Using tools for backgrounds, cheating?

[El_Psy_Congroo]

I use sketchup and theres a lot of readymade models by other people. The building in my first few chapters was a CC0 model - its better to look for those since you dont even have to credit. For important buildings I'd model my own. Its good to have that for buildings you will use often so you can get lots of different angles you wouldn't think of otherwise. Or you'd end up reusing backgrounds. Sketchup is also relatively easy to learn.

[keii4ii]

It's possible you might have some weird type of agnosia affecting your ability to capture three-dimensional space in drawings.

I wouldn't say you need to master every area of fundamentals. I mean, specialization is a thing? Colorists don't need to know how to capture the form with lines (though I'd guess most good ones do). Pencillers don't need to know how to color amazingly well.

It's like music. If your passion is all about singing, the only skills you absolutely need are vocalist skills; it's not required for you to know how to compose your own songs, or how to play the accompanying music. Though if you can do all of that, of course more power to you.

You do need some perspective skills so that you can draw figures in perspective, but eh. If acquiring that skill is not a priority to you as a 3D modeler, then that's the way it is. We all have limited time, and we all have our priorities.

Again, tranparency is key IMO. If you were to mislead people about how you do it, that would be bad -- but NOT because the process itself is bad. Hell, you could trace EVERYTHING including the characters, and it would not be unethical in my eyes, as long as you're being transparent and are not ripping off someone else's work.

[SpavVy]

I think it's fine really, I print out perspective grids and go over them with my light pad. I don't want to spend so much time erasing and ruining the paper over perspective when I can just go for an easier solution.

[scythe]

I use Poser by the way, which might not be the best for building interiors, I don't know, but it works for me. I can pretty much build a set, fill it with objects that I download for free (I've even paid a buck or two for a few choice objects), then I can add and adjust all kinds of different lights, which is so handy for knowing where shadows fall, and of course, take the camera anywhere I please. I can even change from a telephoto lens to a fisheye, which is an awesome feature.

Oh, and it has a reflection feature, so no more guessing what should be on that mirror ever again.

[mariusthered]

check out my comic Talesfromswipecity

I use poser for the backgrounds and mostly for the figures, although i have just started to move away from the leaving the backgrounds as 3d and draw them out myself. there is nothing wrong with making your comic this way but getting your head around three point perspective drawing will help you a lot. and just remember to keep your speak bubbles in mind when laying out your page if using backgrounds this way.

[Ambat]

Why would it be cheating to use an art tool to your advantage? There should be literally no stigma to doing this, ESPECIALLY if you are making your own models for your own use. They literally teach you to do this exact thing in top of the line art schools--using a 3D program to do your backgrounds is logical and efficient.

[twostriptechnicolor]

I do this kind of thing all the time. I build miniature models as a hobby, and it comes in really handy whenever I need to draw something at an odd angle or a tricky perspective. Sometimes it's as simple as mocking up a room using cardboard and random objects standing in for props, just to get the angle and the perspective right. I just trace the main contours and fill in everything else. Other times it can get a little more complicated, like an airplane, a car, or in the case of some upcoming pages, a movie camera (Complete with moving parts). It also comes in handy for figuring out the lighting on a scene. Part of me thought it was cheating, but then I realized that the folks at Disney also used models to animate vehicles, like in One Hundred And One Dalmatians- the cars in that movie are basically live action miniatures painted over. And, as others mentioned it, it's a valuable time saver.

[gateofselidor]

I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with tracing 3D models for comics, but given that you're using a video game and not an art tool here, I have to disagree with everyone. I don't think it's wrong for practice, but I don't think it's a particularly good idea for work you're publishing online. You should definitely add a disclaimer stating what you're using, and I don't think you should enable ad revenue. The furniture you're using looks generic, and obviously the layout and angle of the room are things you chose, so I doubt anyone would notice, but you're still tracing over someone else's art, that wasn't created for your comic.

I would suggest instead using simpler software like SketchUp and/or looking at models you can download and use for free, to create mockups you can add details to and change colours after you trace over them.

[AndrewSutton]

Save time where you can.

[niinasalmelin]

Nah it's just smart way to save time if you don't mind doing it. Just be honest about it and I doubt you run into any problems.

[mariusthered]

i was for a time leaving the 3d backgrounds in place and not drawing them out, only drawing out the figures. I have found it is not a popular move so now i'm using more sketching. as for cheating as far as i'm concerned if your doing the work yourself what ever works best for each of us

[punkarsenic]

its not cheating - its making a reference. youre under no expectation to pluck the entire image out of thin air. this is better tbh than jus getting up a picture of a room from google and copying that - youre designing, to an extent, your own original background to put them in. youre just using a model to map out details and perspective.

[KSlinger]

If I had a comic that was interior heavy I would absolutely do what you've done, in fact I'll probably try it for any indoor scenes I need to do so cheers for the idea!

[DeadAccount]

I occasionally use 3D models to draw complicated objects I don't have much experience in and some exteriors - it happens, you can't be immediately good at a thing you've never drawn before and with the time constraints comic making comes with, nothing wrong with getting some help.

It is good to practice drawing backgrounds, though. I find that once you get a hang of them, often it's quicker to freehand them and use, say, Clip Studio's perspective tools rather than setting up a render for every panel. It helps if you're involved in the backgrounds you draw - if you think of them as extensions of characters and put some thought into small details, they can be pretty exciting. (not all of them. I hate skyscrapers. God, I hate them :D)

If you do use 3D, make sure it looks organic in the inking stage. I try to freehand as much of it as I can so it doesn't look too robotic - though it depends on your style, too.

[Kamikaze]

If using reference is cheating then I guess my team and I are grade-A awful artists. xD

We use SketchUp to create models for everything from backgrounds, complex sets, vehicles, weapons, props and more.

For example these are two set pieces we built to use in our comic Kamikaze:

And we used that model the first time on this page. Having the model of the space allowed us to know where our lead could realistically find a place to get in unnoticed.

And another one...

used here...

That doesn't mean we trace over backgrounds all the time, in many cases, especially with large cityscapes, or simple props we just don't have that kind of time, so we switch to 'winging it' to make the shot look better.

[R.n.P]

No, it is not cheating and to me you are really smart and creative since you figured out a shortcut to your dilemma so easily, too bad I can't use this method for traditional art though

[tayo_rafferty]

I think it's not cheating but rather a creative alternative however be sure to learn the fundamentals of art as they will help you in the long-term.

[Sleepyowl]

I don't think it's cheating at all. People have been doing this since the 50's. Except they would build their models by hand and take pictures. Alice in wonderland did this (even used a real human model for Alice), Lady and the Tramp did this too.

I do this as well, except I use sketchup. I keep telling myself "okay I built the model myself, which also takes a lot of time and prep for, so I should be able to use it however I want."

If you want to feel less guilty, and only need background help,I would recommend sketchup instead of sims. You get more camera angle control, you can save the models for future reference, it takes up less space on your computer than a sims game, and it absolves a lot of the guilt. Plus if you're super lazy, you can import props like TV's computers and the like from the community.

tldr: Keep doing you, these things are tolls made the be used, might as well use them.

[miesmud]

Yeah that's the thing I have issues with, I haven't made the objects I'm tracing, I only placed them in a way that it looks nice and try to make nice composition shots. But it still doesn't feel like it's mine.

I do have quite a lot experience with 3D programma's though. I just thought it would take too much time since I'm not an interior designer and didn't want to spent multiple days on a background I'd only use in like 4 panels. And in Sims it's really easy to make rooms (Since it's their main mechanic, and I'm quite an experienced sims player haha) They also have added more camera options in the sims 4 to take perfect screenshots from different angles, you can even control the field of view!

But I think I will try making the other rooms in Maya, because using someone else's assets feels just wrong.

[nerosmoke]

Yep. you are a durty cheata.