Whitechapel - Drawing Backgrounds Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:39:00 -0700 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.1.4 & Feed Publisher Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=13637#Comment_13637 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=13637#Comment_13637 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:58:47 -0800 Curiosity
Why is it that every single book about "How to Draw _______" (be it comics, fantasy, manga, whatever) focuses solely on character design and posing and completely neglects backgrounds?
I've searched for a decent book on how to draw comic-style cityscapes and the like to no avail. Can anyone recommend something? Or if it doesn't exist, would anyone please publish it and make their millions, so I can buy a copy?

Curi. ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=13642#Comment_13642 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=13642#Comment_13642 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:34:22 -0800 Ferburton Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=13643#Comment_13643 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=13643#Comment_13643 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:50:01 -0800 Rootfireember Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=13649#Comment_13649 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=13649#Comment_13649 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 13:12:27 -0800 Alexis Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=13665#Comment_13665 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=13665#Comment_13665 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:01:05 -0800 Paul Duffield if you're interested, I'm writing an all-purpose how to draw text at the moment that takes a different approach (click here). Should cover people, backgrounds, whatever you want: the things I discuss are hopefully universal to any representational drawing. ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=13673#Comment_13673 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=13673#Comment_13673 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:11:24 -0800 carney Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=13692#Comment_13692 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=13692#Comment_13692 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:55:48 -0800 Brand Draw the Marvel Way goes into perspective and some background stuff. ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=13801#Comment_13801 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=13801#Comment_13801 Sat, 19 Jan 2008 03:42:48 -0800 tonymoore just stick a photo back there.

-T ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=14558#Comment_14558 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=14558#Comment_14558 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:54:36 -0800 howyadoin In my opinion, drawing isn't about learing a bunch of tricks and rules that you can apply to different situations, which is how the majority of 'How to Draw x,y&z' books tend to approach things...

Bingo. "Here's a bunch of ways to avoid learning how to draw!"

Well fuck, sign me up. God forbid I might actually try to be an artist. ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=14590#Comment_14590 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=14590#Comment_14590 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:18:35 -0800 Andre Navarro drawing's overrated.
just stick a photo back there.

Rob Liefeld is fond of that... ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=14596#Comment_14596 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=14596#Comment_14596 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:53:40 -0800 Alan Tyson
What I've found works very well is sort of a half-finished look: instead of drawing every brick in a brick house, draw a few of them scattered about evenly, and the eye fills in the rest. Ditto for things like wrought-iron designs on fences, windows on skyscrapers, scales on giant city-devouring fish monsters, leaves on trees, etc. It gives it a stylized look, cuts down on work, and doesn't distract from the characters, which are, usually, the main focus of any comic panel or illustration.

Perspective! for Comic Book Artists by David Chelsea is a great source for perspective and backgrounds in general. ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=15446#Comment_15446 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=15446#Comment_15446 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 06:10:29 -0800 Frank Allen I use photos for bckgrounds and sort draw a really basic outline of them. ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=19235#Comment_19235 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=19235#Comment_19235 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:41:18 -0800 Curiosity
In my opinion, drawing isn't about learing a bunch of tricks and rules that you can apply to different situations, which is how the majority of 'How to Draw x,y&z' books tend to approach things...


Agreed. I already know how to draw. But I'd like to have certain things that I draw look better. ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20228#Comment_20228 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20228#Comment_20228 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:35:22 -0800 sebasp Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20252#Comment_20252 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20252#Comment_20252 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 08:15:56 -0800 davechisholm when drawing inorganic backgrounds, draw in pleasing organic shapes and then build up the background to fit into those organic shapes. this way you are thinking compositionally first... ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20335#Comment_20335 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20335#Comment_20335 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:29:18 -0800 Aberrant_Press
Carney: As a low-level publisher of comic books I have to scan pages all the time. And as we all hopefully know, most comic pages are 11x17 inches in size. What most may not know is that to scan a single image at that size usually takes something called a "commercial scanner", which is very costly. Now, again, I'm low end, so I don't have thousands to spend on such a piece of equipment, but I got lucky, and now so can you. May I suggest the Mustek Scan Express A3. This scanner is pretty decent for scanning color work (if you know how to use it), but where it really kicks ass is in scanning black and white work like pencils and inks. You can't beat it for the price (less than 200 U.S.). Highly recommended for the "young buck on the come-up", to use the parlance of our times. ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20347#Comment_20347 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20347#Comment_20347 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:03:52 -0800 nickmaynard
http://www.ryanottley.com/images/covers/pencilsTOinks.jpg ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20387#Comment_20387 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20387#Comment_20387 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:06:03 -0800 Brand I'm actually more interested in manga backgrounds than anything. How can there be 5583095 books on how to draw a magical girl or a battle scene, but nothing on how to draw a neighborhood? I know Manga University offers premade books of useable backgrounds, but I'd rather know some tips on how to do it myself than use someone else's work or a photo.

But that's how a lot manga artist's today do there backgrounds, using pre-made ones. I've also seen where a photograph is photoshopped to become a screen toned background.

Honestly the same basic rules are going to apply no matter if it's an American comic book or a manga, It's all about the perspective drawing. ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20527#Comment_20527 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20527#Comment_20527 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 03:30:19 -0800 Salgood Sam
Don't think using photos is such a taboo, well really anything in art should not be 'taboo'. But i do pref for my own work to make whatever i do feel as organic as the rest of it, so my modus is to take my own, or hunt for reference material, sketch it in some detail, and then draw the final art with the sketch, rather than free hand from the source material directly. Mostly its just a way to filter the work through my minds eye, and to get away from 'correcting' things that happen in the sketches which tends to happen if the source ref is in front of you at the time. Keeps it from being too stiff or didactic.

The suggestion about working from organic forms and then building up details from there is a good one as well, use it a lot for the basic composition proses.

Studying perspective is very important if your going to go for a realist look at all, but eventually once you have the hang of it, i suggest experimenting with doing it free hand, rather than using rulers. One ruled line on a page makes every organic one seem messy, but if you just go by gut and do it free hand then the internal logic of the image will be constant and you wont have to spend horrific amounts of times getting everything 'just so'. Real sweat saver that one is, picked it up working in animation.

You are going to have to learn how to draw the stuff though, cant fake it, it shows.
Doesn't mean it has to be strait from your head, you can use life study just like for figure work. but you do have to learn to understand why you do the things your doing for them to look like you know what your doing.

good luck.

max ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20731#Comment_20731 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20731#Comment_20731 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 19:44:21 -0800 Brandon Palas
But, someone asked about books about manga backgrounds. This book has a TON of really specific stuff about drawing buildings, cityscapes, etc. Really cheap if you get it used, too. ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20767#Comment_20767 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20767#Comment_20767 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 23:17:12 -0800 davechisholm that ottley piece is amazing, and this is in no way a knock on his work or your comment about backgrounds being more impressive than character work...
but...
i get sort of irked when people talk about art being 'impressive.' at a certain point, being impressed doesn't mean shit. i mean, this isn't running a 4 minute mile or lifting a car. it is drawing a city. i believe that, with any piece of art, whether it be music or writing or drawing or film, if your initial reaction is "wow, that's impressive," then the artist has failed (unless their goal is to impress someone, in which case...i hope it got them laid or at least a gold medal at the artist olympics). i want a gutteral reaction, something deeper than 'impressed.' like, when you hear miles davis play trumpet, it is so effortless and amazing, but so perfect...it might sound like anybody could play it, but it is perfect in its restraint or perfect for that moment.

mignola's art comes to mind, i guess, because his backgrounds are hardly ever super impressive in the sense that they are detailed with perfect perspective, and to some people his art might look basic, but they are always perfect for the page, always well thought out...does that make sense?

[/rant]
sorry, it just got me thinking about art and...backgrounds...i dunno... ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20773#Comment_20773 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20773#Comment_20773 Sat, 09 Feb 2008 00:49:30 -0800 AlexApprobation Carney: As a low-level publisher of comic books I have to scan pages all the time. And as we all hopefully know, most comic pages are 11x17 inches in size. What most may not know is that to scan a single image at that size usually takes something called a "commercial scanner", which is very costly. Now, again, I'm low end, so I don't have thousands to spend on such a piece of equipment, but I got lucky, and now so can you. May I suggest the Mustek Scan Express A3. This scanner is pretty decent for scanning color work (if you know how to use it), but where it really kicks ass is in scanning black and white work like pencils and inks. You can't beat it for the price (less than 200 U.S.). Highly recommended for the "young buck on the come-up", to use the parlance of our times.

Buyer beware... if you have a Mac, this scanner might not work for you.
PC users... this scanner is very tempermental. Every few months or so it'll stop working completely and you'll have to re-install the drivers and/or leave unplugged for a week to a month. I've owned mine for about two years and over the past month it's stopped working completely. None of the usual fix-it methods work. ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20810#Comment_20810 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20810#Comment_20810 Sat, 09 Feb 2008 07:19:50 -0800 Paul Sizer
It's taken me a while to overcome my aversion to using photo-reference, as I also used to think it was kind of cheating, but truthfully, that fell by the wayside once I started eliminating dumb drawing mistakes in my work (not that I've eliminated ALL of my dumb drawing mistakes, plenty to go around folks). Depending on how realistic a scene I'm drawing, I'll always at least look for details from photos. For overly dramatic perspective (like most of the city shots in MOPED ARMY), I just pull out the rulers and triangles, set up those 3 perspective points and just go to town for the effect:
( I don't want to clog up the page with a really big scan, so here's a link to an example from my work: MOPED ARMY PERSPECTIVE SHOT ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20878#Comment_20878 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=20878#Comment_20878 Sat, 09 Feb 2008 13:56:00 -0800 Brandon Palas that ottley piece is amazing, and this is in no way a knock on his work or your comment about backgrounds being more impressive than character work...
but...
i get sort of irked when people talk about art being 'impressive.' at a certain point, being impressed doesn't mean shit. i mean, this isn't running a 4 minute mile or lifting a car. it is drawing a city. i believe that, with any piece of art,

I kind of agree. When I saw that image, I thought that, while it is very impressive, and it looks great -- stuff like that is more a matter of just putting your head down and doing it than anything else. It's practically math. ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=22893#Comment_22893 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=22893#Comment_22893 Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:18:31 -0800 Tom Raney here. ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=22895#Comment_22895 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=22895#Comment_22895 Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:27:12 -0800 Salgood Sam
Risking sounding concerned i have to say, I get 'wow' reactions sometimes, and while it's nice on one level, it always leaves me concerned i might have over done it. Was talking to a writer/editor today about this, he was wondering why i was going into as much detail as i have with the work I'm doing now - it's a fair question, i have my reasons, trying to evoke an intense dreamlike experience - but it's always possible people will miss that and get caught up in the details. For sure if your doing it as a display of skill it's not going to help your work, maybe your carrier but only in a limited way. ]]> Drawing Backgrounds http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=23278#Comment_23278 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=559&Focus=23278#Comment_23278 Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:31:01 -0800 Salgood Sam at that link - took my time to post this but wanted to add - still think what was being said about impressive having a down side is true but looking at that, given it's a superhero shot and all - i don't think thats a problem with that one. It's a very clean graphic line image, but really the detail drops out pretty early. Not really overkill at all. If i were going to try to think of something to critique i think I'd have more of a problem with the spotting of blacks than anything to do with detail.

More on topic to the original question - big part of the how too for shots like that is the perspective, collected some good links for that over on PNP, think i can find them to post here....

ok, yeah, these are perspective grid resources, come in handy for cityscapes.

- Google is often the best these days in shear volume.

- Someone else on the thread came up with this link,and suggested this book, which i've looked through on the rack and it's not bad at all.

- Spherical Perspective - a brief tutorial [this thing is the best bit, download a copy for safe keeping]
spherical perspective grid

- This is really cool for messing with reality. ]]>