Advice of managing art stuff?

[foxowl]

I've sort of started my webcomic in the middle of a bunch of other things like work, college and other art related things and well, I'm terrible at managing my time.
Does anyone have advice on making a webcomic whilst being busy with other things? Like what sort of schedule do you guys have? I just don't want to quit my webcomic because of it, that's all.

[mariusthered]

well for starters get a buffer sorted the bigger the better , (but remember you need to keep adding to it ,not kick back and chill.)
once you have a buffer in place you can work out the best number of pages to post each week that wont push you too hard.

personally I save time by sitting down for a full weekend and just writing script. when it comes to putting pages together it's there and all i have to do is cut and paste it on the comic page before adding the talk bubble.

I lay out all my pages in one batch and add frames and all the speech bubbles, then when I am at the end of a section of pages, I go back to the first and just start adding the ink and color. this wont help everyone but I hope this advice is useful to some.

[eschaefges]

make a daily schedule and routine, and stick to it as much as you can! also, see how little sleep you can survive on (sad but true)!

my days generally look like this:

6:30-7:30 get kids dressed and fed, help wife get to school, get myself dressed
7:30-8:00 drive to work
8:00-4:30 work work work, maybe eat something fast
4:30-5:00 drive home
5:00-7:00 make dinner, play with kids
7:00-8:30 spend time with wife
8:30-9:30 exercise
9:30-11:30 write/draw/color comics
11:30-6:30 zzzzzzzzzzzzz

I stick to it as much as I can, and as a result, over 4.5 years, I wrote/drew/colored 208 pages of comics! Have patience and persevere!

[guilhermecahu]

As @aronthemason said, a buffer makes everyone happy. When I started mine, I had a buffer that lasted for around 2 months and half, which allowed me to focus 100% on college. In this case, kinda kicking back and chilling was my goal, but the real meaning of this was actually dedication to college. What I planned was to resume drawing pages every vacation, so I could spend around 1 or 2 months working on everything and have 5 or 6 months free due to accurate planning.

Something to get started: try to see how much time it takes you to complete a page. For me and most people that do story-driven comics it's around 7, 8 hours (though my most complex pages can go up to 9 or 11 hours). With this in mind you can define what to do, like stabilishing a goal to finish 1 page per week, so you can keep periodicity (that was my plan B in case my buffer ended without being refilled). It'll take one day or two of divided work, so you can focus on other things during the rest of the week, for example.

[foxowl]

@aronthemason @guilhermecahu ahhhh, I think that's where I've been messing up, I only made a small buffer of a month or so. I'll try and make sure to make a bigger buffer this time. I think it takes about the same time for me to make a page too.
@eschaefges That looks really busy ahah, I think the time when I do comics is 9pm - 12 or 1am

The advice really helps, thank you for helping me out guys!

[eschaefges]

i waited until my entire story was finished so i had a multi-hundred page buffer - that way i could ensure life delays wouldn't impact the comic - and my readers have responded extremely well to that! however, it is hard to work in a vacuum, so good luck!

[efdvorsky]

I usually try to stay a week ahead although I'm noticing I'm slowing down with college and a convention right around the corner. It really depends how difficult your semester will be, but I actually put webcomics over my homework :I but I've also been a college student for a long time so I'm used to pulling all nighters to read or do whatever it is I have to do and find a place to nap between classes. I don't advice this.

I think if anything it would be divide things up depending on your demand. If you could spread your webcomic work between a few days like, say, an hour and a half every day (even if you don't finish) when you get back from work or class, but also dedicate some time for your homework, I think you're good to go. If it gets too demanding then maybe only update a page a week and have a buffer ready!

[foxowl]

@efdvorsky I'm in the same situation too ahahah I have conventions, work, college and other things and it's like 'why did I think it was a good idea to start it now?'
I'll try and spread the workload in bits like you and other have said though, might make it less stressful

[PixyByte]

I just try to at least work on my comic for an hour a day. It adds up quite a bit. I mean, you should probably be able to find time for at least 30mins a day of drawing time, if not, your schedule is way too over packed.

[Aspie_Gamer]

Just do it. Don't worry about how the art will turn out. Don't stress about having to do multiple pages at once. If you can make a new comic page from start to finish in like an hour while maintaining a relative amount of quality per page, then its possible to draw multiple pages all in one evening/afternoon. Since your busy with other things, I'd say to work on your comic as soon as you get home instead of sitting down and turning on the television to binge watch your favorite new show on Netflix. It will take about two months on average for this to become a new habit, but trust me its worth it in the end.

[AnnaLandin]

Seconding the need for a buffer! It's always a good idea to have one - you never know what's going to get in the way of your comic.

Other things to keep in mind - space your updates out according to a schedule you can handle. If all you can manage is once a month, then once a month it is. Pick a pace you're comfortable with, and stick to it. Keep plugging away, and be disciplined about it. Work on your comic whenever you've got the time - don't put it off.

It also helps to plan ahead! I do thumbnails/script for an entire chapter in one go, and then do full-size sketches of the whole thing+write out the dialogue, so that I can then alternate between inking and colouring without ever having to open a blank page and go "Alright, so what happens next?". I'll already know.

[Aetherwing]

I try to have a one month-ahead buffer, and I only update twice a week. It's important to pick a schedule that's right for you (most comics that are done in a similar way as mine update like once or twice a week.) Taking breaks is also very very important! I used to work with the mindset that I couldn't take a break until everything was done, and it wound up slowing me down a LOT. The stress was way too much to handle. It's important to just take some time and draw for yourself or work on something else or just read a book or something. Like obviously don't take too much time off but make sure you aren't over-exerting yourself. You'll work better when properly rested!

[foxowl]

Thanks for the tips everyone! I've been mainly making a buffer this week (it's half term) so I can have a bit more time with college and personal art next week

[Spinester]

It depends on how often you update...

I'm updating once a week and I have a family, job, I'm also a musician and practicing martial arts. Basically, I have to be a ruthless time manager. So when it comes to comics, here's how I've done it:
1) It's been said before but bears repeating... Build a buffer before you start publishing or if you've already started, work extra hard for a short time to build one. It really takes the pressure off and allows you to be sick once in a while or have an off day so you don't burn out.
2) Have a dedicated time each day to work on comics. If you 'schedule' it, you're more likely to stick to it.
3) Break your process into manageable chunks that have a defined start and end. Since I'm only doing a page a week, I'll spend 1-2 nights penciling, 1 night for inking, 1 night for flats/backgrounds, 1 for shading. That way I feel good about what I've accomplished for the night while also not depriving myself of sleep, which has been a big problem for me in the past.
4) Base your release schedule not on what you want but rather on what you can handle.

Hope that helps!

[jessicasurline]

I'm not as busy as most people but trying to get art squeezed in with a full time job can be rough. I used to work for a tech company so 40 hrs /week plus travel and time for life stuff made art time slim. My husband is really good at time management and he knew my daily routine and was able to help me find gaps of time to use. For example, I would work hard and get the numbers I needed for the day and about 2 hours before the end of my work day, I would sit at my desk and pencil some wallpaper art or panels of a comic for about an hour. Then after I got home, I had a maximum of 3 hours before winding down for bedtime. Weekends I used mostly for chores and errands but I usually got a day worth of planning and art knocked in. I did this style of schedling for 2 years. I was able to get a board game nearly complete, a chapter of Visceral done, 4 Wallpapers complete, and lots of concept art done. When I look back at all the little bits of time used to make so much, I am very pleased and hope to keep it up in the future.

[hushicho]

I'm pretty good with production, but I got the idea a while ago of picking up a simple dry erase board. It was just a couple of bucks, and on it I made columns, categories that corresponded to the different things I wanted to be sure to produce in a day. It helps me to look at it, because I can easily see what I haven't done and what I need to do. I put a check in each column when I do what I need to do for the day.

It's also really reassuring to look at later and see that I have actually accomplished a lot. It's handy for fighting that self-doubt and criticism that insists that I don't accomplish anything. I know better, but it's nice to see it in that very easy-to-understand, clear form on the dry erase board.

Usually my approach is, early on in my day, I think about what to do and put it into three categories: what I have to get done, what would be nice if I got done, and what I'd be thrilled to get done but don't expect to do. I'll be satisfied if I accomplish what I have to do, but it'll make me a little happier if I do more -- the things it would be nice if I could do. What I would be thrilled to do is usually too much for me to expect to accomplish in a day, but if I get it done, then that's super. But I don't expect it, and I'm not disappointed if I can't do it.

For example, in a day, let's say I need to produce at least one comic page. It would be nice if I could produce two comic pages...that's possible, and may even be likely. I'd be thrilled if I could produce five pages, but realistically that probably won't happen.

This way, at the end of the day, I can look back at what I've done and be satisfied, as well as setting a pace for my output, and I'm not too harsh on myself.

[Doubtcent]

First piece of advice to give: go for it.
Second piece: now that you're on your way, see if you can keep going
Third: don't go so far down the rabbit hole that you lose your health like I did. Find what your limits are and do your best with what time you have rather than slowly kill yourself.