.  If you look hard enough, you can probably find a story about almost anything.  I once found one about pickles.

Wonder what those pickles were used for...

Quote
Though, pickle stories aren't common, there are stories for basically any form of entertainment you can think of, so there will always be something for everyone.

I love this site.  It's actually where I realized my passion for writing, and I love reading stories by other people from other parts of the world who I can relate to by talking about some book series we're both reading or writing about.  My two favorite parts about the site are that I have the freedom to make up any type of story I want--there are no restrictions on ideas.  However, there are restrictions on foul language and discrimination, and all violators will be banned from the site.

Apparently Baublitz hasn't seen the part of FF.net that I have seen...

Quote
Secondly, I enjoy getting e-mails about the progress of my stories.  When I get reviews, update alerts, or my story is added to somone's favorites list, I can't help but feel great, knowing that someone in the world enjoys what I write.  And it truly is a great feeling.

Now go read Half-life: Full Life Consequences and tell me if FF.Net is so great then.  Obviously Baublitz hasn't yet ventured into the darker depths of that place...

19
Off The Wall / This is Halloween! (With Pics!)
« on: September 07, 2010, 06:57:14 AM »
It's that time of year again!  Or, it will be in a month.  But hey, it's never too early to start getting into the haunted Halloween spirit!  So, got any plans for Halloween?  Anyone start working in their costumes?  Anyone finished with their costumes?  Anyone even planning to wear a costume?  Got a marathon of horror movies planned?  A night of playing ZOMBIES!!! with friends?  Gonna check out local Halloween attractions?

I started my Halloween two weeks ago with the planning and building of a duck tape Xenomorph, then got into the spirit with Horrorfind Weekend 12, held in Gettysburg last weekend.  And... I have pics,  Well, Ashley has pics, as we (Ringman and I) attended it with her family.  



One of the many skulls on a pike in the line for tickets and registration.



Because we thought her hair was cool.



The Chucky doll at the registration.



The littlelest vampire.



A couple of professional cosplayers.  



Death again.



Zombie baby doll.

Now for my costume...  This attracted alot of attention.  I dunno how long I spent posing for pictures that day.





Xeno-gangsta.



Time for a snack!





Mmm... veal.



Hey, I was gonna eat that!

Anywho, that's not even half of the images.  Or the people I posed for and/or with.  Onto some celebrities!



Ashley with Adrienne Barbeau.



Ringman, Ashley's mom, and I with Doug Bradley.



Bruce Campbell!



Bruce Campbell and Dee Wallace Stone.



Me on stage with Bruce Campbell!

Annnd... that's it for now while I clean up some more images and Imageshack decides to behave.

20
Entertainment / Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis? RIP Gary Coleman
« on: May 28, 2010, 11:06:41 PM »
Gary Coleman dies at age 42.

He was one of the last people I would've expected to die this year.  Here's to you, Gary Coleman.  Raise some hell in heaven.


22
Off The Wall / Mafia Boss Uses Crocodile for Extortion
« on: September 25, 2009, 06:53:29 AM »
Read all about it.

I saw that in my local paper today.  Needless to say, that's a pretty creative method of extortion. 

23
Off The Wall / The Truth is Out There
« on: August 27, 2009, 07:54:07 AM »
I want to believe!

Well, technically, I believed even when one image was proven to be a hoax.  But still.  Take THAT all you disbelievers!

24
Fan Creations / Basic Training: Image Tutorials and Drawing Help
« on: May 05, 2009, 09:33:34 AM »
Yep, I'm bringing this topic back.  And I'm kicking it off with the start of a much-requested tutorial! 

It's not the most detailed of tutorials (I have a bigger one planned), but it should help.  For the tutorial, I decided to colour one of Borock's images.  Here it is so far with the skintones coloured.



How did I get to that point, you ask?  I'll tell you how!  Well, I'll at least give you a general idea how as it would be too tedious to go through each and every brush stroke, and a good bit of it was done by futzing around until it looked right.  Futzing is something that can't be taught.  Anywho...



I opened up the image, cleaned the linework a bit, and then made the background into a layer by Right-clicking on it in the Layers pallet and selecting "Layer From Background."  Then, I changed the Blending Modes (indicated in the image) to Multiply.  After that, I made another layer and put it below my linework layer.

That layer became my shading layer.  I decided on a lightsource and shaded it in grey.  I changed the Blending Mode of that layer to Multiply.  Then I made another layer for the colours.



Hide the shading layer.  Then put your base colour on your colour layer.  Labeling your layers may help you keep track of 'em when they get numerous.  I usually don't label mine as I just keep track of what's on what layer by hiding and unhiding it and seeing what colours disappear.

Once you got your base skin colour in, make a new layer.  This will be the first level of your skintones.



Put each shade on its own layer.  If you are unfamiliar with facial shading, references may help.  I usually have at least one or two references up just to make sure I'm getting the shadows right.  Usually two-tone anime and cartoon shading will not require this level of facial shading.  It's more of a personal preference, so shade however your style dictates.



Once you're done with the facial shading, unhide your cast shadow layer.  It will prolly end up being too dark for your liking.  There are several ways to fix this.  You can either go through the blending modes to see which one works best or adjust the opacity.  For this one, I just adjusted the opacity down to around 40%.

Now onto the arms...



For the skintones on the arms, put each shade on its own (or corresponding, as I did) layer.  If you are unfamiliar with anatomy, dig out some references to help you.



This is another personal preference, but I felt that my skintones were too harsh, so I used the Soften Brush set at 30 % and blended the layers.  Then I unhid the cast shadow layer and saved my progress as I was starting to get tired and didn't wanna end up rushing the colouring.  After unhiding the cast shadow layer, I felt that it looked a bit flat, so tomorrow I plan to add to that layer after I colour in the shirt, hair, paddle and such.

But there you go, a basic jist on colouring skintones.  I'm still perfecting my technique, so this definetly will not be a tutorial to end all tutorials.

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Entertainment / Audio Adventures in Time and Space!
« on: March 14, 2009, 04:09:13 AM »

Music is so passé. 

Anywho, this thread is for the discussion and sharing of audio adventures, seeing-ear theatre, theatre of the air, call it what you will.  I've been listening to audio adventures for a while now, as sometimes what's on tv or playing at the movies just doesn't hold my interest.  And my imagination has way better special effects. >>;  So, anyone else listen to audio adventures?  Have any good suggestions for series to listen to?  Interested in audio?

Since I have my file manager sitting open right now, I might as well start sharing what I got.

Dalek Empire I: Invasion of the Daleks

Part one of a really good series.  The Daleks are at their absolute evilest in the series, I've enjoyed it alot.  I'll be posting each episode of the series every Friday.

Halls of Fantasy- The Shadow People

Good creepy story.  It's rather short, too, so it's a good audio to start with.

Doctor Who- Jubilee

Since PB met the Sixth Doctor at the ComicCon, I decided to upload a Sixth Doctor audio episode.  It's a pretty strange episode, one of the more bloodier Doctor Who episodes I've listened to.

Anywho, that should do to start with.  Enjoy!

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