RIP ImagineFX Forum

Not that I want to bash the IFX Magazine - in fact I'm starting to get over my initial disappointment and might keep subscribing after all. If I can find more boxes to put the mags in... but last issue (#114 with Charlie Bowater's sci-fi elf-mermaid something girl on the cover) I thought a few of the Q&A's where... disappointing.

I found the question about how to paint a material so that it shows a body's outline a bit of a strange question (just paint the body like a solid silhouette and the rest as if light shines through, yeah?) but maybe the editors shortened a longer question. And I do think Nick's reply, going into folds of fabric etc, a good one.

And I suppose the question about how to paint someone who's sweating was answered relatively OK, in text. The image though... Caption text "don't overdo it" and then an image where it's certainly overdone and not looking very convincing at all...

My major quip was probably with the question "What design elements would boost the realism of my flying fantasy creatures?", though. I'd expect some theory on anatomy/morphology for such a question. Do you have to have wings to fly? Do they have to flap up and down... How do wing shape affect speed, maneoverability etc? I dunno. But "I start in 3D" wasn't exactly the answer I expected. Oh well, I hope the reader who sent in the question felt they got the answer they wanted... Maybe it was more about atmospheric perspective, showing scale and such, and the reply does touch (lightly) on those things...

Q&As are always a bit hit and miss although Nick's answers and especially his videos are a delight.
Also in the latest issues Q&A it was nice to see old forum regular Dave Brasgalla doing a turn or two. As has been mentioned earlier here, that kind of connection used to define the mag.

hmmm my subscription to IFX is due to be renewed next month. I'm really not sure what to do, the content of this months one bored me, I literally flicked page after page looking for something that interested me.

i'm toying with buying individual ones, but i'm wondering whether i'll be able to judge the 'book by the cover'.

and if I buy 10 a year that's more expensive. Hmmm what to do, what to do!

You should check to see if your local library has zinio subscriptions. If it does you can get a whole host of digital magazines free. Although I don't get IFX that way as I still have a "paper" subscription I do however get free digital versions of Artist and Illustrator and lot of other nerdy science things.

I embrace the nerdy Valence my IFX sub is digital as I have no room for physical ones, after years of subscribing. The thing with me is, if I'm interested in an issue i'd have to own it, not borrow from the library.

that being said, I don't think my local library gets involved in new fangled digital stuff

Actually you CAN keep your library zinio mags. I've got a complete collection of Artists and Illustrator. You can delete them from your device to save storage and then restore them again later.
Of course not all libraries offer this service. But mine does. <smug face>

wow that's good smugface! i'll have to check & see if mine offers that!

I'm cancelling my subscription. After the loss of the forums, there's not real reason for me to get all excited about buying the magazine anymore. It's sad... but it's the sad truth, at least for me anyway. I know it's not the people who wrote the magazine's fault or anything like that, and I do not blame them, but the magazine lost the only thing that was really attractive to me I'm sad to say. So I'm just not bothering with IFX anymore for now.

I know Madi, i'm kinda feeling the same, the connection has really gone, I think we felt part of the mag didn't we? Such a shame

octoberstormxx wrote: I'm cancelling my subscription. After the loss of the forums, there's not real reason for me to get all excited about buying the magazine anymore. It's sad... but it's the sad truth, at least for me anyway. I know it's not the people who wrote the magazine's fault or anything like that, and I do not blame them, but the magazine lost the only thing that was really attractive to me I'm sad to say. So I'm just not bothering with IFX anymore for now.

Exactly. Thanks for putting it into words!!