h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello.

I'd like to apply to be a community artist.
For evidence of my artistic ability see my web page:

http://www.memcculloch.btinternet.co.uk/

Thanks.
Mike

Hi Mike

Thanks for volunteering . I really enjoyed having a look at the pictures on your website .

I see you've already figured out GuideML and how pictures are displayed on h2g2. If you haven't already done so, you might take a look at how h2g2 looks in the different skins: Alabaster, Brunel, Classic (aka Goo) and Plain. You can either change your preference settings or just edit the URL in the address bar.

Someone will be along shortly with the test.



Amy

Hi Mike

I'm back with the test .

Thanks for volunteering to be a Community Artist.

To join this volunteer scheme there is an art test. This is because the standard of Edited Entries on h2g2 is very high, and the Editors would like the illustrations to match this.

Two random Edited Entries have been picked using the Infinite Improbability Drive. You are asked to do a picture for each of them. You can look in the GuideML-PictureLibrary for the kind of graphics used in the past, use the entry for inspiration, and use the internet for research, but make sure that you follow the specifications that you can find on the <./>CommunityArtists-What</.> page.

Please produce just the main image for each title. For this test each image must be rectangular, not more than 200 pixels wide and have a black border that is one pixel thick.

Once the graphics are done, let the Editors know by Posting to this thread. The details for sending them into h2g2 will then be given to you.

If your pictures meet the Editorial standards then not only will you become a Community Artist but your test pictures will be blobbed and added to the entries.

Your entries are:
A1075547 Understeer and Oversteer - Identification and Solution
A871968 - SPAM - the Food

Feel free to ask questions and good luck.

NB: The same rules of copyright apply to images as to text. If you are in any doubt as to what this means, please ask. Also, the Editors do not want to see photographic manipulations or montages.



Amy

Hi Mike

How are the test pieces progressing? Can we help at all?

Hello Amy the Ant.
I've been tied up with a lot of travelling recently. However,
I've just bought Paint Shop Pro, which may help, and I will
try to have a go at the test over the weekend.
Mike

Welcome back from your travels. PaintShopPro is just the ticket.

Hello Amy the Ant,

I have drawn some pictures representing:
understeer, oversteer and spam the food.
They are on my website:

http://www.memcculloch.btinternet.co.uk/

Please click on the H2G2 section at the bottom.
Let me know what you think!

Mike

Hi Mike

You have been having fun!

Unfortunately we're not after animations - they're too difficult to bring in line with the BBC's requirements. I know there are some in the library but they're from olden times. However, the third frame of the understeer picture would be just the ticket if you tidied up the drawing of the car and the person a little .

I don't know whether you were planning to do any more to the spam picture. If the can of spam were to appear in a wider scene - say, a kitchen table laden with other goodies - you'd get away with it as fair use but by itself it's a copyright risk. Compositionally, the picture has too much background space and they're empty calories - just black, which isn't a great use of bandwidth. Actually, black is a tricky colour for h2g2 graphics because they have to look good on the goo blue background of the Classic skin (see Preferences). We do use black from time to time but really only when there's a good reason eg space scenes, theatrical subjects, etc.

What method are you using to create your pictures? How big a canvas are you using for the initial drawing? In general, for raster techniques, making the initial drawing at three times the final size reduces wobbliness.

Amy