The Process

The comic strip Syntax Errors is not like the other comic strips seen in newspapers or on the internet. It is one of the first daily comic strips created and rendered within its own 3d world inside of the computer. The characters are not hand drawn for each panel, they are modeled, textured and posed. The colors and shadows aren't colored or painted in but are lighted with different textures, bump maps, and materials. The dialog is not inked but is typed and placed into a dialog bubbles inserted into each panel. The final comic strip doesn't exist on Bristol board or card stock, but rather in megabytes and pixels stored in the computer.

Since Syntax Errors is a new comic strip with a new technique and a new design, I will describe the process of creating the comic strips.

  Modeling

A model is generally started using a primitive mesh--either a sphere, cube, or even a simple curve that can be revolved and shaped into an organic (or inorganic, if that's what the model calls for) looking object. More detail is added to the mesh as control points are pushed, pulled, rotated, scaled, twisted, extruded, split, and smoothed to form the basic shape of the character. More detail is then added where necessary and the process is repeated until the model looks as it does today.

Additionally, each expression on a particular character is also modeled. For example, when a character smiles, frowns, or blinks, a separate model is created to allow the character to change into that expression, or morph between a few different models, when its time to pose the character in the shot.



  Skeletons

A complete skeleton is then created within each model to enable the characters to move as a real person would move. A hierarchy of pivots are placed where the skeletal joints are located in order for the legs, arms, head, fingers, and back to be enable a range of motion similar to the human anatomy.

After the joints are created and positioned, the geometry mesh must be assigned to the skeletal joints. Each control point is assigned and weighted to the proper joints so that the movement of the mesh corresponds to the movement of each joint. The effect is that the model has now been "skinned" to the skeleton and will move as a skin being driven by joints.



  Controls and Posing

Within each comic strip, the characters are posed and positioned so they interact with other characters, props, and environments. They are posed using specialized controls created on each skeleton. In film, television, and video games, this is the part of the process where the animators do their work. Although this comic is in a static environment, the characters are posed and manipulated just as they would be in any animated film or video game. The only difference is that the timeline for each pose is only four frames (or however many panels the strip requires) as opposed to the lenth of the shot in the movie or game.



The controls used for animation are specialized for each character and focus on usability and simplicity. For example, each finger joint doesn't have to be moved and rotated in order for the finger to curl or point if predefined poses are established before the scene is created. In addition to specialized controls, entire poses can be saved and recalled each time a character stands, sits, walks, or is posed in any way that might be reused in a later strip.

  Texturing and Lighting

While the characters are being modeled, shaders are created and assigned to each character's skin and parts to provide the colors and textures that appear in the final strips. Each shader is different, where some are simply colors and others are as complex as an eyeball. Shaders define how much light an object absorbs and refracts (plastic), how much transparency it might have (eye glasses), and if the object has any depth effects (bedspread has a quilted bump) or that help bring it to life.

After the characters are posed in a strip, multiple lights are then placed within the scene to give the characters' shadows and highlights. Directional lights, spotlights, and ambient lights are all used to give light to a particular scene. It is very common to change the lights from panel to panel to highlight different areas of action and/or focus.



  Finishing Touches

Once a scene is posed and lighted, a final render turns the 3d scene into an image. Each image is then copied into comic borders that surround the images in the daily comic. Text and dialog bubbles are added and additional paint fixes and shadows are made where needed as well as additional graphic design is created to sparse up a dull panel or to balance out a composition. Additional renders are made if the lighting, poses, or composition doesn't work in the particular panels. This whole process is repeated several times over until a deadline finally determines the comic strip is finished and Syntax Errors is delivered in your inbox.