Open source Super archetype

It is very rough and not the greatest, but here's a general idea for his costume.

That looks great. Very evocative of Supes yet sufficiently distinct and modern to be recognized as unique. When we finish up Astro-Man, should I post him on PDSH wiki?

~~Yzz

@Yzz: Thanks. This is just a rough draft, I was hoping to have a better sketch posted. Let me do another one that I know will be far better than this one. It should be ready by Friday but I at least wanted to post the basic design.

When I finish the Astro-Man sketch, and if everyone is in agreement, we post it on PDSH Wiki. That is what I was thinking would happen.

Great job Phantom!

I do think we should post him on PDSH. Once we get some paneled stories (and a proper first appearance), I'll do original art, and post a profile on Free Universe as well.

While Phantom is working on his next sketch, I'll experiment coloring him with a few different color schemes, and I'll post them so you guys can vote on which is the best color scheme to go with.

I like the design a lot, I just wonder if the hair makes him look rather meek. Also, he doesn't seem to have the physique of the classic Superman type her, he looks a lot slimmer, like the Flash. This isn't necessarily an issue, just something I thought worth comment. Maybe the mask could be a little thicker too, around the eyes. To me there appears to be too much skin between the eyes and the mask in the eyeholes. So only minor suggestions really, cause it looks great.

@Vagrant: I purposely drew his hair somewhat thinner and not quite as thick. It was agreed to make this version of Astro-Man of Asian heritage. Many people of Asian heritage have dark yet wispy hair. That is the style I chose here.

Regarding his physique, that was purposeful although I now notice I need to make his legs more muscular. See, I wanted to show his Asian heritage, and I tried that by not making him too big but a bit more slender. Also, we agreed he would probably be a scientist in his civvy identity, so I also built off that foundation. His power source will make him more muscular, though, so I think for the next sketch I will draw him a bit more muscular. I also drew his face a bit rounder due to his ethnic heritage, but I will add a bit more squareness in the next sketch. The mask I will work on.

Again, like I said, this is a rough draft. I had hoped to have a finished sketch by now and said I'd have one posted but plans didn't work out that way. So please be patient with me as I will provide a far better sketch by July 15th.

I don't know how much in terms of sequential art I can provide due to supplies and time, but I may try to do something. If I can't maybe someone else can but at the very least we got something started and by July 15th we should have a finished look for.....ASTRO-MAN!!

Alright, here are twelve color variations for Astro-Man. I propose we handle this like we did with the name, and each of us, pick our top three favorite color schemes (conveniently labeled with descriptive names). The most commonly liked color scheme wins.

My picks are The Superman (obvious reasons), The Ultraman (looks modern and unique) and The Kobe Bryant (dark purple with yellow accents reminds me of the night sky, which is appropriate for "Astro-Man."

If anyone else wants to propose color schemes, go for it, but I think I got the best ones. Green just doesn't seem right for a guy named "Astro" and I don't think lighter uniforms with darker capes and gloves look that good. But let me know if you have a better idea.

Also, keep in mind that the boots would be the same color as the gloves and belt, and the mask would be the same color as the body suit, except when the character is wearing red gloves.





Regarding Vagrant's comments, the mask should be a little thicker, and I think his legs could be more muscular, but I wouldn't go much bigger on the upper body, because his upper body is not that slender. If he were a real person, he'd be bigger than Arnold in his prime.

I vote the Yzz (^_^), the Ultraman, and the entire last row (I really like purple).

~~Yzz

Wow, Argosail. Did you use Photoshop to color? All the colors are great on my very rough draft.

Funny thing is, the first one that I selected was also the "Yzz" Christmas colors of red and green.

Here are the 3 I think are great:

1. The red and green "Yzz Christmas-man".

2. The red and yellow "Hyperion".

3. The "Hellion" purple and red.

Yes, I used photoshop. Great results in a relatively short amount of time (although this took me about 2 hours).

So we've got 2 for the Yzz, 2 for the Ultraman, 1.5 for the Hellion, 1.5 for the Kobe Bryant. We're going to need some tie breakers from Vagrant and anyone else who wants to jump in.

I think green tends to be a symbol of nature and life on earth. The name Astro seems to imply something from beyond the earth...something from the sky/cosmos. That's why I didn't do more green designs.

I'd also say that I favor a brightly colored "A" (white or yellow) so that artists can give it that cool "glow" effect which so effectively gives you a sense that energy is coursing through a character (especially when they are pissed and energized). Darker colors don't work as well for that. I want that awesome moment when the bad guy looks into the darkness and just sees that glowing hero symbol waiting for them.

My vote goes to the Kobe Bryant. If I voted for 3 we'd just end with another tie, so that's my single favourite. The Ultraman is also nice but lacks that "four-colour" punch that I love about Golden Age comics, and grey is just not particularly striking unless done right.

I do agree with you Vagrant, about the need for a punchy color, and Yzz does like Purple. Plus, I don't think there are too many comic characters with that color combination.

Okay, we don't have too many other regulars on these boards, but why don't we give it until the weekend to see if anyone else has strong opinions (like UltimoSteve). At that point, we'll make it official and I'll do colors for Phantom's final draft.

Not entirely certain if this is good enough, but for now I hope it works. I realize I didn't do a full body sketch of Astro-Man which shows his legs but I may do another one soon.

This is for purposes of establishing a general look for Astro-Man but I do hope to have yet a better sketch.

Here we go:

Looks good.

~~Yzz

Looks great! I'll work on coloring it this weekend. Just bought a fresh pack of crayons!

I like the the mask from the the first drawing better. The mask on this second drawing makes him look too much like Robin to me, at least when focusing on the head.

My picks for color-scheme:
1- "The Batman", which doesn't really remind of Batman all that much, although I'll acknowledge the fact that drawing a mostly black costumed-character flying through space would create a slight challenge for an artist.
2- "The Ultraman" - The more I look at it, the more I like it, although it does sort of remind me of Liefeld's Supreme character.
3- "Captain Manhattan" - I just like this color combination and can't think of many characters that go with purple & orange.

For a "Super Archetype", I don't think orange, yellow or green as the main color is a good choice, and purple & yellow ... it's not a weak combination but it doesn't come across to me as being a "strong" or "super" combination, either. Personally, I think it would be a good idea to stear clear of blue as the main color to help keep Astro-Man from being perceived as a Superman-clone, visually speaking. Light blue could work for me, but not with yellow as the main secondary color (maybe purple or orange for the gloves/boots/cape, with yellow remaining for the "A" & belt?).

Okay bchat, your vote technically puts the Ultraman on top with 4 votes out of 5 voters. However, you and Vagrant have both made valid points against that particular color combination. So, now that we've narrowed it down, let's see what everyone thinks about our final options.

Option 1 - Ultraman (red, white and gray)
Option 2 - Kobe Bryant (purple and yellow)
Option 3 - Compromise Option (I'm thinking of a new combination that is a compromise between the Kobe and the Manhattan and the Hellion...cape and boots all reddish orange (vermillion), except the glowing white/yellow "A"...because everyone seems to like at least one of the purple options)

So, if you guys aren't bored of debating colors yet, I'd ask everyone to weigh in on their top pick out of those three options.

OK, I guess the red and green may be out. Initially I liked it, guess because it is different but in terms of something "cosmic" or "astro", I can see where those colors won't covey that, so--*sigh* (joke) I have to agree with Argosail about that point. No, that's fine, it is a very good point.

I will just say the "Kobe Bryant" purple and yellow combo.

I vote for the compromise option.

...But Astro-Man will always be green and red in my fiction .

~~Yzz

That's the beauty of an open source character Yzz, we're all free to create our own version of him. We're just trying to brainstorm and lay down some ideas on what the official "community" version will be like.

Alright, got some colors for you. I think I really do prefer the purple and gold look myself, but I did the orange too. Let me know what you guys think.

I'm leaning toward the orange accessories with the white emblem.

~~Yzz

Both are excellent. You took my crappy sketches and made them look great. Nice job.

My vote is for the purple and yellow, the first one.

Maybe it should remain black and white, don't know if we'll ever settle on one. I still want to do one FINAL sketch that is better than these, these are not all that good.

Hi guys....just noticed this thread....sounds fun.
I know I'm a newcomer here, so I'm not trying to step on anyones toes...but I did a sketch just for the heck of it while I had some free time...

So...here's my version of Astro-Man.

dann

That is awesome

~~Yzz