Mike Joyner writes:
“Coconut Monkey and Monkey Shiner” is a weekly webcomic where the characters, sets, props and everything else in the world is made with blender. It’s rendered using the Blender Internal Engine and “inked” using freestyle.
When I started the comic in 2007, it was just six pieces of clip art that I used for every comic. Since then, I was introduced to Blender and its amazing community. In 2014, I spent eight months creating a new world for Coconut Monkey and Monkey Shiner, from the characters themselves to their house and the neighborhood they live in.
You can see the how I converted Monkey Shiner from simple clipart to a 3D character here.
By New year’s 2015, The all-new “Coconut Monkey and Monkey Shiner” had launched in all its Blender glory.
A new “Coconut Monkey and Monkey Shiner” comic comes every Monday and you can see more here…
Thanks,
Mike Joyner
9 Comments
Very interesting and original use of Blender ! Nice and clever !
Now this is certainly a way to behold the power of Freestyle and toon shaders. I would have seriously had no idea that this comic was rendered in 3D if I wasn't told explicitly... let alone in Blender! Fantastic work.
Thanks for the kind words.
And I'm glad it looks hand-drawn. That's really the look I'm going for.
Wonderful development of web comic workflow using Blender and Freestyle! I liked the examples of facial expressions in the process description. Freestyle lines are very well controlled. Two thumbs up!
This is amazingly done. Really masterful use of blender and freestyle. I have been experimenting with a blender based webcomic idea for years, and I must say Mike's work is very motivating.
Hello Mike
You are not alone using Blender to make web comics. Mine ar colour:
http://camic.github.io/
My first thought was; why would somebody use the Blender Greasepencil over something like Krita? But then I read the description and saw it was done in 3D with Freestyle and toon shaders...
Very nice hand-drawn result indeed :)
This is really well done. Often times when I stumble across comics in 3D, it often lacks that sort of look your comic does have. The way the faces and characters convey a specific emotion without looking like 3d-puppets. Really well done.
Thanks for all the positive comments. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Just an additional note that wasn’t in the article. If you’re a tumblr person and like “following” more than checking a website over and over, you can follow the webcomic here at the tumblr mirror site.
http://coconutmonkeycomics.tumblr.com
Thanks again everyone.