Given that I have no idea what kinds of questions visitors to my blog might actually have, I’m going to respond to what I imagine to be likely questions. As with everything in my life, this section is under perpetual revision!
I’m currently using this site to chronicle my journey towards developing the 3D graphic skills I need to produce the visuals for a young adult graphic novel, tentatively titled Lumens of New Skye. See the Lumen Story WIP page for more info.
Q&A About 3D Graphics
When I first came up with the idea of creating a graphic novel, I put a fair amount of effort into learning to draw in a simple comic style, but I was never satisfied with my efforts. In particular I struggled with drawing characters from a variety of viewpoints, as I have some vision problems that complicate my depth perception.
While searching for drawing aids I came across Poser and learned that it was originally created as a posing aid for artists who found perspective difficult, and that immediately caught my attention. The more I explored Poser and the world of 3D graphics, and particularly the ways these graphics are used to create webcomics and graphic novels, the more I knew this was a much better approach for me than 2d hand drawing.
While searching for drawing aids I came across Poser and learned that it was originally created as a posing aid for artists who found perspective difficult, and that immediately caught my attention. The more I explored Poser and the world of 3D graphics, and particularly the ways these graphics are used to create webcomics and graphic novels, the more I knew this was a much better approach for me than 2d hand drawing.
Poser Pro 11
Poser is my primary “workhorse,” as this is the app that lets me set up and render 3D characters and scenes to use for the graphic novel. I use the Firefly render engine and do most renders using direct light.
Photoshop CC 2019
I use Photoshop to create or modify texture maps and tillable textures, apply adjustments to renders, and composite images as needed.
Cheetah3D
I use Cheetah to create original meshes for props, sets, accessories, etc., to modify meshes I’ve downloaded, and to re-map meshes as needed so that I have better control over how textures are applied. Cheetah3D is Mac-only and it totally shows in how easy and fun it is to use!
Other Tools
I also occasionally make use of Blacksmith3D for customizing 3D models and ComicLife for making graphics or comic pages. I do all my writing in Scrivener, all my code editing in BBEdit, and all my note-taking and web clipping in Eagle Filer for Mac.
Poser is my primary “workhorse,” as this is the app that lets me set up and render 3D characters and scenes to use for the graphic novel. I use the Firefly render engine and do most renders using direct light.
Photoshop CC 2019
I use Photoshop to create or modify texture maps and tillable textures, apply adjustments to renders, and composite images as needed.
Cheetah3D
I use Cheetah to create original meshes for props, sets, accessories, etc., to modify meshes I’ve downloaded, and to re-map meshes as needed so that I have better control over how textures are applied. Cheetah3D is Mac-only and it totally shows in how easy and fun it is to use!
Other Tools
I also occasionally make use of Blacksmith3D for customizing 3D models and ComicLife for making graphics or comic pages. I do all my writing in Scrivener, all my code editing in BBEdit, and all my note-taking and web clipping in Eagle Filer for Mac.
Most of the content I’ve purchased has come from one of the two main stores for Poser/DAZ assets: Renderosity and DAZ3D. If you visit those stores as a non-member, you’ll likely be shocked by the prices, but members see MUCH lower prices as well as sales and coupons. I rarely spend more than five or six dollars on an item, and only if it’s beyond my abilities (or time) to make myself — such as clothing and hair. You can amass an impressive collection of 3D assets for less than the cost of going to Starbucks twice a week!
Other marketplaces I’ve purchased from include HiveWire3D, Fantasy Realms Marketplace, Content Paradise (now merged with Renderosity), and RuntimeDNA (defunct).
I’ve also downloaded tons of freebies, including models, textures, props, and utilities, from a variety of sources, but by far I’ve found the most on ShareCG.com.
Other marketplaces I’ve purchased from include HiveWire3D, Fantasy Realms Marketplace, Content Paradise (now merged with Renderosity), and RuntimeDNA (defunct).
I’ve also downloaded tons of freebies, including models, textures, props, and utilities, from a variety of sources, but by far I’ve found the most on ShareCG.com.
No one expects a sketch artist to make their own canvas paper, pens, erasers, French curves, rulers, or compasses, at least not if the artist wants to actually produce sketches in a reasonable amount of time. All artists purchase a variety of tools to help bring their visions to life, and I view core 3D assets like figures, clothing, hair, and complex props as similar kinds of tools.
I almost always make my own textures instead of using the ones that came with an item, and in the case of props I often modify and/or re-map the mesh in Cheetah3D to better suit my needs. I’ve also created quite a few props and can most likely make any future props I’ll need. I can modify clothes and hair, but I already have so much for V4 that I really have no need to make my own. Clothes in particular are complicated by the need to match the underlying figure’s rigging, and that’s best left to the experts!
People who choose Poser as their primary 3D art platform typically use human figures developed by experienced figure designers, rather than creating their own. But these pre-made figures are just the starting point. The user can customize just about any aspect of their shape, skin materials, expressions, and so on, so one figure can be the basis for hundreds of characters!
For a user like me, there really is no point in creating figures from scratch, given the immense complexities of polygon flow, grouping, weight-mapping, rigging, joint-controlled morphs, bending, and so on. It would take several years to develop the skills to create an original figure from scratch, and even then it would never match the versatility of or tremendous amount of content available for Victoria4 and Michael4.
I almost always make my own textures instead of using the ones that came with an item, and in the case of props I often modify and/or re-map the mesh in Cheetah3D to better suit my needs. I’ve also created quite a few props and can most likely make any future props I’ll need. I can modify clothes and hair, but I already have so much for V4 that I really have no need to make my own. Clothes in particular are complicated by the need to match the underlying figure’s rigging, and that’s best left to the experts!
People who choose Poser as their primary 3D art platform typically use human figures developed by experienced figure designers, rather than creating their own. But these pre-made figures are just the starting point. The user can customize just about any aspect of their shape, skin materials, expressions, and so on, so one figure can be the basis for hundreds of characters!
For a user like me, there really is no point in creating figures from scratch, given the immense complexities of polygon flow, grouping, weight-mapping, rigging, joint-controlled morphs, bending, and so on. It would take several years to develop the skills to create an original figure from scratch, and even then it would never match the versatility of or tremendous amount of content available for Victoria4 and Michael4.
If you’re a Poser artist, you’ve probably come across discussions of how best to organize your runtime. Here’s how I do it: Organizing Poser Assets.