Continuing our "Alliteration Theme", this week's "Power User Profile" features that master bug-hunter extraordinaire and expert Open Critique Day critiquer, Panner!
- A photo (or drawing) of you in "real life": They say all artists must do at least one self-portrait in their life. Might as well get that done.
(Click to embiggen.) - Online name used in HeroMachine environs: Panner
- Real name: Bob
- Real city/state/country: Sweden
- Real job: Machine maintenance
- Real age:25
- Gender: Male
- Married/single: Single
- Online archive of your creations (if any): http://forums.ugo.com/showthread.php?t=41848
- The best piece of HeroMachine art you've created: Without the slightest hint of doubt, I have absolutely no idea.
- Favorite all-time geeky movie if any: This is a tough one. I'll go with Terminator 2, that movie kicks ass.
- Favorite all-time geeky book if any: Does Mathematics Handbook (Råde/Westergren) count as geeky? Yeah, I thought so. It's been very long since last time I read a novel.
- Favorite all-time geeky TV show if any: There are many TV shows I've enjoyed, like X-files, Twilight Zone, Buffy and Star Trek (at least the good episodes). But to be perfectly frank, the ones I appreciate the most are the more educational ones, like Survivorman, Mythbusters or Carl Sagan's Cosmos.
- Favorite all-time comic book character if any: I haven't read enough comics to form an opinion.
- If you could have one super-heroic power in real life, you'd choose: Definitely time travel, to learn and document how it actually works. While that sounds all scientific and everything, rest assured I would abuse it to its fullest potential. In fact, in any scenario where I have that kind of power, I would likely be the villain and not the hero. Oh well.
- In your leisure time you like to: I like pen and paper RPGS, but that doesn't happen a lot these days. I've tried substituting MMORPGs, with varying degrees of success. Usually I just end up playing Minecraft instead. For some unexplicable reason I enjoy cooking moderately advanced dishes, though only if I'm having company. If I'm alone I could eat cardboard with ketchup for all I care.
- Character design turn-ons (things you love to see that make for a good design): A good color scheme and composition where the colors bring out the important parts. Unusual poses and other things I haven't seen before. Character interacting with the environment. Last but definitely not least - gradients, they are a really easy way of giving a character depth.
- Character design turn-offs (things you hate to see that make for a bad design): Having a character stand around with closed fists for no reason - it doesn't look natural and it's better to use relaxed hands, hands in pockets, crossed arms, etc. Another thing is not using enough items. A character can be made much more interesting by adding shoulderpads, belt, insignia(s), bracers, kneepads and so on. I heard some famous artist had a habit of adding pouches everywhere and on everyone, so what could go wrong?
- Best tip for a HeroMachine newbie: Start using masking as soon as possible. Masking allows you to draw only a select part of an item by masking to for instance an insignia. Remember that while each item can be masked upon only once, nothing is preventing you from placing several duplicates.
- Any personal message you'd like to share with the HeroMachine community about Geek Life: That tagline for Heromachine - "...even if you can't draw a straight line" - that's me. I had zero interest in art before I found this site. Now, I very recently worked at a local library, and I always stayed several hours after work reading the 'How to draw' books and taking notes. This place has changed me, and I'm most grateful to everyone that contributes to it.
Oh, and call your mom today and ask how everything's going. She'll appreciate it.
