New comic is finally up! Check out the new art by Annick Huber, our new artist.

If you enjoy Loaded Dice, please do vote the strip up at reddit.

So, what do you think? Please let us know.

Hmmm. . .

Honestly, this reminds me of the feeling I get when I see a D&D miniature with a fantastic sculpt, yet lackluster paint job, like the Lizardfolk Raider from the Against the Giants set.

As I posted on the Loaded Dice fb page (RDI wouldn't load after several tries) the outline work seems a bit thin, making the characters a bit wispy. I know faces are hard to do well, just ask Bromern Sal or any artist, but these seem a bit flawed (close-ups of Steve and Amy as examples). Also, I just wasn't feeling the level of shading and detail that Lyra brought to the strip. While I appreciate the similarity to Lyra's style to keep continuity in the strip's art, perhaps Annick should be allowed to rework the style to something more in line with her own method. I remember being so completely stoked at Annick's deviantart gallery (still am, btw) Change. . .can be good sometimes.

Oh, good script, nice punchline, thanks for no pun this time!

Thanks to you both!

Well count on Pit to be honest.

I really like having the strip back and I know Lyra's concept of the characters would be hard to follow seamlessly. So I agree that if Annick wants to try her concept then go for it.
If you look at any cartoonist early work their characters look very different.
Just look at Charlie Brown.

But I'm thrilled with Annick's work.

And I don't care what Pit says, Olan's puns are the bomb.

Hi,

I'm Annick, the new artist for Loaded Dice. Thanks a lot for your comments Pit F(r)iend and Odyson, as well as for your honesty.

As you have seen, this is not what I'm used to doing and as a result is not as good. I usually draw with shapes and model the form, which basically is painting.

As much as the result in art if I drew the comic that way would certainly be better, I am literally unable to do that sort of digital painting in such a little amount of time. If I worked in my usual way I would need hours per panel to make it work. It is Olan's opinion that it is good to sacrifice a bit of the art in order to have regular strips, and I agree with him.

I'm really sorry it isn't as good as what you expected, but I promise to get better with line drawing as I practice with this comic.

As for the color work we have decided that Olan would take care of it, again for time reasons.

And who knows, I might be pulling out some extra illustrations in my usual style

Sorry about all of the commotion, but it's good to see you found someone to keep loaded dice alive!

Personally I don't think you need to push your self to fill anyones shoes- you should draw as you feel comfortable. Each artist has their own style and I know how hard it can be to try and recreate one your not used to.

You defiantly have teh talent though! Just need to figure out your little niche, that's all. =)

Side note: I have all of the 3D renders I was using for the player house BG's and I am willing to donate them to the comic, free use, no strings attached. They're just the angle shots from around a table showing a house that I desaturated and blurred behind each character depending on where they were sitting- and having them might made things easier. Up to you!

Hope to see things keep going, and once again, sorry!

It's good to see the comic up and continuing, and I don't think the new art is bad. It's searching perhaps, and with Olan's backgrounds a bit more flat. But hey, it's the first panel.

Besides, even if the comic continues in this style, it's not bad at all. The thing, as has been put already, is that there should be no fear of change. Not from the side of the artist, but not from our side either.

Just wanted to echo Hobo's remarks (and perhaps buy back some of the perceived harshness of my OP) by saying, yes, you "defiantly" have talent in that your talent defies the haters and trolls. (Such a serendipitous misspelling, I couldn't resist.) If you need a Fireball flung at somebody, vybeosa, let me know.

t_catt11 explained some of the elements in this strip on the fb page, and now I understand more of what was going on behind the screen, so to speak.

Also, Hobo makes another great point, IMO, that you don't have to fill anyone's shoes. I look forward to whatever artistic direction you'd like to steer Loaded Dice.

If there's a silver lining in this, Boss, at least you know for certain all the praise I've given in the past was equally genuine to my somewhat less glowing review this time.

+1 to Hobo for her generous offer
+1 to vybeosa for stepping up

Believe me when i say that Pit is a good adviser.

He has a sharp eye, a keen sense of story and an insight that is very helpful.

He sees it cleanly and says it straight.

So PLEASE don't mistake good advise for criticism.

Pit, You da man!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep +1 to the artist too!

Hobolyra: I've sent you a private message about the renders and any other ressources you have. Thanks again for the offer, it's really generous.

Almerin: thank you for your support. I will try to find my own way, but it'll take some time.

Pit F(r)iend: thank you, if any fireball needs trowing, I'll let you know =)
As much as I'd like to bring my own novelty here, it will take me some time to adapt, as my style comes out mainly through my rendering and use of color. I still have to find myself when it comes to lines, as there is no time to render and color for me when doing 2 pages a week in addition to my other obligations.
I do listen to any feedback you have to give however (i've tried to make the lines thicker on my third strip, I just hope I haven't pushed it too much), and am willing to listen t any other feedback you might have. However we will have to wait til the next strips get posted

Odyson: don't worry, I do listen. And it is criticism, which can be good advise too.

...Welcome aboard, Vybe!

Secondly, what's the hubbub, bub? It's always a tricky thing transitioning between artists, isn't it? I mean, you can't take anything away from either lolkat's or lyra's work on LD runs - they're both fantastic artists - but you can't say that the switch between one style and the other didn't take some getting used to, right? Kat had a bit more of a 'cartoony, comic strip' feel to it, whereas Lyra took our heroes in a more 'comicbook/graphic novel' kind of vein... And now comes Vybe... very much trying to stay true to the vision that Lyra's given us but, at the same time, trying to work a personal style of her very own into the thing (not the easiest thing to do once you've kind of defined your style as an artist, either, I know... you get used to walking a certain path and, when you decide to branch off down that little sidetrail, it's a little disconcerting until you get used to the rise and fall of it, you know?)

Anyway... Eol's rambling again... Point is, I liked the strip, liked the new artist's take on things (and am looking forward to seeing the "Vybe-stamp" evolve as we go), and, finally, I like coffee... er... innmates...


Or is that Innmates in my coffee?