Author Archives: AFDStudios

Character Design Challenge 105 Results

Posted on November 19, 2012 | Comments Off on Character Design Challenge 105 Results

Many thanks to everyone who took up the "Randomizer" Challenge last week. Here are some of my personal favorites:

These are all great. RobM's "All Signs Point to Annihilation" makes me chuckle every time I look at it. Jack Zelger's "sliced in half chopper" is also really smart, and not an effect I've seen before. I think djuby's "robot fish" is a brilliant stylistic illustration that achieves a very distinctive (and cool!) look.

But they're all good!

Still, I promise to pick just one each week as my personal favorite. And this week, hard as it is, I am going with Headlessgeneral's "Bomb Beast". I think it's not only a nice illustration but something that I could totally see in the pages of "Invincible".

Thanks again to everyone who entered. There's no contest this week as I'm technically on vacation, but don't let that stop you from creating your own just for fun.

Have a good week!

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Posted in Challenge Favorites

Vacation Open Thread 1

Posted on November 19, 2012 | Comments Off on Vacation Open Thread 1

This is your daily open thread, talk about whatever you like, of course keeping it clean and friendly.

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Posted in Meta, Open threads

META: Blog Vacation

Posted on November 18, 2012 | Comments Off on META: Blog Vacation

I'm taking the week of (United States) Thanksgiving off from work, and so I am also going to put the blog on hiatus once the contest results are up tomorrow. You may see some comics reviews from McKnight57, and I'll still be putting up my 30 Characters Challenge entries, but nothing else except a daily Open Thread for anyone who wants to talk about whatever.

I'll be back and at it next Monday, though. Thanks for your patience and understanding!

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Posted in Meta

Pop Quiz 36 Results

Posted on November 18, 2012 | Comments Off on Pop Quiz 36 Results

We had a lot of great entries for the last Pop Quiz, which I appreciated because I was feeling pretty low today. Hopefully these will give you a pick-me-up, too!

It's hard to pick just one of these stellar illustrations, a lot of them really caught my eye. Keith Kanin, Atomic Punk, Keric, Krivalis, Dionne Jinn, Vampyrist, and Worf all gave me a run for the money, where "money" represents no actual money. Ultimately I am going to go for Keric's cycle:

The main reason is the very clever use of the flames as wheel guards. Plus the overall lines are cool, for a vehicle that looks genuinely fun to ride.

Great job, everyone!

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Posted in Challenge Favorites

30 Characters Challenge #18: Wikkan and the Blog Street Irregulars

Posted on November 18, 2012 | Comments Off on 30 Characters Challenge #18: Wikkan and the Blog Street Irregulars

Wikkan understands that the "natural" world includes humans and their creations just as much as trees, the sun, or the moon. Through her Art she can learn everything about her surroundings, how they came to be, who interacted with it, what happened at a particular location. Like a walking encyclopedia working through mystical instead of digital media, and supported by her friends the Blog Street Irregulars, she does her best to right wrongs and bring balance to the world.

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Posted in 30 Characters Challenge, Sketch of the Day

#17 Captain Kirby Jenks of the Krackellian Star Patrol

Posted on November 17, 2012 | Comments Off on #17 Captain Kirby Jenks of the Krackellian Star Patrol

Get it? Kirby Krackle?!

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Posted in 30 Characters Challenge, Sketch of the Day

Pop Quiz: Vehicle

Posted on November 17, 2012 | Comments Off on Pop Quiz: Vehicle

Your one-day challenge this week is:

Make a vehicle in HeroMachine 3!

You can do a car or a plane or a train or a space ship or a ridable robot or whatever, so long as it's something people can ride in or on.

You only get one entry -- that's right, just one! So make it your best. Most of the other rules are the same as for a regular challenge, but instead of a whole week I'll announce my favorites some time tomorrow. Here's how to make an entry:


(Click to embiggen.)

I'll pick one entry as my personal favorite, which will get to be featured in the side bar to the right for ultimate glory! As a bonus you're allowed to say you won the Internet for a few days.

Good luck!

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Posted in Challenges, Pop Quiz

Guys, you’re under water — you can just SWIM over the walls

Posted on November 17, 2012 | Comments Off on Guys, you’re under water — you can just SWIM over the walls

(From "Spotlight Comics" number 2, 1945.)

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Posted in Daily Random Panel

30 Characters Challenge #16: Captain S’Jenes

Posted on November 16, 2012 | Comments Off on 30 Characters Challenge #16: Captain S’Jenes

Starfleet Science Vessel Captain S'Jenes has a problem: He knows dragons and mythical creatures are not real. And yet, he sees them when no one else can. Logically he must be hallucinating, but there is no medical or psychological evidence for that hypothesis. Other than, you know, the fact that he can see the little buggers.

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Posted in 30 Characters Challenge, Sketch of the Day

Open Critique Day #50

Posted on November 16, 2012 | Comments Off on Open Critique Day #50


Wow, we've done fifty of these! Unreal.

My full-time (non-HeroMachine) job might keep me from actually getting to these before this evening, but it's time for another Open Critique Day!

If you have a HeroMachine illustration or another piece of artwork you've done that you'd like some help with, post a link to it in comments along with your thoughts on it -- what you think is working, what you're struggling with, etc. I will post my critique of the piece, hopefully giving some tips on how to improve it.

Of course everyone is welcome to post their critiques as well, keeping in mind the following guidelines:

  • Make sure your criticism is constructive. Just saying "This sucks" is both rude and unhelpful without giving specific reasons why you think it sucks and, ideally, some advice on how to make it better.
  • Each person should only post one illustration for critique to make sure everyone who wants feedback has a chance.
  • I will not critique characters entered in any currently running contest, as that doesn't seem fair to the other entrants. You can still post it if you like for the other visitors to critique, but I will not do so.

That's it! Hopefully we can get some good interaction going here and help everyone (me included!) learn a little bit today.

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Posted in Open Critique Day