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Jamming

I hate Facebook, but for you I signed on and “liked” Terra. So I like this comic more than I hate Facebook, so I must actually love this comic. I wish to cast blame, but not on Drew, Holly you have an annoyingly good comic. With “that” my curmudgeon status is affirmed.

http://www.terra-comic.com Holly

Thanks Jamming! I hardly ever use facebook either, but if it makes it more convenient for people to check up on updates then I’m all for it. 😀

http://www.terra-comic.com Holly

Bad new guys, my tablet is dying. I can’t even make a straight line in photoshop. I’m going to try to see if I can find my old bamboo and see if it still works. I’ll keep you posted, but I’m pretty bummed, as I can’t really afford a replacement anytime soon.

http://slamlander.caselle-vpn.net Slamlander

What do you use and how much does it cost?

http://slamlander.caselle-vpn.net Slamlander

I’m thinking ‘Donation drive’. A Cintiq 24HD costs ~$2400 and that’s ~50 donations of $50 per.

http://www.terra-comic.com Holly

I was using the intuos 4, and now that it’s out of commission, I have to use my old bamboo, which is not unlike going from a fine tip pen to crayons lol (apparently bamboo is the starter tablet, whereas intuos/cintiq is more for professional use). For reference, I haven’t used the bamboo since early chapter 3 in 2009…

As for the cintiq, I’ve desperately wanted once of those for years, but the 12″ model would be fine for me, I use the small tablets anyway. It’s $1000 and the nice thing is that version is more portable.

A donation drive seems like an awesome idea, Drew and I were actually discussing that last night, and it does seem like the perfect time. I may just make it a set amount so I have some financial backing if anymore of my hardware decides to kick the bucket. Does anyone have any recommendations, I was thinking Indygogo or kickstarter? I guess I’ll have to do some research on how those sites work.

I’ll keep you all posted. I can still work digitally with the bamboo, but there is a slight drop in detail. Just so you can see what I’m talking about, I painted this pic if Rick using the bamboo yesterday while I was getting used to it.

now compare that with this pic I did of Lex a little while back on the intuos.

It probably isn’t too noticeable at first, but it just seems… flatter, and it was even more noticeable while I was working on it. The shading felt especially limited as there is a substantiation lack of depth to the brush stroke. I never knew how much better the intuos was until I had to switch back to the bamboo 😛

http://snipergirl0907.deviantart.com/ SniperGirl0907

@Holly: Yeah it’s funny how that works, I didn’t realize just how flat my pics were until I got a Cintiq HD24, & it was like ‘HOLY-CRAP!!! THE COLOURS!!! O.O’. The HD colour on that tablet is epicly awesome XD; its great for so many things, from just scribble/doodles to serious pro stuff. Acctually, it could be dangerous, once you start using it you never want to use anything else! I fear you & Drew might end up fighting over it; it’s that addictive! XD. But seriously, it is a great piece of kit to work with, & being able to draw directly onto the screen allows you to draw so much more naturally, & the quality of the piece shows through much better as a result :).

Otherwise, Nice page; alway love seeing the bad dudes/dudettes sulk! ;D

http://www.terra-comic.com Holly

I dream about the cintiq, the idea of being able to draw on screen just… pure awesomeness. @_@

I’ve wanted once since I first heard they exist in 2009, I’ve probably wasted so much time just staring at the amazon page, like a five year old at a toy store (lol not pathetic at all). Seriously, I think you’re right, if I get one, I probably wont need another thing ever…

There would probably be more pages going up to as it is a more natural way to draw (and easier on the wrists :D)

Now, I’m having a slight dilemma as I know the next few pages will look a lot flatter if I complete them on the bamboo. I’m going to try anyway and see how it looks… even though I have space scene coming up and I really wanted to make it look cool… DAMMIT.

http://snipergirl0907.deviantart.com/ SniperGirl0907

@Holly: I wanted one since they first came out too, but we’re very money wise in my family, so when there’s a new gadget out that we really really like, we wait a few years for the price to come down so we can get it cheaper XD I waited until last November to get mine, & got it for under a third of it’s original starting price! 😀

Acctually, I think several pages would going up in quick succession XD, you’ll be zipping through them with ease & I think that wrist of yours will enjoy the freedom of movement too; I found when I was using my Intuos 3 my wrist and fingers would go stiff after an hour or so & had to take like 4-5 breaks so I didn’t get cramp. The first time I did a big piece on my cintiq, it took like 5-6 hours & I only took like 2 breaks O_o, it’s that comfy on your posture and wrist!

I think with the bamboo you’ll be okay, (anything from Wacom always performs awesomely if you know how to use it right) it might be a case of using creative styling and trying to compensate for the tablet/pen performance by trying a few cheats (check out Deviantart, there’s tons of tutorials that show you how to cheat at special effects with the more basic Wacom tablet models). In any case, you’ve certainly got the knack to pull off a great comic page even with the vary bare essentials of photoshop; either way, I think you’ll be okay ;D

http://slamlander.caselle-vpn.net Slamlander

@Holly and @SniperGirl0907 : One note; If you are getting it through donations then why not get the best? I’ve seen too many web conmics go on haitus because or repetitive stress injuries. I would rather see the story unfold cleanly and with minimal interruptions.

http://slamlander.caselle-vpn.net Slamlander

I have to confess that while I’ve had 2 yearfs of Commercial Arts an I had many hours on a dafting table in the 70’s, I am not an artist. I am a writer/programmer. However, I know enough to know that minimal equipment gets minimal results. It’s like trying to do a gig on a Fender Jaguar with a pignose amp through the PA system (Okay, I’ve been a guitarist for 50 years too) . You get the best equipment that you can afford. Were I still in the artist business, I would be on something like a Cintiq 24HD, just like I do gigs with a Gibson e335 and a Mesa Boogie amp. I also write and code on a full network with 7 servers and a decent workstation.; Minmal gets you minimal and that’s all it will ever get you.

http://xephinetsa-xvi.deviantart.com Xephinetsa

Darn, I caught up! That means I have to wait for the next update! 😛

Ah, this comic is SO GOOD! I found it two days ago and I am LOVING it! The characters are all so varied and I love how some of their personalities clash! Also, the art is brilliant. Keep up the awesome work!

http://www.terra-comic.com Holly

@Xephinetsa: Thanks! I’m really happy you like it, thanks for the watch on deviant art as well 😀

@SniperGirl0907: That’s awesome to hear, I was hoping it would help my productivity. My hands do tend to get stiff working with a tablet, I think just being able to draw in a more natural method would be great for any repetitive stress issues. I would also love to be able to get more work out there, content is always nice.

@Slamlander: I agree completely. I know technically “a skilled artist does not blame their tools,” my college art teacher said this, while I sort of agree with the principal behind that statement, I still argued that one would still produce better results with their preferred medium, and what artist would want limitations? It’s like saying crayola pencil crayons are as good as prismacolor colored pencils… you’re still limited with the lesser product. I am using the bamboo right now, and for the sketch/line art process it’s not bad, but I know it’s going to suffer when I work on the detailing.

That said, I’m still continuing the comic with what I have to work with, I don’t want this to mark another interruption in the storytelling or release schedule, as I would HATE to take another hiatus. I don’t think any change in the art will be crazy noticeable, but there just might not be as much depth with the coloring and detailing as there normally would be.

As for the tablet situation: I am still planning on holding a donation drive for the small cintiq, a replacement computer, and an ergonomic keyboard (figured I may as well try for all the stuff I really need in one shot). I’ll just set up a set meter, state my case, and hope it all works out. I should say that even though I’m still updating during this, it is very limiting to be working on student grade equipment with an older computer….

Now, if people do donate, I want to have reward incentives. I figured I’ll take artwork requests on things you’d like to see from the comic. I’ll probably get more into details when I update the site (with all the details about the donation drive, etc…). For now, I’m open to any suggestions you all may have, and once the donations come in, I’ll start posting additional artwork.

…I’m sorry for this essay length comment 😛 just figured I’d give you all an update on the situation at hand.

http://slamlander.caselle-vpn.net Slamlander

OMFG

technically “a skilled artist does not blame their tools,” my college art teacher said this

You know one of these too?!?! 😉 I got this from a music instructor in the 60’s; a real musician noods nothing more than an acoustic instrument and a real singer needs nothing more than their own voice. I also got the “real engineers need nothing more than their sliderule” and “Real programmers can do all their work with pencil and paper and hand it over to their keypunch operator. (Yes, all of the above definitively aged me, I know *sigh* )
There is a reason that suchg Luddites are only teachers and not do-ers.

Those that can, do. Those that can’t, teach. Those that can’t even teach become tenured university professors.

Something to think about.

Jamming

Ah the IBM29 Keypunch Machine….I can still hear the punching in my dreams. Good memories….kind of like Seihou Bukyou Outlaw Star….as I am going through my early DVD Collection. That was a fun Sci-Fi anime from around 1999-2000 or thereabouts.

Karyl

You might be able to get a deal off Tiger Direct that beats an Amazon deal, and don’t forget to look on Ebay too. Best of luck!