Launch of new RPG Fantasy Webcomic

[cdrcjsn]

April 1st marks the official launch of a new RPG comic, Familiar Ground.

Familiar Ground is an epic fantasy adventure comic...told from the point of view of familiars. This black and white, newspaper style comic strip is free and available online now.

Familiar Ground

The adventures of Toad, Lady Sasha and Coco (as well as their humans) will be told twice a week, Mondays and Wednesdays.

Come check out a full month of archives.

Familiar Ground

 

[fireinthedust]

I think it's brilliant.

I think your style is like the oldschool, Goodman Games illustrations for classical dungeon modules. I think that's a strong point.

I'm going to keep reading it, but I like what I'm seeing. A lot. You're actually funny, which some webcomics just don't have. That's the biggest thing, and I'll keep reading just for that.

Maybe more in the way of word bubbles, or even lines to keep straight who's talking.

I was told by an artist to work on realism first, then go for cartooning style. While I only kinda sorta agree, I've been using realistic, naturalistic drawing as an exercise; like doing character sketches of NPCs I'll never use in-game, before GMing. Or pushups before swimming or something. I'm rusty now (thus writing a lot), but I remember it helping and totally increasing the awesomeness of my other art; never looked back, if you get me.

What inks are you using? How do you draw each strip?

And have you thought of using a computer like OotS uses? Someday I'd like to do my own OotS style comic. Freehand is better for me, too, though.

 

[cdrcjsn]

Thanks for the kind words.

The process for my strip is here: Familiar Ground » The Comic Process

Material used:
Bristol Board 5.5" x 14", 100lb stock, acid free
Prismacolor non-photo blue pencil for the initial sketch
Micron archival ink pen for lettering
Faber Castel brush pen and ink pens (various sizes)
I also have some india ink, sable brushes and watercolors that I plan on eventually using, but they're not currently going into the strip.


And for the record, I don't really consider myself an artist. In fact, I didn't start drawing until about 3-4 months ago when the idea for this strip came about (prior to that, the last art class I had was in 7th grade). I was looking to do something more creative and initially I was going to go into fiction writing (I still have outlines about here somewhere).

But I stumbled upon the podcast of the penny arcade/pvp guys playing D&D. That led to checking out those sites and the "how to make webcomics" book that Kurtz put out. I recall Knights of the Dinner Table and how it basically used sprites and figured that maybe for the crowd that I would want to cater to, the writing can make up for the art.

Yeah. Sorry I mixed up the rule about word balloons in a couple of the strips (left to right first, THEN top to bottom). But as I said, I'm still learning and won't be making those mistakes again

I do plan on taking actual figure drawing classes soon and agree that learning the proper form first is important before you make a parody or twist of it, which is basically what cartooning does. But this whole project sort of came out of nowhere for me. If you had told me 6 months ago that I would be putting on a comic online, I would think you were crazy. I don't even draw for a hobby or doodle when I'm bored.

But I'm confident that in only 10 years, I would be able to draw as good as the pros.

I do use photoshop to prep the strips prior to posting to the web, so I guess I can try coloring them sometime. But I'm still learning how to draw properly and I find it easier to use traditional materials.

Plus I can't use my computer when I'm playing D&D, which is where I've drawn about a third of my strips so far =)

Thanks again for the comments.

Cedric

 

[cdrcjsn]

By the way, did you notice that the strips had hovertext?