Is a webcomic enjoyable even if it has bad art

[DrawsJosh]

So uh...can a webcomic be enjoyable even if my art looks like this.

I wanna start making a webcomic but I just dont feel so confident in my artwork

[milejdyvan]

I'm not an artist so I don't want to critique or anything, but I can say your art is much better than what I could do I would say, if you are insecure about your art, continue practicing! Or try making a short comic first to really hone your skills before you put your finger on a bigger project. Work hard, and hopefully you'll gain more confidence in your art to publish a comic soon!

[TheGentleArtist]

For the title question, it depends. If the art is bad to the point where it is hard to make out what is happening, then it is not. If one can make out what is happening, then yeah it can be enjoyable even with bad art. The original One Punch man has bad art, but was enjoyable.

For your question, yes. Yes it can. You can see the kind of personalities these characters have. So, your art has potential.

[KoreanTacos]

As someone who enjoys so bad its good, I can say it really depends.

[CyberAxl]

Like everyone says, it depends. Even objectively amazing art will turn people off because it's not their preferred style. I know people who strictly read manga or manga-esque comics because the art style and will heavily avoid things similar in visual style to Disney.

Both could be the same story but you'll always have people who choose not to stick around because of visuals not matter how good it is.

I've seen people with okay or decent art get a nice following because the story and character designs.

I remember looking at a webtoon original and going back to the first episode and people commenting - "Don't let the art turn you off, it gets way better"

Everyone starts somewhere and a lot of artists will go back and redo some of their pages when they've improved. Do the best you can and understand you're going to always be improving. Those who like your story and style will stick with you and watch you grow.

[DaisyYoung]

I think for me bad art is not a deal breaker - it is boring, stiff art that makes me turn away from a comic. If the characters look like something I've seen a billion times before, I am immediately less likely to be interested. I adore experimental stuff, crazy colors, wild character designs and such. I think yours make for a really compelling case of why art that isn't 5 stars A+++ can make for really brilliant characters!!

[Inspector_Spinda]

it depends on how "bad" someone considers the art and how well the art can convey the story. if you can't do action scenes and your comic is action, the writing can be quite good, but a lot of people will still be turned off.

then again, if you want to do a comic, you still should. just keep expectations low, have fun and learn while you do it! if you keep doing it, and learning your skills will improve and eventually you'll get a lot of fans. if you don't try you won't improve so there really is no harm in making a comic!

[AmysGames]

I'm pretty forgiving of amateur artwork in comics. Everyone's gotta start somewhere.

I find that a lot of the time, even if the art and/or writing isn't all that good, you can tell when the creator is passionate about what they're making, which is nice to see. Comics are also a great way to practice your art skills, and it can be nice seeing an author grow with their comic.

That being said, your art's actually pretty good! It seems like you've got a pretty good grasp of anatomy, and aren't afraid to draw unique poses and angles. I say go for it!

[DiegoPalacios]

If its possible to recognize what's going on, the text is readable and the writing is good, a webcomic can be enjoyable with bad art.

I would not call your art bad tho, you seem to aiming for an interesting style, which is always a fresh welcoming surprise.

[arbiterswake]

Personally I find the story is what's going to keep most people around more than the artwork. Your artwork will only get better over time so I wouldn't sweat it. Everyone has to start somewhere.

[Puck]

I think it´s a good tactic to make simplified good looking art instead of making art which doesn´t look right to the viewer.
Your art could work in a comic but I would simplify it more and not draw things that you are not sure about,
the backgrounds don´t work with the characters in the 3 pictures

[pilot-obvious]

I think it really depends since art is so subjective. I have stopped reading webcomics because the art wasn't my taste, but I've also kept reading webcomics even if the art wasn't the best due to the story. The biggest turn off for me is art that is super stiff or lifeless or when it's super hard to find a focal point in panels.

As far as your art, I think you're at a level where people will stick around. You seem to have an alright grasp on anatomy, you're playing around with a variety of poses and angles, and the designs are interesting. I will say I had to turn the brightness on my device all the way up because they kind of blend into the background.

If you're not confident in your art, it's okay to wait a little bit to start. But making webcomic pages is one of the best ways to improve your art because you'll be drawing so much! So I say go for it if it makes your heart happy! I hope you find the confidence you need.

[DualDragons]

I think for me bad art is not a deal breaker - it is boring, stiff art that makes me turn away from a comic. If the characters look like something I've seen a billion times before, I am immediately less likely to be interested. I adore experimental stuff, crazy colors, wild character designs and such. I think yours make for a really compelling case of why art that isn't 5 stars A+++ can make for really brilliant characters!!

I agree %, even if someone's art is not up to par (yet), if they really give it their all and come up with some really out of the box ideas and designs you are much more likely to grab my attention than when a comic has these bland base characters with same face syndrome

[Bokyongyo]

I can only speak from a personal opinionated standpoint so of course take with a grain of salt.

But, for me, yes the Art of a comic attracts me, it doesn’t have to be Davinci level amounts of talent but I just have to like the art style in order to keep going. Like with anyone that varies from person to person, so while with one person may not like your style someone else will, it all depends on the reader. But for me, while a art style I like is great, It’s the story that makes me stay

So no, the art doesn’t have to be amazing, but I have to like it in order to at least get started. With that said no your art isn’t bad, it has a unique style which is great, of course like all of us you can improve with certain elements, one could be like some have said, simplifying designs.

Years ago I asked for character design tips to improve on my mc and people said to possibly look into taking away and simplifying a lot of the elements, (clothes, etc)

Alot of those unnecessary elements I took away, just because it was a distraction and didn’t really fit my style now looking back; the eyes wander with the image on the left and the design just felt really unfocused and overly complicated. Not even mentioning some of the anatomy hiccups (very skinny arms, legs) but that's another story

So yeah, that could also be a possibility you could look into in the future with your own character designs, cause it helped me a lot

[casinocircus]

If the story is strong enough it can carry the art style. I've seen plenty of instances where the audience of a comic follow it regardless of the artist's skill level, and actually enjoy feeling like part of that artist's journey as they watch them grow. A lot of times, that makes them feel more connected with your work.
However, I've also seen plenty of really gorgeous comics where the art itself is lovely and the artist is very clearly technically skilled, but the story wasn't interesting or cohesive enough to retain it's audience. ultimately, comics are about the story. The art used to convey the story is a tool. It's certainly easier to draw people in with pretty art initially, but it ultimately doesn't determine whether your comic is "good" or not, especially since taste is so subjective. Another good thing about making comics is that you learn as you go very quickly.

Here's some of my recent growth, comparing my character Aspen in the 2019 vs 2020 versions of the same panel.