Computer Colorization

I took some advice from the response to my last request for feedback and tried colorizing my webcomic on the computer with The Gimp instead of doing it by hand. It's also about 20% larger than usual. The current comic doesn't fit with the webpage design (too large) so sometimes it'll get bumped to the bottom of the page if your browser window's small... basically, keep scrolling down until you find it. I'm redesigning the page soon so it should only be really annoying for a relatively short period of time.

Uh, anyway...

What I really want to know is if people prefer the digital colorization to the hand-drawn artwork (basically, everything in the archives prior to page eighteen). The pencilings for both were hand-drawn, the only difference is the colorization process. You can view the current comic page at http://www.heavyartilleryrpg.com/currentpage.html or click on the banner in my signature.

If there are any other suggestions for improvements, by all means, please give them. I always try my hardest to do anything that I possibly can to improve.

I like them both. I think the computer coloured one is a bit too bright tho.

I just don't know. The CG-colored ones are a lot brighter, but the hand-colored ones looks more personal.

I like the computer color. I think it looks great. The other guys saying it's too bright are kinda right, but it's not the process! It's the colors you picked. Look at it like this: You've probably colored with pencils and markers your whole life, your just getting started coloring with the computer, it just takes practice. Personally I think you can make your strip look really good. And love the chage.

Towers

p.s. check out my "it's hard to look this bad" new Stigmata Studios Sprite experiment. This is not a joke

I checked it out already. When I read the thread announcing that you'd "gone sprite", I nearly screamed. Don't SCARE me like that!

I think it's an improvement. I am just thinking you need to do a bit more research with what others are doing with this genre of comic (just as far as design goes, not outright copy) I think your picture is a little bit busy. The effects of the colorization are good but in small doses. If everything is bright and eye-poppy, than it will just tire out the reader and make them wander away. More important is the writing, this should be your focus rather than high amounts of eye-candy.

Not that I, uh, personally have anything against sprite comics or the people who draw them. There are more of them than me. :nervous: It's just that part of what makes 'Jonny Axx' a great comic is the artwork. To be completely honest, I have read one genuinely good sprite comic. Not artistic genius, granted, but it does its job: it makes people laugh. I've got to at least respect that. (please don't hit me!)

Writing and artwork go hand in hand for me. They both feed off of each other, and each advances the other. Or something like that. Rest assured, high amounts of effort have gone into the writing!

Thank you for the compliment. I do think the art is good, I would really love to see the frames broken down more conventually. It would be easier to follow and it could help with transitions in the story. I really enjoy the way your page flows, but sometimes I get lost in it.
I completely agree with what you said about art and writing, I will even go one step further, that I think the story and concepts that you portray in your work far outweigh the art work its self. I probably spend an equal amount of time on writing, and art. Although I always wish I had more time to write.

Towers

I think you misunderstood me, Hanasays. I meant that the artwork should never overpower the strip. I didn't say the writing was slack. I like the newer artwork. Not some, but all the elements are strong. Too much of a good thing.

I agree by the way about the computer colourisation. It wasn't that I was saying that the method wasn't good, but in that particular strip I thought the colours were too bright.

Wow, I didn't expect such a strong reply from everybody! Thanks for the compliments and constructive criticism, I really appreciate the feedback that I got. I'll try toning the colors down a little and doing what I can to bring back the hand-drawn feel (without actually having to scan a hand colorized image).