So, Where are the Gremlins?

If you are reading this page, then you probably know it’s been about 3 months since the last Pesky Gremlins posting.  You might be wondering how a short break turned into 3 months.  Well, here’s the story.  Last year I was frequently running out of time drawing the backgrounds for the Pesky Gremlins strip.  It only takes a couple of hours to draw, ink, and color the gremlins but some of the backgrounds can take hours or even days to do.  Last years Halloween story is a good example.  I had also been taking some shortcuts to cut down on the drawing time like reusing previously done illustrations but that started to make the cartoon feel kind of stale.

So, what is a web cartoonist to do in a situation like this?  I could just cut out the backgrounds and props.  But that would take away a lot of the gremlin’s mischief making.  The gremlins were not at all supportive of this idea!  I could continue to reuse the old drawings.  I have built up quite a stock of backgrounds and props.  But the quality varies and they have all been used multiple times by now.

Perhaps there is a way that the computer could help out here.  Both of the computer programs that I use to draw Pesky Gremlins claim to have a line extraction function.  In other words, the packages could generate a line drawing from a picture.  If that were to work, I would just have to find a picture of the subject, have the program crank out a line drawing, maybe touch it up, and then paint it. So, I gave that a try.  Perhaps others have been successful with this approach, but not me.  I never got any results that were worth proceeding to the painting stage.

I kept searching and ultimately came across the 3D rendering packages that are used to make modern cartoons and film special effects.  Initially, I rejected the idea of using a 3D package due to cost and the very steep learning curve.  Then I ran across Blender.  Blender is an open source (read FREE) 3D modelling and rendering package that has been around for quite a while.  It still has the steep learning curve, but the entry price of FREE is hard to pass up.  So, I downloaded Blender and started it up.  And that is when the steep learning curve got to me.  3D modelling and rendering software is not for the faint of heart.  As a (former) engineer, I understood the modelling but learning the menus and shortcuts is not something that translates easily or quickly.  Then there is UV mapping, textures, materials and all of those shader nodes.

So, that is where the last 3 months have gone.  I have been reading books on 3D modelling, taking tutorials on various Blender functions, and coming up with little projects of my own in order to familiarize myself with the 3D world in general and Blender specifically.

Now most of the work that I have done is not worth showing.  I mean, who wants to see school work and practice exercises.  However, I have now acquired enough Blender skill to start building some of the props and backgrounds that are used in Pesky Gremlins.   First up is Elmo’s classic Corvette.  I started with the Corvette because:

1) There are lots of free Corvette models out there

2) Elmo’s Corvette frequently shows up in the background

3) The older Corvette drawings could REALLY use an update

Unfortunately, a 3D model of Elmo’s specific Corvette does seem to exist. Therefore, I had to modify an existing coupe and turn it into Elmo’s Corvette.  Chopping off the roof was the hardest part.

Before I show you the new 3D Corvette, here is one of the older ones for comparison:

And this the new 3D version:

Line Drawing of Unpainted Corvette 3D Model Corvette Realistically Painted and Rendered Here is the Corvette in semi-cartoon format. The model is not really finished just yet. It still needs quite a bit of work before I can use it in the cartoon, but I will save that for another time.

In the meantime, here is the Pesky Gremlins cast reaction to all of this: