comic time

[michalis]

Thanks Julian
You're right though. Crappy is what I have in mind.
Its a rank project anyway.
Lot of difficulties on this project, trying to figure out the pose (especially fingers). And dynamics, details can wait.

[michalis]

Anonymous bad rating?
Bad response. Thank you, you rated the whole community this way. This doesn't help me, have a nice day all of you.

[BenSimonds]

Looking good, I really like that last render on page 1. Nice lighting and material.

[michalis]

thanks Ben but you know me from other forums. I never give up when talking about democracy. Everybody has to try to explain when asked. I don't live in a jungle. I suppose so.
These are just previews, blender for rendering is what I have in mind. Something decent anyway. Something to show real sculpture. A raytracer with sss capabilities.

[Serek]

That someone may have missed the proper star so maybe it wasn't an intentional bad rate. Usually, people doesn't ever bother to rate if something doesn't specially call their attention.

Your RanXerox is great. You should try some Corben stuff next.

[michalis]

Thanks Serek, I have a lot of work to do on this project.
As for rating its not one star more or less, its just people can rate without commenting. This shouldn't be allowed. Not good, you know what I mean.

[Serek]

On a second thought, I've quickly reread the graphic novel and recalled why I had it on the hardcore content category. It portrays some infant-looking characters in a hard mature world, and some scenes shows drugs abuse and sex (not exactly explicit) involving those characters. That's not right and I won't say "some people may feel it's not right" since it's just - unarguably - not right. Someone who had read the comic may have voted negatively to get others away of this thread.

RanXerox have a great cover and a great art on its pages but the script it's totally another subject. I know I can't tell you or any other artist what to do but, as a suggestion, I woulnd't keep working on it if I were you. I'd stay with the first picture you posted because it's really great but I wouldn't try any other character.

[precarious]

Tanino is the man...grew up on this stuff. Great work.

[michalis]

Thanks precarious
@Serek, I know what you mean, to be honest I couldn't model lubna as in the comic. A more elegant girl is coming here and I prefer it this way.
The authors of this novel did some heavy critic to the community of 80s, the story wasn't the best but drawings were great. I prefer this angle of view.
There's some really 'dark' humor scenes in this comic.

[Julian_K]

I know I can't tell you or any other artist what to do but, as a suggestion, I woulnd't keep working on it if I were you. I'd stay with the first picture you posted because it's really great but I wouldn't try any other character.

With the danger of sounding like an old ass I must say, that when I grew up it where the artists who'd challenge people and not shy away from being controversial. That open mindedness, that will to shine a light on every aspect of our life and society even those which are usually denied and neglected albeit present in each and every of us in some way or the other, that courage for honesty and truth even if painful, was one of the major aspects that drew me into becoming an artist. it always was and still is a crucial part of art and being an artist.
Among the so called CG art community I see a disturbing tendency of a tamed down no-guts mindset establishing which sometimes really puts me off.
One particular recent occasion is probably the best example for what I mean here. first check out this work which has been posted here as well a while ago :
http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showpos...98&postcount=1

now, thankfully we could see this image here because Zbrushcentral is still quite an open minded place, thanks to pixologic. the artist however also wanted to show this in another very well know forum but it they refused to post it right away, because they thought it might be too controversial.
seriously?? an amnesty internationla poster which puts a critical light on the sad fact of child soldiers is too controversial? I mean, come on - we all certainly have varied and sometimes conflicting opinions, but I highly doubt you'll find many people, especially parents who think turning little kids into killing soldiers is a good thing and should not be criticized.
If that is already too mind challenging and controversial, then what the hell isn't??
I don't know if the image if they meanwhile made up their mind and the image is up there on that board, but the fact alone that it was held back for being too risky is just nothing but sad and actually deeply disgusting.

Of course, to a certain degree I understand and accept that for various (mostly economical) most cg art related forum might be forced to restrict certain contents. bad enough when it goes as far as in the aforementioned example. What disturbs me much more though is, that I notice way too often that so called artists themselves actually try to censor and tame down other artists or at least. what sad times have we come to when artists become censors? where have our balls gone?? just as a little historical reminder, even the most famous fine art Painters like Monet have once provoked huge scandals, where spit at and attacked because at their time what they did was considered abnormal, almost blasphemic and certainly highly controversial. Mind you, today Claude Monets Paintings are hanging as prints in next door living rooms and kitchens and are considered particularely nice and pleasant to look at. Back then though, Impressionism was a revolution.
If the great artists of our history wouldn't have been daring, none-conformists at their time, we wouldn't be anywhere near the artistic freedom we have today and that even includes the freedom to create mindless Zombies and Orcs.

Let's just all do whatever we prefer and are pleased to do, but for all of our sake let's not even suggest to another artists he should back off a certain topic, unless its clearly crossing borders we all agree to respect , such as child pornography, racism or anything that undoubtedly advocates threatening, hurting or killing other beings.

good night and good luck

[Serek]

The idea of mixing infants with sex or drugs ain't brave nor artistically controversial nor challenging nor mature nor open minded nor "to have the balls/guts" nor rational nor sane. Am I clear?

[Julian_K]

yes you are clear, but you missed my point.
For the record, I don't even like Ranxerox, not content-wise at least,- and I wouldn't pick it as a subject of my work, but again; that is not the point.

[precarious]

I second Julian. Michalis, keep on working. Ranxerox was controversial because it reflected our dark world and soul. Bring him back and shut up the mindless censors that long for a Disneyic utopia.

[michalis]

Thanks for the interesting comments, I don't intend to bring Rank back. I like the artwork of this comic. Its a classic, you like it or not.
Next time I'll try to be politically correct and start posting zombies eating brains, brutal warriors, mindless mechanoids and my favorite, beautiful girls with gigantic phallic swords. Oh I forgot it, male nudes, castrated and soft porno females, not castrated.
These are art of course and nobody complains, I never do, I also enjoy watching this forum, sometimes I'm laughing though but I keep learning from these masters of their kind.
I just mentioned ranxerox and this became provoking. What I modeled doesn't look so, lets be reasonable. Lets have fun and keep talking. The best we can do.

[michalis]

OK it was a comic full of violence.
Still a wip of course. But I had some technical problems working with lot of subtools. How can I group-merge and deform tools that already have groups and UVs? Without lost them? Weird things happened.
Here is a first try. BPR, two sss passes, pp for background and vignette mostly.