Behind the scenes art process
Added 2021-06-17 10:08:23 +0000 UTCI already showed the art process behind some of the scenes in Chapter 7, and I've picked some more from Chapter 8. The method remains the same:
- First, I find a good reference image I can draw my characters over, and I sketch over it if necessary. I take my time to "sketch" the whole scene, deciding how many illustrations are needed and how the action will play out.
- Once I have that decided and the references picked, I start the line-work drawing. I trace my characters by hand in a transparent layer, like I was using a traditional light table. I'm pretty happy with how line-works are turning out recently; it's not easy to draw thin and consistent lines in a digital tablet, but I've gotten a lot of practice since GGGB. The hair is often the most complex (and fun) part to do, since it's hard to rely on the reference image to render it.
- When all the line-works are done, I send the scene to my colorist. She blocks in basic colors and defines the shapes and volumes with a shadow layer.
- Finally, I add details and color tweaks, like an additional shadow layer to make the volumes pop, I add an ambient light and the background to create the atmosphere. This step makes all the difference and gives life to the final illustration, and I've started to take more time to make sure I'm happy with it.
Recently I changed my computer screen and I'm not sure if I've overblown the saturation on Chapter 8's illustrations. How did you see them on your screens? Do you think they look fine, or have you noticed and excess in color saturation and contrast compared to previous chapters? Please let me know in the comments!
Comments
I wanted to ask you last time: You say that you use a reference image a base. Do you feel limited in your artistik work by this? I only searched for some minor explainatory graphics for science-textes and this was hard enough everytime. Many pictures were close to my expectations, but they all deviated in some minor aspects and did not feel quite perfect. In an erotic novel, I can only assume that the artist of such a masterpiece as yours has a very special expectation about little aspects of the scene. The way a hand is spread out, lips are pressed together, hair falls over shoulders... . To have to search for a proper pic, I would end up horny (because of the mass of erotic art I had gone through;) ) and unsatisfied (because of the lack of a proper image) at the same time. Could you imagine engaging a couple of models for each episode and direct them to pose exactly like you have the scene in mind? Would cost a little more, but could save a lot of time, I think. Or am I completely wrong with my concerns? For the typical rushed adult game, it is not that important, she says she loves him but looks blunt - he says he loves her but looks horny - nobody will notice ;) . But in your games, the dialogue is so well refined, even after the release, the images seem to be fitting so welll... .
Dennis
2021-06-17 22:22:45 +0000 UTCI really enjoy these BTS posts. If you want to make sure that your colour calibration is consistent I'd recommend something like SpyderX. Some monitor calibration tools are more expensive than others, but a peasant version is more than enough.
Breadloaf
2021-06-17 15:04:29 +0000 UTC
