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Don't foget the golden rule of comics....
Show, don't tell.
I delete pages and pages of explainer text and allusions to things you'll never get to see.
When I read other people's comics, it drives me nuts.
They keep saying their main character is brave and strong instead of actually doing anything brave or strong. lol
Digital Live Art's comics edition might be interesting to some of you following this thread. It can take a little time to load.
https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/3dartlive1/Digital+Art+Live/Digital+Art+Live+Issue+19.pdf
(edited to add) The article starting on p. 26 regarding George Peters' use of Daz Studio to create comics might be of particular interest.
Someone did a Powergirl-like poser comic. Does anyone know who that was and could direct me to their site?
-MJ
In the comic I'm planning, only the first page (4 panels) give a quick background. Maybe a sentence or 2 per panel, just enough to get the reader familiar with the surroundings. The rest will come up in dialogue throughout the story when relevant.
great link, thanks!
--ms
The rest will come up in dialogue throughout the story when relevant.
Excellent. I did my entire Season I in reverse so the opening episode is the closing of my first chunk of releases.
And I included the classic Portrait of all the characters.
https://issuu.com/producersedge/docs/10forcedendtry
I really do hate origin stories so I avoided one at all costs. I originally planned to NEVER give the readers a complete story and only give bits and pieces in each episode.
But I got so much feedback that I accelerated the timeline.
So, I've got my comic drawn up, but it's still a bunch of jpg's. What's the best way to consolidate and upload them?
Find a host and upload your pages there.
So far, my comic is in a few places.
1) ISSUU - primary host and you upload a PDF and/or (You can upload most common document files, including PDF, DOC, PPT, RTF, WPD, ODT, and more.)
https://issuu.com/pricing?issuu_product=anonymous_landing_page&issuu_context=signup&issuu_cta=become_a_publisher
Relevant FAQ http://help.issuu.com/hc/en-us/articles/204816098-How-to-upload-and-publish-on-issuu
2) Comic Fury (Free webhost with some statistics and customization) https://comicfury.com/ Uploads 1 page at a time jpeg format. More built for webcomics...
3) And I just joined WebToon (Line Webtoon which has built in support for Patreon). Has vertical scrolling layout.
I've tried for almost two decades to get a comic going, with no luck. I got Magna Studio EX on sale several years ago. Never figured how to use it. Same goes for Anime Studio. That was back when I had a PC. I've had Macs for 10 years now. (TIme Flies?!)
Is there a shader set or some such that would allow me to make my characters look more "toony" within DAZ Stuido?! That would most likely make my renders go much faster.
@Avxp is Force Six, the Annihilators *your* comic that you've been making with DAZ?
I mean, it seems like you just discovered DAZ this summer?
Yes and yes..I am coming up on the 1 year anniversary of installing Daz. I think it was October of last year that I downloaded Daz. My PC died so I bought a new rig and started in January of 2017.
It looks like my first forum thread was January 13th and I'm asking about what Victoria 7 is. lol.
I know I was around for Christmas and would have been posting many questions because the start was very rough- both the store and the software.
I did own Poser though and had it for, like a year but never used it. I had Manga Studio (Or whatever it was called then) and the plan was to draw on top of the poser figures.
Then Manga got pose-able wireframe mannequins and I didn't need poser anymore- so it sat.
Once I saw the Daz store and saw some promo renders, I was like "I'm going to use THAT!"
And about a year later, here we are.
Probably not the best idea to start a new thread about me. lol
But I recently did an interview about me stuffs and mentioned Daz.
https://dynamicsplus.wordpress.com/2017/08/21/interview-comicbookbin-drew-spence/
Here is some of it...
CBB: Tell me, how do you feel about 3D comics in the sense of the reaction that people have to them.
Well, it varies. I’ve heard all types of comments- how 3D is easier or is fake art or doesn’t make real comic books, etc. I take those kinds of statements as different than opinion-based reactions like “I prefer…” or “I dislike…” Someone is speaking as an authority and trying to convince me of an empirical truth whereas, the evidence actually points to the opposite. I draw too. Anyone can draw a comic. Anyone can color a page and anyone can throw some word bubbles across a panel and thus, ‘make a comic’. But what some like to do, is draw (no pun) from the greatest masters and legends of 2D work and compare that to the kid who just made his first 3D comic piece and go “See the difference?” It’s a silly exercise and your taste really needs no justification. Like what you like and support the work that you feel is meaningful no matter the chosen medium. If it speaks to you, listen. If it doesn’t, find the right conversation.
3D has established itself quite well in animation and even visual effects yet still has not made an important breakthrough in comics. Why do you think that is and how do you intend to change this?
A breakthrough is code-word for a big financial success after a big promotional campaign. That would require a book that doesn’t look like or work like traditional comics being pushed by the very same entities who’d have a lot to lose if something too different comes along and catches on. Until they have an engine in place, prepared to capitalize on a 3D trend, you won’t see any risk-taking or support from the major 2D players.
Established comics tend to have separate writers and artists, if not a whole team. The grass-roots3D is still so new and experimental, that for most, it’s still a one-creator show. When I look at many of the 3D books on offer, I find – either the graphics or the story has a challenge. So you have these wonderful illustrations doing uninteresting stuff or a great narrative hampered by the rough visuals. Somebody needs to get both parts right. And enough people need to make solid work so that it creates a wave, even if a single artist breaks first and everyone else follows.
All I can do is my part. I create a 3D comic to the best of my sensibilities and hope the readers enjoy it. I consider myself a storyteller first and illustrator second. I don’t want a book that is only worth your time because it looks cool or novel. But, we are telling stories in a very visual medium so I can’t have the limitations of my imagination or skill get in the way of the narrative.
CBB: Would you argue that 3D comics suffer from the same hyper realism fate as photo-comics?
The goal of my 3D work is not to fool you or show you ‘better looking images’. When still pictures serve as the foundation, you tend to lose the comic part. What’s a comic book- other than an exaggeration of a moment or event? Everything is pushed to its limits: fast is the fastest, strong is the strongest, evil is the most evil, etc. Hyper-real is the opposite. If the goal is to tell a fantastic story with extraordinary visuals, why would an artist choose the most faithful medium possible- a snapshot? It actually doesn’t make sense. An artist needs to control the visual punctuation. When and how do I underline? Where’s the ellipsis pause? How do I boldface and add punctuation marks? We know what to do in the bubbles, it’s important to control the volume and tone with the artwork as well.
And the opposite happens in the quiet moments. Can you capture a dynamic moment at rest? Sometimes, the inclusion of details is exactly what taps your emotion. The faithful representation of an idealized moment becomes that much more meaningful. Look at the work of comic legends John Byrne and Barry Windsor-Smith. So much happens when their characters are at rest. The weight, the posing, the heroes’ presence in a static backdrop. That’s where you need to understand the concepts of good photography along with all the tricks that come after. That’s hard to do in any photo-based engine without pre-planning or awareness.
CBB: Which 3D app do you use to render the shots?
DAZ STUDIO is the foundation. It is a free 3d rendering suite – backed by their online store, where you can purchase a massive variety of content for every genre and interest you can imagine. For comic enthusiasts, the look can be edited through shaders, which are basically filters to achieve every comic look you could want. There are morphs that can make characters look very Pixar-like or idealized like the Marvel and DC superheroes.
For traditional artists, it’s used for anatomical reference and a drawing aide for perspective and composition. Some draw on top of the models and figures and sketch directly from the template. There are licenses for video game programmers and even some tools for animation.
The engine is really there for you to customize and you can get as deep as you want. Many digital artists do the photoreal stuff where you can’t tell if it’s CGI or Photoshop. You’ll see Daz at work for book covers, movie posters, story boards, but I make use of what it offers for comic illustration. You just need to remember Daz won’t make your artwork for you. It’s an incredibly powerful environment that places the tools in your hands, but you still need to learn the proper techniques and apply your creative talents. 3D is still not a shortcut for being an artist, it’s just a medium.
CBB: What’s your production process?
Working in 3D is more like film making where I create the characters. Dress them, make a set. Place them, do lighting and such, place a camera and snap a picture.
From there it’s all post-editing. And way after- assemble the book from all the artwork. I can work panel by panel or page by page. It’s all design decisions. My eye and taste is really what I lean on. I’m no graphic expert and I will always push and experiment. What does this do? How can I use this tool differently? What if I…
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Yeah, the full thing is here https://dynamicsplus.wordpress.com/2017/08/21/interview-comicbookbin-drew-spence/
There are a lot actually. It all depends on what models you want to work with, the older ones or the newer ones. Also, whether you want to work in IRAY or 3Delight. Visual Style Shaders will work with any model but, the set has no eye brows. For Genesis and Genesis 3 females, you can buy eye brow add ons. I've experemented with toon shaders for G1, G2, and G3, but I've yet to decide on 1 that works for every situaltion, so I mix and match. I also use several graphic apps for postwork (PC). I've been doing this for almost a year, so I'm still learning. If you want to see examples of what I've been able to do, click on my deviant art link below and view the superheros section and my graphic novel concepts section. You'll see all my experimentations. I'll do my best to answer any questions you have. You really have to descover what is best for your art style (and wallet).
Thanks for sharing.
Wow, that is pretty impressive. Just curious because I didn't see it mentioned in the article, did you have a lot experience with photoshop, photography and that kind of stuff before getting into the 3D-Art aspect of things? Either way you've got a good grasp on it now. I like your style and the consitency of the quality of your images.
Thanks.
Thank the forum for endless patience. lol
Yeah, Photoshop is a staple. I've been using that for a long time.
I also drew my own comics for a long time, well since I was a kid....
Got a question regarding page size and DPI. I looked back through the thread and found some recommendations but I'm having a bit of trouble wrapping my head around it all. So I'm using Comic Life for Layout and Word Balloons. I've been working on getting my template and layout pages ready. The default page size in CL is 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches. Printing comic sites recommend 7"x10.5". My plan is to release the pages individually on the web and whole issues as a .cbz/.cbr file for use in a comic book reader. Printing probably will never happen, but I am keeping the possibility open.
So should I use the default or change it to the standard print size just incase? If I use the default and decide to have it printed in the future would I have to redo everything? Also when I render, I need to adjust my render size to accomidate the need for 300 dpi. IE a cover/splash page that is 8.5x10.0 would become 2550x3300 pixels? 7x10.5 would become 2100x3150?
The pages I made years ago were all done at 8x10 100dpi just for website use and really isn't a good guide for what can be done now.
I’m going to see if I can explain this. You start with an 8 ½” x 11” piece of paper. Because of the printing and binding process you have ½” area all around you can’t use, that leaves you with 8” x 10 ½”. You have another ¼” all around that may or may not print, called the bleed area( you can bleed over into that area). Leaving you with a default border (the black line) of 7 ¾” x 10 ¼” . Printers may vary in standards
For no other reason other than to play with a new starship bridge set, I did a more realistic iRAY render of some of my graphic novel characters.
Those on sale at Smith Micro are downloadable as far as I can see. There was a time where it was only available on DVD but they changed that.
For no other reason other than to play with a new starship bridge set, I did a more realistic iRAY render of some of my graphic novel characters.
Looks real good.
So should I use the default or change it to the standard print size just incase?
I think you should work at the highest quality level and scale down for sharing or for the internet(s).
Print will always be 300 dpi and above and probably png format. So your FINAL, MASTER copy should be a version that you can still edit every detail, like fix typos or move things around.
From there, your 'export' or "I'm gonna share this" format changes depending on where you're putting your work.
When you do go to a printer THEY will supply you with a TEMPLATE. And that will have guides to tell you how your page will fit. You will most certainly have to rework (some aspect of) your pages for printing.
Could be DPI
Could be color space RGB verse CMYK
Could be Size (where do they trim, aside from the page size)
Number of Pages (might need to add a few pages or subtract one or two to match their page counts)
Names of Files/Pages. Some want your page called "Killer_Comic_Issue_01 page 1 the hero arrives.jpg" to just be called... "01.png"
Delivery format. Some may want a Zip file with .pngs, another may want a pdf (with special export formatting) and another may want an epub.
You won't know until you go to print and pick an actual printer.
So that safest bet is, to keep the master file flexible and export your art based on your intended use.
And secondly, do download an 8 1/2 X 11 template and just use that as a rough guide so you know to keep text and important details away from your edges- if you're going to a comic that fills the entire page, as opposed to one that has a white border around all the boxes. Either way, having a guide to keep you aware of what gets trimmed off, around your art is a good idea.
This program is really great for making comics. It has expressions, several different comic template layouts, etc. It's default content is manga based, but you can easily import your images to suite your style. I use this for my DAZ comic based stuff. It's pretty straight forward and simple to use.
Manga Maker Comipo:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/262490/Manga_Maker_Comipo/
Armored Combat Mechs. These guys are a little more armored and carry heavier weapons than the Light Combat Mechs.
Thanks Greycat and avxp for the response to my question. I pretty much work with .png's and I'll keep the render dpi as high as I can before shrinking down for the web. I'm sure I'll get it figured out ;)
I am really liking the lines and shader/shading effect in this. The font looks a bit squished, I'm assuming because of resizing for the forum, first bubble still reads well, the second robot looks like he is saying "AKNOELEDED" not sure if that's due to the compression or typo?
When I started my most recent series, I had my robot speak in a 'robot font'. A professional letterer said basically "Don't do that!".
I did know, in my book- that his words were harder to read, but I wanted to show that his voice was cold and robotic.
He suggested that I find another way to do it....I had several options and felt subtle was the way to go.
I picked a stiffer font, all caps (sometimes) and a square speech bubble. The rest is conveyed by what he chooses to say and how he phrases things.
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I think he was right and made the changes. I suggest you steer clear of robot fonts and do the robot voice with speech bubble itself...make it come out like an intercom with the zig zag tails or shape it funny or color it in.
I also didn't like colored text. I tried Green for robot speak or even red....and blue was very similar to black. When I looked at the page from a distance, it was hard to read and the colored text took some of the attention away from the art.
@SkydogHex: Damn, that is a typo. I shouldn't do lettering when I'm tired. I had to resize the image to use in Comic Life, but if you open it to full size, it looks fine to me. I don't know, I have depht perception issues.
@avxp: Thnks for the imput. I think your right.
Fixed the lettering. I think it looks much better. I'm glad to have you all giving me such great advice.
I always do my text (Script and Notes) in a Word document first so I can catch all the typos.
I try and never type anything fresh in any program, ever. lol
The ones that do get through are when I mistype, but it's still an actual word.
1) My script starts off as a title .... KILLER ROBOTS FROM MARS
2) a few versions of the story description. So and so are doing such and such.... Joe and Jane visit Mars and are attacked by...will they survive?
3) List of things I'm using or assets, I list the characters and objects and sets and environments and such. Mars 360 set, rocketship by vendor,spacesuit X
4) goes special notes, like a font or maybe a moment I want to capture. 'do Mars title in astral Font'
The script starts off as huge blocks of "what happens" and slowly over time, it becomes "this character says this and that character says that. "They crash land, get captured, escape,go home" --> "How far to Mars, now, Jane?"
Then it becomes 'this scene (or render) has this dialogue in it. [ship cockpit] Jane says: Joe Says:
And then it becomes this page has these renders on it. a) Rocketship in space exterior b) far shot of bridge c) Two figures speaking
- it's seems complicated but this is done over time as I make the book. The first scripts look nothing like the ones near the ending.
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A reason I do it this way is so that I can work on scripts far into the future. I can see a cool prop or place and create a script placeholder and write future-me a note that says don't forget to use this in this story.
I do the same thing with bits of dialogue, where I'll have a cool exchange and want to remember it, so I write it down somewhere. And some stories outlines are nothing but a plot and a place and I have no idea WHO is going to be in that story.
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I also keep it loose and improvise. Working to too rigid a script feels like work so sometimes I freestyle certain parts to keep it fresh...Render extra bits and additional angles just to play around...and have options...
Anything I don't use usually goes to Patreon. I'm also building a book of unused art/images/renders, which I'm calling outtakes or behind the scenes footage. lol
Much better. Looks like typical comic book font now