Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => Arts & Talents => Topic started by: Turnsky on April 09, 2004, 12:49:25 am

Title: The Foxfire Chronicles - A Process
Post by: Turnsky on April 09, 2004, 12:49:25 am
okay, since many of you wanted to know how i do things on my end, so here goes;)   : (i'll be making this on the foxfire site soon enough)

Step one: one would sketch out the image like so:
(http://nodewar.penguinbomb.com/aotd/Turnsky/Images/Process/ffcprocess1.jpg)

Step 2: okay now you scan that in true color or whatever, and you duplicate the background layer, and open up the blending options menu: color overlay -> Select screen in your blending options:
(http://nodewar.penguinbomb.com/aotd/Turnsky/Images/Process/ffcprocess2-b.jpg)
and this is the result, pretty neh?.. i'll explain the reason in due time.
(http://nodewar.penguinbomb.com/aotd/Turnsky/Images/Process/ffcprocess2-a.jpg)
step 3: ink it with a pen that produces the blackest ink you can find, either a pigma micron, or a black gel-pen would do nicely (for example a uni-ball signo DX gel pen is used here)
this is what you end up with..
(http://nodewar.penguinbomb.com/aotd/Turnsky/Images/Process/ffcprocess3-a.jpg)
okay, now stick the lineart (with the red underlay ;) ) on the scanner and select greyscale -> Red.. like this:
(http://nodewar.penguinbomb.com/aotd/Turnsky/Images/Process/ffcprocess3-b.jpg)
although that screen may differ from printer to printer, it's fundamentally the same. Also, i work at 300 dpi as shown, you could go more, or less.. it's up to you.
you should end up with this though
(http://nodewar.penguinbomb.com/aotd/Turnsky/Images/Process/ffcprocess3-c.jpg)
Title: The Foxfire Chronicles - A Process
Post by: Turnsky on April 09, 2004, 12:52:02 am
okay, now you've done that, time to clean it up,. okay go to image --> mode and check out the menu..
(http://nodewar.penguinbomb.com/aotd/Turnsky/Images/Process/ffcprocess3-d.jpg)
now, you go to bitmap, and clean-up any little dirty black specks you don't want, then go back yo greyscale, then RGB.. and there we go, ready to color, notice how the lines aren't fuzzy?, that's the result you want to be after.
(http://nodewar.penguinbomb.com/aotd/Turnsky/Images/Process/ffcprocess3-f.jpg)

Next, i'll show you guys how the coloring's done..
Title: The Foxfire Chronicles - A Process
Post by: Turnsky on April 09, 2004, 08:42:50 am
:blah: 27 views, not even one reply
Title: The Foxfire Chronicles - A Process
Post by: Setekh on April 09, 2004, 08:48:32 am
Dude, I love seeing this kind of stuff. You really work hard at these, eh :)

*lokoing forward to seeing the colouring*
Title: The Foxfire Chronicles - A Process
Post by: kasperl on April 09, 2004, 08:54:54 am
Turnskey, it either means people are busy drawing using this,, in awe from looking at it, or posting somewhere else were people need help.

neither of them is meant to insult you.

and as for myself, i am too bloody tired to say anything usefull that goes behond wild guessing at odd problems.
Title: The Foxfire Chronicles - A Process
Post by: Taristin on April 09, 2004, 09:09:40 am
I always wondered how to clean up the sketchy lines, without ruining the image.. Thanks. :)
Title: The Foxfire Chronicles - A Process
Post by: Turnsky on April 09, 2004, 09:58:05 am
Quote
Originally posted by kasperl
Turnskey, it either means people are busy drawing using this,, in awe from looking at it, or posting somewhere else were people need help.

neither of them is meant to insult you.

and as for myself, i am too bloody tired to say anything usefull that goes behond wild guessing at odd problems.


:lol: Drawing?.. it's more like a guide on how to get clean scanlines, it's also how i make each foxfire, now, if you multiply this process by say, 6 to say 12-14. it can be time-consuming..
Title: The Foxfire Chronicles - A Process
Post by: Atalhlla on April 09, 2004, 10:11:02 am
You could print it out at higher than 300 dpi, but most home printers can't go higher than that. :P
Although unless you're trying to keep every single detail, you could prolly go lower.

It's kinda interesting seeing how other people do these things.  I personally, when drawing line art, draw the lines in pencil, scan it in, level it off, and remove dust.  Voila, line art.
Title: The Foxfire Chronicles - A Process
Post by: Turnsky on April 09, 2004, 10:29:02 am
Quote
Originally posted by Atalhlla
You could print it out at higher than 300 dpi, but most home printers can't go higher than that. :P
Although unless you're trying to keep every single detail, you could prolly go lower.

It's kinda interesting seeing how other people do these things.  I personally, when drawing line art, draw the lines in pencil, scan it in, level it off, and remove dust.  Voila, line art.


that's all good and done, atal buuuuut..

i work in bulk ;)
http://nodewar.penguinbomb.com/aotd/Turnsky/Images/Process/ffcdesktop.jpg

yes, that is all at 300 dpi.
Title: The Foxfire Chronicles - A Process
Post by: Turnsky on April 09, 2004, 11:50:45 am
okay, on to coloring, now, you copy the clean lineart onto a new layer and set it to multiply, now, get the pencil tool out, make it red, and now blot out those annoying gaps that'll mess with the magic want tool... okay, once you've done that, select, your main chara/object should be free of the outline on the inside of the lines.. then click on the top layer, and press delete, and that'll get this:
(http://nodewar.penguinbomb.com/aotd/Turnsky/Images/Process/ffcprocess4-d.jpg)

now, to coloring. ;)
delete the old background layer that hasn't got the cleared stuff around it.. and duplicate it into two layers
(http://nodewar.penguinbomb.com/aotd/Turnsky/Images/Process/ffcprocess4-b.jpg)
i use three 'cause i might have to edit the top lineart layer and i want a control layer, anywho, the top lineart has to be a multiply layer, the other two can be normals..
use your bucket tool paintbrush, whatever and you'll get this:
(http://nodewar.penguinbomb.com/aotd/Turnsky/Images/Process/ffcprocess4-a.jpg)
(for now, ignore the purple shirt, that's for the camo print i'm gonna use later)
now, at this point, i add the canid's markings.. like thus, can be either a separate layer, or on the color layer, depending on the magnitude.
(http://nodewar.penguinbomb.com/aotd/Turnsky/Images/Process/ffcprocess4-c.jpg)
nearly forgot the camo print i use a photoshop action i downloaded off the 'net, one can find it easily enough..
(http://nodewar.penguinbomb.com/aotd/Turnsky/Images/Process/ffcprocess4-f.jpg)

and tomorrow, when i get some sleep, it's onto shading & highlights
Title: The Foxfire Chronicles - A Process
Post by: Setekh on April 09, 2004, 11:55:50 am
It's taking shape, I love watching that happen with a piece of art - all the more when it's someone else's and you can see the way in which they work. Looking forward to the next instalment. :)
Title: The Foxfire Chronicles - A Process
Post by: Atalhlla on April 09, 2004, 02:27:22 pm
...You point?  I'm not saying what works for me works for you, I'm saying that's just what I do.  Maybe someone out there does something totally weird, but it works really well for them.  Keep in mind that I haven't had time to do much, as of now.. :P

Very nice, though :)
Title: The Foxfire Chronicles - A Process
Post by: Unknown Target on April 09, 2004, 10:25:11 pm
I really wanna see the shadings and highlights! :D Great tutorial :D
Title: The Foxfire Chronicles - A Process
Post by: Turnsky on April 11, 2004, 12:47:32 am
okay, onto shading and highlights, first, make two layers, and set them out like so: shading is Multiply 30% and highs is overlay 50%
(http://nodewar.penguinbomb.com/aotd/Turnsky/Images/Process/ffcprocess5-c.jpg)
you can tweak these values as you see fit.
now, on the shading layer, hold down the CTRL button, and click coloring layer, that gives you a nice selection, make sure you're still on your shading layer, oh-kay, now pick a dark color, black's okay, but a /really/ dark blue does perfectly.. and you shade it thus: using a brush that's slightly softened here, but you can do it however you'd want.
(http://nodewar.penguinbomb.com/aotd/Turnsky/Images/Process/ffcprocess5-a.jpg)
onto the highs, now, keep the selection going, and go to the highs layer and go for a small soft brush that is white, and here, i only highlighted the characters only, just look for areas where you'd need to show depth, or the general lightsource, or something like that, okay,
once you're done, give it a slight guassian blur to your personal preference, and thus:
(http://nodewar.penguinbomb.com/aotd/Turnsky/Images/Process/ffcprocess5-b.jpg)

and soon, i shall show off how the comic itself is made, and the dialogue balloons, etc.;)
Title: The Foxfire Chronicles - A Process
Post by: Setekh on April 12, 2004, 12:23:29 am
Coolness. It's great seeing how deep the process is, makes you appreciate each part of the art more. Shading and highlights adds an immense amount to the look of the comic, nice illustration. :):yes:
Title: The Foxfire Chronicles - A Process
Post by: Fineus on April 12, 2004, 04:55:11 am
Looking brilliant Turnsky, this is very useful stuff!
Title: The Foxfire Chronicles - A Process
Post by: Turnsky on April 24, 2004, 09:56:14 am
*bump*
i know it's been a while since i did anything relating to this, but there is a reason: the panel above, i haven't had the chance to format and put it into context, etc.

soon, my pretties, soon ;)