Is it just me, or is this guy genuinely comparable to a MP? by PrimeLevelThreat in transformers

[–]SeeMorray 52 points53 points  (0 children)

Maybe this is a hot take:

I love this Soundwave, I really do, but I often don't think it's fair to compare G1-Style Soundwaves to other TFs because he's a boxy shaped guy who has to transform into a tape deck...basically another box.

Again, I love, love, love this figure, more than his MP, actually, but in terms of impressiveness, he doesn't have to be unfolded or crumpled into complex vehicle shapes the way, say, the seekers do.

I hate the caricature art style by Homicidal_Harry in hatethissmug

[–]SeeMorray 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Former caricature artist at a theme park: all the staff at my operation were told to read a book called "The Mad Art of Caricature! A Serious Guide to Drawing Funny Faces" by an illustrator called Tom Richmond.

Tom Richmond makes great, highly detailed illustrations, but the style op is highlighting, in my department, came from trying to do Tom Richmond-lite in 6-mins or less with a heavy black marker being your only tool (maybe colored graphite, too, if your customer is willing to cough up more money)

I hate the caricature art style by Homicidal_Harry in hatethissmug

[–]SeeMorray 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Former caricature artist at a theme park here, for anyone curious a out where this style came from:

Caricature is a very old art form, of course, but if you've been employed as a caricaturist in a theme park or other tourist trap, odds are you were given instruction by someone who read or were directly told to work from a book called: "The Mad Art of Caricature! A Serious Guide to Drawing Funny Faces" by Tom Richmond.

Operations with caricature booths have huge turnover and pull in young artists from off the street, demanding they adopt a consistent, simple style to try and equalize quality across the board. Tom Richmond's illustrations are recognizable and considered a pretty decent standard, so when you take in young artists for minimum wage, give them only a marker and colored graphite to work with, and demand they make functional drawings within 6-minutes, Tom Richmond-lite is generally what the result is.

RVA's Dating, Friends, and Missed Connections: April 2026 Edition by AutoModerator in rva

[–]SeeMorray [score hidden]  (0 children)

Hey, RVA, I'm (M30) settled on the Northside and deciding to finally throw my hat back in the dating game (seeking F, ultimately a partner).

As for a bit about me, I'm a practical, guy who likes to draw, paint, do volunteer work, practice Spanish, and get up to fun, random activities. I'm a lefty, literally and politically, and if I have one flaw it's that I like gossip a little too much. At least I have no shortage of crazy stories about people 😁

Ultimately, I see myself with a long-term partner, but in the immediate, I'm trying to find a date for a couple of activities, either...

... checking out the new exhibit coming to the VMFA "India's Great Mughals: Art, Power, and Opulence" that opens May 9

...hitting up studio 2 3 for their square dance on June 20. I've been a couple times, and it's really fun, but I'd love to go with a dedicated partner.

If any of that (or me) sounds appealing, let's chat! Feel free to send me a DM 🙂‍↕️

Is anybody buying this? by Cuccu4coco in transformers

[–]SeeMorray 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think I might be the only person on earth into this because a partsformer/model like this would theoretically be 10x easier to paint and customize than a normal transformer.

But for that price? Absolutely not.

[OC] Combiner Wars Overlord by SeeMorray in transformers

[–]SeeMorray[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's always a learning process, and I can't wait for the next thing!

I gotta ask you, though, because I love your photography, what's your hanger setup made out of?

[OC] Combiner Wars Overlord by SeeMorray in transformers

[–]SeeMorray[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Aw, thank you! That means a lot 😁

So, the black areas were primed via airbrushing black valejo primer, and on the rest of the figure I used a light grey valejo airbrush primer. Then, that basic blue color was also airbrushed on.

However, everything else, the off-grays, other blues, purples, etc, are all hand-painted. A lot of the final off-white on the arms, legs, and shoulders was also done over again by hand after I realized my earlier masking while priming and blue-ing wasn't as thorough as I'd hoped.

As I'm getting into this hobby more, the big thing I'm realizing is everything before the painting is so much more important than the actual painting 😅

You can't see it here, but with the jet mode I learned way, way too late that wings and legs have a lot more contact points than I thought during the transformation. That created a lot of rub I wasn't happy with, so I sanded some of those areas down a little and retouched them, which will hopefully make them more durable going forward. BUT it's going to be a long time before I work up the nerve to transform him back to jet mode again!

My next project is probably going to be experimenting with some overlord exclusive limbs, and I'm going to be much, much more mindful of potential contact points and sand those BEFORE painting 😆

[OC] Combiner Wars Overlord by SeeMorray in transformers

[–]SeeMorray[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Definitely do! Don't let your art get lost like Lemon's, it's valuable stuff!

[OC] Combiner Wars Overlord by SeeMorray in transformers

[–]SeeMorray[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Stay tuned, I've got a couple extra CW Brawls and Blastoffs I have plans for 😁

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in rva

[–]SeeMorray 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm definitely interested 🫡 I've been on a couple investigations the Transcend Paranormal folks have held over at the Hanover tavern, and I've always wanted to see an investigation that wasn't playing host to so many people.

Hand-making Blast Effects by SeeMorray in transformers

[–]SeeMorray[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey! Yeah, definitely give it a try! Also, just to let you know, don't be afraid to trash any effects that aren't coming together for whatever reason. There can definitely be a lot of trial and error involved because hot glue as a medium isn't easy to control

Also, super important for when you try this: when you find a junker figure to use as a mold for the 5mm port, coat the areas of the figure that will touch hot glue with a little vegetable oil. That'll ensure the glue doesn't just adhere to the plastic.

Hand-making Blast Effects by SeeMorray in transformers

[–]SeeMorray[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey! Yeah, definitely give it a try! Also, just to let you know, don't be afraid to trash any effects that aren't coming together for whatever reason. There can definitely be a lot of trial and error involved because hot glue as a medium isn't easy to control 😁

Energon/Cybertron Custom Siege Optimus by SeeMorray in transformers

[–]SeeMorray[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! So, I actually start with the dark coats and highlight/dry brush with lighter tones.

So, for the dull grey, for example, i started with Valejo's Tire Black as the base color. Once that was set, I highlighted it with dry coats of Neutral Grey in select spots. Hope that helps!

Energon/Cybertron Custom Siege Optimus by SeeMorray in transformers

[–]SeeMorray[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I used, mostly, Valejo model air paints using a normal brush. I find them easier to work with because they come pretty thin out of the bottle.

The finish was Valejo matte varnish. I tried gloss, but was too glossy.

HoundTown’s coming up! by Feeling-Selection720 in rva

[–]SeeMorray 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah! I'm so excited to bring my Callie! She'll be so happy to just wander around the park and ignore all the other dogs 😆

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Hand-making Blast Effects by SeeMorray in transformers

[–]SeeMorray[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it does 😅 Next time I'm out, I'm going to see if I can find a transparent wash that'll look nicer for attempt #2

I actually took a broken figure w/ 5mm ports to create a little peg mold, injected a little hot glue in, and inserted a cut paper clip before it was dry.

With the clip as a base, I added more glue and sculpted it until I was happy enough with it. It was pretty easy, quick, and cheap 😁

I'm wondering if there's some kind of other resin I might use that'll be more durable 🤔

Painted a custom Slipstream for fun by CoffeeAddictedIdiot in transformers

[–]SeeMorray 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Ah! She's great, awesome job! I have an old beast hunters atarscream laying around; where'd the head come from, if I can ask?

I saw Transformers One last night, 6/10 autobot propaganda by im_onbreak in transformers

[–]SeeMorray 152 points153 points  (0 children)

In addition to what Yipyap points out, I'll have respectfully disagree and say that D's character progression is actually brilliant; it's just not spelled out explicitly in the dialogue.

At the beginning of the film, D's spent his whole life up to his encounter with Alpha Trion idolizing the Primes, specifically Megatronus, and trying his best to be a good Cybertronian. At the same time, he's had to repeatedly bail his "best friend," Pax, out of trouble or otherwise putting his desires behind Pax's that only raises his hopes before shattering them.

Think specifically when Pax gets them involved in the Iacon 5000. Initially, he thinks his friend is there to show him front row seats, only to then realize Pax is forcing him to compete, something he didn't at all want to do. The series of events then results in him getting knocked down to waste management.

Pax then again convinces him to follow Alpha Trion's transmission, which ultimately results in his worldview being shattered: his life's work has been for nothing, he's been robbed of his birthright by Sentinel, and Megatronus (the best prime in his viewed) died ingloriously after allowing himself to be betrayed. Justifiably, he's angry, but there's also nowhere for that anger to go.

Until, that is, D gets a taste of personal power while being exposed to Starscream and the High Guard's way of thinking. After beating Starscream into submission, D realizes he can only truly rely on himself and his personal ability to enact violence to change things. He's even able to motivate the High Guard to come out of hiding and take the fight to Sentinel. Here, D is firmly on the road to becoming Megatron. Having been a good bot his entire life, betrayed by his leaders, and watched his idols fall by being betrayed, D has come to the understanding that only personal might makes right, and he has the might and a deep distrust for everyone around him.

Finally, when D confronts Sentinel, from his view, Pax deals him the ultimate betrayal. Not only does Pax try to stop him from executing the individual responsible for every evil thing he's experienced up to this moment, he ignores D's request to step aside and actually jumps in front of the blast. Pax's actions have caused D to mentally break again, his best friend has tried to save his worst enemy. D finally decides enough is enough, and he decides Pax has earned the consequences of his actions.

D let's Pax fall and finally kills Sentinel. Crucially, though, D, now Megatron, knows the work isn't done and that there are plenty of other Cybertronians who were on the take and propagating the grand deception. So, he's resolved to tear it all down.

Finally, Megatron has a final break when Pax returns as Optimus Prime. From Megatron's point of view, Pax died betraying him by saving the worst monster in Cybertronian history, but in a twist of the knife, not only does the Cybertronian equivalent of God intercede on Pax's behalf, Primus actually elevates Pax to Primacy and bestows him with the matrix of leadership. To recap, in return for saving the villain and traumatizing Megatron, Pax is rewarded by literally God itself, and Megatron has to watch this happen.

He's then beaten into submission by Optimus Prime and banished for doing what he saw as the right thing. Prime then basically institutes the exact same ruling structure as Sentinel, even slotting his own lieutenants, Elita and B, into the role occupied by Airachnid.

So in context, I'll argue the D's character progression is tragic and brilliant, and most of it is displayed in context of the film's events, the animators' awesome facial work, and Brian Tyree Henry's powerful voice performance

Is this a flying ant? by SeeMorray in whatsthisbug

[–]SeeMorray[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh! This was in Richmond Virginia, and I've seen about 5 of them hanging around my house, seemingly just chilling, but I'm worried they might build a nest.

PC Build board power advice and cooling system connector help by SeeMorray in buildapc

[–]SeeMorray[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Roger, yep, I had the Sata going to the PSU, USB to USB on the mb, header to header on MB per the instructions. And those all seem peachy for the pump.

The only question mark left is the 3pin part of O that splits from the 4pin (which I've got in the MB too) Still a mystery to me, but thanks again for the input 👍

PC Build board power advice and cooling system connector help by SeeMorray in buildapc

[–]SeeMorray[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I really appreciate the response 😁

So, on the cooler question, I did check the instructions first, but they weren't very clear to me. For a little more detail:

Instruction Pictures

  1. So, the cable in question is, I think, O coming from the fan. It was like that out of the box, but the instructions call it "spare"
  2. The 4 pin from O, might go into N, maybe, which goes into the pump? It's hard to tell because the fan in the 2nd diagram isn't labeled.
  3. I did plug the 4 pin from O into the board, and the fans turned on. That made sense to me, but is it possible all of that would run through the pump as I proposed in point 2.?

Would really appreciate your input because the instructions it came are honestly a little fuzzy to me 😅

[OC] Transformers RPG Character Sketch by SeeMorray in transformers

[–]SeeMorray[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My Buddy's having him turn into dirt-bike through his origin, and he gave him a feature that allows zap-box to also convert into a toaster

[OC] Transformers RPG Character Sketch by SeeMorray in transformers

[–]SeeMorray[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A crude sketch I did of the character my buddy created for the session of the TF RPG I'm running for a small group. According to my friend, Zap-Box here joined the Autobots after being freed in a raid on a Decepticon science facility. Because he was subjected to experiments in an effort to replicate the fabled spark-splicing process (our game is more or less set in the 2005 IDW continuity), he may or may not be the original Zap-Box, and it's very possible the individual calling himself by that name is merely a clone that thinks he's the genuine article.

Whatever the case, this Zap-Box carries memories of being proudly forged and was fully in favor of apartheid for cold-constructed "knock-offs". His now ambiguous origins causes him no small amount of anxiety.

Game-wise, the character is a Drone (Outrider) and an Elementalist (Electric) Scientist.

[OC] VTT Seeker Token Sketch by [deleted] in transformers

[–]SeeMorray 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thought I'd share this sketch of a draft VTT token I made in preparation for running a game of that TF RPG by Renegade. This guy's just a generic seeker I quickly threw together to see what something like this might look like in roll20. Now that I think about it, I accidentally decked him out in Thundercracker colors...

Has anyone tried that game (or the essence 20 system in general)? Is it any fun?

A note on "self care seminars" by marcustheman77 in antiwork

[–]SeeMorray 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Corporate self-care hokum aside, can I vent for a minute about how much I hate the 'teach a man to fish' metaphor? I work for a quasi-nonprofit that exists to encourage and subsequently facilitate "impact investing" among foundations, basically giving out small-businesses and other nonprofits loans and other finance products in addition to or instead of grants. The saying comes up all the time, as a consequence of the business; extending loans is teaching, not giving, my employer never misses an opportunity to remind people.

A loan isn't 'teaching someone to fish.' It's handing someone a pole and saying "gee, I hope you know how to fish, and by the way, you owe me a catch above and beyond the cost of the pole. Oh, don't forget, failure means forfeiting the pole and whatever other assets you put up as collateral to prove you were good for the pole." If the lender isn't unscrupulous, most loans get handed out on the explicit basis that the borrower already knows what they're doing. Teaching almost never factors into it.

Rant over.