How to gain confidence

[Mr-Oddity]

Hello I just wanted to ask how do you gain confidence to even start making comics. I have my ideas, characters, and story thoughts planned for my first comic but I can't even gain the confidence to even put pen to paper and make it due to being so scared. How do you do it?

[moontokkym]

I'd say first: work out what you're actually scared of.
Like you've felt this nebulous scared feeling but you've probably never sought to interrogate it, because it's way easier to realise you're just working yourself up over nothing when you actually think about it.

Like, some common examples:

"I'm scared the comic will be bad!"
Ok but so what if it is? Everyone here who's making good comics has at some point in their life made bad comics, bad drawings, bad chapters of books, etc... It's part of the process and everyone who's made bad comics has survived it, you will too.

What if people don't like what I make?
No one who's any good will morally judge you for having kinda bad art or a kind of cliché storyline, and no one who does is worth listening to. Technical critique is useful, but doesn't say anything about who you are, and actually LIKING something is completely subjective. I LIKE reading some books that are just objectively awfully written because I get joy out of it, a lot of people DON'T LIKE some very masterfully crafted films or books. It's all down to taste and as long as ONE person (you) enjoy the comic process, that's all you need.

It's such a long process to make a comic, what if I don't want to do it until the end?
It is a long process, but if you never start, never finishing is a foregone conclusion. Say making your comic idea will take a full year. The time is going to pass no matter what you do, so when we get to 2026 do you still want to be where you are now with no comic pages and the fear and frustration of having these characters cooped up in your head, or do you want to be the guy with a full or partial comic? Because some comic is always better than no comic.

What if I get a better idea later after having done something that means I can't go back and change it?
Frustrating? Yes. But the fun is working out how to work the new idea in well with what you've currently got. Having a couple of drafts and rewrites of your story before going into the drawing phase will help avoid this happening too much, but even then because comics take so much time you can plan ahead and tweak things so they fit your new idea.

If there's anything else scaring you: ultimately, comics don't matter. People read them for fun, people make them for fun (or if they're lucky: for money). You don't owe anyone anything but yourself so if any of your fears are to do with failure: there are NO CONSEQUENCES for failure right now. No pay, no boss, no deadlines, no audience even. Whatever you do as long as you're making the thing you're gaining experience and knowledge and drawing stamina and that's always a win. If you don't want to publish it online because you don't think you can handle feedback: just don't publish it. Still make it though, it'll do you good.

[Lensing]

The one and only thing that really gave me confidence is finishing pages.
Then looking at the embarassing result, working on one thing at a time and
trying to make it better next time

[TheArtificerOwl]

I'm not really sure... The only way I'm able to do anything is not think about making money off it. I'm trying to make my passion a priority. Passion in your work is what drives you to progress. If you have passion in your series, you might succeed in finishing it. What I do is I take showers and sit listening to music, maybe watching something I'm interested in that has the same flavor as my series and then taking some notes in my head while envisioning what it could look like, how cool it would be especially when finished... it isn't even intentional honestly I just at some point think about something and BOOM immediately I have my next clustered neural connectivity spark where they tie together and I gather all the information, write it down before it poofs away, and then start writing the piece in with other parts to make it stick. The problem is wording for me. Sometimes I also mess up when spelling but in all honesty it shows character so I leave in that failure for a couple weeks when I see it, hesitantly, until I fix it later.

[2DLenzy]

(long personal story dump lol)
For me personally I just drew for myself. I had this one comedy idea, albeit silly and maybe stupid, or at least I thought it was at the beginning, but I wanted so badly to see what it would look like as a comic, so I drew a test comic, just for me to look at and test my story concept. It worked out, but I later tried a different approach and went for a more dramatic story. I had no intentions on publishing, just worked on it for me to enjoy until one day I was on Tapas and I thought, "Why don't I publish this? See what everyone thinks?" I'll admit the upload anxiety is another hurdle to get over (I belated the series for another year and just kept drawing pages for my story) but I eventually got it out there, and you know what? I didn't get a lot of eyes or critiques or any sense of feedback, which actually helped me relax and get used to uploading on a schedule. I eventually found the forums and asked for feedback when I felt ready and all I was doing wrong was having it in the wrong genre (Comedy, not Drama). And now I've published over 70 episodes in 2+ years and it's still ongoing. My style and confidence have improved by leaps and bounds (though I still have weaknesses in my style/drawing, but I know I can improve in time)

Bottom line, confidence is a bit of a process in itself, like drawing, but the hardest part is starting and gaining momentum. I'd recommend trying a little test comic, just to get a feel of what you can do at the present moment. You may like it and can start publishing or posting it here to get a little feedback if you are ready for some and don't mind making necessary changes if it suits you. Or, if you are not happy with the test comic, you can always change something or hone your drawing skills until you are satisfied with the way it looks. Nothing comes out perfect the first time, that is something we all must learn.

Bottom line of the bottom line: Your story is initially for you and you are your greatest critic, but don't be too harsh on yourself. Understand it's a start of a long, but to-be enjoyable process. You won't fail, you'll have made something, and that makes you a creator! Just try and you shant fail

[Red_Dog]

It took me awhile and I still feel a little self conscious admittedly, but I figured I had been putting it off for so long that I kinda just said, "Fuck it" and started doing it.

I just started drawing something that I liked and just hoped that there would be people who like it as well.

My inner critic still nags at me, but I try not to let it hold me back from at least making something.

[wolflu66]

You can start with short works first. This way, even if you fail, it can significantly reduce the frustration of having to go back to make revisions or even redo everything.

But regardless, you still need to start first. There are many things you can only learn when you begin doing them. Before that, no matter how much preparation you've done or how many tutorial videos you've watched, unexpected problems will still arise.

Facing your own bad work is indeed quite difficult, but only when you continue creating can you, years later, look at these embarrassing works with laughter.

[Leyelle]

I just remember that I'm creating comics because I love them, not for other people's approval. Write what you want to write and it'll help you stay motivated even if others don't care for it/like it

[kyupol]

Just go.

But first, you must draw at least as good as this...

[thepenmonster]

Like running a marathon or drinking beer, you only get accustomed to it by doing it.

That is, you're going to fail. Failure will follow you to the grave.

LIKE EVERYONE ELSE

Accept that most of what you try will not work out, and then get up and do more until you come up with something you can live with.

[jwabeasley]

@moontokkym has excellent points!

There's some things you can do. First, just make some comic pages. You don't have to share them with ANYONE. Just make some until you have them to the point that you're happy with them.

Then, plan some short comics - a single page comic. Then a two page comic. Work yourself up, getting used to the way the projects work. Share them with one trusted person. You can share them with me or with another friend online, if you don't want to share them in person or in public. Even if you haven't made a series, you can post these test pages here for feedback.

This will help you build that confidence. We all start somewhere - and the only time I've seen negative judgement on this forum is from people using AI art, as long as you're not doing that, people will be supportive!

[BellaTheCow]

One thing Ill say in addition to and or agreement with what all other comments on here are suggesting is that I don’t pressure myself about the whole “good” “bad” art thing. I know art is subjective, so some will like it and others won’t. Other than that, if your are style is going for a more realistic style for example, then you have something to measure your art against. But still, art is subjective, so even with this perimeter in mind, your style is your style. In other words the biggest thing I am learning is to not pressure yourself as art is supposed to be fun and expressive not a burden to anyone. I hope this helps. @Mr-Oddity

[skullforceagents]

What I can tell you from my own experience making a book over the span of four years is that passion is the fuel that runs the engine of your comic. When you have an idea that you truly believe in, you’ll be able to see problems as obstacles instead of walls and you’ll do whatever it takes to achieve your goal.

I would recommend reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill in order to learn this mindset. It will help you persevere through the toughest obstacles and give you the determination to learn what you don’t know.

Hope this helps. I’m sure you have a great idea that the world is waiting to enjoy!

[TheArtificerOwl]

Totally, yes, and I have been looking at tutorials myself just to better the muscular structures of my characters. It's not even about making it "look better" for me it's just my obsession with anatomy xD slick spine curvatures with a twisting torso, displaying shoulder blades <u<; ... Yes I'm a freak.

[RED-VELVET-CUPCAKE]

I actually learned a lot just by making my comic. Yes, I was nervous to draw, and post it, (I still am... ) but I told myself when I started it that I had a goal in mind, and I'm committed to finishing it. And now I see there are many things I can do better in the future! Things I never would have known if I never made the comic in the first place.

[AxeWinston]

Gaining confidence can be a journey, and for me, one of the big moments was vending at Collect-a-Con LA 2025 recently. It was an amazing experience where I not only promoted my work but also had the chance to connect with so many passionate and amazing people while selling collectibles. The whole event really helped me step out of my comfort zone.

To celebrate, I even shared a special Collect-a-Con recap in the latest episode of my work. If you're curious about the behind-the-scenes moments and how it all went down, feel free to check it out!

[BellaTheCow]

See what I mean!? That is what I’m talking about! Just loving art ,what you draw, and your progress in your style at your own pace. no stress, just pure confidence in the fact that you are having fun​

[Tursastheeternal]

My three advices:

1. You need to believe in yourself. I don't mean that in a Disney-esque magic solution to all your problems, I mean that it's prerequisite for success.

2. You also don't have to start working on your comic right away. You can start with baby steps: drawing your characters, drawing them in different poses, practicing different backgrounds and paneling, maybe even make a practice comic first. Getting regular feedback during this process helps you improve, and seeing your own progress is incredibly satisfying.

3. Don't fear failure. It will happen. A lot. And it's OK. Behind every masterpiece is a pile of failed experiments.