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Rant / Opinion: Alternate Versions
3 years ago
General
I recall seeing a picture on here that tried to justify paywalling alternate versions of images, saying "It's a lot of work to make them."
I disagree with that statement to a point.
Consider a solo pin-up image. You want to make a clothed and an alternate nude version. One method is to redraw the whole image. This is dumb, since you're redoing the same thing with minor changes for minimal gain. In the digital world... we have a way to deal with this: layers.
For purposes of this, lets assume a 'layer' is a final composited image (I know a lot of layers go into a final image). You draw the nude character on one layer, and a 2 piece bikini on another layer. Congrats, you've just made an alternate version with a LOT less work.
Now, in Photoshop, lasso select either the top or bottom of the bikini, right click, click 'copy to new layer', then delete the difference from the old layer, making 3 layers total. How many versions can you now make with the same amount of work you did as above? 4; Clothed, Topless, Bottomless, Nude.
Next, lets add something else. Say... a zip-up (but open) hoodie. Combined with the above, how many versions can you make? 8; Clothed, Clothed Hoodie, Topless, Topless Hoodie, Bottomless, Bottomless Hoodie, Nude, and Nude Hoodie (as counterintuitive as that is).
Add stockings; 16 versions. Add gloves; 32 versions.
See a pattern? The maximum possible number of versions is 2^(n-1), where n is the number layers in the image. This doesn't factor in versions that wouldn't work (EG: small top on big chest). I've seen someone put out a picture with 98 versions. This is possible with at least 8 layers. 2^(8-1) = 2^7 = 128.
Don't believe me? Take the nude and clothed version of a picture, put them on top of each other in your favorite image program (Gimp, PS, Krita, etc). You could just switch the top layer on and off, but there's a more visible way: Set the top layer to 'difference' blending. Anything that's the same will be black, while differences will be highlighted. The brighter the highlight, the greater the difference. If they were truly redrawing the image each time, more than just the clothing would be visible, since it's impossible to perfectly replicate something by hand.
In the case of a character color change, look at the background, and see if it's any different.
I won't deny that making art takes a lot of time, effort, and work, and that making alternate versions is part of that. However, to me, it comes across as disingenuous when it's framed as this magical, time consuming task, when all that's being done is toggling various bits on and off (a process that in itself could be automated).
I disagree with that statement to a point.
Consider a solo pin-up image. You want to make a clothed and an alternate nude version. One method is to redraw the whole image. This is dumb, since you're redoing the same thing with minor changes for minimal gain. In the digital world... we have a way to deal with this: layers.
For purposes of this, lets assume a 'layer' is a final composited image (I know a lot of layers go into a final image). You draw the nude character on one layer, and a 2 piece bikini on another layer. Congrats, you've just made an alternate version with a LOT less work.
Now, in Photoshop, lasso select either the top or bottom of the bikini, right click, click 'copy to new layer', then delete the difference from the old layer, making 3 layers total. How many versions can you now make with the same amount of work you did as above? 4; Clothed, Topless, Bottomless, Nude.
Next, lets add something else. Say... a zip-up (but open) hoodie. Combined with the above, how many versions can you make? 8; Clothed, Clothed Hoodie, Topless, Topless Hoodie, Bottomless, Bottomless Hoodie, Nude, and Nude Hoodie (as counterintuitive as that is).
Add stockings; 16 versions. Add gloves; 32 versions.
See a pattern? The maximum possible number of versions is 2^(n-1), where n is the number layers in the image. This doesn't factor in versions that wouldn't work (EG: small top on big chest). I've seen someone put out a picture with 98 versions. This is possible with at least 8 layers. 2^(8-1) = 2^7 = 128.
Don't believe me? Take the nude and clothed version of a picture, put them on top of each other in your favorite image program (Gimp, PS, Krita, etc). You could just switch the top layer on and off, but there's a more visible way: Set the top layer to 'difference' blending. Anything that's the same will be black, while differences will be highlighted. The brighter the highlight, the greater the difference. If they were truly redrawing the image each time, more than just the clothing would be visible, since it's impossible to perfectly replicate something by hand.
In the case of a character color change, look at the background, and see if it's any different.
I won't deny that making art takes a lot of time, effort, and work, and that making alternate versions is part of that. However, to me, it comes across as disingenuous when it's framed as this magical, time consuming task, when all that's being done is toggling various bits on and off (a process that in itself could be automated).
