NonieR

I was never much of an artist even before I developed hand tremors (I'm hypothyroid and 58), but I've always loved art, especially comic-book art and Art Nouveau.

As a gamer of the old school - people around a table with dice and character sheets - I've always loved creating pictures of the characters and villains.

But even before the tremors, I had trouble with poses and proportions, so I'd usually xerox from my favorite comics artists and work from there. One figure's head, another's upper torso, a third's right hand, a fourth's lower body, all customized for age and race and gender and given new clothes and weapons.

And yes, they've always been for private use only. No publishing, no selling, no posting online.

These days, with the hand tremors, it's even harder, so I may occasionally ask DevArt artists here if I may borrow a copy of their posted work for the same purpose.

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When I'm not here, I'm probably hanging out at Ten Ton Studios (www.tentonstudios.com/forum/in…), especially the weekly sketch challenges. To my surprise, even some pro artist find my occasional crits useful.

Art preferences: I enjoy some anime, but am old enough I didn't grow up on it, and therefore still prefer a more standard comics style rather than manga or goofy or fully painted. 'S not a value judgement, just personal taste.

Some favorite artists:

Ed Benes
Frank Miller - ever since early Daredevil
Jim Lee
Steve Dillon (even if everybody looks alike)
Tony Daniel
Robert Atkins (though I'm not otherwise a GI Joe fan)
Mukesh Singh (Gamekeeper, yum!)
Terry Dodson
Silvestri, often
John Byrne for conveying HUGENESS in bases, monsters, etc.
Greg Land's got his moments, but he's just too slick
And I've enjoyed the less ridiculous bits of Liefeld, so there.

So yes, I'm predictable; I like fairly pleasant-looking art rather than blobby, too-cute, badly rendered, or grimy enough that I wanna wash my eyes. Yes, those are all great art too - for someone else to enjoy.

I do enjoy erotic art now and then, but not the ridiculously overbuilt nor the deliberately humiliating. No three-foot dicks or basketball-sized breasts, no deliberately grotesque or insulting stereotypes, and (I know this is an odd one) no explicit rape or torture that isn't in based on both characters' personalities AND their relationship.

Yes, Wesker might do something pretty nasty to Jill, and they both know it. Gives me the creeps, but it's valid to me in a way that, say, having Lobo rape Jubilee or Donald Duck or Aunt May isn't. Ditto for, say, Bane taking out his old prison habits on any of the Bats, but not the Scarlet Witch, Archie, or anyone at all from the Little Mermaid. (No, not even Lumiere.)

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And in any kinda art, I REALLY love a good parody--not the generic caricatures of classic Mad magazine, but ones that really match the style of the original.

Which is one reason I'm so fond of the Ten Ton Sketch Challenges; among all the serious versions of a character, you can suddenly run into Khoi Pham's Big Barda in bunny slippers finding out that her armor shrank in the laundry. And if you're a little tired of the Watchmen, Jeremy Freeman drew them as Muppets. And how about mmmmmpig's Taskmaster perfectly mimicking the skills of...Fred Astaire? GWAH!

--Nonie, having the time of her life

Current Residence: Iowa City, USA
deviantWEAR sizing preference: 2X
Favourite genre of music: Sea chanteys, Celtic and traditional folk
Favourite style of art: Comics, preferably modern
Operating System: The human mind <g>
Favourite cartoon character: Porky Pine from Pogo, or Samurai Cat
Personal Quote: "This sentence no brain"