Using Daz Studio to create custom 3D renders for indie comic books?
krb501
Posts: 0
in The Commons
Hi,
I might want to make and sell indie comics to go along with novels and short stories I might be planning, but does anyone know how to get started? I might have downloaded the program and played a little with the models, but where do I get custom clothing, the ability to customize characters, backgrounds, etc? I might want to have a fairly detailed layout for either an artist I hire to render in Photoshop or for me to do it myself.
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Comments
All of that stuff is in the shop tab at the top left. There are other corners of the internet where it can be found as well. There won't be much in the way of character morphs or backgrounds that come with the free software I'm afraid.
However, I would suggest starting by playing around with the free stuff that comes with the software. I believe there's some tutorials included to direct you into setting up a scene/lights/camera/etc. Find out if you even like doing this stuff before you spend money. And you can certaintly spend a lot of money if you want to (or if you don't want to, but have low willpower).
By render in Photoshop, do you mean the traditional use of the term in a drawing/painting context, or the 3d term? If you mean the second, it's better to render in Daz studio instead of changing formats and remaking all of your materials for photoshop's fairly limited rendering abilities. Most people render in Daz Studio's Iray engine and import an image file into Photoshop for editing.
My suggestion:
Situation 1:
If budged is tight:
All Genesis 1 to 8 are free. Play with them. Choose your preferred Genesis version.
Purchase essential items:
Morph (body and head) only for your preferred Genesis version.
Expression only for your preferred Genesis version.
Look for various sales time to time.
If sufficient budged is available:
Collect all morph, expression, poses for all figures (these items will require all the time).
Collect essential plugins product and custom character and I also suggest full version of face creation from photo by DAZ.
Collect clothing and hair items etc.
Collect useful free items. There are many high quality free items available from here and there.
I would use Opengl render engine in daz studio for your renders and then composit inside of, GIMP, Krita, and Inkscape if you want to use free software. Krita is a great free program that has diolouge box built right into it's software and it is free. You can do speed line in Krita but if you want clean lines Inkscape might be the way to go. I recommend the opengl render engine in daz studio, because just about everything can use it (my old cheap laptop can render in it) and most of my background stuff is rendered in it. I generally only render the main characters in Iray but most of the time it does not have the flat 2d comic book look I want, so I use flat shaders and opengl. I have a used Wacom cintique 21ux that I got cheap on craigslist and it works great with my software, I would recommend a tablet for graphic work if you are getting into doing comics it will improve your workflow alot. If you are willing to pay I would recommend comic life from plaq, this will help you with layout if you are just starting out and it does a great job. This software is for both the mac and windows and you can try it out for 30 days. Good luck
Agree with using openGL. It gives you a slightly cartoonish look without too cartoony. One downside is you won't get reflections (at least I haven't found a way to get reflections with openGL). if you want to have a character looking into a mirror, you'll have to render an image from the POV of the mirror, place it on the glass as a texture, and then render the image you want.
3DL can also be interesting because you can get something that looks realistic without being "too realistic."
keep in mind that if you hire someone to do renders or work with the daz figures, they need to have purchased a copy of all the content they are using. Nothing from the store is transferable to other parties.
Problem, most free items can't be used commercially, so if the user is planning to sell anything, it's best to stay away from freebies.
We have a thread over in the art section: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/228061/3d-comic-book-tips-and-pictures#latest
As for rendering, there's no quick and easy solution. it's worth trying to learn the program first. I'd recommend spending some time reading and joining the threads here: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/categories/new-user-contests-and-events
They offer a lot of useful advice in regards to all sorts of topics one usually struggles with as a beginner in the software.
Also, https://digitalartlive.com/plans/visual-narratives-academy/ is a great place to go. They have a free monthly webinar about visual narrative where you can get direct feedback on your artwork from other artist, and help with some issues. I've joined the academy and it was very helpful so far in overcoming some problems, as well as giving me a new perspective.
As for making a comic in Studio, here's what I learned from my own experience - this can get rather expensive very fast. What the others suggest is correct - try working with the free stuff first, and limit yourself to one generation. If you're going for 3Delight or other non-Iray solutions, you're probably off better with the older generations like Genesis 1& 2. For Iray, it's best to start with Genesis 3 or Genesis 8. One important thing, since you intent to go commercial - make sure that your free items have an EULA that supports commercial use. Items you bought for free in the DAZ store have such a license, but for items you get for free elsewhere, be it the DAZ forum or places like REnderosity or CGShare, always, always, check the license and make sure you retain a copy that gives proof that you can use the item in a commercial way. And one more thing - in case you also want to print 3D figures later on (for sale), or use the figures in a computer game, you need extra licenses for that. Norhing to worry about now, just something to consider. Just like using fonts - free ones are usually non-commercial use only, most can't be used embedded for a website, etc.... But I'm getting off topic.
Back to comics. You'll also have to decide on the look. 3D comic of any kind is pretty much looked down upon in the comic community, and there's a chance you get some nasty comments for using 'store stuff' from the crowd of people who sculpt, rig and texture their own stuff.
What look are you aiming for? drawn, flat, 3dl, realistic? Each look requires a different workflow, and it takes some time to get a decent production speed. I've been doing a comic in Iray, and that means I have to put together the set, the characters, pose, set up the lights and cameras, and finally render anywhere between 2 and 5 or more images per week to get a page done. I don't know how much time you have available per day for doing, but it takes some time, effort and practice. It's not the "easy and quick instant art button solution" you might be hoping for.
There are a few comicbook focused thread discussing graphic novel creation, discussing techniques and tools. Its a good place to start. And ask question.
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/36615/comics
Both Taiduo and Force Six are examples of the tools in action, both in terms of story and artwork.
https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/taiduo/list?title_no=144542
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/148701/comic-books-force-six-and-killer-butterfly/p1
First of all, good luck, and welcome! The good news is, Daz Studio can, indeed, be used to create comics. A lot of people do it, and I've even seen Daz Studio renders in professional comics by Marvel (not many, but I've seen the random image here or there).
The bad news is, there is no such thing as instant art. Daz Studio is a powerful tool and it will take you time (and, probably, a little money) to get what you need to get started. However, even on a limited (or, if you are patient and willing to learn, NO BUDGET) you can achieve great things if you put in the time and effort to master the skills you'll need to refine in order to produce quality work.
In addition to the forums mentioned above, also browse/visit the Non-Photo Realistic discussion group here at Daz3D. That group is where a lot of us hang out to share our work, tips, and ask for advice in creating renders that look more like traditional art: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/5074531#Comment_5074531
Also, for FREE content, visit the FREEBIES forum: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/categories/freebies (pay special attention to the first one on their list, ShareCG.com)
I also suggest you bookmark this video on how to install that free content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxhXEJAbLVw
GOOD LUCK, and don't hesitate to ask for advice!
BTW: If you ever need to hire someone to make a specific outfit or prop, I know a few people who could help you (definitely not me, btw – I don't create content).