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Ladybug1
Nov '20

Hi minna.

I have a question to ask all of you. Recently, I've been doing exams and my stress levels are exploding. I want to create a webtoon that is beloved by all, but currently, I feel as if my art is not good "enough." I'm not trying to make pity for me; I just wanna tell you guys how I feel. Recently, I've been trying a new art style, but I'm not sure if it is 'par' with all of these great webtoons I see. Can you please provide some insight on what I should do (should I stop and take a break) or what?

Also, if you have art recommendations, please tell me soon. Alright, thanks, guys. I'm lucky to meet all of you.

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    Nov '20

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DualDragonsMaster of Yeet
Nov '20

You may have heard the advice before, but I just recommend to start drawing even if you are worried that your art isn't perfect. (Of course, that may be a little difficult right now due to your exams).
The only way to really learn things is by doing them in my opinion. If you are curious if it is up to par with the webtoons then i'd say give it a shot.

I'm not really an expert on the general styles these webtoons tend to use, since I mainly use thick traditional lineart in contrast to their thinner and cleaner lines :sweat_smile:

KelheorRegular
Nov '20

Definitely pass your exams, take a break, then start drawing. There's no need to work on a comic under a lot of stress!
I will agree with @DualDragons, but don't forget that you are not bound to jump straight ahead into comic making, you can take some time to draw more sketches and start a bit later, when you'll be more comfortable with your new style.

darthmongoose
Nov '20

You can't compare your work under the ridiculously stressful conditions of being in the middle of exams (and so presumably having limited time to work on your drawings) to the kind of quality of work a top comics creator who can spend all day totally focused on just drawing their comic. It's an unfair comparison and you should give yourself a break! In your position, I guarantee those creators wouldn't be making work at the top of their game either.

Also like... with art, you will always be improving, so even if the answer was that even at your best, you weren't measuring up, it's important to add a "yet" onto the end of that sentence. "I'm not as good as them...yet."
The only way to make a really amazing comic is to start making the best comics you can make right now and work your way up by making all the mistakes and learning from them. It'll also build up the important "muscle memory", pen/stylus control and production pipelines that'll allow you to make better comics faster over time.

Do your best, be kind to yourself and remember, it's okay to not be perfect immediately, just keep improving! :smile_01:

Puck
Nov '20

Creating comics needs time and no stress. Why don´t you finish your exams and do only a minimum doodling, sketching at the side and then start the webcomic when you are not stressed and have more time?
I know exactly what you mean with the style and that it doesn´t look like things you see online or in printed comics. Somehow you have to start and I think it´s better to start with a minimalistic style and create pages in that style then waiting until you can draw better. You will learn the most when you create pages, then review them, let other people help you, work on the things you don´t like about the pages and then do another page and so on. You can also draw the same page again and again to see how your skills get better, that way it´s even easier to see what you want to work on.
And it´s also important to remember that your comics don´t need to look perfect from the start. Look at the first comics that i.e. Hergé put out, they were super simple and he got better with time and by producing pages

Puck
Nov '20

I have one book recommendation for you. 99 ways to tell a story. The artist drew the same page 99 times. You can do the same, one page every week, start as simple as possible and then see what you can do better the next time.
For the time after your exam

Legendofgenii
Nov '20

I would just draw for fun in your study breaks. It doesn’t have to be comic related, but you can hone your skills while still focusing on other things (exams, life etc.) :blush:

You sound young (sorry if that’s completely wrong), so you have plenty of time! No need to worry. :heart:

Shredder
Nov '20

You can't do everything at once, perhaps just taking a break from the self obligation you feel to post will give you better focus and clarity when you come back to your comic, it's just a trade-off on what you feel is more important and juggle the needs of Mental well-being, quality, life, hobbies, keeping to schedule.

ChaoticConstellation
Nov '20

I would say that once your stress is manageable you should just go for it! Your art will improve, and you’ll be happy to get your story out there! The improvement I’ve made in my art since starting my comic has been drastic! I’ll link it for encouragement bc it was ROUGH at first. And I’ve gotten a lot of support from my readers, it might be the boost you need!

https://tapas.io/series/Ready-Spaghetti2

BrambleberrySquirrel
Nov '20

Don’t hold yourself back by worrying about other people and their art. Just start drawing now. You will never improve if you don’t make anything. Making a webcomic on a schedule is how taught myself to draw. I started making a comic last spring. It took me about 7 months of drawing almost every day to get my art to a point where I feel pretty proud of it. There’s still room for me to improve and there always will be. You just gotta grind to level up your skills. Just do it. Go start drawing your first panel and just keep going onto the next one. Eventually you’ll be making something amazing.

paracosmosfiction
Nov '20

While I don't want to parrot what so many have already said very clearly, I'll go ahead and add my two cents here.

First of all, I second, third, and fourth all those who said don't do too much while you're in the middle of exams. That's just asking for a mental breakdown. Moving on, when it comes to the subject of whether or not your art is up to par, I don't think it's fair to yourself to compare your work to others. It could be you're better than you suspect. Or that your art has something to offer that others don't. Visual art, at least in my opinion, is such a subjective medium. And while I won't argue that there's no such thing as a bad artist, I feel like comparing yourself to others is very unhealthy.

There's always going to be someone whose work is more successful than yours, more popular than yours, and viewed by the masses as just being objectively better. That's true for writing as much as it is for comics and drawing. But that doesn't mean you have nothing to offer. Far from it.

So relax. Finish your exams. Keep expanding your portfolio and honing your craft. And if you feel ready to share with the world, go for it! You'll never know unless you take that step. But don't get too hung up on whether you measure up or not. Because I guarantee that if you're passionate about your art, there will be someone out there who absolutely loves it. :slight_smile:

rajillustration
Dec '20

We all have to start from somewhere. Comparison can sometimes rob you of enjoying where you're at right now, and comics should be something you can find joy in creating, even if they aren't perfect yet. Most of the time you are going to be your biggest fan, and will be creating because you love your story--so maybe it's a little selfish, but that helps me keep creating even when I'm discouraged. I just try and focus on why I wanted to create, and make sure it's about my own improvement compared to myself rather than feeling like I'm drowning in a world of better artists.

And, a comic is a really time consuming undertaking, so it may be good to stick to standalone illsutrations for a while, so you can get speedier and more comfortable with your art programs/tools.