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DAZ Studio can use pwToon shaders, here in the store, to create very nice toon effects. But there's no reason to insist on toon rendering for a comic book.
Regarding simple lighting, try this setup. It doesn't slow down your render much, and will create a world of difference in your images.
1 - create one distant light. Point it from the direction of the strongest single light source in your scene. If your light source isn't white, change the color of this distant light. Set the intensity of this light to what you think makes sense for the strongest light-- if it's sunlight, put it at about 80%, and angle high, though not straight overhead. If it's a big glowing screen, 30% might be better, from the side. (If it's a small glowing screen, use a spotlight instead.) Indoor ceiling lights in a light environment: 50-60%, straight overhead. Ceiling lights in an environment with dark walls: 80-90%. Turn on shadows for this light. Deep Shadow Map will work well enough for most images.
2 - Add UberEnvironment to the scene. Expand the size of the sphere so it's not in the way of your camera, if needed. Set the intensity to fill in the rest of the lighting in the scene by subtracting the intensity of your distant light from 100, e.g. if your main distant light is at 80%, set UE to 100-80= 20%. You can adjust the color to match the main lighting colors of the rest of the scene, but you don't need to go crazy with image based lighting-- just adding UE will improve the scene tremendously, because lighting in a real scene bounces around and generally doesn't come from just one direction. Set UE quality to 2 or 3 for a test render, set to 4 for your final render. Turn on Ambient Occlusion-- this puts in little shadows where objects are close together. It's amazing how much this helps the realism of your final render.
3 - For any hair in your scene, use UberHair shader and turn off Ambient Occlusion just for the hair. This will make renders much faster.
In general, if you post about a project here at the DAZ forum area, you're going to get critiques of how well you're using the DAZ tools. These will usually be very well thought out, constructive suggestions. If you don't want such suggestions, you could try saying so up front, but it might make more sense to post about your project elsewhere, e.g. in a forum dedicated to comic book art. Then you can see how well that audience reacts to your work, which seems to be what you care more about. I'm not saying don't post here-- just that the kinds of comments you'll get here will be like what you've seen already-- kudos for taking on a large project... and your lighting looks kind of flat, etc. :)
I take note for this. I enjoy with UE default preset from DS4 content since few months ago, with Marieah's contest. The improve in option and quality was big for me. I still need understand how work with this beyond default presets. Now I'm trying with UE using toon shaders and look is interesting.
This is a small photo editor, very basic, but capable of creating light effects, and denoise in seconds.
Here link:
http://pho.to/editor/
There is also the gimp (this has impressive effects)
You need to know this:
"All those beautiful images promo, we see around, or animations, all undergo a process of postwork."
this is known in the comics as artwork.
after an image is rendered, the next step will handle it in an image editor of your choice applying effects, filters, gradients, blending layers etc, etc ...
Do not believe promo images like that being only render always h'postwork. When not the author makes clear: "no postwork"
Another thing: depending on lighting setup, a rendering can take hours to complete, while in an image editor, you can do this in instant.
Your comic represents who you are in the public sphere.
When you take shortcuts( like not using lighting to the best of your ability) it tells people you haven't given 100% to this project and not many people are going to take time out of their day to check out something you couldn't muster up the time to give your all too.
I have a webcomic (see below) and each image takes a good long while to render but if you space things out you can render while you do other things. Here is what I do. I hope this helps.
Wake up. Prep big splash page. Hit render and go to work.
Come home 9 hours later to finished (hopefully beautiful) image.
Work on lots of smaller images. Hit render just before showering, pose and hit render and then start cooking dinner, pose and hit render again before going to the gym, etc.
Render random faces using different emotions so you will have them when you need them.
Prep big splash page. Hit render. Go to bed.
Repeat.
Okay, first of all, I just read the first issue, and I love the story. Like was mentioned before, you've really captured the feel of the old 70's-80's TV shows like Buck Rogers ["In the year 1984, America launched the last of it's manned deep space probes!" lol).. I'm enjoying your writing and looking forward to the rest of the story.
Now, I started out using Poser because I had given up on my art to be a writer and thought Poser could at least provide story boards for an artist to translate my visions.. Years went by and I fiddled with it here and there, gradually feeding my obsession for space ships (thank God the old Davo appreciation threads are no longer easy to access). Then came my break, and I started doing occasional art for Palladium Books Rifter, a quarterly RPG supplement that's largely optional fan-based material. I've become good friends with Kevin Siembieda (the publisher) and he's helped me improve my art greatly.
When I first started doing pro stuff I was using Bryce 6 for the landscapes and atmosphere. But then after my second book cover I realized that I was doing less and less setup in Poser and more and more in DazStudio to render in Bryce. So I buckled down and mastered the different interface in D|S and have never looked back.
Did I mention my old computer can't load anything more recent than DazStudio 2.3?
My process is usually two part for an image. First I render the whole scene, then I render a mask of the primary character; to do this I hide the scenery and turn off all the lights, making a black silhouette of the figure to render (much quicker that way too). Then I feed it into Photoshop CS2 (Gimp would work the same) and use the mask to separate the primary figure from the background. This lets me give them an outline, adjust their lighting, add effects, etc. I have a set of filters I run through and made some scripts to speed that up.
When I was first experimenting, I did the first page of a comic project I never finished (HERE), and now I'm working on a new one, The Minions..
Once you figure out a few tricks it's actually not that difficult and I did this first page of the Minions yesterday afternoon. Obviously my text and balloons need work, but I think you can see the value of postwork and pre-lighting here. In the case of The Minions, the first page is all from the angle of a video camera so I put a spotlight at the camera point to light it's subject (but I did the shadows in postwork). The rest of the lighting is a pair of spotlights for the ceiling light (in the same position, but one casts shadows and the other doesn't, but is darker and less intense to light the shadows of the other) and a single Distant Light for ambiance..
To sum up, I like what you're doing. Everybody has their own style, so I'm not going to say you need to change; but I will go with the others and say a few improvements will greatly increase your audience pool...
Well, these are a lot of interesting ideas. I think I may check out the photo editor software and see if I can do something with that. Regarding MadmanMike, thanks for your kind words on the comic. If you liked the first issue, you should really enjoy the second 'cause that's where the fireworks really begin. For comic balloons, I strongly recommend Comic Life 2. It's great and easy to use.
In the end, though, I have to say that I really like the artwork as it is. I think it's still better than the art of most comic books out there, and that's my real competition, not the renders of other DAZ artists.
Like I said, everybody has their own style.. Have you heard of "the uncanny valley"? I had to look it up after a traditional artist friend told me he didn't like my art because of it. After I got over my confusion and realized that we as 3d artists are in the minority on that topic, I started looking for ways to move away from the standard look of poser renders and towards a more cartoony look to avoid said valley.
The irony is that while I find "regular people"appreciate my art more, my 3D brethren do not; it's cost me more than a few contests here at DAZ.. But that's a small price to pay to broaden my audience...
Which image editor are you using for postwork?
GIMP is free and has an excellent tool set. PaintShop Pro is a good mid priced editor as is PS Essentials. Then there is PS itself.
All 3 support layers which are essential.
Flaming Pear sells a trio of excellent PS plugins: LunarCell, SolarCell, and Glitterato. They are a way of creating space backgrounds quickly and easily for compositing your images.
Have you tried rendering your scenes in layers? Render background, midground and foreground and then composit all of it in an image editor?
Dreamlight has this tutorial:
http://www.daz3d.com/making-of-the-raptors-in-daz-studio
Granted it's older (IIRC it was done in DS2) but it shows you how to render various parts of your scenes and then composite them using your image editor.
While I can see you're very proud of your accomplishments, I think it's a bit of a stretch to say yours is better than the art of most comic books out there. I'm seeing nothing that a beginner with Daz Studio and the same stock couldn't create. The characters haven't been changed, the lighting is stock and theres no postwork to soften images or bring focus to particular areas. I'd be interested to know what comics you consider your competition, because I've never seen a single one which didn't have a very strong emphasis on using the visual medium to help tell the story.
Now, I really don't mean to tear into your work like this. I respect that this sort of thing takes a very long time and an huge amount of effort with regards to writing. That said, I don't think you're really taking on board the criticisms and suggestions offered for improvements, and that's a shame because it's how we grow as artists and how we mature from simplistic artwork to magnificent masterpieces. Your style is your own, and nothing will change that, but if you allowed yourself to focus as much effort on the tone of the image as you do on deflecting suggestions your work could be so, SO much greater than it is.
The first step towards knowledge and power is a willingness to learn.
Actually, this can be done pretty easily with a custom camera. But I think your other point is still valid-- no amount of post work can save an image with bad lighting.
Regarding the space scenes, anything near a star should have strong directional lighting. Properly you'd really only be able to see the side facing the star, with perhaps some "earthshine" or other light reflected off a nearby planet, but for artistic purposes you could add some fill lighting. Again, I'd recommend the UberEnvironment sphere, which is included in DAZ Studio.
Ultimately, I think every artist needs to decide who their audience is. If you like the way these images look, then probably you are your primary audience, which is fine. If you mean for your audience to be readers of existing comic books, then you need to find a community of comic book fans and ask them what they think of the art. Some of us here do read comic books, and we've tried giving you feedback, which you've disqualified because you feel we're being too picky about technical features only a habitual user of 3D software would know about. I think you're underestimating our ability to look at the work just for the art, but that's irrelevant. If you don't think we're representative of your audience, and you want to make your work the best it can be, then go find members of your intended audience, ask for input, and listen to it. If what matters to you the most is your own opinion of your work, it's probably best not to ask others for their input.
Many people here gave you a lot of useful advice to improve your art, but you still insist that you like your pictures the way they are now. So, what exactly is it that you like best in your artwork? What makes it in your opinion better than most other comic books out there? Is it composition, colors, effects, poses, dialogue...? Tell us how you view your own work, so that we know why you disregard all advices.
Also, I would like to know what comic books are you comparing yours with? If it is with famous comics from Marvel and other major companies, and you still consider yours better, then I am afraid there might be something wrong with the way you view yourself and your work. While your pictures are not bad, you certainly are not as good (or better) as people like Frank Miller, for example. If you compare with hobbyist makers of online-comics, then of course that´s another matter.
Actually, this can be done pretty easily with a custom camera. But I think your other point is still valid-- no amount of post work can save an image with bad lighting.
Regarding the space scenes, anything near a star should have strong directional lighting. Properly you'd really only be able to see the side facing the star, with perhaps some "earthshine" or other light reflected off a nearby planet, but for artistic purposes you could add some fill lighting. Again, I'd recommend the UberEnvironment sphere, which is included in DAZ Studio.
Ultimately, I think every artist needs to decide who their audience is. If you like the way these images look, then probably you are your primary audience, which is fine. If you mean for your audience to be readers of existing comic books, then you need to find a community of comic book fans and ask them what they think of the art. Some of us here do read comic books, and we've tried giving you feedback, which you've disqualified because you feel we're being too picky about technical features only a habitual user of 3D software would know about. I think you're underestimating our ability to look at the work just for the art, but that's irrelevant. If you don't think we're representative of your audience, and you want to make your work the best it can be, then go find members of your intended audience, ask for input, and listen to it. If what matters to you the most is your own opinion of your work, it's probably best not to ask others for their input.
Not natively but Mood Master by Dreamlight can do Z depth. Since most of what the artist is trying to create can be done in DS3, he might want to consider using a lower version of DS and some of the plugins for it.
I don't generally use DS4 so I don't know if plugins like Light Dome Pro, Studio Light Pro, Mood Master, Motion Master and Mask Creator even work in this version but they do work in DS3 and 3A. It might be one alternative.
Light Dome and Studio Light also come in cheaper and lighter LE versions. For still work in DS that does not require the use of Uber Enviornment (although IIRC DS3A did come with the original UE) and other more advanced features. Especially since it appears that the Artist is using Gen 4 figures rather than Genesis.
http://www.daz3d.com/light-dome-pro
http://www.daz3d.com/studio-light-pro-for-d-s
http://www.daz3d.com/mood-master-ds-z-depth-fx-layers
http://www.daz3d.com/surface-mask-creator-for-ds
http://www.daz3d.com/motion-master-for-daz-studio
http://www.daz3d.com/light-dome-le-for-d-s
http://www.daz3d.com/studio-light-le
There are a number of different bundles for these products as well. Also, if you subscribe to Dreamlight's newsletter, he makes some excellent offers on bundle products as well.
OK, while offering help and advice is fine turning it into the Spanish Inquisition, with or without the use of comfy chairs, isn't. A lot fo suggestions have been made and examples posted - it's entirely up to the creator how they are heeded.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tym0MObFpTI
I don't have any specific examples in mind, but a lot of comic books these days do have subpar art due to the fact that comic companies are letting the top tier talent go in favor of lesser experienced artists who will work cheaper. The art I've created is certainly better than a lot of hand-drawn comic art that is out there. I don't think anyone can dispute that.
While I certainly would love to have better lighting and shadows for the sets and props, the fact is that I really like the way the characters look with the normal lighting. I've made exceptions for the GIS sets, because the sets look so much better with the special lighting than without. An example would be Aurelia (Reby Sky). Here are some panels I've used in the comic. The first two use the GIS Orion set with the GIS Lights product. I actually prefer the way Aurelia looks in the third photo. I think it has more of a comic-feel to it than the first two.
I'm sure you meant that in a generic way, but perhaps it would have been better to say "I think I’ve managed to create a comic unlike any you’ve read before. You might have gotten less grief about the artwork.
Well, I certainly didn't mean to imply that my art was better than everyone else's. I simply meant that the comic is different in the sense that each issue has 400 to 500 panels, and the digital format allows me to expand scenes in a way that a normal comic cannot.
And I don't have a problem with people's criticisms. It hasn't felt like the Spanish Inquisition or anything like that. And I will try to use the photo editor software that was suggested. There are certain situations where I think it could come in handy.
Well, I beg to differ with that. I am a photographer, and that shot looks like an on-camera flash exposure to me. If you check out the Strobist blog, http://strobist.blogspot.com/ , you might discover a whole new appreciation for proper lighting technique. The study of light is centuries old, and painters were discovering ways to enhance their artform long before photographers even existed.
That doesn't mean you're wrong, though. What I would suggest is that you find a technique that incorporates lines into your CG. A faux 'ink' technique would be fairly easy to apply in post and would probably work well with your standard lighting. I think more people would then accept what you've done as a stylistic choice. Anyway it's just a suggestion.. :)
That's interesting, but I have no idea what you mean by a faux ink technique. Can you elaborate a little more on that?
Sure. I opened your third image in GIMP and spent five minutes playing around with filters. My take on your image is by no means what I would do personally. I could spend an hour or two fiddling with settings to get it just right. I wanted to give an idea of what could be possible. You can play around with settings for one image and then batch process the rest with those same settings automatically.
Edit: I forgot to say what filters I used. First, I used 'Curves' to brighten things up a bit. I used the 'Cartoon' filter. I resized the image to be much larger. I used the 'Newsprint' filter. I resized the image back to near original size. That's it.
Sure. I opened your third image in GIMP and spent five minutes playing around with filters. My take on your image is by no means what I would do personally. I could spend an hour or two fiddling with settings to get it just right. I wanted to give an idea of what could be possible. You can play around with settings for one image and then batch process the rest with those same settings automatically.
Edit: I forgot to say what filters I used. First, I used 'Curves' to brighten things up a bit. I used the 'Cartoon' filter. I resized the image to be much larger. I used the 'Newsprint' filter. I resized the image back to near original size. That's it.
Wow, that looks very nice!
I like using edge, smallest size, contrast up, turned grayscale, inverted, white color to opacity, instead of Cartoon filter myself ;)
Oh I never do things the easy way... ;)
Sometimes emboss, high contrast, white to opacity, does a nice edge too and adds depth, if that's the look you want. or blur it a bit for a smoother look with opacity...
Yes, I accept it.
Here some of my comics, I drew many years ago, at a time when I had no computer, so I did everything in hand (and I'm left handed).
Yes, I accept it.
Here some of my comics, I drew many years ago, at a time when I had no computer, so I did everything in hand (and I'm left handed).
That looks great!
Someone else mentioned that too, but I don't get why it would be a significant factor in this particular case.
There are many variations made for the Gen4 characters by the PAs. Each variation giving the base Gen4 character a different look, but I'm guessing people only buy the variation that has the look that appeals to them. So why alter the appearance if you bought it for that distinct look in the first place?
I understand if two different artists were using the same Daz character or robot, and each one was producing illustrations for different publishers of print comics. Even though the artists are allowed to do this under the EULA, it would be a headache for 2 different comic companies trying copyright and trademark a character that independently appears in both company.
It's something to think about ... On the other hand, it will scratch the EULA?
I guess not!
For all those who use these models (M4, V4 etc), the EULA gives them rights to the renders.
Ok
However, a page of comics usually have at least 5 frames per page, what would a comic of 81 pages have at least 400 frames.
Thank you Richard. Suggestions are good. Suggestions are great but the artist must be allowed to proceed and learn in their own way AND in their own time. Composition, Lighting, coloring is approached differently by everyone.
One thing that is nice to see is how many people are making comics! I'm amazed at the different ideas put forward.
Keep on truckin' and make your story a labor of love. As long as you love what you are doing, things will be fine.
Well ... That photo editor that I stated is very basic.
I just played around with some of his images, it just direct you to some possibilities.
do not miss the gimp, too.
gimp greatly increases your chances.
I love a gimp filter, called a "soft glow".
gimp also has a filter called "wind", and it is possible to change the directions of wind.
once I created a scene with M4 (picture below) but the scene seemed stiff and static. I needed to create a motion effect, to make the scene more aggressive, so I used this filter gimp.
gimp is good.
Unfortunately, the letters were also handmade.
at the time I wrote straight into balloons.
I just scan these pages today, and used image editor now to redimenssionar the ideal size accepted by daz forum.
unfortunately