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I do and will give full credit as well as payment. My editors and cover artists will agree :)
If you haven't read this book "Understanding Comics" by Scott McCloud, it definitely provides information value for anyone considering telling a story through sequential art. As a medium it differs from novels, and the customers would have different expectations.
https://www.amazon.ca/Understanding-Comics-Scott-McCloud/dp/006097625X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1473101070&sr=1-1&keywords=Understanding+comics
Not to leave anyone out, thanks for all the suggestions and helpful insite!
As well as a straight payment per page, you could offer any prospective artist a percentage of the profits, after all, you asked for a partner, not an employee. Naturally it is hard to be certain what profit (if any) will be made, but it is definitely an extra carrot to dangle before anyone willing to take on the task.
LOL thanks! you give me way to much credit! I just treat people the way I wish to be treated. But I am curious based on someone elses observation, is there morality restrictions on the graphics. I was surprised to discover the default female model provided with my download had nipples. My wife saw me working with it and asked if I was playing with cartoon porn!
Yes I had considered that, however I think that would be difficult at the moment. I am in disscussions with an agent and traditional publisher for an unpublished work in the fantasy area. If that gets picked up, my other works are subject to inclusion.
My original intent was a partner in design, format and presentation, but I would pay them outright to avoid complications. Also payout would require their trusting me to manage the money as its all through my Amazon Author account, a big expecation for someone you dont know. I see your point that it might have been a poor choice of words :)
"Work made for hire" is the way to go on this. Since this is based on an existng intellectual property (novels) that arrangement makes sense.
And don't underestimate the importance of an editor. The writers and artists on a project are in the trenches and everything will make sense to them, you need to have an objective editor to confirm that the page flow and reader's response to the information conveyed, is hitting all the right beats. As a result always plan for some changes, but you can save yourself plenty of aggravation by developing rough storyboards first.
Well it sounds like to me you can hire a full fledged penciler, inker, and all that bit but maybe DAZ 3D models aren't the style you are really after. Maybe you should try a Wacom tablet and Moho 12. You can get reasonably competant at that in 3 days doing their tutorials. They also have a product meant for comic book style layouts but I forget the name - you export from Moho to that comic layout product.
Now if you have a special look you want your characters and graphic novel art to have you hire a person to create them for you in Moho but then you can lay the panels out and pose the in 2D. It would cost a bit to get them created but if they are successful you have the 2D animatable Moho files to you liking to use in future sequels. And if you decide you want a more realistic or detailed 3D rendered look then Moho comic books are a good 2nd stage after your stick figure layouts.
The big thing you avoid though are those costly and unproductive 3D render times just to find out if what's there and laid out is too your liking or not.
You point out that there is so much I dont know about this space. I drifted to the DAZ/Poser because my cover artist uses it. she is great but lives in NZ. just getting covers done was a indicator I needed someone closer to home.
Well, keep in mind that you can get a very 'lineart' style with rendering.
Consider: http://willbear.deviantart.com/art/BW-Werewolf-621337162
and
http://willbear.deviantart.com/art/Ratman-and-Asaatthi-583724200
Both done with PWToon.
And that's not even getting into postwork.
what model Wacom would people recommend?
I have a wireless Bamboo. The Bamboo with the 2.4 wireless cost less than $200. It takes getting used to drawing on plastic with plastic though.
Now this is what I bought. There are newer, theorectically better models now you can buy for the same price (linked by amazon as a 'newr model available):
the Bamboo tablet:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B005HGBF9W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
the 2.4 GHz WiFi adaptor:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B006MRAVFE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You make over $100,00! I'm going have to read your book. Downloading now
I have a Wacom Intuos 4, but any Wacom should do. I would recommend staying away from the tiny ones though, to me those are a bit harder to work with (at leat in my experience). A mid sized Wacom should work well. If it's your first tablet though, you likely don't need a high end one and can probably go with a less expensive model. I recommend ebay and looking into getting a used one to start with.
so now it $100,002.00 :)
Yes I have been very fortunate that it has done so well. I do however try and put considerable effort into it even as an indie effort. thus my research here for the graphic novel.
BUSTED ! (pun intended). And your reply to your wife? LOL.
Re: Morality restrictions - Some mainstream print comics now have the nipple shape drawn in on clothing of women. But if you want people to view your graphic novel as a serious story like your book, and not just a T & A fest, I would suggest being morally conservative. Unless you have a sexy tease in your original novel.
The more graphic your violence is, the more restrictions and possible backlash there may be. Leaving some things to the reader's imagination can be more effective.
Well, your reviews on Amazon are glowing mostly. If you do decide to use 3D models instead of 2D models you can have face morphs and unique clothing (if it's a unique requirement like Star Trek or such...) created by the artist you decide to hire and just use the cheap morph packs from head & body from the DAZ Store. That should save plenty of money. You'll probably want an artist that can create texture sets that look toony but render in iRay or 3DL dramatically given the size of the panels.
LOL the mostly is telling! ;) Yes I have a vocal minority that think I am the antichrist. My story is post-apocalyptic and as such has a undertone of a male dominated society. For those that actually take the time to read it, the women end up running almost everything. :)
LOL She is quite excited at how well the books are doing as sees the possibilities in a Graphic novel. Once she understtod it was for that I was given a pass! ;)
There is a titilating side to the story that 3D models would enhance. I dont do graphic sex or violence and try to avoid writing about the darker side of human nature. As my wife commented on the above mentioned, "Oh well, sex sells!"
Well good luck. There are Moho forums & talented Moho artists. I've bought from and like Cartoon Solutions:
https://www.cartoonsolutions.com/store/catalog/Anime-Studio-Character-Packs-p-1-c-290.html
but I think he'd cost a pretty penny to do your custom characters. You could always ask.
Thanks again for all the help!!
Congrats on the good sales. I wish I could sell 25,000 copies of something, LOL. I have some small skill with coloring line art and vector flats, but I'm not in Divamakeup's category yet, plus I have zero time. I just wanted to wish you well on the project. I have great skill at reading graphic novels and comic books, so I'll look forward to the finished outcome.
cheers!
Edit because I thought of something useful to say. My tablet is a Wacom Cintiq and if you don't need it it be a Windows 10 tablet too, you can get a 13" one for around $800.00
If you decide to go with 3D figures, you can tone down the 3D look by any number of postwork filters. Here is a super quick sample I did using a filter called Topaz Clean. https://www.topazlabs.com/clean
To keep it from looking like "Oh hey, you used a filter!" I'd want to get some hand inking on the thing too. Just a thought.
That's me! That interview is a few years old now, and my style and methods have evolved a little to favour quality over speed. With that in mind, I want to offer some clarifications.
Although the 3D space makes it possible to do artwork much more rapidly than traditional art methods, I should say that - just for the sake of managing expectations - my work and rate of production in 2011 (when this DAZ interview was conducted) was probably quite anomalous.
I take a little more time with my art these days! Three pages per hour - to a level of quality that I'm happy with - is not something I could replicate nowadays.
The artwork in question was simple and black-and-white. Pages were - without exception - uniform, with four letterbox panels. The art wasn't actually rendered in Poser, but was instead just exported from the preview window. Because it was black-and-white art in cartoon mode, I didn't have to bother with lighting or materials.
Working in colour and rendering properly takes a LOT longer, as I have since discovered.
Dawww! You just made my day. I can't stop grinning! :D It's an honor that you think that way about my work. :) You're one of my favorite PAs so to see you say that just put me on cloud nine. Thank you!
On the wacom tablet question I would say dont buy a cintque 13" ,although it is excellent the screen is to small and I end up looking at the computer screen instead.The Ituos is cheaper and much the same thing. Are you looking to have the novel done in 3D renders or traditional pen and ink (coloured) graphics.
Just a quick note regarding Amazon, they also own Comixology, so you should be planning on being on both Kindle and there, which helps focus the graphic novel sales with comic book people as well.
-- Walt Sterdan
Are you thinking of Clip Studio Paint (aka Manga Studio)?
Regarding tablets, I picked up a Wacom PTH451 Intuos Pro Pen and Touch Small Tablet - (Certified Refurbished) in 2015. So far it has worked well.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MJSO5TS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
...I've been learning 3D to illustrate a story I have been writing as I had to give up traditional art media because of severe arthritis. Just visually developing the characters alone to the point of how I want them to look has taken me a number of years (actually running a concept proof while I am typing).
The tough part with using 3D is if you are on a tight budget (and a lousy modeller) like I am, you have to compromise a fair amount with the content and tools you have at your disposal.
If you go the 3D route you also need to make sure that what you use allows full commercial usage. This not an issue with content sold here in the Daz store or over at Renderosity. However, this may not be the case with some free content as well as that sold in other 3D stores, particularly if they are exact reproductions of a recognisable real life brand name item like a car or plane due to what is called Intellectual Property Rights. For example in my story, music is an important facet as the main character is a concert pianist. Hence I need a reasonably accurate looking 9' concert grand piano like one would see on a recital stage that also has interior details (strings and metal frame). This has been a real pain to find over the years, as most ones I saw (even some that cost upwards of 50$ - 60$), were too short, poorly proportioned, had no interior when the lid was raised, or other details like the keyboard or pedal traps were all wrong (one even had the curved part on the left instead of right side). I did find a very nice one on Turbosquid, but it not only was expensive (125$), to use it for illustrations in a published work would have also required obtaining permission from, and most likely paying royalties to the maker of the actual physical piano the model represented.
Yeah, the 13" is slightly too small to actually use the tablet's screen often. As my previous tablet was a no screen Bamboo, I got used to looking at the computer monitor instead of the tablet screen. I don't actually use the tablet screen often, but when I need it, it is there. In a perfect world, Wacom would make a 15-17'' Cintiq, but alas, no joy. There are definately less expensive tablets than the Cintiq, especially if you are not sure how often you are going to use it.
Cheers Diva! Thanks for the kind words.