Sponsored Links (which Premium Members will never see):
Your Helpful Thursday guide for today is "How to Put an Item in Your Character's Hand", a question I frequently get from new users. The basic steps are:
Please feel free to ask any questions you like in comments, about this or any other topic.
Comments Off on Hand holding
Posted in HeroMachine 3, Tips & Tricks
People still have a hard time with patterning and masking in HeroMachine 3, so I wanted to take a quick moment to show how to get custom patterns on your items. Also, if you have any questions about anything else HeroMachine related -- like how to get a particular effect, for instance -- just chime in in the comments and either I or one of the other folks here will try to lend a hand.
You can use any item in the program for a pattern, not just the ones in the default Pattern tab. First, pick the item you want to apply the pattern to (a basic male body in this case), then the pattern you want to put onto it. In the sample, I've picked the actual Patterns Standard set.
Next, choose the actual item you want to be the pattern, then color and scale it how you want to be sure it covers everything. Here I had to scale the leopard pattern up quite a bit to cover up to the neckline and feet. I also made the colors somewhat transparent so they'd look more like fur.
Finally, click the pattern item to make sure it's the active one. Next click the Mask tool and then -- and this is important -- click on the item you are trying to apply the pattern to, not the pattern itself. In this case, that means I clicked on the Leopard skin pattern, then clicked Mask, then clicked on the Body.
That's it! You can do this with flags (in the Background-Shapes set) to get a patriotic looking character, or anything else, really.
Feel free to post your "Help!" requests in the comments.
Comments Off on Patterns and Open Help Thread
Posted in HeroMachine 3, Recipes, Tips & Tricks
Many thanks again to Hammerknight for putting together (by request, mind you, how's that for customer service!) this nifty tutorial on how to make custom jester hats with HeroMachine 3. Click on the image to see it at the original, larger, more legible size.
Comments Off on How to make jester hats
Posted in Recipes, Tips & Tricks
Many thanks to Hammerknight for putting together recipe cards for two more poses. Let him know in the comments that you appreciate his work putting these together, and any requests you might have for additional help topics. Click on any one of these to embiggen it.
Comments Off on Hammerknight’s Posing Tips
Posted in Recipes, Tips & Tricks
Many thanks to Hammerknight for putting together another great set of guides to alternate poses with HeroMachine 3.
Enjoy! As always, click on any one of these to see it at a larger, more legible size.
Comments Off on Hammerknight’s Poses 2
Posted in Recipes, Tips & Tricks
By request, Hammerknight is working on some recipe cards for alternate poses in HeroMachine 3. It's turning into a monster so it's taking a bit longer than he thought, but here's a sneak peek at what is coming up hopefully next week. Thanks HK!
Comments Off on Posing preview
Posted in Recipes, Tips & Tricks
Hammerknight has put together a great quick guide to how to properly place hands on your illustrations. HeroMachine 2 didn't let you change anything from the default spots so it wasn't an issue, but with HM3 you can rotate and move and flip the arms and hands however you like, and sometimes that can cause problems. Even we professional illustrators sometimes have to break out a mirror and check out how things are supposed to go, so I am sure you'll find this wonderful guide very handy. Thanks HK!
Comments Off on Hand placement
Posted in Recipes, Tips & Tricks
Hammerknight has put together a very comprehensive and enlightening guide to assembling group shots of your characters using photo editing software. It's good stuff, many thanks to him for undertaking it!
Comments Off on Group shots
Posted in Recipes, Tips & Tricks
I have to confess I don't know what a Chibi is, but luckily for you, Hammerknight does! And he's put together this very cool set of recipes for how to make your own with HeroMachine 3. Another masterful job by the Master Chef, thanks HK. Click on any page to see it in a larger, more legible size.
Comments Off on Recipes: Chibis!
Posted in Recipes, Tips & Tricks
Many thanks to Hammerknight for another excellent recipe for building your own custom helmets in HeroMachine 3. Great work as always, HK! Click on an image to see it in a larger, more legible size.
Comments Off on Bringing it to a head
Posted in Recipes, Tips & Tricks
Three middle-aged nerds (including yours truly!) review all of the MCU movies in chronological order. Short, funny, and full of good vibes, check it out and let us know what you think!
Nerdmudgeon.com