I’m working on a children’s book. It’s a simple chase story involving two characters Midge (the blue guy) and Bimboo (the red guy). I’ll be trying to produce about twenty pages with these two guys.
In addition to creating a book that my six-year-old daughter can read, I’m hoping the project helps me learn a bit more about posing, lighting, and composition.
Here’s the first image to introduce the two characters:
Those guys look fun.
Nice, what’s the story?
Thanks zanz and The Blender-er. The story is quite simple. This is meant to be something a first grader could read. Bimboo (the red guy) wants to eat Midge (the blue guy). Midge runs. Bimboo chases. Midge finds a way to get away.
I think the whole thing will be twenty 9 x 7 pages, with one image and one simple sentence on each page. I plan to do all the basic renders first and then touch them up in Photoshop to add text and correct imperfections caused by my modeling/rigging limitations (e.g. the shoulder and elbow problems in the image below).
So here’s my first render for the first page, along with the first sentence of the story (any comments and crits are welcome):
This is Midge.
Wowsers dude - I don’t know about the first graders, but I reckon if I beat them in a race to read your story (with pictures) will you publish it here first ?
Yes, I’ll be publishing it here first–so to speak.
Here’s a new cover image, a new page 1, and a new page 2. Question: Is Midge cheating too much on page 2. What I mean is he’s supposed to be looking at Bimboo, but he’s not so that the audience (reader) can still see his eyes. Is that the right approach, or should he be looking directly at Bimboo without cheating toward the camera?
Anyway here are the new images:
Cover: Midge and Bimboo
Page 1: This is Midge.
Page 2: This is Bimboo.
Hmm. I can’t access the images in the last post is it just me?
Looks cute, I want to read it… err to… my…sister.
You should work on the materials a bit and make them look a bit more toony because right now they look like clay and a bit dull (not necessarily putting a toon shader).
I can’t see the pictures…
Bimboo uses up all his energy chasing his prey, but fails, and dies of starvation.
Sounds like the books i used to read as a kid.
Thanks Easton and Tedcase. Krayon, the pics should be displaying now. I think I was having some hosting problems last night.
Anyway, I was actually going for a clay-ish look with my limited materials skills, but maybe I should play with it a bit more. I keep messing with the material’s for the ledge they’re standing on. At one point, I’d had a stone wall look to it, but it looked too realistic compared to the characters.
I guess my overall goal for the materials is a blend of the fantastic and the real. That is, I want the materials to match the characters’ simplistic cartoonish design, but I also want everything to look like it has some real weight to it–whimsical but grounded, if that makes any sense.
Here’s my first page 3 render:
Bimboo wants to eat Midge.
If images aren’t showing up, try http://gettydrafts.blogspot.com/2008/09/midge-and-bimboo.html
I just completed the first render for 4, and since the earlier images aren’t showing up I’m posting all the renders so far. So here’s the cover and pages 1 through 4.
Cover:
Midge and Bimboo
Page 1:
This is Midge.
Page 2:
This is Bimboo.
Page 3:
Bimboo wants to eat Midge.
Page 4:
Midge should run.
Dude those stills are simply amazing when looking at them in context. So Midge and Bimboo are friendly to each other initially and then the drama starts to unfold. I think you are onto a niche market that will captivate everyone I mean young kids. Teletubies watch out!
Thanks kbot. Here’s my first crack at page 5.
Midge runs.
Midges face needs to be still frightened. Raise his eyebrows some more. In the current version he looks angry and determinded to kick somebody in the a…
Thanks musk. I think you’re right. I switched him into determined mode a bit too soon.
New page 5:
Midge runs.
Page 6:
Bimboo runs.
First render of page 7:
Bimboo chases Midge.
Funny style, I guess kids may like it 
Compositing would help to improve the final quality.