Comic Creation Guide...

I am currently in the process of creating a guide that will instruct beginners on how to create comics and cartoon strips. The surprising part is, I have found quite a bit of support in the project. I am currently working with several cartoonists and students in order to provide a comprehensive, online guide that will allow other, aspiring artists to begin their work and get it out to the public.

Current artists participating:
N. Rackley - Amateur Cartoonist - Lakewood
David Davis - Semi-Professional Cartoonist, Professional Comic Writer - Cosmic Dash, Warped
Howard Tayler - Professional Cartoonist - Schlock Mercenary

"Student" participants:
James - Writer
Jonathan - Photographer
James Hertz - Writer, Machinima Director

David Davis is also rounding up a couple of other people to help out with some sample illustrations from among the Scienteers. The Scienteers will be sponsoring and distributing my column. We have also agreed to allow an edition of the podcast form of these columns to be distributed through the Scienteer sister site, ComicDish's weekly cartooning podcast, The Dish.

Links to specific artist pages and their comics will be added promptly.

Special Note: Cartoonists rock. I sent out the requests to use sample material, and most responded within the day.

Anyways, stay tuned for future updates!

Cheers!

-Doc

New videos up at YouTube.

My two newest productions, Downhill Fast Episode 1 - Modz, and Draconus V, my video blog/podcast are now up over at my YouTube gallery.

Check them out!

http://www.youtube.com/Droakir

You can also check them out below...





Enjoy!

-Doc

New Comics!

Hey Everybody!

I've finally buckled down and drawn some more comic strips for everyone. Go over to my lakewood page to read them!

http://lakewood.comicdish.com

I've been trying really hard to start getting back into the habit of updating Lakewood daily with new comic strips. Additionally, ANOTHER comic series is planned to debut this upcoming Friday: The Wandering Wizard!


Stay tuned!

Downhill Fast - Episode 0

Downhill Fast - Episode 0 is finally up!

Enjoy!

-Droakir

Downhill Fast - Episode Zero

Alright, so after working with Alimar for some time now, we've begun the production of our upcoming machinima using the Halo 3 game engine, titled "Downhill Fast." This first one is only going to be a couple of minutes long, but future episodes are definitely going to be longer.

Progress report:

Script: Done
Voice Acting (scratch track): Done
Sets: Done
Acting: Done
Filming: Done
Capturing: Done
Voice Acting (final): Done
Animation: Done
Audio Editing: In Progress
Final Cutting: In Progress

As you can see, we're about 70% done with this current animated short. Stay tuned for more details on Downhill Fast!

Cheers!

-Droakir

Guide to Beginning Digital Photography - Overview

Guide to Beginning Digital Photography - Overview
by N. P. Rackley (Droakir)

http://www.futuredragon.net
http://droakir.deviantart.com
http://futuredragon.blogspot.com

Introduction

Hobbies and pastimes are important to almost every person in the world. Hobbyist photographers have been around for centuries, perfecting their art and at times turning professional. However, the trail from Amateur to Pro often appears a steep one. How can we get up it? What do we need to know?

My purpose in this tutorial is to instruct my fellow hobbyists on the different (and often inexpensive) methods that one can utilize to breach this gap between amateur and professional photographer. It is my hope that those of you who follow this tutorial will learn enough to be able to make correct decisions. From selecting and purchasing a camera to post-processing and publishing your images.

Regards,

N. P. Rackley

Where to Begin

There are many frequently asked questions. I have pooled questions from several different photographers, and have come up with the following list of things that beginners often ask. The articles may be read in order, or, if you have a specific question, please feel free to jump ahead!

Frequently Asked Questions:

About Photography

What is photography?
What's the difference between an Amatuer and a Professional?
What is the difference between film and digital cameras? Which is cheaper?

Cameras

What kinds of cameras are there?
What kind of camera should I buy? What features should it have? Will I spend a lot of money?
Is Megapixels important?
Where should I get my camera?
Is there any equipment I should purchase with my camera?

Taking Photos

What is the "luck factor"?
What modes should I use my camera in?
When should I use the flash?
How should I frame a photograph?
How do I focus the camera? Should I use automatic focus, or manual? What are the multi, center, and spot modes?
What is an ISO? What are exposures?
What is white balance? How do I use it?
How do you use a tripod?
How do I use macro mode?
How do I use manual mode?
How do I take photographs at night? Photographs of Lightning?
What are timed photos, or multiple exposures? What do I use them for?

Post-Processing

What is post-processing?
How do you post-process an image?
What kinds of tools are good for post-processing? What kind of software should I purchase? Are there any free alternatives?
How can I improve the quality of the photo?
How can I adjust the colors of the photo?
How do I add a borders or text to my photo?
How do I add a focus effect to my photo?

New Digital Camera!

I am now happy to say that I am the proud owner of a brand new digital camera!

I purchased today a new Canon A590IS. Now, I know that this camera isn't as "high quality" as my Canon A640, however it certainly will do the job!

This camera was purchased in part to be used in my upcoming tutorial set about beginning photography. Stay tuned!

Cheers!

-Droakir