If you're making a comic, starting one using Poser, want some feedback or just to wish to show off, start here.

First I love Scifi, I have a comic already running and I'm getting back into it. The hardest part of any of it, believe it or not is casting and testing before you tell your Never Ending Story (He named her Moonchild). So here is a shot from my comic plug suit test. rokket, you see everything before I post it so stop me if I push the edge.

This looks great! I love how the colors pop. I love creating toons also with Poser. I do illustrations for kids books. I use the toon lines option in the render settings as I assume you have done here. My problem I have often is that when using toon lines, I get these tiny black dots sprinkled on areas of the render. Sometimes they can be light and sometimes very heavy. I have learned that I can delete any bump maps a figure or object may have to clear them up. Other than that I have to create 2 renders. One with out the toon lines and one with the toon lines. I then take them into photoshop and place the render without the toon lines in the layer under the render with the toon lines. Then I erase the little black dots which leaves the image looking clean, then I flatten the 2 renders! Any other suggestions on how to be rid of the tiny black dots?

I am watching you, Rob. I want you to push it right to the edge...

I started playing around with an image I did when I first got my Wacom... I will post the original and then the rework...

On the matter of the black dots... as you can see in the rework, when I used the edge filter in GIMP, it makes all the little color differences show up as a bump. The way to get rid of those lines is to not render with any bump maps and turn off shadows. Light and the textures in the background and ground will all turn into those dots.

Or use the toon shaders in Poser...

Love the image rokket! Very well done! Thank you for the tips! I do discard the bump maps but have not thought of shadows. I will turn off the shadows on my next toon render! Thanks!

I am still getting used to my Wacom tablet, but this was done by just setting the coloring to comic so it was black and white, then setting the preview render high.

This was the render I started from...

Here is the finished cell...

I readjusted the poses, found a suitable background, then took the image into GIMP for some toon work. The remaining toon work was done in Comic Life 3. which included the sound effects and some more toon lines. The action hit between the characters was from a free download I found on Google.

All of these images were only preview renders. I don't render in Firefly either, so the toon outline isn't available to me.

I haven't tried using the toon shader yet, mainly because I am using Aiko 4, and she has too many mat zones.

I may try it on an old P7 figure like Sydney, or P8 Alyson later, though...

rokket posted at 9:57PM Thu, 18 July 2019 - #4357415

All of these images were only preview renders. I don't render in Firefly either, so the toon outline isn't available to me.

I haven't tried using the toon shader yet, mainly because I am using Aiko 4, and she has too many mat zones.

I may try it on an old P7 figure like Sydney, or P8 Alyson later, though...

So set up Aiko's mats and save that as a mat preset. Then you just load the one preset anytime you want that mat.

ghostship2 posted at 10:46PM Thu, 18 July 2019 - #4357418

rokket posted at 9:57PM Thu, 18 July 2019 - #4357415

All of these images were only preview renders. I don't render in Firefly either, so the toon outline isn't available to me.

I haven't tried using the toon shader yet, mainly because I am using Aiko 4, and she has too many mat zones.

I may try it on an old P7 figure like Sydney, or P8 Alyson later, though...

So set up Aiko's mats and save that as a mat preset. Then you just load the one preset anytime you want that mat.

Are those second skins or a bodysuit? using the comic shader? It's only for Preview so it might be perfect. Does GIMP support Photoshop Actions?

I used the Poser cartooning filter and used some actions like Posterize to get this. NO Rendering is done.

ghostship2 posted at 5:10AM Fri, 19 July 2019 - #4357418

rokket posted at 9:57PM Thu, 18 July 2019 - #4357415

All of these images were only preview renders. I don't render in Firefly either, so the toon outline isn't available to me.

I haven't tried using the toon shader yet, mainly because I am using Aiko 4, and she has too many mat zones.

I may try it on an old P7 figure like Sydney, or P8 Alyson later, though...

So set up Aiko's mats and save that as a mat preset. Then you just load the one preset anytime you want that mat.

Now there's an idea. Thanks!

quietrob posted at 5:11AM Fri, 19 July 2019 - #4357432

ghostship2 posted at 10:46PM Thu, 18 July 2019 - #4357418

rokket posted at 9:57PM Thu, 18 July 2019 - #4357415

All of these images were only preview renders. I don't render in Firefly either, so the toon outline isn't available to me.

I haven't tried using the toon shader yet, mainly because I am using Aiko 4, and she has too many mat zones.

I may try it on an old P7 figure like Sydney, or P8 Alyson later, though...

So set up Aiko's mats and save that as a mat preset. Then you just load the one preset anytime you want that mat.

Are those second skins or a bodysuit? using the comic shader? It's only for Preview so it might be perfect. Does GIMP support Photoshop Actions?

I used the Poser cartooning filter and used some actions like Posterize to get this. NO Rendering is done.

On my A4, that is a body suit. I made some second skin outfits for her at one time, but I never completed it. I may go back and revisit that notion, though, when I get my actual comic going.

I usually do a preview render so that I can get a larger pixel size to work with, and also to take the camera title off the image.

Playing with lighting effects in post.

Here's a promo for my comic...

legendoftheknyghtmare-vol2.thecomicseries.com

I really need to get back to updating it

I saw this one my phone, and of course I couldn't see it clearly. Now that I am on my laptop, it's a pretty cool image. Interesting characters you have there. When I am able to plug in my laptop, I'll go read your comic.

Still searching for my comic style. I am leaning toward this, even though it will increase my render times...

This forum isn't as busy as it used to be, is it?

it is not. haven't been in a while i'm afraid.

It's been almost five years since I've done a comic, but if you're in the market for some comic book fonts, you can find 10 of the best free ones right here:

Free comic book fonts

EClark1894 posted at 2:01PM Sun, 04 August 2019 - #4358687

It's been almost five years since I've done a comic, but if you're in the market for some comic book fonts, you can find 10 of the best free ones right here:

Free comic book fonts

Thanks for the link, Earl!

Very nice. Thanks Earl.

It is summer and these things ebb and flow. We need interesting subjects and knowledge and people kind enough to share. I can do some light texturing but when Tony, Ken, Rokket and others start talking about baking UV's, I'm totally lost. One thing I've gotten good at is making comics. So I'll share some knowledge but bring some of your own game. There are some good traditional artists here as well. Go ahead and critique but remember this isn't 4Chan.

Of course we should post some Comic images, from any source in a comic book thread.

Here is the incomplete cover. I'm using some placeholders until I can design the comic cover errata

rokket posted at 10:49PM Sun, 04 August 2019 - #4357808

Still searching for my comic style. I am leaning toward this, even though it will increase my render times... Render in Background is your friend. It's the way I can deal with the long render times. That and knowing if I were using DS, the wait times would be longer. These are done in Firefly as I do. The actual figure image is spot on. How did you do the background?

The background is just a gradient that I made in GIMP, and then I added the toon filter to it.

@quietrob What figure (the robot) is that you are using in the post with the robotish figure with rifle & rocket pack?

Please disregard preivous post. I found it :)

bwldrd posted at 10:53AM Tue, 06 August 2019 - #4358832

Please disregard preivous post. I found it :)

Too late, LOL! Everyone should know that if you own Poser, you also own this bot. There is a lot of hidden treasure in content that comes with your Poser.

Well if it's included with poser I have no idea where, I found it on shargecg from jibicoco.

quietrob posted at 4:05PM Tue, 06 August 2019 - #4358870

Bwldrd is right. Since I'm changing the nature of reality, I'll chalk it up to that and not my mixing up things. Jibococo was so good!

I found something I think will interest you guys. You may have already seen it. One of the Smith Micro Blogs on Channeling your inner Stan Lee. Unfortunately, the video is off line and I haven't heard anything about Renderosity adding the Poser webinars to their YouTube channel yet.

Channel Your Inner Stan Lee

It looked promising. I think I'd seen before but it would be nice to have it in the knowledge vault. Even though it's NOT available (save yourself a click people. The link leads to a dead video) perhaps there is a way we can access it via the wayback machine?

Hi Rokket, i like that style. A lot! Love esther

Is that your protagonist with the green glow around her? She looks very nice.

For what it's worth, it looks like Mike Deodato is using Poser (and a lot of photo referencing) for the artwork in AWA's upcoming Resistance comic book.

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2019/08/08/jms-the-resistance-mike-deodato-awa/

I personally don't think the art looks all that great to be honest... assuming that it is even Poser, but I strongly suspect it is. I still prefer hand-drawn or a hybrid of 3d renders as a base reference and then hand-tracing over it while adding some stylistic flourishes to make it more hand-drawn-looking.

estherau posted at 4:11AM Sun, 11 August 2019 - #4359064

Is that your protagonist with the green glow around her? She looks very nice.

HI, Esther! No, that was a reimagined Buttercup, one of the Powerpuff Girls. My protagonist is a bit different and not a super powered being. I am at sea so I can't post images; but as soon as I get in port I will post several images to give everyone an idea of what I am working on.

cool. will be looking forward to seeing them.

I am told I will be able to upload pics on the 17th or 18 of this month, so that's a good thing. I am putting a lot into this thing, and I'd like to get some feedback when I can.

A few days and he'll be posting. Cool. In the meantime...

This looked better in 1982, it's become a bit weathered but the more I look at it, the more I think of rokket's black and white offering.

A couple of offerings. These are two of the female pilots from my universe. They are on a colonized planet called Eden Prime. I had a story that takes place years after the colony was established in which a young heroine, the daughter of the assassinated president, gets accused of his murder and has to prove her innocence.

But these pilots are from the very early years of the colony. Earth launched several deep space exploration ships so large they had to build them in space to combat the over population and decay of Earth's natural resources. Eden Prime was one of the first and largest colonies.

The problems start as soon as they land. What was thought to be a perfect uninhabited planet turns out to be just the opposite. The planet has an indigenous population and several areas that are not hospitable or just down right dangerous.

The colony was welcomed at first, but as the colony grew and started to take more and more from her adopted home, trouble starts. All out war breaks out between the colony and the indigenous people, named "Outlanders" by the colonists.

The uniform has badges to signify military occupational specialty (MOS) and unit. The star on the right arm signifies pilot, while the skull on the left arm signifies Delta Wing, known as the marauders.

You will notice that the helmet is lit up when worn, and the lights are out when it is removed. The helmet is tied to the ship they fly. They can keep the helmet on to supply them with an atmosphere while in areas that are deemed IDLH (imminent danger to life and health), but the battery is limited. The further away from the ship they get, the more limited it is.

I had a group pic of two male and two female pilots, but they were V4 and M4, and the texture maps were cross talking for some unknown reason. When I would adjust the maps to work on V4, they were in the wrong spots on M4, and vice versa. So that pic was scrapped.

@quietrob: Check your site mail...

See if this grabs your attention:

Here we go!

The first has a Star League feel to it and the only Star League I know is from the Last Starfighter (with Robert Preston more or less reprising his Harry Hill without Shirley Jones), so she has a cadet ready for training feel to to her. I might be projecting my own star fighter story (We'll have to do a crossover!) but I have the feeling she is at home on a ship.

The second offering is a huge tease! What's up?? You can't drop a page and ...well, I suppose you can. I do like it and want to see more.

You've seen a lot of setup pages but it's coming time for the payoff.

I am working on it. I hope it will blow some minds...

@quietrob: She isn't a cadet. She's a full blown pilot, and this was supposed to be a routine patrol.

I don't know if you remember Jennalyn Walker and the original Eden Prime story I had written. But this story takes place only a couple years after Eden lands on what they thought was an uninhabited planet. I changed the civil war thing into an all out war between the indigenous people and the colonists. It's not unlike a certain history here on Earth. But there are twists.

I have a lead cast vs a leading man or woman. This pilot is a member of the Marauders, a squadron assigned to patrol the Outer Ridge. There are a lot of strange things happening out there that no one can explain, and this story takes place in a region they don't normally patrol. A power surge threw off her instruments and got her stranded in there. She meets a very interesting life form while in there. And if it's not apparent, she is gay. It's not like she doesn't like to be around men, she is just more comfortable with women, something her 'host' was able to sense.

The statement "She knew she was not on Eden Prime, yet..." is a bit misleading. I have to rewrite that segment because initially, she was supposed to be on a space patrol, but I changed things around a bit. I don't want space travel to be available to the colonists because it would solve 99% of their problems if they just left the planet.

You touched on many things. One is just my laziness when it comes to grammar. It would be better said, that she looks like a soldier but fresh out of boot camp. Those of who served remember that feeling of invincibility and belonging when we earned our brass. In this case, it would be like her earning that uniform.

Her sexuality. You know I have many little quips that I could make here but this is author's choice but I say this. In real life, Life is too short not to find love. I feel that way about the stories I write as well. The only thing is you said, it may not be apparent. How could it be? So far I know this about her. She seems to have at least one friend, she is proud of her outfit (group) and proud of her uniform.

Okay, you need to clarify. Is she a pilot or not? The "They just could leave" premise is a false one. Unless you wish to restrict it to a planetary struggle like "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" or "Top Gun", or like many of the Star Trek TNG episodes. Anyway I believe you can have space travel. The Pros and Cons I'll list another day after the Queen of Ai makes a little speech that may serve your purpose.

Seeing ORIGINAL comic pages by the likes of you and Estherau (Esther to me, I believe a kindred spirit when it comes to comics) gets me pumped up and wanting to create or release new pages of the new stories I wrote.

ANDY GETS A CAMEO! It appears that someone has perfected the superfly shaders. I was like "Oh c'mon man!" However, if Robby the Robot (Fantastic Planet) can be used in at THREE different movies or television scenes than Andy should be all over Poserdom.

Pinging Nightsong. This is a test of the Renderosity Underground Communications Systems.

I guess I should have stated from the beginning that this isn't the beginning; far from it. She is a pilot and a damn good one. She is the leader of her squad and a captain.

I don't want to use space travel because the planet they landed on and named Eden Prime is very hostile. There are parts of it that are just plain spooky, and the native population which was friendly and giving at first has become very hostile toward them. Hence the war. The easy way out is to board Eden and get the hell off the planet. But it will be explained that doing that is impossible. The engines were designed to get them there and that's it. They were to be repurposed as generators for the new colony once they began construction.

The pilot in question (no name yet, I am still working out a lot of details) was on a routine patrol when her plane got hit by the anomaly she can see in her HUD. She lost control when her navigation controls couldn't tell up from down.

Her new friend is way more than they seem to be. For one, the assumed gender is only an attempt to make the pilot more at ease. The entity has no gender.

I like using everything at my disposal when I am creating, and using Andy and Andrea instead of modeling a creature just made sense.