Character Development for Visual Stories

If you’re building a 3D character, have you struggled to find a consistent method to make sure they are distinctive and recognizable? Or are you just using trial and error….feeling your way to a possible result?

Drew Spence has solid experience in building dozens of 3D characters, including those for his Force Six Annihilators graphic novel series.  In this tutorial, he’ll show you his approach to developing distinguished and memorable characters, with Daz Studio at the heart of his workflow.

Included is a bonus tutorial that provides a great foundation for understanding basic elements of a character as well as character archetypes.

Content for this 3D Character Development Tutorial Includes..

• Building your story world
• Identifying characters and roles
• Who is your character design aimed at?
• Character strengths and weaknesses
• Define the character’s “look and feel”
• 15 Recommended products for developing characters in Daz Studio.
• Writer and reader perceptions of characters
• Making the character distinctive
• Real world checks on your character
• Dealing with an ensemble of characters

Bonus tutorial : Creating Compelling Characters by Peter von Stackelberg (part 1 only)

• Our understanding of the characters is shaped by the actions they take
• Elements to understanding a character
• Key Properties of Characters
• The Characters Populating Your Storyworld
• Major, Minor and Placeholder Characters
• Character Archetypes
• Avoiding Clichés and Stereotypes
• Raising the Emotional Stakes
• Why is it important that characters be distinctive?
• What makes a character distinctive looking?
• What keeps characters from looking distinctive?
• Purposeful Resemblances
• Challenges In Distinctive Features
• How characters are typically differentiated
• Ways to test your cast’s distinctiveness

You can find other series that Drew Spence has created with Digital Art Live for purchase in the Daz Store. https://www.daz3d.com/digital-art-live You can take classes, watch tutorials and attend webinars and much more https://digitalartlive.com/events/

How to Create Sci-Fi Special Effects (in Daz Store)

Drew Spence webinar tutorial product available in Daz Store!

In order to create an astounding Science Fiction Universe it requires numerous special effects!

Want to know how to produce laser swords, energy bolts, explosions, laser blaster effects, battle damage, starship jets and contrails to give your artwork extra dynamics? Drew Spence takes you on a step by step journey to help you generate some Sci-Fi vitality in your renders.

Drew uses both Daz Studio and PhotoShop to show must-have resources and techniques to help build a better looking Sci-Fi Universe. He goes on to using ParticleShop and a mix of other powerful resources rarely considered to create stand-out effects.

This product includes tutorials totaling 2 hours and 55 minutes and many supporting files to get you started fast in making your own special effects.

Software required to follow along with these tutorials:

• Daz Studio
• PhotoShop
• ParticleShop is used to a lesser extent

Tutorial Content Summary

Laser swords:

• Laser sword effects
• Laser sword trails
• Sabre locks : laser swords clashing
• Cutting and slashing effects
• Recommended lighting for laser sword effects
• Best laser sword related products

Laser Guns/Blasters/Phasers:

• Laser blaster effects
• Sci-Fi muzzle flash
• Blaster explosions
• Blaster scoring effects
• Shattered glass
• Streaming phaser beam
• Best blaster/laser/scoring brushes and products

Spaceship jets, contrails and damage:

• Jet effects – using authentic lighting
• Jet engine trails and high energy plasma exhaust
• Battle damage : dirtying up a spacecraft in a laser battle
• Best brushes and resources for jets and contrails
• Bonus : Must-have – three incredible resources – surprising source of special effects you wouldn’t expect.

Inside a Spaceship:

• Creating a convincing spaceship interior scene using modular elements in novel ways.
• Unexpected uses for Sci-Fi props and gadgets.
• Lighting and dressing up your own Sci-Fi set using Nurnies and Greebles
• Creating a star-gazing viewport scene with modular parts and the supplied galactic backdrops.

We’d like to thank ERA-7 for providing a free Sci-Fi Textures Pack included in this product.

About the Presenter : Drew Spence:

• Drew Spence is a graphic comic writer and illustrator from New York. He creates under the title of The Dynamic Universe. He has combined his music and video into several works- including Mark of the Griffin, which is both a graphic novel and web series. He is part of the instrumental group Fallout Shelter which provides the soundtrack. The other band members are Domino Grey, Dynamics Plus and Xodus Phoenix.
• Drew Spence is a graduate of Stony Brook University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art and holds various certificates – from graphic arts to web design. Drew Spence was the CEO and Editor-in-chief of Producer’s Edge magazine, a quarterly publication dedicated to all aspects of music production. The magazine was packaged with a DVD which included sound samples, instructional videos and software. He currently lives on Long Island, New York and produces his work from the aptly named Fallout Shelter Studios, where he crafts crafty and clever comics using CGI and photo-realistic image manipulation.

You can find other series that Drew Spence has created with Digital Art Live for purchase in the Daz Store. https://www.daz3d.com/digital-art-live You can take classes, watch tutorials and attend webinars and much more https://digitalartlive.com/events/

Sci-Fi Special Effects Webinars Saturday & Sunday June 1 and 2nd

Creating an astounding science fiction universe requires numerous special effects. Want to know how to add laser swords, energy bolts, explosions, starship jets and contrails to give your visuals extra dynamics? Drew Spence takes you on a step by step journey to help you create some sci-fi vitality in your story world. He’ll use Photoshop to demonstrate the best techniques and brushes as well as other must-have resources to help you build your sci-fi universe.

Sci-fi special effects webinar entry

$55.00

Sci-fi special effects webinar entry. Includes HD webinar recording and any materials that the presenter includes for class members.

Part 1 : Sci-fi weapons

Date: Saturday 1st May

Duration: 1.5+ hours.

Laser swords : “An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.”

• Laser sword effects
• Laser sword trails
• Sabre locks : laser swords clashing
• Cutting and slashing effects
• Recommended lighting for laser sword effects
• Best laser sword related products

Laser Blasters : “Sorry about the mess.”

• Laser blaster effects
• Sci-fi muzzle flash
• Blaster explosions
• Blaster scoring effects
• Shattered glass
• Streaming phaser beam
• Best blaster/laser/scoring brushes and products

Part 2 : Sci-fi Starships

Date: Sunday 2nd May

Duration: 1.5+ hours.

Spaceship jets, contrails and damage : “I’ve outrun Imperial starships, not the local bulk-cruisers, mind you…”

• Jet effects – using authentic lighting
• Jet engine trails and high energy plasma exhaust
• Space warp/jump effect including star trails
• Battle damage : dirtying up a spacecraft in a laser battle
• Colors for jets – what works?
• Best brushes and resources for jets and contrails
• Bonus : Must-have – three incredible resources – surprising source of special effects you wouldn’t expect.

Inside a Spaceship : “Would it help if I got out and pushed?”

• Plasma tubes
• Classic Sci-fi corridors – dressing and lighting for different scenes
• Sci-fi control panels : from kit bash to a graphic dashboard

Postwork help

During the webinars (If there’s time) or afterwards in the FB Digital Art Live community group…

• We’ll assist you with your own sci-fi/fantasy scenes to give you feedback on adding/adjusting special effects

You can find other series that Drew Spence has created with Digital Art Live for purchase in the Daz Store. https://www.daz3d.com/digital-art-live You can take classes, watch tutorials and attend webinars and much more https://digitalartlive.com/events/

Prime Postwork in the Daz Store

Prime Postwork Solutions Workshop available in the Daz Store

These tutorials presented by Drew Spence are designed to assist you with scene composition and postwork . If you’re having trouble for your renders in polishing your character-based scenes, Drew offers valuable postwork tools and tips that can assist you with that that process.

One tutorial provides a primer packed with tips, tools and approaches that will help you create a checklist of what to look for in a scene before it’s rendered and for actions you can apply in postwork.

The second tutorial is the recording of a live online class or “postwork clinic” where Drew assists artists with various problems found in their renders. 

• Learn from Drew’s own case studies of actions, filters, lighting, composition techniques learned over the years
• Advice on virtual camera set ups, composition, framing, lighting and postwork.
• See how to solve challenges with postwork when using Photoshop
• Repairs and fixing flaws in the rendered image.

Main tools used in these tutorials: DAZ Studio and Photoshop. Other postwork resources in the DAZ 3D store are recommended in the tutorials.

Duration: 2 tutorials with total duration of 2 hours and 30 minutes

You can find other series that Drew Spence has created with Digital Art Live for purchase in the Daz Store. https://www.daz3d.com/digital-art-live You can take classes, watch tutorials and attend webinars and much more https://digitalartlive.com/events/

Podcast Comic Review Demon Division + Postwork Demo

Demon Division look in The Dynamic Universe

Drew Spence form The Dynamic Universe looks at the CGI-powered comic Demon Division. Written by BeeMKay and Lara

The story and world:

The Division is up to its neck protecting mankind from Dark Mages – and the other way around. A new generation of Dark Mages is forced into service by the Division, and Seth Caelen tries his best to ease them into their new jobs. But his mission gets sabotaged when an over 60 year old, home-made problem surfaces and threatens the existence of mankind: the return of the Demons. Warnings: Occasional harsh language and swearing, some blood and combat violence.

This is comic is free to read on…

Line Webtoon

https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/demon-division/cover/viewer?title_no=213646&episode_no=1

ComicFury

http://demondivision.thecomicseries.com/comics/first/

Force Six Season I Wallpapers

Desktop Wallpaper package

Drew Spence from The Dynamic Universe drops a bundle of wallpapers from Force Six, The Annihilators Season I. The Redder Coltrane story arc took lead as the main plot line. In episode 10, Forced ENDtry, we saw the true series opener as the Force Six cadre was introduced. There are digital re-masters, bonus art and found images all re-worked into this fine collection of desktop wallpapers.

Package contains

22 Images – resolution 1920 x 1080 [300 DPI]

Free for our Patreon and...

The Full Product can be purchased for only $3.95 in these places:

Artstation.com Store

https://artstn.co/m/M3rk

https://www.artstation.com/griffinavid/store

PayLoadz.com direct product link

https://store.payloadz.com/details/2608482-photos-and-images-digital-art-wallpapers-force-six-season-i.html

PayLoadz.com Store

https://store.payloadz.com/results/77440-studio-avx-dynamica-music-producer-s-edge-magazine

And a FREE SAMPLER can be found on our Deviant Art page.

https://www.deviantart.com/g-mantis

The Disclaimer: This product is offered as a limited license.

You may not:
a) Re upload or host these files on any site or server.

b) Redistribute these files for any purpose- even for promotional reasons.

c) Resell or offer as bonus content for any other work or product.

Drew Spence is a graphic comic writer and illustrator from the United States. He creates under the title of The Dynamic Universe. He has combined his music and video into several works- including Mark of the Griffin, which is both a graphic novel and web series. He’s also part of the instrumental group Fallout Shelter which provides the soundtrack.

Like this kind of stuff? Support us on Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/TheDynamicUniverse

Postwork Podcast Unit-M Copycat Calamity

Postwork Podcast Unit-M Copycat Calamity

http://unitmcomics.thecomicseries.com/

Drew Spence from The Dynamic Universe does another session of Post Work. The artwork is supplied by

UnitMCcomics and can be found here:

http://unitmcomics.thecomicseries.com/comics/first/

Unit-M is a web comic about a team of super-powered Monsters assembled to combat human-Monster violence and stand against prejudice. The comic takes place a world where Monsters with bizarre features and amazing abilities live among ordinary people.

Live webinars can be attended through Digital Art Live and they can be purchased as  a HD video from the Daz Store.

https://digitalartlive.com/

Products from the Daz Store

https://www.daz3d.com/digital-art-live

Products of note

https://www.daz3d.com/daz-studio-postwork-clinic

https://www.daz3d.com/comic-book-creation–foundation-course-part-1

https://www.daz3d.com/comic-book-creation–foundation-course-part-2

https://www.daz3d.com/digital-kit-bashing–easily-create-innovative-props-and-scenes

https://www.daz3d.com/digital-kit-bashing–space-and-spaceships

https://www.daz3d.com/digital-kit-bashing–cities-landscapes-and-structures

Read comics from The Dynamic Universe on comiXology

https://www.comixology.com/The-Dynamic-Universe/comics-publisher/12027-0

Support our works on Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/TheDynamicUniverse

Purchase out Digital 2D assets and more

https://www.artstation.com/griffinavid