/ic/ - Artwork/Critique

Rough out the poses,then refine them. You have the right idea.

It's still this.

I'm disappointed.

He still hasn't been interacting with anything. Pointing at things doesn't count:objects reflect the culture that has produced them ,so even "sitting at a table drinking a beer" can suggest all kinds of things about the world the characters inhabit. Not to mention portraying the 3d environment through a 2d medium.

Just Draw.

But realize that it means experiment and explore. Some things might work,if only bits of them,and others not at all, but that is the nature of the process. Sometimes you want to draw quickly and roughly, to capture an idea,and later you can reimagine it with further explorations. Like in this storyboard panel,it was more important to portray the raw emotions than to draw it then and there in full. You must make your own resource material, and don't be afraid to redraw stuff a dozen times fast,since these are not for public consumption. The serious attempts at the subject will be done in sketchbooks based on the rough studies. These you can show,labeling them as "prototypes" and Developmental Designs,which will gain you more productive feedback.

>>6851093
I advocate a build a skeleton of the idea roughly, then flesh it out with details. And these visual notes to yourself are the first step. In this storyboard panel, I was trying to convey the raw emotions in play at this point of the story,and getting such ideas on paper is more important than getting a bad idea perfect.

>>6836119

Conveying the emotions of the situation is half the battle.

>>6655654
I want one to draw on my Android phone, and I went on Amazon to see what they had. What does a stylus do that a rubber tipped stick cannot? $35 for the cheapest of them makes me leery.

I would get into the character's mind when you are drawing them. Dwell on the emotions that they are experiencing, and maybe that indecipherable essence will seep into your execution..

The pic says it all,but I will interpret it.

The picture is a panel from the storyboards of another storyline that I had to abandon. The guy getting yelled at is a young magician who is being hunted by the archmage who once imprisoned him until the archmage's granddaughter helped him escape. And moments later he watched her get devoured whole by a demon sent to retrieve him. And for the past few years, this fugitive has been befriended by other girls,only to watch them meet similar terrible ends. Consequently, he wants to remain friendless, because his soul cannot take another senseless death brought about by his pursuit.

The girl doing the screaming is the latest girl to stumble into his life,and she wants to stand by him,knowing his past and troubles. In the previous panels,they walked together and he unburdened himself with a soliloquy about how he wishes he wouldn't have anyone care for him, because he knows too well what happens to those who do. Her response?

She tackles him. And tells him he doesn't get that choice. The last panel is her hugging him fiercely, and a wall of words repeats "You don't get a choice" frames the panel. And he struggles with his own tears,knowing he will undoubtedly doom another innocent soul.

I am struggling with my own tears writing about this. Why? I know these people, and everything about them. I watch their lives unfold under my pen,and cheer and grieve with them. Their stories are important to me, and I have to get them on paper, so they can live on after me,and maybe change their world, and mine as well. And it's why I say loudly, repeatedly, and evangelically, Follow Your Story. A random sketch of a demon head led to a sprawling mystery about a castle in a snowglobe, and after 180 strips over the decade, was just hurrying to the conclusion. You don't know where the story goes until you actually put it on paper, and even if I won't live to see it reach other media, I will put it down. I have no choice.

I want to tell stories.

Through my characters I have learned much about life,and myself. By thinking in their heads and placing obstacles in their way to overcome,wisdom has spontaneously generated along with their pain. And I want to share this wisdom,these personalities, these pains and triumphs,and to make money from it,just to have the time to make more stories come alive.

I try offering practical advice,or suggest challenging projects to people here in spite of the crabs. The goal of the Artist is to find one's own unique voice,and that often flies contrarily in the face of the Fundamentals and Loomis crowd. Lots of paid artists out there who don't draw realistically, and those who I see on here I point to viable markets for their work,like greeting cards and album covers,even encouraging them to make their own mock ups for their portfolios.

My own work gets routinely slaughtered here,and despite and partly in spite of this unhelpful criticism I will continue drawing. Because through the flaws there are worthwhile things that wouldn't see paper if I listened to the perpetually angry here. All you can do,really.

Every line a lesson.

One thing to consider is your Projected Rate of Production.

How big a strip - how much work put into each one - how often you can toss one out will be a factor in getting and maintaining a readership. If there is substantial work obvious in each strip,and enough story to satiate you and your audience, then people will be forgiving over a longish wait,otherwise they will be less likely to return.

What you can do to feel out these variables is to do a Super Rough : cheap paper,a few ideas,and a few hours to quickly plot out your basic story and visual structure that the strip will assume. Don't get bogged down with details or make it perfect,the goal being to use this as a roadmap in your journey of storytelling and then revise it as you produce the finished work. Do 30 pages this way or so,and don't be afraid to deviate from the rough. This way you can understand both your capacity to produce and what you will ultimately create.

>>2885001
I still get 1400 people arriving at my site through clicking on a direct link to my unique URL. I'm just not sure why. Recently I have encountered webcomic hosting sites that have attached forums,but my enthusiasm dropped when I dug a little and saw most posts were several years old. Maybe my fellow space travellers can point out a site that is at least current. I tried pointing people to my Devientart page since they have places for comments,but no takers so far. My site has been active since December of 2013,and the storyline I have been pursuing is at 158 pages. All I want is feedback,and people to ponder What Happens Next along with me.

Too much to ask?

>>2238251
Am too,boss!