Hey folks,

I've had some ideas about what to maybe do in this forum but I'd appreciate hearing from y'all. What can I do to make this place more useful/interesting/entertaining to you?

I was thinking of initiating a 'Challenge' thread, where I might toss out elements for folks to use in an illustration or short fiction piece, or perhaps a reference picture for people to work from for practice? I'd like to do some tutorials but have found it difficult to pull my time together to work on, I'm afraid, so some direction will help me priortize my efforts to improve things around here. Any questions on art history I could try to answer?

As your mod, I welcome your feedback.

Later

The challenges might be an idea, depending how you do it. To really comment on it, I think I'd need more of an idea of what you mean. I'd be up for it, anyway.

The challenges wouldn't be a competitive thing other than challenging your own creativity. Do a piece around a theme or imagery or topic. I'm thinking monthly themes and folks can contribute as many as they wish. I've participated in this in other boards that have had themes based on comics or celebrities to caricature.

Thoughts?

Actually I think a LITTLE bit of competitiveness wouldn't be a bad thing. heheheh Might get people a little more interested (we've got a few competitive folks here... hehehe)

Might consider two a month.... One as a competitive thing, the other as a more 'learning' idea. Everyone could vote on the competitive one (poll idea, and I would be willing to give you any help you needed in this if you'd like), and the other being more of you (and any of the other fine folks that are good at this kind of thing... Yeah, I'm excluding myself here... heheheh) giving advice and critiques... Rather like you're helping me with my comic drawing: giving tips on how to make this or that better.

Maybe also a drawing tip of the week? Not so much a tutorial, but 'Hey, did you know photoshop did this?' or 'Found a really nice tutorial here' type thing.

Just an idea. I know that I have a heck of a time trying to figure out how to do the things I really want to learn.

Maybe you could do something like this: Two people are matched up at a time, they each make a drawing making fun of the other person (all in good humor, nothing flame-like) with a poll to decide who wins.

I like Caffeine's idea.
additionaly, for those that are not artisticly inclined, prehaps a "Write Off"
The 2wo compeditors are given a theme, setting, prop item, or place and asked to write a short story or naritive. a vote is cast and points are awarded.
Extra points are awarded if a drawing is included (must be from either of the compeditors, cant be riped from another artist on the web) but the drawing isn't compusary.

Winner is the most, creative, imangitive and origional.

spelling would be a plus, considering mine is shocking

what do you think ?

I would like to see tips, especially motivational tips.

Of course.

this IS a place of learning and .....uh...stuff..

Mostly stuff

Thanks for taking the time, one and all.

Life as a freelancer tends to be a bit erratic, but I have read your suggestions and will try to explore these ideas (and any others) as soon as time permits

Motivational tip #1: NO EXCUSES!! DO IT!



Later!

Yes master ! By next sunday I shall have drawn some stairs !

I haven't been here in a looooooooooooong while!

I'd like the tutorials back!

And maybe I could find the time to do some more maps, remember those?

I love tutorials. Especially step-by-step ones.

Also, threads like "Here's a ________, post something you've created similar to this"

Information on how to access tools to draw with while online would be cool too, for those with limited software (ie only Paint..ugh).

Or contests using specific types of software so as to keep the playing field even.

Bleh... feeling so guilty for not posting sooner

I like the idea of challenges, though Kat makes a good point of having a little bit of competition to make things interesting. Perhaps do something simple, like "Last month's winner gets to choose next month's theme" for example.

A "tips and tricks" section might be fun, too - doesn't have to be much, maybe a new one every 2 weeks or so and then leave people to post their own examples of themselves using it.

Having said that, and having looked at some of the work being put up here, the Tips 'n' Tricks might not be needed!

I hate competition. Competition makes Some Guy sad.

When someone just posts something that utterly massacres anything I've done, it only kind of bugs me. In competition it's much worse.

I'm starting to like this forum.
Remember my tribal wolf avvi? Done by my own hand. Might give it another spin sometimes... but untill then... I'll need to (re)find some creativity.

I know some neat tricks, seriously...

i would like to see, and post short stories, collaborate with others on stories. poetry, songs.
but due to my paranoia of copyright crap im am hesitant.
i trust you guys, not the rest of the world

I have a suggestion, just for your consideration.

I used to be a part of this other board LONG ago, where a lot of artists hung out. We had a thing...I can't remember what it was called, but the basic idea was that anyone who wanted to put their name on the list and two or three times a month the mod would randomly pick two names, and those two members had to draw something for each other. It was pretty amusing sometimes.

I like that idea, however I would modify that by saying creation potentially using mix media

-J

The LOTTERY. That's what it was called. It was driving me nuts trying to remember. We called it the lottery because if you got picked, you "won" a prize from another member, and had a motivational kick in the pants to do the same, all at once.

I agree with you though, Solar. The board I was at was strickly drawing-type artists, but since this place is a mixture, it would make better sense to say "creation" depending on what kind of art you yourself make.

I personally think this would be an awesome idea. I visit LICD at least twice a week for a good laugh, and I would certainly enjoy challenges issued by such an AWESOMELY TALENTED dude such as the, Lartist.
Don't have a scanner, but I would definitely practice drawing off anything you offered as a teaching tool. Just my thoughts. ^^

Peace.

That's a good idea! i'm all for it as well

GS*

Silly suggestion, but I'd like to see more LICD themed graphics for the forum, such as emoticons, buttons, display icons for forums that have no new posts and forums that do, threads that have no new posts and threads that do. Theme this place to look very LICD... It seems kind of generic in its look. I'd be willing to do it, as I've done lots of those kinds of graphics for forums before - that and I like to see animated graphics.

For instance, instead of seeing the icon when there are new posts in a forum, you'd see when there are new posts in that particular forum and instead of when there are no new posts, you would see when there are no new posts in that forum. Makes it look a little less generic. Of course, there could be different characters portraits for different color schemes and themes and such, but that's something that would have to be decided upon. I just wanted to give you a couple of examples of what I'm talking about.

I think that's a very cool idea. However, I'm not the guy you need to mention it to Sohmer is in charge of the website. I'd suggest you PM him with your examples. The next couple weeks are nuts though, with Blind Ferret managing the CAD lan convention next weekend, so don't be hurt if you don't hear from him promptly.

Thanks for idea though. I think it's great I'll be sure to follow up with Sohmer about it.

Later!

Thanks, Lar.

It's all a question of timing of course. I zapped Sohmer your link and he agreed it's something he's been meaning to work on - making the forums look less generic. There's just been so much the past few months and it's impossible to do everything all at once of course.

Anyhow, kudos to you for stepping up and hopefully it's something that can be started in a few weeks. Right now we're working flat out to get the LICD animation rolling. I've been drawing backgrounds and graphic 'props' (I'm not sure how else to describe the elements) for the animation company all weekend and I feel like someone has been beating me with a stick.

But it's a good stick You guys are gonna love it.

Later!

I'm very excited about it, Lar. (The animation, that is.)

On the forum look, if I got the go ahead to make some graphics, I most certainly would. Of course, having permission from the artist helps, and if you've got any artwork you'd like to see incorporated into the design, I'd be happy to oblige... Something about elements was mentioned earlier... That could be very useful. I'd try to keep animations to a minimum to cut down on loading times, but I'd like to do some if I had my way. Let me know what you think and I'll work something up for you. By the way, I've been an administrator on an IPB forum before, so I know a little about playing around with themes. I'm not saying that I want access, but if y'all were willing, I could see if I could come up with some themes for you to put on this site. Maybe a Rayne theme, a Cyndi (gotta appease Cybercat) theme, etc...

I like the way you think

Hey Every one Isa New here

I would Like World Peace.

I have an idea that might get the challenge thing going. Maybe hold a weekly challenge where people enter one drawing/writing/whatever based around whatever topic chose for that week. The winner of the challenge gets to pick the next weeks challenge topic. I've seen this done on several other forums and it always works out well.

Oh and Lar could be the judge or some other people that would like to be.

How about this: A Variety of topics each week for each style of art.
Each art would have the same topics, but you could pick between 5 themes and add your own personal style to it.
Best Piece in each genre gets some sort of random reward I suppose.

Here's an idea.

How about a "step by step" how LICD get's created.

From how it get's written, to the art draft work, to the creation and the putting on the web.

It's a lot to ask, I know.

But after reading "Webcomics: Tools and Techniques for Digital Cartooning by Steven Withrow and John Barber" I just like knowing how people get such great art (yeah... I consider comics art... I am such a fanboy) online.

If there was a "How Sohmer and Lar creates LICD" book... I would own it right now.


Dont look at me funny for asking such things... You guys teased us with the YouTube video... It's your fault.


Bassien
www.bassblog.net

Lar, when I was an active member of the Sinfest forums, I ran a coloring contest there that was very popular for more than three years. Some of you might remember me posting a strip that I colored asking for advice. I think something like that might go over very, very well here. Having a monthly coloring contest might give those people who are not necessarily so creative with their drawings or confident in their ability to create a collage or background based on elements that you give us an opportunity to do something artistic with art from someone that they greatly admire. Heck, if you see something that someone does that you like, you might ask them how they did it - and that's not just you asking us, that could be us asking you as well.

Maybe that's a viable idea.

Bodhi I like your swager!

I 2nd the coloring contest!!

-J

Go for colouring in! Then I can send it into highschools everywhere hehehe

I'm not much for competition either since there's always a chance that it may breed bitterness between forumites.

Maybe we can have something that would encourage everyone to draw, write, etc. Or, to take cues from the 100 theme challenge, we can have different topics open with certain themes (ex, at topic with the heading Urban) and forumites can go out and create/take/write something that would fall under the said topics.

I'm not sure what the motivation would be but I think, if people participate, it would be interesting to see how different people would interpret different themes.

If you'll notice, that idea didn't *quite* take off; however, I think that a contest in this forum wouldn't breed bitterness. We are all pretty good friends here, and if we aren't we usually respect each other.

I would love a contest of some sort to be held in this forum. It would be fun.

Contests are fun, and we are grownups, so we should just get over it.

Beh, I thought of washing out some strips and seeing how that goes...

Mael

Anything that involves drawing contests makes me happy.
Anything that gives incentive to draw does... really.

I must say I never find a visit to this art forum to be unentertaining.

I realize it's been a long time since anyone posted on this topic, but I'd be up for just about anything to see some other artist's work as well as getting feedback on any of mine. I'm a fan of the lottery idea, it get's us working as a community while not directly competing, since I'm sure we all know we're at different artistic ability levels.

Give me a heads up, I'll have access to a scanner/programs when I get back in the states at the end of this month, but I can start drawing ASAP.

Lets show the LICD cast what we got!

Not entirely a 'what I want' but ... any chance you could do some 1920x1200 desktop wallpapers? At least on my sites it looks like there are almost equal hits between 1600x1200 and 1920x1200.

- Solo

Honest brutal feedback on my art.

1. more people in the art forums

2. a tutorial on feet!!!! feet in different positions! shoes!

that kind of thing!

1. I'm here! XD

2. That WOULD be handy. I'm having a bit o' trouble rendering line-art feet and shoes as well.

3. Adding my own here, I'd like to see something specifically on photoshop. You old YouTube video is very helpful, and got me going myself. I'm now waiting on a 12x19 Wacom for me to start my own comic in earnest, but it'd be nice to see a bit more of how you draft and the way you use layers and such. Everyone seems to be a little different.

haha yay someone else on here...

I don't post nearly as much as I would otherwise I start feeling like I'm spamming the boards... *gleep*

but yes. Feet can be annoying. particularly feet straight on. Side views are easier to figure out, but showing a foot facing the front, especially in shoes, is difficult. (I'd say pretty on par with hands)