How it is done page 1: photography.
bravo1102 on May 19, 2015
Here is one version of how it is done I put together this week. Ideas and scripts all precede this and I never start a comic without a finished script because I need to know the beginning, middle and end and have that end in sight before beginning.
There are plenty of photo comics or “photostories” done by figure collectors. A very few are on DD Some feature gerat atmospheric photography and amazing customized figures. Others have great sets that rival a Hollywood sound stage. But almost none have dynamic posing. The action figures all look like posed action figures. They don't move or flow. They don't stand like people or change their stance from stiff supported pose to stiff supported pose. And worse yet from excitement to anguish to passion and everything inbetween the figures retain the same stone cold expression they got from their sculpter. Yes it's incredible the flesh tones and realism of figures these days but if the face never moves it cannot tell a story. So to me they all suck.
What tore it for me was a photostory featuring great sets and costumes set in Ancient Rome. And then there was a murder and the invesigator was a figure molded with a slight smile. So from introduction in a friendly mood to witnessing this horrid cirme he retained this jovial smile. It ruined everything for me. For all that work it went beyond the worst of suckage. At least Plan 9 From Outer Space with its cheap sets and bad costumes had the over wrought Criswell narrating! And that scene chewing alien with his “You Humans are SO STUPID!” Robot Monster had the over expressive hands of the gorilla robot. It looked like he was hula dancing and telling a story with his hands. But it was heads above Barbie and pals stiffly sword fighting always with that insipid Barbie smile. Even the 3D animated Barbie grimaces, blinks and expresses emotion like a human being.
Facial experssions are a couple of How I do it parts in the future this just goes over basic photo editing with blue screen. Next up is backgrounds and then comes putting the figure agaisnt the background so it doesn't look like a cutout posed in a comic store. (If it isn't supposed to.)
Banes at 9:51AM, May 31, 2015
So cool to see this - once again, it never occurs to me that all this has to be done upfront. It's so invisible in the final product!
Gunwallace at 5:21PM, May 25, 2015
Great page, and great insight into all those details.
bravo1102 at 2:04PM, May 22, 2015
@El Cid: my local art supplies store had four packs of sky blue poster board on sale. So it's blue.
jerrie at 9:43AM, May 22, 2015
I agree about the facial expressions also. they make or break an image
plymayer at 6:26AM, May 22, 2015
:) Fascinating.
El Cid at 6:15AM, May 22, 2015
Have you ever considered using a green background? It would probably blend less with the blue shirts.
KimLuster at 4:47AM, May 22, 2015
It is fascinating how you do this... And I agree about the facial expressions! Even Thomas the Tank Engine shows knew the importance of this and had interchangeable faces (diff. emotions) for the various trains...!