RankAmateur Sketch 1

[RedDwarfIV]

Ok, I\'ve made my first sketch! I\'d like feedback, I\'d like ideas for shenanagins. Since the web-comic community is pretty much agreed that building a buffer of sketches before starting up is a good idea, I\'ll be busy working on that, and I\'m going to leave setting up a website until later. That\'s the confusing and frustrating but surprisingly easy part.

[mincespy]

I wish my computer drawing skills were as good as yours.

[RedDwarfIV]

I wish my computer drawing skills were as good as yours.

Actually, I \'trace\' over something I draw on paper. Funny thing is, I can use my low-res\' camera since the image quality doesn\'t matter in the finished thing.

[Phoxtane]

Actually, I \'trace\' over something I draw on paper. Funny thing is, I can use my low-res\' camera since the image quality doesn\'t matter in the finished thing.

Hmm. I know someone who has a table for use on their computer, but prefers to draw instead. She takes her drawing and scans it into the computer.

It turns out pretty good, so I\'m curious to see what the hand-drawn version looks like compared to this one.

[iamwearingpants]

Heh, that\'s exactly what I do for my drawings.

[RedDwarfIV]

As you can see, things get moved around. That Atmospheric Control Rod for instance, got moved further to the right, whilst the wall screen was moved to the other wall. I also moved Renaza\'s eyes further down in the image edited version.

[RedDwarfIV]

Since this is already involving my main RP race, I\'ve decided to incorporate several other RPs of mine into the storyline - including Oilstars [weird stars that look beautiful, except suddenly you find gas creatures rampaging through your holiday liner], an Explorer 3 class probe, a Terran Defence Force Sneak Recon ship, Search And Rescue in Space [sARS] and pretty much any other space RP theme I\'ve ever come up with.

I ain\'t gong to be short on plot-arcs.

[RichieD76]

Love the work Red. Just an idea but seeing how you sketched random parts and then collect them into place once on the computer, how about setting up some sort of inventory of different objects, backgrounds and people. I know it would be time consuming to set up and maybe perspective would sometimes render some parts useless in a lot of sceen\'s. BUT it would allow you to produce comic strips quicker if you plan to set up a site.

[RedDwarfIV]

Love the work Red. Just an idea but seeing how you sketched random parts and then collect them into place once on the computer, how about setting up some sort of inventory of different objects, backgrounds and people. I know it would be time consuming to set up and maybe perspective would sometimes render some parts useless in a lot of sceen\'s. BUT it would allow you to produce comic strips quicker if you plan to set up a site.

I\'d thought about that. Do remember I only started work on this yesterday though. I will be drawing \'sets\' for various parts of the ship that are likely to be used more than once. That includes Renaza\'s room, the Drive Room, engineering and the vehicle bay.

Anyone want to know why \'ATMOSPHERE CONTROL\' was written in English rather than Haikovan?

[mincespy]

What do you have to do in Paint.NET to have the photo as a background layer so you can trace over it? Because I\'ve been wanting to do something like this.

[Phoxtane]

Here\'s my opinion:

Realize I don\'t mean to criticize you or your art! I mean this as constructive criticism.

I think your hand drawings are better than the recolored versions. I\'d suggest you complete the final draft/drawing on paper, and then scan it into the computer. I\'d also suggest that you teach yourself shading, and use a ruler/straightedge for the straight lines.

I really think this webcomic has promise, but you\'ll need to do something that\'ll set it apart from all the other webcomics on deviantart that I\'ve seen. Frankly, I think that better art is what will make yours unique.

Good luck!

[RedDwarfIV]

Here\'s my opinion:

Realize I don\'t mean to criticize you or your art! I mean this as constructive criticism.

I think your hand drawings are better than the recolored versions. I\'d suggest you complete the final draft/drawing on paper, and then scan it into the computer. I\'d also suggest that you teach yourself shading, and use a ruler/straightedge for the straight lines.

I really think this webcomic has promise, but you\'ll need to do something that\'ll set it apart from all the other webcomics on deviantart that I\'ve seen. Frankly, I think that better art is what will make yours unique.

Good luck!

Criticism helps.

Though I don\'t intend to put it on DeviantArt. I\'m told its not actually a very good site for webcomics.

I like my handdrawings too, but I don\'t have paints or colouring pens, or the skills to use them properly. Don\'t worry, my artwork is betting better as we speak - this was only the first sketch after all. I know shading, but I don\'t use it during image editing. It takes a lot of effort to come out with everything the right colour in the first place. And if I do need to have straight lines, that\'s one of the most basic tools MS Paint/Paint.NET has.

I will bear in mind any feedback I\'m given, and I\'ll try to act on it. However, a lot of apparent problems with it are just my style of art [iE, not using rulers, not using the usual animator\'s \'draw an egg shape\' for the faces of most of my characters, though I have used it to good effect when drawing the other main character: Helen the engineer, who is human.] And using image editing software to give it colour is, I think at least, more important than the fine quality at the moment.

So, to summarise, better artwork will come, but I have to get used to the tools I\'m working with now. One of my weakest points is drawing people, but I believe I\'m doing ok with that so far, and anything I can do to improve that should start to be done in anything under a month\'s time from now.

I don\'t have Sordid\'s skills, but hey, mine could be a semi-weekly. I already have about six stories planned and I\'m only on the second sketch.

[Phoxtane]

Though I don\'t intend to put it on DeviantArt. I\'m told its not actually a very good site for webcomics.

Two of the webcomics I read put their comics on DA as well as the website, presumably to get it out to a larger audience.

You\'re about half-right; I\'ve seen some fairly good ones, but I don\'t know if they have their own website. The others I\'ve seen weren\'t very good at all, and looked absolutely horrid. If I had to guess, most people look at the art before the story, and if they don\'t like what they see, it drives them away.

[technoguy33]

How does the ship have gravity? Does it have a ring or something?

[Capt'n Skunky]

< Why is your dialog always wrapped like HTML tags? >

< Are you trying to go for a specific look? >

Anyway, you really need to use a program that will do layers properly. This will allow you to arrange things without needing to redraw anything. Also, creating a bunch of background and various art assets is the way to go. That\'s what we are doing with Kerbal Comics. Once there are enough assets, I\'ll be able to create a strip or two on my own reusing Sordid\'s work when he needs a break.

Cheers!

Capt\'n Skunky

Kerbal Comics

[RedDwarfIV]

< Why is your dialog always wrapped like HTML tags? >

< Are you trying to go for a specific look? >

Anyway, you really need to use a program that will do layers properly. This will allow you to arrange things without needing to redraw anything. Also, creating a bunch of background and various art assets is the way to go. That\'s what we are doing with Kerbal Comics. Once there are enough assets, I\'ll be able to create a strip or two on my own reusing Sordid\'s work when he needs a break.

Cheers!

Capt\'n Skunky

Kerbal Comics

And idea I got from Twokinds, where the author used <> for Keidran language and {} for the Basitins. I\'m going to use something similar here. <> is characters talking in Haikovan. The first time anyone in the comic will speak English is when an engineer finds a feline anthro GELF on board - the GELF being from Earth. Renaza can also speak English, though as you can imagine she doesn\'t have occasion to speak it much away from the Sol system. This is because she was the first Haikovan to discover Sol, though English had been in the HSD translator database for a while beforehand. Brought to them by Tali explorers who had already found Earth.

And I do have a program - Paint.NET. Layers work fine. As for sets, I\'ve already done the Drive Room so far.

[ping111]

< Why is your dialog always wrapped like HTML tags? >

< Are you trying to go for a specific look?>

I\'m fairly certain that he\'s European. In most European countries, 'these are used for naming things,' like 'L\'etranger'. <<two of these are used for quotation.>>

Forgive me if I\'m wrong, but that\'s what I think he\' going at.

[Ascensiam]

I\'m fairly certain that he\'s European. In most European countries, 'these are used for naming things,' like 'L\'etranger'. <<two of these are used for quotation.>>

Forgive me if I\'m wrong, but that\'s what I think he\' going at.

That can\'t be a nordic thing then, i don\'t know of anyone in my region that does this.

[RedDwarfIV]

I\'m fairly certain that he\'s European. In most European countries, 'these are used for naming things,' like 'L\'etranger'. <<two of these are used for quotation.>>

Forgive me if I\'m wrong, but that\'s what I think he\' going at.

That can\'t be a nordic thing then, i don\'t know of anyone in my region that does this.

Is funny because I already told you what the <> was for.