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[ttsnim]

Greetings 3D people!  Let me start by saying that I still don't REALLY know what I'm doing at all in 3D.  Childish "Scribbles" really, and I need all of the input you can throw at me.  XD  Having said that allow me to show you a project I have been working on. 

This was the first real test image.  Isn't he CUTE?



Here is a test with text.  I DO like how the words are clear and there are no unsightly blobs of disruptive word balloon. 



And lastly the test comic page.  I like how the characters came out.  I hate the word balloons in this test comic page, but that's why it's a TEST.  I'll learn how to fix THAT problem down the line.  XD



And to show case the range of expressions I can make, here are two robots.










I posted this in another forum dedicated to, of all things, Anime, Manga, and comics and here are the replies I got.


#1 "that's pretty weird..."

#2 "    
You would be much better off drawing it by hand, especially in such a simple style. I believe KayJKay has the specifics of why 3D takes longer than traditional and is not worth the effort, but suffice to say that it's not as simple as you think it would be.

Further, the range of expressions is limited and they all look staged. That's not good enough, for a comic. It amounts to slightly fancier copy-paste. "

#3 "I don't know that all of the work involved in making a 3D comic would be worth it for only 32 pages.

However for an example of a 3D comic done very much right, check out the Dreamland Chronicles"

I'd love some input from people who KNOW 3D and Anim8or.  ^_^ 

[Raxx]

Well, I suppose it's the opinion of the reader. To me, even the Dreamland Chronicles comic doesn't look right simply because it's in cinematic 3D. Such art should be animated, having them in panels with dialog bubbles just doesn't seem right.

Now, if you made your renders so that they are heavily stylized, with good contrasts to make features stand out that help keep the reader focused on what matters, and make the characters expressive, then I think it'll be more effective. Don't use extremely fancy or realistic shading and environmental lighting unless absolutely needed. Basically, simple is good, complex is distracting.

The comments done by those guys are probably made by people who haven't done a lot of 3D art themselves. There are still benefits to doing a comic in 3D, but it needs to be done right. The script in a comic is the most important part, and if the art can't express the script well then there's no point in making it.

I liked your robots better than the test comic because it was simpler, the features had good contrast, and the faces were more 2D which feels natural. In your test comic, your lighting is quite a bit too dark, and there aren't a whole lot of contrast between your characters and the backgrounds. The shading is too soft and the characters are a bit static.

Just keep at it and try to find the right combination of elements

[TheRetroZombie]

I liked it alittle. Though it gives me an idea to start making comics using Anim8or.

[rellik420]

ive thought about making a comic as well. i did a little bit of research and i guess a 3d comic book wont be taken very well by the readers. i think that every1 is on the right track by saying it needs to be very stylized and not look like a typical realistic 3d enviroment. honestly i think cell shading would be your best bet. it would still look sort of like 2d art and that is what most readers are accustomed to. i say the hell with all of them anyways and you keep on doing it. good luck with your project

[ttsnim]

Thanks all!

 I'll try to switch up the style a bit and see if that helps.  I am still new at all of this Anim8or stuff, despite playing with the program for years. 

Maybe in the long run I ought to just stick to 2D comics and try to make a highly stylised cartoon?  We'll have to see what happens!  ^_^ 

[mak]

always remember jim hensen started with socks

[johnar]

...and Peter Jackson with puppet type things...  (the movie 'Bad Taste).

 I'm surprised to hear the comment that a 3D comic would take longer than hand drawn.
 With 3D, once you have your charcter, thats it. He/she is there to use for many comics to come, whereas, if you're doing it by hand, you'd have to draw that same character over and over again.?
 The same would apply for scenes, props, etc.. ?

 To quote Raxx:  "Just keep at it and try to find the right combination of elements "

 

[rellik420]

here is something you might want to try. i thought about doing it but my 2d art kinda sucks. make  the backgrounds all in 3d and all your characters in 2d. ive seen a few movies do that and it didnt look half bad.

[Josmic8or]

Whoooa!
That comic would have made a coooooooooooool animation!

Anyway cant wait to see the comic

[DragonSlayer]

Maybe instead of stills, do an animation in comic style. The characters don't move much, like maybe move an arm, and habitually they are choppy in moving bodyparts and often back and forth, and the characters often seem to slide across screen if they move. Speech bubbles often flash before going solid. It might look neat if you decide to do it that way, you just want to make sure the bubbles stay up long enough.

[Arik_the_Red]

ohhh TT my sweet ol' friend... I dunno how I missed this one! I think it was during one of my multiple-weeks-long comatose times...

I think the 3D could do well, but the focus should be as commented previously... Developing highly stylized imagery, and bringing a significant distinction between the characters and the scene. Color and light/shade contrasts should be very strong in my opinion.

Considering your 2D art quality and all, I do believe you have the eye for it if you train it into the 3D "focus."

Keep it up! Remember, criticism is meant to be overcome!