Creating Decent Backgrounds

[Thrashador]

Hey guys,
I feel like it's time to make some nice backgrounds. It would be best if I could use AS to make them. It's been hard to find much information about making backgrounds.

So, I have some prior experience in perspective drawing and sketching, but I haven't really done digital art before (excluding the Anime Studio characters I've made). I only have a few scenes in mind: a downtown street, the exterior of a restaurant, and a few rooms inside the restaurant.

Since there are only a couple backgrounds to do, I don't mind putting in a lot of effort to make them look really good. But I was wondering if you guys had any tips for making good backgrounds inside AS: either general tips on perspective drawing, or more specific tips about the features inside AS.

Here are a few questions about AS:

Do you recommend the use of gradients or shading effects? Do you use thick strokes or thin? How do you set up vanishing points and orthogonal lines? What do you do to get straight lines?

Thank you,
Thrashador

[neeters_guy]

Check out Parker's video tutorials on this very subject. He guides you step-by-step constructing actual backgrounds. He is hosted by Rudiger on Content Paradise:
http://contentparadise.com/searchimagev ... er=Rudiger

I wouldn't dismiss hand drawn backgrounds, they add interest and personality to an animation. Although I make mine in AS, I find they look too mechanical.

--
PS. On the other forum, I discuss how I set up perspective using an AS helper file:
http://www.kelleytown.com/forum/animato ... PIC_ID=963

[AlanPS]

I love designing characters but BGs are a pain. Still, I've tried to devise a workflow, even if slow as molasses.
Obviously the quickest way is to sketch a nice BG on paper, scan it and trace the items in vector on separate layers.
BUT if you want perfect perspective lines and what not, what I do is draw a rectangle the size of the background. Create crossing lines from each corner that end in a vanishing point.
Then if you move that vanishing point you have a template for where everything should be.
BUT WAIT, there's more! Now that AS does 3d shapes from vector, you can draw the basic shape of buildings and rooms and extrude them to help with perspective. Do be careful: the scaling is not automatically uniform on the Z layer so you'll have to tweak to get actual cube dimensions if that's what you're going for.
What I also love about version 8 is the improved line noise to add the hand-drawn look. Go ahead and make your scene vertex perfect if you must, then go into the layer properties and add noise/extra lines to suit your taste.

[SpaceBoy64]

I make most of my backgrounds in Lightwave, but that's just because I have Lightwave and I know how to use it, and it has the ability to do cartoon shading.

Also, I use Photoshop a lot. I trace photos, scan in hand drawn or painted artwork, or use bits of clip art.

I really like looking at older cartoons, and some newer ones for inspiration. Many of them use hand painted backgrounds, many of which are very minimal in nature and change color to reflect the mood of the character, or provide contrast. Some backgrounds are out of focus to create the illusion of depth of field, and also focus attention on the animation.

[PARKER]

These are the ones i have made with the software so far:

http://www.coroflot.com/parkerx87/backg ... parker%2E&

Also as neeters guy said i have tutorials on how to make some of them.

[SpaceBoy64]

These are the ones i have made with the software so far:

http://www.coroflot.com/parkerx87/backg ... parker%2E&

Also as neeters guy said i have tutorials on how to make some of them.

Some nice backgrounds but, created in Anime Studio? Most of them look painted. How were you able to get textures like that without some sort of paint program or scanning? That's all vectors?

[PARKER]

These are the ones i have made with the software so far:

http://www.coroflot.com/parkerx87/backg ... parker%2E&

Also as neeters guy said i have tutorials on how to make some of them.

Some nice backgrounds but, created in Anime Studio? Most of them look painted. How were you able to get textures like that without some sort of paint program or scanning? That's all vectors?

They were all made using only AS, i used brushes and other tecniques to achieve that look.

[SpaceBoy64]

They were all made using only AS, i used brushes and other tecniques to achieve that look.

Ah, brushes, that explains it.

It seems like it would be easier to do that sort of thing in Photoshop or some other paint program though. Why use Anime Studio for that? Don't the bitmapped brushes limit your ability to zoom in tight?

When you animate over them, do you render them separately and composite?

[PARKER]

They were all made using only AS, i used brushes and other tecniques to achieve that look.

Ah, brushes, that explains it.

It seems like it would be easier to do that sort of thing in Photoshop or some other paint program though. Why use Anime Studio for that? Don't the bitmapped brushes limit your ability to zoom in tight?

When you animate over them, do you render them separately and composite?

Yes photoshop can be beter for that but i wanted to try so people know you can use AS for BGs and not go to another software.

When you use brushes it makes a lot of points and that can slow down your computer a lot so you must have a decent computer to use brushes to make textures.

I think the best would be to render the BG as a png or jpeg image and then import it into AS.

[rocky53204]

The simple method... quick and effective for most use. This method frees up more time for animating.

1) Take digital photos of appropriate scenes. (Where possible.) Load into your computer.

2) Post process with GIMP, PAINT.NET (free), or the appropriate photo altering software of your choice. Many effects are possible, toon, watercolor, oil paint, etc. A bit out of focus is desirable for things in the distance.

3) Save picture as PNG then load into AS and populate the foreground with props and characters.

An alternative is to find free royalty free photos on the web... Lots of space stuff available from NASA...

[EHEBrandon]

Woah..... Someone needs to make a tutorial on how to make the very detailed background.... The ones that look more like a Japanese anime style..... Please could someone make a tutorial or post a example file... I love all the shading and detail in it.... I understand brushes have something to do with it but I don't exactly know how without making it look weird....

[SpaceBoy64]

the very detailed background.... The ones that look more like a Japanese anime style....

Could you post some example images?

[EHEBrandon]

the very detailed background.... The ones that look more like a Japanese anime style....

Could you post some example images?

I made a post about this the other day check it out hopefully you could help. .-.

[braj]

Parker, your backgrounds are really inspiring. Morso than any limitation of the drawing tools in AS, my limitation is in the drawing and composition itself. I'm reading 'The Noble Approach' about Maurice Noble's workflow, that is really helpful, but I just wanted to give you props, the colors are wonderful, the shapes are wonderful, great job. There's an old saying 'a bad workman quarrels with his tools' and you prove it isn't the tools but the talent.