Creating Efficient 3D Backgrounds for Comics in Blender [Coloso, Shiomiya]
- Publisher
- Coloso
- Product Type
- Video Course
- Author
- Shiomiya
- Language
- GBC English Dub, Japanese - English Subtitle
- Duration
- 15:00
- Release date
- Oct 1, 2025
- Skill level
- Project Files
- Yes
- Product Price
- $131
Learn a Practical, Professional Comic Workflow in Blender
Shiomiya is a professional manga artist and illustrator who also develops 3D assets and add-ons designed to help fellow creators.In this class, he shares practical Blender techniques tailored specifically to manga and comic production. If drawing backgrounds is one of your biggest challenges, 3D software can become a powerful creative tool. Learn how to set up cameras, create natural-looking line art and halftones, and build reusable backgrounds that help you complete your comics faster.
Cartoonist, Shiomiya
This class covers Blender’s essential settings, tools, and features in detail, allowing even complete beginners to follow the entire workflow.You’ll learn how to choose the right number of vertices for clean Freestyle lines and use modeling techniques that produce natural comic-style outlines and shadows without making your work look overly rigid or three-dimensional.
Through a practical exercise focused on creating a diner background, you’ll model objects of different sizes, combine characters and environments harmoniously, apply textures, and produce manga-style halftones.
Turn Blender into your personal comic-production assistant and gain practical skills you can apply immediately—with minimal additional practice.
Join Shiomiya’s Coloso class and use 3D technology to overcome your fear of drawing comic backgrounds.
Class Preview
Still Not Sure?
Watch Shiomiya’s class preview and see the workflow in action.Chapter 17: Setting Up Freestyle
- Essential Freestyle settings
- Giving lines a natural, hand-drawn appearance
- Varying line thickness based on distance
Class Perks
Special Gifts from Shiomiya
- Unlimited access to 29 chapters packed with Shiomiya’s expertise in designing 3D backgrounds
- Complete one finished comic scene during the course
- Access to the 3D models and assets used throughout the class
Class Materials
Files Related to the Course
- 3D models created during the lessons
- Production-ready assets
Additional Resources
- Comic project files in CLIP format
- Class materials in PDF format
Who Is This Class For?
- Aspiring comic artists looking for an efficient Blender-based 3D workflow
- Comic creators who want to build complete scenes with reusable 3D backgrounds
- Illustrators who want to expand their skills into comic and visual storytelling
Expert Cartoonist Shiomiya’s Portfolio
Explore a selection of professional works created by Shiomiya, including published manga, illustrations, and projects that incorporate Blender into the comic-production process.Why Take This Class?
Learn how to bring your comics to life using Blender’s powerful 3D tools. Professional manga artist Shiomiya breaks down an efficient workflow for designing, rendering, and integrating 3D backgrounds into comic panels, helping you achieve professional results with less time and effort.Whether you are completely new to 3D or already creating comics, you’ll discover practical techniques for modeling, lighting, rendering, and compositing scenes that fit naturally into your artwork.
By the end of the course, you’ll complete an entire comic scene—from the initial layout to the final render—and gain the confidence to make Blender a core part of your comic-production workflow.
Get Ready for Real-World Production
Create 3D Backgrounds in Blender Through Practical Exercises
- Learn Blender’s essential settings and features
- Create small objects using clean-line modeling techniques
- Build medium-sized objects using character-based scaling
- Design large environments through scene adjustment and optimization
- Create manga-style halftones using materials and textures
- Apply camera techniques tailored to comics, including perspective and horizon-line setup
- Transform 3D scenes into simplified line art using Freestyle
- Improve production efficiency with Blender’s Compositor
- Complete a finished manga scene using Blender
Class Highlights
Create Comic-Friendly 3D Assets
The key to using 3D effectively in comics is creating clean lines, readable shapes, and seamless textures.Starting with simple forms, you’ll learn how to model objects and create outlines and shadows that suit manga artwork. Every technique is explained step by step with beginners in mind.
This class does not focus on advanced or highly realistic modeling. Instead, it teaches you how to create models, lines, and shading specifically for comic production.
Discover Efficient Blender Techniques for Comics
The greatest advantage of using 3D software in manga production is the ability to make repetitive work faster and easier.Learn practical ways to streamline tasks such as camera setup, rendering, arranging underdrawings, organizing scenes, and preparing assets. Every technique is optimized for a comic artist’s workflow.
Learn Skills You Can Use Immediately
This class focuses on practical knowledge that can be applied right away rather than techniques that require months of practice.Discover how to reduce the artificial “3D look,” make background creation more manageable, and work more efficiently when time is limited or deadlines are approaching.
Instructor
Shiomiya
Hi, I’m Shiomiya, a professional manga artist and illustrator.As a comic creator, I was always looking for more efficient ways to draw backgrounds and complicated objects such as cars, trains, and weapons. This led me to study 3D software such as Blender. Eventually, I developed a workflow that allowed me to publish monthly manga independently.
Drawing on that experience, I now create and share 3D assets and add-ons that support other artists.
This class brings together the Blender techniques and production knowledge I developed while publishing manga. It is designed for creators who want to use Blender in their comics, make 3D backgrounds appear less artificial, or treat 3D software as a practical assistant and asset-creation tool.
I hope the knowledge and experience you gain from this class will make your creative goals easier to achieve.
Profile
Published Projects
- The Imaginary Detective Girl Aya
Written by Megane Nishiki, published by Seikaisha — one volume - Zerozaki Soushiki no Ningen Shiken
Written by Nisio Isin, published by Kodansha — five volumes - The Primitive Maiden and the Tower of God
Published by Kodansha — one volume
Works Created With Blender
- Maru’s Snack Bar
Published by Kodansha — one volume - Kino’s Journey—The Beautiful World—
Written by Keiichi Sigsawa, published by Kodansha — eight volumes
What You’ll Learn
Modeling With Clean Lines
Learn how to choose the right number of vertices for clean Freestyle lines and use modeling methods that prevent objects from becoming unnecessarily detailed.Through practical exercises, you’ll discover how to adjust models to achieve the line art you want without focusing on photorealism.
Creation Techniques Based on Scale
Learn how to create props, furniture, and complete backgrounds using the proportions of your characters and drawings rather than relying only on real-world measurements.Scene Organization and Optimization
Efficient comic production requires organizing scenes by page or panel while avoiding excessive workloads and unnecessarily large project files.Learn how to use features such as Collections and Render Layers to manage complex projects and complete your work more efficiently.
Blender Skills Tailored to Comics
Discover how to use Blender with an emphasis on camera settings, composition, perspective, and viewing angles designed specifically for comic production rather than conventional CG work.Reduce the 3D Look and Create a Hand-Drawn Appearance
Explore techniques for giving 3D artwork a hand-drawn look, including adjusting line thickness and using line variation to create depth and perspective.Shiomiya’s rendering methods will help you produce 3D images that blend naturally into illustrated comic panels.
Improve Efficiency With Nodes and Add-ons
Speed up your workflow while maintaining consistent quality. Learn how to use nodes, add-ons, and customized shortcuts to reduce repetitive work and create a production environment tailored to manga creation.Curriculum
Class release dates and course content are subject to change without prior notice.Section 01 — Class Overview
1. Class and Instructor Introduction
- Instructor introduction
- Reviewing examples of 3D-assisted artwork
- Advantages of using Blender
- What you’ll learn in this class
- Defining the final goal
- Why 3D does not have to be difficult
Section 02 — Blender Setup and Essential Commands
2. Essential Blender Settings
- Navigating the startup screen
- Configuring preferences
- Adding extensions
- Installing recommended add-ons
- Setting up shortcuts
3. Blender’s Essential Features and Interface
- Understanding Blender’s fundamentals
- Customizing the workspace layout
- Using Blender’s essential features
- Understanding the difference between objects and meshes
Section 03 — Creating Assets Tailored to Comics
4. Creating Small Objects 1
- Adjusting settings to achieve the desired colors
- Modeling a mug
- Comparing two modeling methods
5. Creating Small Objects 2
- Modeling a glass
- Creating a straw
- Using shape keys
- Creating parent-child relationships between objects
6. Creating Medium-Sized Objects 1
- Scaling objects in relation to characters
- Modeling a sofa
7. Creating Medium-Sized Objects 2
- Modeling a table
- Creating a menu board and additional props
8. Creating Large Objects
- Building walls and windows
- Creating a complete room interior
Section 04 — Materials, Colors, and Shadows
9. Setting Up Toon Materials
- Creating basic toon shaders
- Applying textures
- Adding stylized fake highlights
10. Creating Materials for Glass
- Creating transparent materials
- Adding patterns to glass surfaces
- Registering materials in the Asset Library
11. Preparing Materials for Clip Studio Paint
- Configuring materials for use in Clip Studio Paint
- Transferring assets from Blender to Modeler
- Registering Blender materials as Clip Studio Paint assets
12. Creating Manga Halftone Materials With an Add-on
- Using the material add-on
- Exploring its available functions
- Creating halftone effects for comic artwork
13. Applying Materials to Backgrounds
- Adding materials to the completed environment
- Adjusting materials for visual consistency
- Preparing the background for rendering
Section 05 — Rendering
14. Using the Camera
- Camera fundamentals
- Setting up perspective
- Finding the eye level more easily
15. Using Camera-Control Add-ons
- Using the camera add-on
- Exploring its available functions
- Improving camera setup efficiency
16. Matching Underdrawings to the Rendered Image
- Understanding scenes and View Layers
- Cropping an underdrawing
- Using a rough sketch as the camera’s underdrawing
- Matching the underdrawing to the final render size
17. Setting Up Freestyle
- Essential Freestyle settings
- Giving lines a hand-drawn appearance
- Varying line thickness based on distance
18. Using a Manga-Production Support Add-on
- Using the support add-on
- Exploring its available functions
- Improving the manga-production workflow
Section 06 — Creating Rough Models
19. Creating Rough Models 1
- Building rough character models
- Creating character models without bones
20. Creating Rough Models 2
- Continuing the rough-modeling process
- Developing the basic forms
21. Creating Rough Models 3
- Refining the completed rough models
- Preparing them for use in comic scenes
22. Configuring Rough Models
- Setting up Freestyle for rough models
- Randomizing object placement
- Rotating models toward a specific direction
Section 07 — Setting Up the Compositor
23. Introduction to the Compositor
- Exporting files automatically
- Exporting characters and backgrounds separately
- Exporting line art and materials as separate elements
24. Practical Compositor Techniques
- Removing background elements that overlap characters
- Combining rendered elements efficiently
- Preparing renders for comic production
25. Advanced Compositor Techniques
- Creating a fisheye-lens effect
- Using mist to enhance perspective
- Adding white outlines around characters
Section 08 — Creating a Finished Comic
26. Practical Comic Creation With 3D Models 1
- Adjusting existing 3D backgrounds
- Creating additional background elements
27. Practical Comic Creation With 3D Models 2
- Producing variations of rough character models
- Building layouts based on the storyboard
- Placing exported 3D elements into manga panels
28. Practical Comic Creation With 3D Models 3
- Tracing underdrawings based on the 3D render
- Drawing finished lines over the 3D artwork
- Blending 3D elements with hand-drawn content
29. Practical Comic Creation With 3D Models 4
- Making final adjustments
- Refining the complete scene
- Finishing the comic
