Google Sketchup Mini Rant

[Luminosophy]

This is just a major pet peeve of mine, where I find so many comics using programs like sketchup or plainly using photos with filters to substitute for backgrounds. While I get the reasoning for doing it, I just can't appreciate the comic because it's so plainly 3D and ... awful looking. 3D models aren't smooth, they're aliased and wonky, everything looks boxy and unnatural. Like at least draw over it to smooth it all out and make it match the style of the characters.

I feel like these tools do more damage to comics (visual appeal) when they're used as crutches for the entire background work.

[Ambat]

I think in most cases people use the 3D programs as a tool to draw over though? I haven't seen many successful/active comics use 3D or photos in that way... I mean I have seen it done, but it doesn't seem like a "normal" practice to me...?

In some cases, I have seen it done effectively, but not in comics. Umineko no Naku Koro ni's visual novels use filtered photographs as the bg work and it honestly suits the world and story pretty well!

I use Maya models personally for any backgrounds that are interior or in the big city sections of my comic--for forests and natural scenes I don't bother, but it definitely helps me understand size relationships, perspective and composition in the more rigid environments.

Here's a GIF example of a process from model to finished pic on my end:

As you can see, the Maya model for me is literally just a tool to decide where I want things to be compositionally and to help give me an idea of what the perspective situation is. I change a lot of the shapes of things up and add a lot of detailing as I work that I don't bother to include in the Maya model. This is just how I go about things, but I know others do way more detailed models than me--I'M JUST HONESTLY REALLY HORRIBLE AT MODELING HAHA....

[69Michi]

Yes I do use sketchup, and yes i do also notice the horrible contrast between the character art vs if you just use a screenshot of the original models itself. In most case I saw, people often paint over or add extra layer of effect over the model to make it blend better with the character arts, and I think this works just fine. I haven't seen much people who keep the model background as it is.

Personally I either paint over the original model, redraw, or try to add extra layer of effect to make it blend a bit better.

[spadesart]

i'm assuming this is using the models themselves as backgrounds but if you're just talking about tracing over, dude its 100% ok to use references literally all the big name artists use references in their art it's not worth getting huffy over

[mintycanoodles]

yeah idk i think i get pretty good mileage from sketchup

[Luminosophy]

I'm not upset at people tracing. I understand it's use. I'm miffed when there's no effort to blend the background into the art style and smooth out the rough edges. It just looks jarring and distracting.

[Luminosophy]

Maybe it's just my bias of coming across all these comics where they used full models then. I use photos all the time to set up scenes as well, I'll borrow them as a sort of perspective grid even if what I'm drawing is radically different. I like your example, because you can't tell you even used a model layout to begin with. The backgrounds I'm talking about all look like this, just plain rendered models. Sometimes with a B+W filter, or contrast and saturation adjustment but no real 'rendering' for style.

[Luminosophy]

That's not what I'm talking about

[mintycanoodles]

well then don't hate on the tool, anything can be used right or wrong. but call it a crutch and you might turn people off it that would benefit from it.

[Tanisha]

Yeah... I think I've seen those a lot on webtoons. Just...the model and a little bit of light effect lol. Don't be too mad at them though, they have thirsty fans that want more pages so they only put their focus on the characters and let sketch up do the rest xD I'm sure no one actually strives for their backgrounds to look...modeled xDD

[69Michi]

Agree that models are used more on webtoon comics, even those featured one. But yeah like you said, most webtoon's updates are very lengthy and there is no way you can save time if you don't use models. I have seen a lot of them do it just fine though even if it's not a complete redrawing.

[blinkingkills]

you know, it never occured to me that i could just paint over google sketchup screenshots and now that you said i think i'm gonna start doing that so my bgs are not massive piles of suck anymore

[isabelleArne]

, it never occured to me that i could just paint over google sketchup screenshots and now that you said i think i'm gonna start doing that so my bgs are not massive piles of suck anymore

You know I never thought of it either ... I just did the perspective from scratch ... which is so time consuming if you want it to be good. Let's use what modern technology offers us, it wasn't better when computer didn't exist ! let's just use ( cleverly ) the tools we have at hand

[Luminosophy]

If you're using a tool to do 100% of the work for you, you're using it as a crutch rather than a learning stepping stone. That's why I called it a crutch, as that what the artists I'm talking about are doing. If that offends people, too bad for them.

I use modelling programs myself, I don't think you still understand what I'm talking about.

[Luminosophy]

Just be sure to temper it with learning by hand on top of modelling. 3D models can provide accurate perspectives but they can't provide a scene that looks good on their own. You still need inherent knowledge to polish it up and all.

It's worth mentioning that back in the 17th century master artists had some tricks up their sleeves to project images onto their canvases that they traced using inventions like the "camera obscura".

[indagold]

Unless you know how to utilize 3D or good at it of course it'll look horrible in any program. 3D is not going to replace your backgrounds if you suck at it.

Here's what raw 3D for me usually looks like since i've majored in it:

[Luminosophy]

Well, there you go lol. Google sketch up is a good starting point for the the work flow but alone it's not really that great. If you've ever heard of the artist Yuumei, as I understand it she uses sketchup a lot for her illustrations, especially after she injured her hand. She has a few videos on her process.

Here's a tutorial she made on it in fact:

3D background Tutorial

[MidZM]

I use 3D models (Not from sketchup, I make my own using Blender), but I draw over it, it's not that I can't do it without the program I just choose not to so that I don't spend forever and a half doing one panel. I see 3D models not as a crutch but as an easily reusable reference. If someone is using 3D models to create their series but aren't putting any effort into making the art match their style and are just using the rendered model with no effects, lighting, textures, etc. Then I could see where that'd be irritating to see.

Also if I didn't have those armor references my series would NOT exist since the entire series is based around armor like these and would be way too hard to draw without it.