For years I've futzed with various 3D programs without getting serious. In recent years I've seen more and more online comics using 3D rendered images instead of drawings. (Note: I'm not talking about AI-generated images using tools like Midjourney, but scenes created with 3D software like Blender and DAZ Studio.) I admit I haven't been impressed by most of what I've seen. The images are fine technically, but composition and continuity are weak.
For the uninitiated, there are presently two main flavors of 3D software. Classic 3D modelling programs offer a battery of tools for creating objects from scratch, assembling them into a scene, and rendering or animating an image. Maya, 3DS Max, and Cinema 4D are some of the big names. They're very complicated and very expensive. During the last few decades Blender, a free, open-source 3D program, has matured into a powerful system with capabilities similar to commercial packages.
The other flavor of 3D software is found in two competing packages, Poser and DAZ Studio. Both are designed for assembling, rendering, and animating scenes featuring human characters. They don't create 3D assets like classic programs. Instead you import pre-built models, group them into a scene, and render. These programs are easier to learn than the classics while producing comparable renders. Given their limited scope they appeal primarily to hobbyists and are seldom used professionally. Most CGI comic artists use either Poser or DAZ Studio for their art.
I have played with both programs for a long time. I've often toyed with the idea of making CGI comics but I've never done so. The other day, inspired by the recent
Purple Tigress compilation, I gave it a whirl. Using DAZ Studio I came up with a splash-page-style scene starring the fetching Ms T:
It was an excruciating experience! Now I understand why CGI comics look the way they do. The amount of effort involved in creating a single panel would encourage an artist to re-use the same simple poses, lighting, and camera angles again and again. Here are some things I learned from this experiment.
[1]
Realism: Hyper or Non. The DAZ and Poser render engines are designed for photo-realistic renders. The majority of DAZ and Poser hobbyists use the programs for pinup art, and they demand hyper-realism. Such renders require powerful computers and
lots of render time. It's not unusual for a single image to take 8 to 10 hours to render. I was lucky. Mine took only 2-1/2 hours. It's still not entirely convincing, as you'll see in areas like PT's hair. You can choose to limit render times, but the less time you allow the rougher your image will be. You're pretty much a prisoner of hyper-realism. (There are "toon shaders" available which give your realistic image a cel-animation look, but I haven't yet figured out how to use them. The few online examples I've seen have been kind of meh.) You spend several hours setting up a scene, then you spend a couple more rendering it--for every panel.
[2]
The Asset Curse: The nice thing about hand drawing is that when you think, "I want a car over here," you just pull out your pencil and draw a car. In CG comics you must have a 3D model of every single item in every single panel. The figure, the suit, the hat, the gun. The furniture, the floor, the walls and the pictures hanging on them. Everything! You might model some things yourself in a modelling program, but even if you have the necessary skills it'd be nearly impossible to scratch-build every item in a 24-page comic. So you obtain assets from people who specialize in making 3D models. That can get expensive. Each prop or clothing item can cost $15-$25 and up. Many environments--rooms, landscapes, etc.--sell for $40-$50. There are many hobbyists who build high-quality models which they distribute for free. Their number is small compared to the for-profit vendors. Consequently there isn't as wide a variety of free models available. If you buy all the models you need for a comic story you could easily spend a couple of hundred dollars. Let's be frank: piracy is rampant in 3D models just as it is in music and video. There's no way to stop hobbyists from using downloaded assets in their amateur projects, but if you contemplate selling your CGI comic you'd be wise to avoid potential legal hassles by using only legit models.
[3]
It still looks phony. In photo-realistic images you want everything to look equally real. DAZ and Poser clothing looks fake as hell. It doesn't hang properly. There are no folds at the joints. Sleeves have no gravity. No wonder most CG clothing is skin tight! Both programs have cloth simulation tools which are fairly effective with draping fabric like gowns and blankets. They're not good at pants, shirts, and coats. Many artists deal with this by retouching the rendered image extensively in Photoshop. Retouching can do a world of good, but like rendering it's time-intensive. For what it's worth I did no post work on the Tigress image.
The bottom line is that while I will dabble in CG images from time to time, I lack the energy and/or the dedication to do an entire comic that way. I could draw three regular books in the same time!
