Sorry I haven’t updated the Blog lately. I’ve completed page one and most of page 2. I’ve also completed a second set (the bridge of a pirate ship) for the chapter (even though I originally thought I’d only need one set).
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Wizard World
Friday, July 22, 2005
Chronicles in Print!
Monday, July 18, 2005
Chapter 5 Now Online!
Chapter 5 is now online for your entertainment. I’m gratified that I was able to publish it on time, unlike chapter 4 which was a week late. I also updated the Characters page with a description of Isabella Montros (the Empress) and Lady Sophia (Lady in Waiting for Princess Katherine). Last but not least, I’ve also drastically simplified the main logo for the site. As my wife mentioned, the old logo looked a bit “old fashioned” while the new one looks more modern. It actually grew from my work on the cover of the print version of the comic that I’ve been putting together. I’ve always been drawn toward a simplified look for websites, so it came naturally. On the other hand, my total lack of talent when it comes to regular graphic arts and web design kind of forced me to do things this way.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Lulu.com - Self-publishing Site
There’s a great website called www.lulu.com for self-publishing, whether books, ebooks, CDs, etc. I’ve wanted to publish the comic in hard copy form, but haven’t known of a low-cost way of doing so until I heard about this site. I also didn’t think I could use the images from the website due to the resolution (which would’ve meant redoing all the post work for each page). I had done the resolution at 72 dpi/ppi, which is fine for viewing on the computer screen, but too low to be viable in print form (at least at the image size similar to the one on the site). However, after doing additional research, I found a way to resample the photoshop images, thus increasing the resolution and keeping the size. Anyway, using my new knowledge, I converted the images and put them into print form using the lulu website. After I finished, I ordered a copy for myself so I can confirm whether it’s presentable or not. If it is, I’ll put it out there for sale (either as a download or a bound copy).
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
RAM++
It’s déjà vu all over again: I spent 3 hours last night on a single panel for page 7. As I mentioned, I was concerned that the volume of stuff in the ballroom scene would choke my system and I was right. Eventually, I just took out as many of the models as I could stand, and then re-rendered the same scene three separate times. This is basically what I did in chapter one, but for some reason I couldn’t fit as many models per render this time. Anyway, I will try the post work for the panel tonight. Also, I’ve been shopping around for new RAM for my computer today, which I will try to order within the next day or two. Currently, I only have 512 Megs, which obviously hasn’t been enough, so I will double that number to over a Gig. It should cost me in the neighborhood of $120 for the RAM, if I install it myself. Although I’ve spent plenty of money for models and sets, etc., this will be the first time that I buy actual hardware directly due to my work on the comic.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Isabella & Her Ballroom
I spent most of the weekend doing the setup for the remainder of chapter 5. This included the model for Empress Isabella Montros, the mother of Alexander, Richard, and Katherine. Basically, I took the model for Kate and then aged her face and body (making some other changes as well, including adding quite a few pounds to the body). I then created some additional models such as Isabella’s courtiers, and downloaded the Ballroom set where the rest of chapter 5 will take place.
Speaking of the Ballroom, although it wasn’t hard getting the set ready, it will clearly be difficult to get the renders done due to its size and the number of models populating it. As was the case for chapter 1, I will try to mitigate this problem by removing some of the models that are not in a particular shot. However, this only solves some of the issue. Yesterday, actually, the big frustration was getting the lighting the way I wanted it. I spend at least two hours trying to get one render done, but failed miserably. Finally, I got the lighting right, but by that time I had run out of time for the day. Tonight, I hope I can finally get page 7 started.
Btw, over the weekend, I also figured out how many more chapters there will be: a total of 13. Assuming each chapter takes 5-6 weeks, that means I won’t be done with Alexander the Prince until early 2006.
Friday, July 01, 2005
Money Shot
I’ve completed page 5 and finished the renders for page 6. As I’ve mentioned, the chapter is basically split into two parts, and page 6 is the last page for the first part. It ends, in fact, with a kiss between Alexander and Lady Sophia. Although their relationship has supposedly ended, apparently there’s still some “heat” between them. Speaking of which, I had some trouble getting the “money shot” of the two of them kissing. I had to do at least 3 renders before I felt I had a shot I could actually use. It’s still not perfect, but it’s adequate I think.