Which do you like better? 3D backgrounds or hand drawn?

[sarrowsmith10]

So I got a review on my recent comic, The Chavlier and one of the sticking points was my use of 3D backgrounds for much of the comic. Like many webtoons creators I use some 3D environments in order to save time and be able to upload faster. I build sets in Sketchup of locations that I use very often, and then I edit them considerably in Clip Studio. So, I'm wondering if it really matters that much to the general public.

Here are some examples of my 100% hand drawn backgrounds (mostly from Goblins of Razard, because everything was hand drawn):

And here some of the 3D assisted backgrounds:

What do you think? Should I keep using the 3D models? or try going back to hand drawing? Or does it really matter that much for something thats only for webtoons and its never going to print?

Thoughts?

[IndigoShirtProd]

I personally prefer hand drawn backgrounds, they usually fit better with look of the comic, but I see the utility in having 3D models. And in this case, the models you use fit with the comic.

[HGohwell]

Your hand drawn background definitely feel more natural to me, but I notice a lot of your 3D background examples and wide establishing shot types rather than close up with characters, so I don't think the odd establishing shot would be too much of a bother when reading and they certainly don't feel wildly distractingly out of place. Perhaps rather than choosing either or, just continue working to make it more seamlessly.

[Legendofgenii]

I think the hand drawn backgrounds work really well for GOR, but the 3D ones work well for your more modern comic too.

I don't think one is better than the other (although I do love the fantasy BGs best personally) - they are just two different solutions.

I spend aaaaages painting my backgrounds and I know it will take seconds for readers to scroll through the panels haha! Ugh

All I'm painting recently is

[migxmeg]

If the question is just which one I like better, your hand drawn backgrounds are lovely and integrate really well with your characters. Of course they're better!

That seems kind of beside the point though - Webtoon is a fast format and you have a story to tell. You need to find the balance that works for you and most readers will care way more about your story than whether you drew your backgrounds or used a model.

[Alexandritea]

This really depends from person to person. My personal opinion is that 3D models definitely help save time, and helps the perspective in the frames be more consistent and won't accidentally end up skewed because of small mistakes if they were hand painted.

However I think a healthy mix could be nice. Having only 3D modells in a scene can possibly make it end up looking stiff. Although starting from a 3D model and adding your own elements to a building or other models you've created could help give them more originality and character. I don't know much about Sketchup, and how much freedom you get in adding your own, custom geometric shapes. I know Blender is a free 3D modelling program which is next to limitless with what you can achieve. Sketchup might already provide that though, so please disregard if that's the case .

My answer might not have ended up helpful at all, but I hope it could give some insight on pros/cons with the medium . I think your works looks amazing either way, so at the end of the day it is what you're most comfortable with that truly matters !

[sarrowsmith10]

Sketchup is pretty basic compared to blender. I've used both but sketchup is faster for me to use just because I don't have to mess with the objects too much to get them how I like them. Sometimes too much freedom just slows me down.

Thank you for the compliment, I was so hoping the 3D environments weren't super terribly distracting. And in modern settings everything is so terribly geometric in our architecture, even our chairs and bookshelves, that its hard to draw by hand without being wonky. Fantasy settings have the advantage of being sorta vintage feeling, so there is so much more freedom to be expressive with the environment.

[sarrowsmith10]

Haha, I understand about the trees. With The Chevalier, I actually made a custom brush in clip studio with my hand drawn trees, that varies the size and scatters them nicely. Saves me so much timmmmeee. But I also love trees. Organic type environments are like the best. I wish I had clip studio when I was doing my fantasy comic. Gosh the time I could have saved...

[Legendofgenii]

I actually read GOR when I was on Smack Jeeves back in the day, then found it again here recently. I don't know if you'll go back to it, but I loved the artwork, story and characters. Poor old Reign Lol!

[darthmongoose]

If it's an organic or natural background, like trees, mountains, rocks or rubble, I tend to draw it freehand, but I do build 3D sets or use photos as a base for things like rooms and buildings, because while I'm capable of drawing them by hand, it'd take so much longer, I'd just never be able to have the same level of detail and polish with my update schedule.

I never just dump a 3D model in though. I always ink all the lines by hand so that it matches the style, ad details, remove details and then I do my lighting and colours from scratch.

So for example, Rekki's living room, the model is like this:

Then the page it's on looks like this:

[sarrowsmith10]

remove details and then I do my lighting and colours from scratch.

This is actually pretty similar how I do most of my backgrounds, although sometimes I do keep some of the textures. It just sorta depends on the situation/scene for me I guess. For example, that hospital shot above was done like that. Here's the image I generated from sketchup (actually the buildings would look familiar to anyone who read my comic VSPER because I built a whole generic city that I reuse alot):

Then I free-drew the hospital sign and did all the coloring.

[sarrowsmith10]

I actually read GOR when I was on Smack Jeeves back in the day, then found it again here recently.

Gosh, I wish with every fiber of my being that I could continue Goblins of Razard. Sadly the writer for the series decided against moving forward, or really doing anything creative with her life due to an unhappy home situation. My hope is that someday she'll be able to work on it again, and I do poke her occasionally about it.

[Rhonder]

I have a slight preference towards hand-drawn backgrounds, but only because often if they're untouched they often clash hard against the style of the drawn characters. Even for rigid geometric shapes they give off a look of being... too perfect I guess? And also just at a much higher level of detail and graphical fidelity especially if the artist themselves didn't make the model. Like from experience I know if I'm drawing a high rise skyscraper in the background, I'm going to simplify the amount of detail the further into the background it goes. With 3D models though the detail is all there and just gets smaller the farther away something is so it can look... re: too perfect, or perhaps too real? idk.

The best compromise that I like seeing is like what darthmangoose described above where they provide a traceable base for the actual comic. Just by drawing over them, the artist's style and line quality shines through, but it's still much faster than drafting each element of the scene from scratch.

Another option (maybe, I suppose very dependent on what options the modeling softward has) is to try and find a way to render the model with a looser rendering style. The 3D modeling program that I use for work (Architectural modeling) has a variety of render styles, some of which are denoted by "Sketch". Those render with different contour line qualities that you can mess with to give a more pencil-y or pen and ink type of look to the building geometry. I think utilizing settings like those (if the program in question has them) would be preferable as well to just the generic thin lined 3D model look that I see... a lot in comics that use 3D backgrounds.

[TheGentleArtist]

I know that feeling with the trees.

[jensrichard77]

I like art when art is pretty and the artist has given it a soul. And all techniques can be art with soul IMO

[Legendofgenii]

Sorry to hear about your writer's troubles - no worries at all though. What are you working on at the moment?

[sarrowsmith10]

I'm doing this supernatural/romance series:

https://tapas.io/series/The-Chevalier

But I'm not with a team like before, I'm doing it all by myself, which is nerve wracking!

[Tanako]

If you don't mind me asking, what do you use for background? honestly they both look good. I'm personally not good with background and any tip would help. so as for which route you should go? id say which ever makes you comfortable and assist you in better utilizing your time. honestly the less work for me the better just due to the fact that I suffer from RSI (repititave strain injury)

[jcmraz]

Hand drawn 100% of the time. It's not even remotely close. I accept that artists are going to use computer generated though because I know how much fuckin work it is.

[sarrowsmith10]

I use google sketchup (although Bender is also free). I learned a lot from this tutorial:

https://www.deviantart.com/yuumei/art/3D-background-Tutorial-316500996

So maybe that helps?