OSNews: http://www.osnews.com/story/19353/Handwriting Exploring the Future of Computing en-us Copyright 2001-2013, David Adams adam+nospam@osnews.com Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:32:43 GMT http://www.osnews.com/images/osnews.gif OSNews.com http://www.osnews.com Fun http://www.osnews.com/thread?301266 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301266 I must say, it's fun to see you exploring this new creative medium here on OSNews. (I mean that sincerely.)

But... now the rest of the drawing looks really sucky next to the cool handwriting font.

As someone whose drawing skills are even worse than yours... I'm anxiously awaiting the solution to *that* problem. ;-)

Pull this off, and there's hope for *all* of us! Sun, 17 Feb 2008 19:40:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (sbergman27) Comments RE: Fun http://www.osnews.com/thread?301270 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301270 Well, the new font was a necessity (not just for readability, but also it was a pain to write in a sensible way, that made everything fit and such). The drawings are crappy because, well, I simply can't do better, and there's little I can do to improve this. I see it as a limitation I need to work around.

Another limitation is not having the ability to draw humans. I can't do stick figures since that would be taken quite clearly from xkcd and C&H.

I'm pondering how to solve this issue. My bestest best friend has a really simple and elegant style in drawing humans (a style I can easily recreate) but I'm fairly sure she based it on her favourite comic, so I'm not sure I can use it.

Who knows. Sun, 17 Feb 2008 20:09:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Thom_Holwerda) Comments RE[2]: Fun http://www.osnews.com/thread?301271 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301271 Instead of 'working around' your 'sucky drawing', why not try to work with it, and make it a trademark of your comics? Creating your own style generally sets you away from the rest of the crowd. (Take xkcd with its stick figures, for instance.)

As for the people, you'll have to work them into the above.

Good luck with it all. Sun, 17 Feb 2008 20:23:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Alboin) Comments RE[3]: Fun http://www.osnews.com/thread?301274 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301274 With 'working around' I mean that I need to be creative in order to be able to convey as much meaning with drawings as people who can draw can.

Get it? ;) . Sun, 17 Feb 2008 20:31:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Thom_Holwerda) Comments RE[2]: Fun http://www.osnews.com/thread?301284 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301284 If you just tried using Inkscape, most of your drawings are probably easier to create with Inkscape once you know what you are trying to create. I mean, all you are doing is basic outlined blocks. That's why people are frustrated, because they know if you spent 5 minutes attempting it, you could use i.e. Inkscape to knock up your cartoons in no time.

Clicky: http://www.inkscape.org Sun, 17 Feb 2008 21:37:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (FreeGamer) Comments RE[3]: Fun http://www.osnews.com/thread?301288 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301288 I have a tablet, and I tried using it, but it simply sucks (I have Adobe Illustrator). It just doesn't work like a real, proper pen, and all the freedom and control that comes with it. The style won't change, it's the way it is, and if you don't like it, you can always not read them.

This is the last comment on the style of the comics. Any other comment regarding the style on this or future comics will be deleted. You are free to discuss the content of the comic, or the message it tries to convey.Edited 2008-02-17 21:54 UTC Sun, 17 Feb 2008 21:53:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Thom_Holwerda) Comments RE[4]: Fun http://www.osnews.com/thread?301289 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301289 Thom,

I don't think that setting such a policy is a good idea. Let people criticize it. I certainly have enjoyed your work. And so have many others. If I may be so bold... you have taken this attitude before regarding moderation on the OSNews site in general. And it left a bad taste in many readers' mouths. Such heavy-handed moderation techniques are bound to.

And whatever happened to Focus Shift "lightening the mood" on OSNews?

Unless you think that:

This is the last comment on the style of the comics. Any other comment regarding the style on this or future comics will be deleted. You are free to discuss the content of the comic, or the message it tries to convey.


helps to lighten the mood on OSNews, then I should say that it would be best to discontinue the effort.

I would not do so. I believe that it has been a successful undertaking, thus far, and has much potential. Sun, 17 Feb 2008 22:17:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (sbergman27) Comments RE[5]: Fun http://www.osnews.com/thread?301292 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301292 Criticism is all good and okay with me, but it has been shown quite clearly that 95% of the people can't get beyond the "It sucks!!" comments. That is not constructive, and downright rude, too.

Okay, let's put it this way: any "this sucks!!" comment will be removed. Sun, 17 Feb 2008 22:28:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Thom_Holwerda) Comments Comment by nemith http://www.osnews.com/thread?301305 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301305 I think the drawing would be ok if the content was actually entertaining.... Sun, 17 Feb 2008 23:55:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (nemith) Comments RE[2]: Fun http://www.osnews.com/thread?301310 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301310 I'm not familiar with laws on the subject so I decided to be dumb and ask: Is it really possible that xkcd or anyone else move an action because of the use of stick figures on comic sites ?

Did they patent that thing in the Upper Paleolithic or something ? I mean... that's just nonsense. If the guy picks a style that every five years old kid develops alone, he can't really complain that other people are using it, now can they ?

Not that I'm saying that you should use it, I like the comics the way they are, although I don't understand quite a few. Mon, 18 Feb 2008 01:04:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (AlexandreAM) Comments RE[4]: Fun http://www.osnews.com/thread?301311 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301311 That's because you're doing it wrong. This is not a strong style for tablet/pen art. Try making it using the mouse. Add box, resize box. Add text, move, resize text. Keep it simple. You've taken an artists approach, not the designers. Think like a designer. Boxes, not brushes.Edited 2008-02-18 01:20 UTC Mon, 18 Feb 2008 01:19:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (FreeGamer) Comments RE: Comment by nemith http://www.osnews.com/thread?301316 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301316 Then contribute some witty ideas? The content tends to be a bit on the esoteric side. You have to know about Apple's Cube. You have to remember stories from weeks back about why there's a Microsoft Home Server in the house. And I do find myself scratching my head, wondering what some of them mean, until someone else shows up to explain. They are, in that way, educational. And a bit fun, once you get them.

I think that what many people expect of a comic is that they should be able to "get it" in a few seconds and go on. (Mary Worth fans may leave the room now.) Focus Shift would seem to be more of a challenge than that. Which is perfectly fine with me. Mon, 18 Feb 2008 02:48:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (sbergman27) Comments RE[2]: Comment by nemith http://www.osnews.com/thread?301324 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301324 I think when most people say that they don't understand the comics it's a polite way of saying that the comics aren't funny. Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:23:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Neebe) Comments RE[3]: Comment by nemith http://www.osnews.com/thread?301326 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301326
I think when most people say that they don't understand the comics it's a polite way of saying that the comics aren't funny.


I have not noticed a lot of politeness among the critics.

Some. Just not that much. Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:50:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (sbergman27) Comments Nice name... http://www.osnews.com/thread?301334 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301334 ...but you misspelled "Connard" :p

I don't know if it was intentional but it reminded me of that famous line from Coluche (a famous french humorist) in a movie where someone calls him "Connard!" and he replies: "Monsieur Connard"Edited 2008-02-18 08:41 UTC Mon, 18 Feb 2008 08:40:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (MORB) Comments RE[6]: Fun http://www.osnews.com/thread?301335 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301335 that sucks! Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:13:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Soulbender) Comments RE: Nice name... http://www.osnews.com/thread?301336 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301336
...but you misspelled "Connard" :p

I don't know if it was intentional but it reminded me of that famous line from Coluche (a famous french humorist) in a movie where someone calls him "Connard!" and he replies: "Monsieur Connard"


Actually, you're missing the joke (see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comic_Sans ), apparently. Vincent Connare was the designer of Comic Sans, arguably the most-abused Windows typeface. Good choice on Handwriting - Dakota; for a handwriting font, I've always liked it. Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:29:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (MordEth) Comments I assume... http://www.osnews.com/thread?301338 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301338 I assume this is a jab at Comic Sans:

http://bancomicsans.com/

Anyone who uses Comic Sans should be sentences to 10 years of hard labour, and a year of 'correct font selection' class. Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:45:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (kaiwai) Comments Did I miss something here? http://www.osnews.com/thread?301351 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301351 Real handwriting shows personality.

Besides, I don't get it: you're making fun of cartoonists for using a font and then you're switching to using a font at the same time? Did I miss something here? Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:47:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (peejay) Comments RE: I assume... http://www.osnews.com/thread?301363 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301363 Some people have too much time on their hands. Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:02:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Soulbender) Comments Request http://www.osnews.com/thread?301369 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301369 Could you please add a "Comments" link in the "latest comic" thumbnail option in the OS news main page?

All the entries have one link to the comments page directly. Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:33:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (ebasconp) Comments RE: Did I miss something here? http://www.osnews.com/thread?301378 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301378 The irony. Mon, 18 Feb 2008 21:49:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (vimh) Comments RE[2]: Fun http://www.osnews.com/thread?301385 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301385 There's always the Jerkcity approach of using the old MS Comic Chat IRC client, and taking screenshots - there's even a webcomic out there "drawn" in ASCII art. Tue, 19 Feb 2008 01:15:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (StephenBeDoper) Comments NO. DONT DO IT http://www.osnews.com/thread?301388 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301388 Dude, I've never seen a quality comic that uses a typed font rather than handwriting for the words on it. It kinda spoils the authenticity of it, because I know your gonna be writing big fancy money making comics in the future ;-) Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:13:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (scuro_falcao) Comments RE: NO. DONT DO IT http://www.osnews.com/thread?301418 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301418 I agree with you!!!

Thom, do not use font, there are some people (including me) that like the handwriting comics!! Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:45:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (ebasconp) Comments RE[2]: Nice name... http://www.osnews.com/thread?301431 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301431 I knew the joke was about ms comics sans, but I did miss the joke. The guy's name is fitting though, I hate this font ;) Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:21:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (MORB) Comments RE: NO. DONT DO IT http://www.osnews.com/thread?301740 http://www.osnews.com/thread?301740 Jeph Jacques of Questionable Content uses a font to letter all of his comics.

The proof is in the news blurb on the right side.

http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=258 Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:58:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Flatland_Spider) Comments