HOME | DD
SnowSultan — Toon Smacky test-comparison
Published: 2013-01-27 02:31:34 +0000 UTC; Views: 3508; Favourites: 43; Downloads: 91
Redirect to original
Description
2nd edit: background added to left non-toon render, right toon render improved with softer shading, and slightly improved (and darker) background.Test of pwToon shaders on 3D Smacky. Left image is a non-toon render with my usual Photoshop Action applied. Right image uses very carefully adjusted pwToon shaders.
No postwork except for running the Photoshop action (which is for overall color correction) and removing one crazy hair from her afro. Normally I have to mask off and color-correct each part of the non-toon Smacky to get her to look right, but this toon one looks pretty good with no extra work.
The main differences are that the toon one has colored outlines, more contrast but with lighter transitions, less metallic highlights, and slightly more toon-style (soft cel-type) shading. I think it gives her more personality and comes just a tiny bit closer to looking more hand-made than cold 3D.
Thanks very much for taking a look!
Related content
Comments: 29
I`m toon style render fans so the right image better for me 
BTW I want to know despite several toon shader already arounds , is posible mix them with your old and clever Z- toon concept ?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thanks very much! I'm actually not sure if Poser still supports Z-Tooning, I last used it with Poser 4 and I think you have to do some sort of workaround because of how newer versions handle scaling. If you're using Studio, you'll get much better results with pwToon. I really think it's going to take a very customized shader to get any better results than what we're getting now. The new version of Blender has an interesting toon mode, but learning Blender is enough of a challenge, let alone getting a DAZ figure into it properly.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
I would have to say that the one with the deeper shadows is a better toon render! The one with your logo to be sure.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thanks very much! I like that too, just hope I can duplicate it and that it wasn't a one-time thing.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Smacky is such a beautiful O.C you are extremelly talent4ed
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thanks very much, I'm glad you like her!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
the toon one looks great, but I'm not so sure about the toon outline. I would try without the outline, I do find it interfering; especially on the skin parts (legs, arms outline). It makes her look pasted on the background compared to the non-toon version. Or at least the toon outline on the skin parts should be softer, this one is too harsh IMO.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I agree, the outline is a little too strong for my taste too. I made it darker in this case because it was showing up too light around the legs even after some other material adjustments. Since 3D outlines can't be varied, what's too light in some areas will be too dark in others because of the background. Combining multiple renders with the outlines on and off can fix it though. Thanks very much!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Yeah, I know exactly what you're talking about. The joys of postwork!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Since you're doing a comic book format, and if the toon shader makes less postwork, by all means use it. The new face does look more expressive. Personally, I like the original version, but that's just me. I'll send you something. Check for a PM in a bit...
BTW, I think you have the gamma up a bit high again. I thought you calibrated your monitor? Best wishes,
Slimer
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Oh I'm not really doing a comic book format, I've just always wanted my 3D art to look more 2D than everyone else's.
Huh, I had to calibrate using a web-based system but it appeared to be accurate. Can you tell me what's appearing too light for you?
Thanks!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Putting in the background makes for a better comparison. When I first saw it, without the background, the one on the left looked more like what I'm used to seeing in 3D. The one on the left still looks a little too bright. The hair color looks different. I think you're on to something with that new shader, tho. Definitely a good look for her.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
The hair color is darker on the toon one, you're right. A few more improvements here and there and maybe it'll keep coming along.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
I really dig your style anyway, but yeah that one on the right is really cool! I could see you doing a graphic novel in that style all about miss Smacky
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thanks a lot! Glad someone else besides me likes the right version too, lol.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
The difference is subtle, for sure, but definitely closer to hand drawn. I wouldn't call the original "cold" though. There's much more hints of realism in the original that bring out a believability that the toon version doesn't really have. You are nowhere near the "uncanny valley" in your work anyway, so you never have to worry about an audience becoming strangely emotionally detached from your work because of that. The only thing I don't like about the toon version is that in some areas, the outlines are a lighter shade than the gradient fills, which isn't traditionally how I recall hand drawn images to be, and kind of gives me one of those... "I can't put my finger on it" moments. I love your work; it takes me back to my younger years, and sneaking copies of 1994 from my local comic book shop, and thinking they were the coolest thing since sliced bread, with the best artwork of any comics of that time.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thanks very much! Heh, you make very photorealistic 3D art, so we're probably going to like and notice very different things. To me, the left version is kind of lifeless.
You're right about the light outlines, but I think I'd have to fix that in postwork. It's not the 3D outline I intended, it's actually an artificial color edge that's caused by the shading method. You can see the real skin outline is brown (near her waist), but it gets lost for some reason on the shadow side. I'll keep experimenting though.
Thanks as always for your advice and comments!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
No problem. To have a fair comparison, however, you should present both versions with a background. The left 3d version does appear lifeless compared to the right, but it has a lot to do with the fact that there is no environment that interacts with it. I like the toon shaded better. However, the original isn't a good litmus test.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
That's true, I just didn't have a non-toon shaded background in the same position ready for that pic. I'll try to update it with better comparisons later. Thanks.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Wow! I'm looking at the updated version of this image, and honestly, I'm on the fence about which one I like better now. I really do like the shaded parts of the raw 3D version a little better than the toon version, but the toon version has something about it that's interesting too (namely, the outlines). There's still some more interesting detail, which can still be interpreted as hand-drawn, in the raw 3D version. The addition of the background makes a bigger difference than I thought. Hmmmm. Might wanna take an overall vote among your fans as to which one they like better before switching up the final style for all your works. Great stuff either way you go.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I updated the toon one again, I thought the shading was a little too strong. I think the outlines are actually too strong now, but I can fix that in postwork for a serious image. Oh, I won't switch to this style for everything, it will take me a while anyway because I have to set the surfaces for every material on every character. 
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
My pleasure. Your work is awesome.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
On a quickly look, I did not see much difference, but after reading your text and look back to the images, comparing the two more closely, I clearly see that the image that uses pwToon is more like a toon-style.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Haha, I can really tell the difference...I think we all notice little things in our own art that others don't.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0