Comments on: Crustacean Creation Video

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:15:18 +0000

Hey Ray,
Is this still available anywhere? Your EZ tee video is still up but I really wanted to watch this again for your voice over insight

Thanks

By: makeplanesnotwaste

makeplanesnotwaste — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:36:00 +0000

Thanks Bud, thats sweet. Yea I noticed on your flickr that you were doing some ‘real’ linework and inking and I have to say it looks like you have been doing it forever. Its awesome. You have totally inspired me dude. I am currently working on a hand grasping a flaming skull from a sketch I did yesterday, hopefully when I get the linework done I could send you a preview and you could let me know what you think?

Craig

By: FRENDEN

FRENDEN — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:24:42 +0000

No kidding, right? Heh. They have given me a few perks lately, truth be told. But I do more traditional work than Manga Studio stuff anymore, doh!

Each layer can be assigned a color in the “properties” palette!

By: makeplanesnotwaste

makeplanesnotwaste — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:15:49 +0000

Hey Frenden, awesome vids man – you have totally inspired me to buy Manga Studio. I just got it yesterday and was fiddling around this morning with and and tonight. Any tips on how to do the colouring in Manga Studio? You mentioned spot layers but how do you achieve this?

Keep The Vids Coming – oh and btw you should ask the Manga Studio company to pay you for the amount of people you convert to it….

By: Ray Frenden

Ray Frenden — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 04:27:49 +0000

I’m a self-taught mutt, too!

By: Pizazz

Pizazz — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:17:20 +0000

I do love these videos. I am a self taught artist, and it’s very fun to watch professionals do their stuff.

By: nani

nani — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 21:44:14 +0000

hey love the video,
thanks for your sharing,
its really helpfull, im going to try now what ive learn!
;)

By: Ray Frenden

Ray Frenden — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 16:19:33 +0000

Psst! Just one favor - when you start taking over the world, remember the little guys. :p

By: Justin Odom

Justin Odom — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 15:59:01 +0000

duuuuuuuuude ray, your stuff is out of this world. you recently got me inspired to bust out the tablet and manga to do work! ive been following you over at emptees.com man and all i can say is wow….good to watch to work….how do you get such a smooth pen? i just got manga last night and im tryinjg to figure it out…any help would be awesome…keep it up

By: David

David — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:04:37 +0000

Hey Ray!
I just stumbled across your website, and I’m really impressed and inspired by your work! I’m a motion designer and constantly trying to improve my illustration skills, as I’ve come to realize more and more how important it is in this business. And this site, especially the videos has helped me a lot and inspired me to work more on my illustrations.
So keep up the great work man, I’ll be watching :)
/David

By: Ray Frenden

Ray Frenden — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:23:23 +0000

Angela, thanks a lot for the input. I’ll try and keep the business side of things in the mix as much as possible. It’s kind of tricky being public and protecting clients while trying to talk about these things.

By: angela

angela — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 03:51:53 +0000

I was very excited to find your video. I have been looking into digital recently due to a friends work and encouragement. I am waiting for my wacom and will be keeping your site in my favorites in hopes of seeing many more tutorials. I am just as interested in your take on the business as I am in your drawing.
P.S. The anti-commercialism show sounds like fun.

By: Ray Frenden

Ray Frenden — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 21:14:11 +0000

Awesome. I’m sending the invite now.

I find that the “limitation” of a spot color on every layer fits really well with how my head works. It’s never been a problem for me.

By: Robert Cook

Robert Cook — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 00:38:31 +0000

By the way, I am interested in checking out the art forum, thanks. Also, your using a single spot color per layer to do your coloring in Manga Studio sounds like just the way one would make a multi-colored linoleum or wood block print! The more things change the more they stay the same, it seems.

By: Robert Cook

Robert Cook — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 00:36:06 +0000

Ray, my email is:
robertcook44@hotmail.com

I haven’t received Manga Studio yet, as I only ordered it a couple of days ago, but I’m really looking forward to trying it out. I appreciate your being willing to send me some brush settings.

Thanks!

By: Ray Frenden

Ray Frenden — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 23:50:09 +0000

Hey, Robert! The aforementioned dayjob single-handedly guaranteed a decrease in the frequency of my posts to the TCJ forum.

I do, indeed, create my colors in Manga Studio using a single spot per layer. It seems rigid at the beginning, but the ability to change large blocks of color with one or two clicks offsets that initial hardship, I think.

Using the pattern brush tool, you can even create soft edged brushes that vary in opacity like a Photoshop brush.

Say, what’s your email address? I’ll send over some brush settings. Also, I run an art forum where there are about a half dozen other Manga Studio devotes. If you’re interesting in that, I’ll send an invite along via email as well.

Thanks for noticing my absence and for the kind words. I ought to get back there soon.

By: Robert Cook

Robert Cook — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 23:19:28 +0000

You know, as Manga Studio is primarily a black and white drawing program, you should do a video demonstrating your coloring process. I assume you import your finished drawings into either Photoshop or Painter (or both) to do color. I’d like to see how you work in your color…especially where you have ink feathering in different colors. Do you do all the original inking in Manga Studio then recolor some the feathering in another program, or do you draw the additional brushwork in your coloring program. (Or is this an example of the “spot color on every layer” that you mentioned in your video?)

By: Robert Cook

Robert Cook — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 23:09:09 +0000

Ray, I have read your posts to the Comics Journal website and enjoyed your drawings there for quite some time. (I don’t think I’ve seen any posts from you there, recently; have you stopped frequenting the board?) I just ordered Manga Studio EX from Gradware this week (an academic discount website for software), and I had remembered you posting some videos of your working process, so I went looking for them today, and found my way to your site. The hour long video of your drawing the crawfish creature was great…informative and fun to watch, and your comments, coupled with your demo, demystify the process by which drawings can be made, a valuable lesson for any other aspiring artist.

I’m most amazed that you’ve only been drawing “seriously” (as you say) for three year! Your work shows a polish that would seem to have come only from long years at the board. I’ll keep checking in for more pictures (and videos); good luck on your return to the free-lancing world.

By: Ray Frenden

Ray Frenden — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 13:41:56 +0000

Austyn, have at. I always like to help however I can!

By: Austyn

Austyn — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 23:50:43 +0000

Great video! i don’t really watch alot of these online tutorial things, but i’m definitely going to start now. Wow the corporation was a great movie I sent a link to a bunch of people, god that shit is depressing… i’d love to get a critic from you about this “werid” coloring book i’m making, don’t worry it doesn’t suck no poorly drawn anime chracters etc..if you have time. great work i hope you make lots of money! :P

By: Ray Frenden

Ray Frenden — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 02:01:22 +0000

Glad to hear! If there are any specifics that I can help with, let me know. I can tell you how to make an inking brush in Painter if Manga Studio is too exotic as well.

By: curro

curro — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 23:24:51 +0000

Thanks for the reply. I just spent way too much time enjoying your work. Keep the videos coming-the effort is greatly appreciated.

By: Ray Frenden

Ray Frenden — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:51:20 +0000

No. It’s the most common question I get asked. Illustrator is incapable of producing lines like these.

By: curro

curro — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:32:28 +0000

COOL, reminds me a bit of C Burns. Can you achieve the same results in Illustrator? I’m a constant chronic doodler & desire to get digital.
Chris

By: Ray Frenden

Ray Frenden — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:49:22 +0000

Heh. Dan, my cat has been the subject of a few illustrations. Or, at least, a viable model whenever a feline is called for.

Leonard, will do!