Best Comic to Showcase OotS's Art Style [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

notthephonz

2014-02-12, 10:28 AM

The other day I mentioned to a friend (who has D&D experience but has never read The Order of the Stick) that The Order of the Stick is created using "a high-end vector-based graphics program." His response was that that sounds like overkill for a stick figure comic. I want to show him a comic that showcases an excellent usage of what can be communicated with stick figures in Rich Burlew's art style--bonus points if it's one that is readily accessible to someone unfamiliar with the story. The first one that came to my mind was #764: Small Talk (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0764.html), but I'm wondering if anyone on the forum has any other recommendations.

(As a side note, what is the proper term for each numbered unit of The Order of the Stick? "Comic" sounds like it's referring to the entire story, but "strip" and "page" don't really sound right either.)

Mrc.

2014-02-12, 10:48 AM

Holy Word. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0859.html)

Mordae

2014-02-12, 10:51 AM

Happy Ending (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0887.html) is good, too.

Passer-by

2014-02-12, 10:56 AM

In this one there are some of the best panels Rich has ever drawn. 919 - I went down, down, down (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0919.html)

Mrc.

2014-02-12, 11:01 AM

Another thing to consider is how much will be spoiled. That's why I didn't suggest this (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0449.html) despite it being my favourite comic and having some decent art. Lot's of the more recent comics have showcased Rich's skill, but you might want to warn your friend that it doesn't exactly start out all that good art-wise......

ChristianSt

2014-02-12, 12:32 PM

I think The Battle of Azure City contains some strips really showcasing what can be communicated with the art style.

I think especially highlighting that is 421 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0421.html)/422 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0422.html)/450 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0450.html)/452 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0452.html)/463 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0463.html) or some of the strips following shorty after it, like 478 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0478.html) or 484 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0484.html).

Though there are enough comics that are outside this arc showcasing some awesome use of the art, like 639 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0639.html) or 841 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0841.html).

Some nice ones I just stumbled on are also in the Cliffport arc: 339 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0339.html)/341 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0341.html)/352 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0352.html)/357 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0357.html)

Or the scenes other have posted here. But as others have said you you might want to think about which strips to showcase. I personally wouldn't use Familicide or Lunchtime, though most of the Battle of Azure City strips should work nicely. And the CPPD introduction should be perfectly for someone who is not familiar with OotS (since it contains virtually no old information other than a reference to the Linear Guild, which is not relevant for the plot of the strip).

(As to the nomenclature of single comics, I think the one that makes by far the most sense is strips. Rich says "New comic is up" every time there is a new one, but he uses the term strip during the book commentary. I would stick to the one which "sounds" best to you, though I would say page is just wrong, since there isn't a page-to-strip relation: some strips have multiple pages.)

KillianHawkeye

2014-02-12, 08:00 PM

The other day I mentioned to a friend (who has D&D experience but has never read The Order of the Stick) that The Order of the Stick is created using "a high-end vector-based graphics program." His response was that that sounds like overkill for a stick figure comic.

I'm not really certain your friend's assertion actually requires a refutation, since line art is exactly the sort thing that Adobe Illustrator and other vector-based graphics programs do best. You certainly wouldn't want to make a comic like this using MS Paint or even high-end pixel-based software like Photoshop. At least, not if you care about the quality of your product at all.

All your friend really did is prove that he has no idea what he is talking about.

Everyl

2014-02-12, 08:04 PM

If spoilers are a concern, I'm going to agree with Mrc. that the Holy Word comic is a solid choice. It's late enough on that Rich is really using his artistic skills, has a good range of special effects and character expressions, and about all it spoils is "adventurers fight in a trap-filled dungeon," which isn't really a spoiler in a D&D-based comic.

blunk

2014-02-12, 08:32 PM

In this one there are some of the best panels Rich has ever drawn. 919 - I went down, down, down (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0919.html)Excellent choice graphically. It's not self-contained, though...

Edit: I think this one has a nice survey of art techniques and stands on its own reasonably well:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0935.html

Silferdrake

2014-02-13, 05:59 AM

The comic is quite gorgeous in it's simplicity. But some of the later strips has really shown how much Rich has perfected his art style over the years. Here are two that both feature a lot of different angles and play with depth: Comic 922 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0922.html) and comic 841 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0841.html).

And if you want to show what the style is really capable of there's always the wallpapers (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/Wallpapers.html) and the calendar (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=316686).

Finagle

2014-02-13, 06:48 AM

factotum

2014-02-13, 07:21 AM

I wouldn't call Adobe Illustrator "a high-end vector-based graphics program." I'd call it "an industry standard." Everyone uses it, for everything. Advertisements, greeting cards, you name it AI makes it. It's as ubiquitous as Photoshop.

Does any of that stop it being high-end? For that matter, would you not class Photoshop as a high-end image manipulation tool, just because it's ubiquitous? Now, if we were talking about video editing software (where the high-end stuff is *way* beyond the more common Adobe Premiere) I'd see your point.

KillianHawkeye

2014-02-13, 07:39 AM

Yeah, the fact that Adobe has a near-monopoly on imaging software doesn't mean that the software which costs hundreds of dollars isn't "high end." It is. It absolutely is. Adobe releases a new version practically every year because they keep updating it and improving it with new features. THAT is what makes it high end. The reason it is an industry standard is because Adobe has the biggest name and the biggest game in town.

notthephonz

2014-02-13, 09:39 AM

Thanks for your suggestions, everyone! It's odd...sometimes the artistry of some of the later comics doesn't stand out as much because the quality has been constantly improving over the years. It's going to be really tough to choose. (Of course, people are free to continue offering suggestions.)

As to the nomenclature of single comics, I think the one that makes by far the most sense is strips. Rich says "New comic is up" every time there is a new one, but he uses the term strip during the book commentary. I would stick to the one which "sounds" best to you, though I would say page is just wrong, since there isn't a page-to-strip relation: some strips have multiple pages.
Yeah, I figure it's just one of those things that doesn't have a real answer, like what pronoun you use to refer to Vaarsuvius.

I'm not really certain your friend's assertion actually requires a refutation, since line art is exactly the sort thing that Adobe Illustrator and other vector-based graphics programs do best. You certainly wouldn't want to make a comic like this using MS Paint or even high-end pixel-based software like Photoshop. At least, not if you care about the quality of your product at all.

All your friend really did is prove that he has no idea what he is talking about.
Well, it's not like we were having a formal debate about the quality of the comic or anything; it was just a comment made in passing (I can't even remember the context in which it came up). I think the issue is probably that he's picturing something more like xkcd (http://xckd.com/).

And if you want to show what the style is really capable of there's always the wallpapers (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/Wallpapers.html) and the calendar (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=316686).
I'm thinking this option might be best because there's very little chance of spoilers or non-accessibility. Showing one of the wallpapers or comics would settle the art issue quite nicely, but probably wouldn't be as good at getting him hooked on the comic. I was thinking about buying him one of the books for his upcoming birthday, though...

I wouldn't call Adobe Illustrator "a high-end vector-based graphics program." I'd call it "an industry standard." Everyone uses it, for everything. Advertisements, greeting cards, you name it AI makes it. It's as ubiquitous as Photoshop.
That's the phrase Burlew uses to describe it in the FAQ (http://www.giantitp.com/FAQ.html#faq3), which is why I mentioned that phrase to my friend in the first place.

Finagle

2014-02-13, 03:18 PM

Does any of that stop it being high-end? For that matter, would you not class Photoshop as a high-end image manipulation tool, just because it's ubiquitous? Now, if we were talking about video editing software (where the high-end stuff is *way* beyond the more common Adobe Premiere) I'd see your point.
Well, I just think my characterization is more accurate. "High-end" makes it sound exotic or unobtainable, when in fact it's just another part of the Adobe Suite. Everyone has it, it's the most pirated software in the world. Even when you get serious and finally buy it, it's still only a few hundred bucks.

What would "a low-end vector-based graphics program" be? CorelDraw? Not really. MS-Paint? Not vector-based, really. Some no-name shareware? There's not much point in using anything but Adobe Illustrator.

factotum

2014-02-13, 05:09 PM

What would "a low-end vector-based graphics program" be? CorelDraw? Not really. MS-Paint? Not vector-based, really. Some no-name shareware? There's not much point in using anything but Adobe Illustrator.

Let me turn that question around, then: what vector graphics package is higher end than Illustrator? There are unquestionably cheaper alternatives (Corel Draw, as you mentioned, and Inkscape), so just on that basis alone Illustrator isn't low-end; therefore, for your point to be true, there has to be some higher-end vector graphics program than Illustrator.

blunk

2014-02-13, 07:51 PM

What would "a low-end vector-based graphics program" be?An analog projector and a #2 pencil :smalltongue:

KillianHawkeye

2014-02-13, 09:54 PM

An analog projector and a #2 pencil :smalltongue:

Analog art is by definition not vector-based. :smallannoyed:

blunk

2014-02-13, 10:50 PM

Analog art is by definition not vector-based. :smallannoyed:Is it the lack of a computer that bothers you? WP backs you up.

I maybe could've gotten away with "a French curve and a #2 pencil" because obviously I'm omitting the computer as a joke, but the curve is still arguably based on mathematical expressions, so it's just one thing wrong instead of two.

Oh well, maybe next time.

[kicks dead horse again]

blunk

2014-02-13, 10:54 PM

Analog art is by definition not vector-based. :smallannoyed:PS. I'd call an electron gun sweeping smoothly along a surface without an intervening diffraction grating "analog", which is why I asked, "do you mean without a computer?"

*thump, thump, THUMP*

KillianHawkeye

2014-02-13, 11:22 PM

Is it the lack of a computer that bothers you?

No, it's the fact of how the information is stored, not how it is created. Vector art is stored as mathematical data which is then rendered every time you view the image. Raster (or bitmap) art stores information according to its location.

Analog art, whether it's created with pencil, pen, paint, or whatever, is simply putting colors or lines onto a particular part of paper or canvas. You could cut a painting into squares and put them in a different order without changing the information stored on each piece. Whereas slicing up a vector-based art file would force changes to the underlying mathematical equations.

In other words, it doesn't matter if you have a ruler or a bezier curve, storing any image in a physical medium cannot, by definition, be stored in a vector format. Even the comics that we read on this web site are not vector-based files, because they must be converted into bitmaps before being shown to us. The source materials are vector-based, but the end product is not.

blunk

2014-02-13, 11:36 PM

No, it's the fact of how the information is stored, not how it is created. Vector art is stored as mathematical data which is then rendered every time you view the image. Raster (or bitmap) art stores information according to its location.

Analog art, whether it's created with pencil, pen, paint, or whatever, is simply putting colors or lines onto a particular part of paper or canvas. You could cut a painting into squares and put them in a different order without changing the information stored on each piece. Whereas slicing up a vector-based art file would force changes to the underlying mathematical equations.

In other words, it doesn't matter if you have a ruler or a bezier curve, storing any image in a physical medium cannot, by definition, be stored in a vector format. Even the comics that we read on this web site are not vector-based files, because they must be converted into bitmaps before being shown to us. The source materials are vector-based, but the end product is not.Cool, thanks for the terminology information. I implement bezier curves in my projects from time to time, but I never talk about them. :smallwink:

blunk

2014-02-14, 12:02 AM

Analog art is by definition not vector-based. :smallannoyed:It's "analog" that threw me. "Analog" just means "non-quantized", and using it in "analog art" didn't immediately suggest what you intended it to.

Vector graphics are represented as vectors, but they're "unpacked" into analog curves before being quantized into raster graphics (and if you're using a vector display, they're *never* quantized). So you can see why my first thought was, "but vector graphics *are* analog!"

We need a better term for "classical" art.

DaggerPen

2014-02-14, 01:44 AM

Something artistically stunning that will also get him hooked on the strip is a bit of a tall order - the Gaseous Form effect in 874 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0874.html) was really cool, and it's a cool enough battle bit to stand on its own, but I can't think of any strip that by itself would get him hooked on the comic - the best ones largely rely on previous knowledge. I suppose I am partial to life-taking, baby-making machine (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0587.html), which I have linked in isolation before because it's amazing, but that's not really an example of the art.

I'd say you're better off showing off some of the calendar illustrations or wallpapers, and then linking to your favorite oneshot strip to try to get him hooked.

[Also, just as a friendly heads-up, you can respond to multiple posts in one reply by selecting the quotation mark with the plus sign by it for each post you want to respond to. They'll all be waiting for you when you go to "Post Reply".]

EDIT: Actually, come to think of it, Malack's death (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0906.html) might be a good balance, if you don't mind spoiling that bit.

blunk

2014-02-14, 02:28 AM

[Also, just as a friendly heads-up, you can respond to multiple posts in one reply by selecting the quotation mark with the plus sign by it for each post you want to respond to. They'll all be waiting for you when you go to "Post Reply".]Thanks. In the latter case I thought an edit might be missed... but even when I *do* intentionally multi-reply, I've been doing it the hard way.

ETA: but also, having owned a lot of bug reports, I've acquired a knee-jerk "ONE ISSUE PER REPORT [post]" tendency :smallwink:

KillianHawkeye

2014-02-14, 08:21 AM

It's "analog" that threw me. "Analog" just means "non-quantized", and using it in "analog art" didn't immediately suggest what you intended it to.

You were the first one to use the word analog. :smallannoyed:

An analog projector and a #2 pencil :smalltongue:

I was using it in the "not digital" sense of the word. Meaning basically anything that exists outside of computers, in the real world. I'm honestly not sure what word would be better to compare hand-drawn art to digital art, but you're the one who brought up pencils and overhead projectors. :smallamused:

notthephonz

2014-02-14, 11:50 AM

No, it's the fact of how the information is stored, not how it is created. Vector art is stored as mathematical data which is then rendered every time you view the image. Raster (or bitmap) art stores information according to its location.
Thanks for clearing that up! I think I'd heard something like this before; I'll try not to forget it this time.

You know, maybe the phrase is being parsed wrong. Maybe Burlew meant that it's "a high-end graphics program which is vector-based" rather than "a vector-based graphics program which is high-end." The original context was to explain why such a program would be used to create a stick figure comic, after all.

Something artistically stunning that will also get him hooked on the strip is a bit of a tall order - I'd say you're better off showing off some of the calendar illustrations or wallpapers, and then linking to your favorite oneshot strip to try to get him hooked.
Yeah, it's definitely a tall order. But, you know, I figured the odds were good that someone on the forum would be able to come up with an idea that was at least better than mine. I was also genuinely curious what people might come up with.

When mention of The Order of the Stick first came up, my friend said something to the effect of, "Oh, that's like trying to catch up with Girl Genius." I certainly can't fault him for that--I myself haven't worked up the will to start reading Girl Genius despite its having been recommended to me a few times. Although, if I recall correctly, it has a "Girl Genius 101" section for new readers, doesn't it? The Order of the Stick doesn't really have anything comparable, to my knowledge.

Nimrod's Son

2014-02-14, 12:11 PM

For what it's worth, the example Rich himself gave of a strip that showcases how much the art has improved since the early days was #823 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0823.html).

Mrc.

2014-02-14, 12:16 PM

Hmm. That isn't a bad one at all now that I think about it, especially the rift. But again, if the guy is likely to read the rest of the strips it's probably best not to show the destruction of Azure city, otherwise well found sir!

factotum

2014-02-14, 12:39 PM

When mention of The Order of the Stick first came up, my friend said something to the effect of, "Oh, that's like trying to catch up with Girl Genius." I certainly can't fault him for that--I myself haven't worked up the will to start reading Girl Genius despite its having been recommended to me a few times.

It's not quite comparable--Girl Genius has been posting three strips a week largely uninterrupted since 2002, so must be getting up for 2000 strips by now. OotS only has half that so far, so it's much easier! :smallbiggrin:

blunk

2014-02-14, 01:07 PM

You were the first one to use the word analog. :smallannoyed:Ahaha, so I did. Yet:

* analog projectors produce an analog image;
* vector graphics *can* produce an analog image.

I think the problem is that "analog projector" is an accepted term where "analog" really means "non-quantized" (and that's where my mind was). You read it to mean "non-digital", which it is... but that's not the defining characteristic.

"Analog" and "computer" have been on such bad speaking terms for so long that it's easy to forget that computers don't have to be digital!

I was using it in the "not digital" sense of the word. Meaning basically anything that exists outside of computers, in the real world. I'm honestly not sure what word would be better to compare hand-drawn art to digital art, but you're the one who brought up pencils and overhead projectors. :smallamused:Yeah yeah yeah. Fine.

"An Excel spreadsheet, a pocket calculator, a yardstick, a bunch of thumbtacks, and spools of wire of various gauges?"

Now look what you made me do.

ETA:

hand-drawn artDoy, how about I just use that? It's not perfect, but anybody who responds "but computer art is hand-drawn too!" is probably just being over-pedantic, whereas my "but analog really means something else!" was genuine confusion.

KillianHawkeye

2014-02-14, 05:56 PM

You know, maybe the phrase is being parsed wrong. Maybe Burlew meant that it's "a high-end graphics program which is vector-based" rather than "a vector-based graphics program which is high-end."

I don't see any way in which those two phrases have different meanings. :smallconfused:

That's like saying "The Yankees are a major league baseball team from New York" versus "The Yankees are a baseball team from New York which play in the major leagues." It's exactly the same information either way you say it.

DaggerPen

2014-02-14, 06:32 PM

Doy, how about I just use that? It's not perfect, but anybody who responds "but computer art is hand-drawn too!" is probably just being over-pedantic, whereas my "but analog really means something else!" was genuine confusion.

Isn't it usually called "traditional art" or "traditional media"? That's what I typically see, anyway (see also: traditional vs. digital animation).

blunk

2014-02-14, 06:38 PM

Isn't it usually called "traditional art" or "traditional media"? That's what I typically see, anyway (see also: traditional vs. digital animation).Yes, thank you. I have a Feynmanesque "map of the cat" problem sometimes.

Dr. Gamera

2014-02-14, 08:04 PM

I was using [analog] in the "not digital" sense of the word. Meaning basically anything that exists outside of computers, in the real world.

That's not what "analog" means. The word "analog" is an antonym to "digital", not an antonym to "computer". Analog computers exist. Digital mechanical devices exist.

blunk

2014-02-14, 08:19 PM

The word "analog" is an antonym to "digital", not an antonym to "computer".Even "digital" is a little annoying. We probably use "digital" rather than "discrete-state" because the bits have always been used to represent base-N digits, but what if I made a computer where bit patterns enumerated colors? It would be a discrete-state computer, but not a digital one.

Unless "digital" simply means that the number of bit states can be counted, as on one's digits. I'm not sure.

KillianHawkeye

2014-02-14, 08:21 PM

That's not what "analog" means. The word "analog" is an antonym to "digital", not an antonym to "computer". Analog computers exist. Digital mechanical devices exist.

Sure, they exist, but the computers that people* actually use on a daily basis are all digital machines. And one of the definitions of digital is "involving or relating to the use of computer technology," so using analog to mean "not-computers" is completely valid.

*If it isn't clear, I mean "people" as in the general public.

Anyway, I think this whole tangent about analog vs digital and vector vs raster is pretty irrelevant to the topic of OOTS' art style outside of my original point that a vector-based program is meant for precisely that type of work.

blunk

2014-02-14, 08:29 PM

Anyway, I think this whole tangent about analog vs digital and vector vs raster is pretty irrelevant to the topic of OOTS' art style outside of my original point that a vector-based program is meant for precisely that type of work.Hey, at least I suggested a comic to the OP before I helped you derail the thread :smallyuk:

KillianHawkeye

2014-02-14, 09:10 PM

Hey, at least I suggested a comic to the OP before I helped you derail the thread :smallyuk:

Well the only reason I didn't suggest a comic was because I was calling into question the need to do so by objecting to the OP's friend's original statement, LOL. :smallamused:

Rosstin

2014-02-15, 12:37 AM

XKCD is the best comic to showcase Order of the Stick's artstyle.

Cizak

2014-02-15, 06:39 PM

New comic.

The Giant: "You rang?" :smallbiggrin:

DaggerPen

2014-02-15, 07:04 PM

New comic.

The Giant: "You rang?" :smallbiggrin:

Seriously. The new Snarl effects are stunning.

The Giant

2014-02-15, 09:36 PM

Well, I just think my characterization is more accurate. "High-end" makes it sound exotic or unobtainable, when in fact it's just another part of the Adobe Suite. Everyone has it, it's the most pirated software in the world. Even when you get serious and finally buy it, it's still only a few hundred bucks.

What would "a low-end vector-based graphics program" be? CorelDraw? Not really. MS-Paint? Not vector-based, really. Some no-name shareware? There's not much point in using anything but Adobe Illustrator.

There are no low-end vector programs, but people who have never heard of a vector-based graphics program don't know that. At the time I made the statement, people were regularly asking me how I made MS Paint look so good.

So yeah, I felt the need to point out that it was a program that cost hundreds of dollars. For most people, that is far more money than they would ever consider spending to draw stick figures. It would have been more than *I* would have spent, if I didn't already own it from my graphic design career. Pretty much anything that costs hundreds of dollars and is the unchallenged standard for true professionals counts as "high-end" when you're talking to laymen on the internet who are accustomed to getting by with shareware.

As for program piracy, the fact that one can steal a Ferrari doesn't make the Ferrari not an expensive performance-oriented car.

Porthos

2014-02-15, 10:51 PM

You know, I'm not even sure it is fair to call The Order of the Stick a stick figure comic anymore.

It was pushing the boundries of stick-figure art at the beginning of the run and I think it might have blasted through it by now. The only thing that is really 'stickish' anymore are some of the arms and legs of characters. And even that is variable (in 'upgraded art', the arms and legs tend to be two lines instead of one. Like the Fantasy Fantasy shirts, for instance (http://www.cafepress.com/orderofthestick.592832228)). And that gets thrown (nearly) completely out the window when there are pants, sleeves, and the like (only hands and feet stay 'stickish' - and even then not always).

Trouble is, I'm having difficulty figuring out what to call it. "Line art" certainly doesn't work, as that already is predefined as something else. But I really don't know the other terms that are out there in the art world that might cover this sort of style.

Still, this is something I've been thinking on and off for a while now, and it's strips like today's that make me think whatever this art style is nowadays, it really isn't stick figure anymore.

...

Burlewian would probably be a bit much, wouldn't it? :smalltongue:

Taelas

2014-02-16, 11:31 AM

Eh, "stick figure" art has always really been about the arms and legs as "sticks". Most often at least the head is a ball.

martianmister

2014-02-16, 01:30 PM

Brotherhood of Twig by Richard Baker is the best comic to showcase oots' art style, bacause it's predates oots by 10 years:

http://bases.roflbot.wigflip.com//F/Q/6KhXDQ1cbA.jpg

And he done it in MS Paint, a low-end program. I think Rich gets inspiration from him.

Koo Rehtorb

2014-02-16, 02:16 PM

#750 - Making up for Lost Time (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0750.html)

Coat

2014-02-17, 08:25 AM

There are no low-end vector programs, but people who have never heard of a vector-based graphics program don't know that.

Inkscape (http://www.inkscape.org/en/) is a vector graphics illustrator that's open source, free and pretty awesome.

I've no idea how it compares with Adobe Illustrator. Just mentioning it in case someone is looking for a vector graphics tool, and finds it useful.

ChristianSt

2014-02-17, 09:44 AM

Inkscape (http://www.inkscape.org/en/) is a vector graphics illustrator that's open source, free and pretty awesome.

I've no idea how it compares with Adobe Illustrator. Just mentioning it in case someone is looking for a vector graphics tool, and finds it useful.

I don't know if you want say that open source sucks or if you have the opinion that high-end equals expensive, which is not necessarily true. Or if you just have the opinion that Inkscape is a low-end program because of whatever other reasons.

(I haven't had any experience with Inkscape, but I read your post as "Inkscape is not high-end because it is open source".)

Lord Torath

2014-02-17, 03:38 PM

Flame of Anor

2014-02-17, 05:03 PM

Inkscape is great.

hereticus81

2014-02-17, 05:22 PM

The other day I mentioned to a friend (who has D&D experience but has never read The Order of the Stick) that The Order of the Stick is created using "a high-end vector-based graphics program." His response was that that sounds like overkill for a stick figure comic. I want to show him a comic that showcases an excellent usage of what can be communicated with stick figures in Rich Burlew's art style--bonus points if it's one that is readily accessible to someone unfamiliar with the story. The first one that came to my mind was #764: Small Talk (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0764.html), but I'm wondering if anyone on the forum has any other recommendations.

Personally I'd go for Rematch (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0430.html), 430, There's just something so evocative in the first frame. the washed out colours from the glare of the sun and the way the dragons wings break through the panel looks fantastic to me.