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Date:

September 29th, 2007 7:14 PM

Header:

Chastity Towers: Building the page from the background up

Bulletin:

When I draw Chastity Towers (adults-only, NSFW), I build the backgrounds for each scene in SketchUp, and then capture the right angle for each panel as a 2D image. I then import the 2D image into Manga Studio to draw the figures.

This works most of the time, but in some cases the backgrounds have requirements that SketchUp can't fill, either because I don't have or haven't built models for certain things that need to exist, or because some elements are too organic to be worth modeling in 3D.

The scene I'm working on now is set in the girls' bedroom at Chastity Towers, where the beds have sheets, blankets and pillows that need to be flexible, soft and organic. So what I've done is model the beds themselves, with a flat mattress, so I can then draw in the pillows and bedspreads, wrinkles and all, by hand.

Here's the original sketch of the scene. Two girls open the bedroom door and peek in, to find two girls sitting on the bed making out.

Here's the scene, with the sketches removed, featuring only the original background image exported from SketchUp.

Now I've drawn in a simple pillow and bedspread on a new layer over the background image.

Fill it in with white.

Add a tone to the bedspread.

And here it is, combined with the sketched figures.

As I ink the figures I'll know exactly where they're sitting, so I'll be able to put in specific folds, wrinkles and impressions in the fabric, and to add some texture to the cloth to make it blend in more. Then the figures will be grey-toned and the page will be finished!

This is my first big story using this background creation technique, so I'm still learning and developing it as I go. It wouldn't be suitable for every comic, but it works well in cases where a strictly realistic background is desired.

Jeff

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