Opinion: Does a Webcomic Need good art?

[Luminosophy]

For the most part, a great majority of art styles in webcomics are cartoons. Cartoons are abstractions, which use symbolism to convey information. As long as those symbols are universal and presented in a visually clear manner, I can and will read the story. I've been burned a lot by comics with fancy art and mundane stories so lately I judge by writing solely. If I wanted fancy art, there's plenty of master concept artists on artstation to follow. I still think overall improving artistic ability is something to strive for and not forsake - because a lot of subtle writing goes into artwork itself, and of course generally the more improved someone is, the clearer they can tell a tale.

[gh0stcr33p]

for me it's fine as long as the art doesn't have really terrible anatomy (in the specific style). I also don't mind if a comic starts out with below decent art and improves later on... (it was that way in my case..) it also should be executed well, even if the art isn't the best

[amortelito]

For sure having good art is what gets my initial attention. But currently some of my favorite comics have very basic amateur art but the jokes are so great and the characters so charming that I even stopped reading comics that have fantastic professional art because they are boring in comparison to the amateurs. So... yeah, for me art is no longer a requirement when the content is good. They have that spark and they don't seem like lazily made comics. But keep in mind that if you have unappealing or poorly made art most people won't even give you the chance.

[Merle]

define "good art" x´)
Generally, as long as the art is easily recognizable (human expressions, objects, movement is recognizable) and clean, that is enough. You have many examples for really popular comics that even live of that (espcl. Gag a day).
Story is always the most important one;
but so I say, the reader has to get past the art. If the average new reader starts a new story, he will always meassure how far he´ll read it to a certain extend by the art.
catch them with the art, make them stay for the story! That´s why having a very, very good prolouge/first episode is so important.
It´s actually a good impulse anyway. A good Comic is drawn by a good Comic artist, someone who has a lot of experience in comic writing and making comics. They go hand in hand; and the reader knows that. The better the art, the more dedication the Creator has already shown for his craft.

[Roshii]

Art is for attraction only. Though as long it's good and recognizable. Also readable and not hurting your eyes.

I dislike comics that are made traditionally and what they did was taking a picture of it.. No scan and is not even inked as well. An example like that.

Also there's that Sonichu comic.... Just don't make something like that.

[Nullyish]

Decent art will be enough I think. How panels are arranged and how each panel is drawn to tell the story is important just as the story itself. Great story won't deliver if the comic layout makes it hard to understand. So yea, I feel like comic is not only about art and story, but also panelling, layout, the flow/sequence (tho some may also group them as art), and if you are aiming for more views, promoting ;3

[DiegoPalacios]

Also there's that Sonichu comic.... Just don't make something like that.

If every comic were perfect we wouldn`t have dank memes.

But seriously, if someone lacks good art is vital to make up with good writing

[Roshii]

Oh, yes I know. It shouldn't perfect but still wouldn't like it to be quality of a potato(reffering my example).

For me only, when the story is something serious. I just want the art look decent enough for me to get attract to.

[NickRowler]

I think a webcomic needs at least decent art, something legible and good enough that people understand what is going on. If the quality of your art becomes too distracting, people may not want to read your comic.

[TimCaloweh]

You need good art if you want people to look at it. You need good writing to keep people looking at it. There are exceptions with comics that use nothing but fluff to move their plot.

[dawgofdawgness]

Personally I think Comic books and graphic novels should have decent, consistent art. But with webcomics, it's more experimental. Improvement in quality is expected, and even appreciated in webcomics. This medium is all about telling stories in chunks - using gaps when you're not updating to your advantage. So even if your art isn't that great(especially in the beginning), it's completely ok. But I feel like webcomic art should ALWAYS be constantly improving.

Also if the tone of your story is more lighthearted, then by all means, unrealistic and simple art can work. But if you're trying to make a dark, gritty crime thriller, lazy or bad art isn't going to fly.

Also I agree with the others. Since webcomics = visual storytelling, art and format is going to be a pretty big part of your story.

[Wumbl]

"good art" could mean a number of things...

It DOES need good composition, well thought out panel layouts and it needs colouring that is comfortable on the eyes.

However, you don't necessarily have to have the cleanest lineart or perfect anatomy in every illustration - even professionals with publishers make small mistakes. You can even see vast improvements over time made by comic artists that are prominent in the industry.

It should be good enough to read and understand but it doesn't have to be perfect.

[vfinnigan]

Yes. If anything, good art is more important for web comics than for printed comics. A title, the characters, and the creators can sell a printed comic, and people will stay for the characters and story even if the art is subpar because they spent $4 on a bundle of printed tree pulp.

Web comics, especially free webcomics, have to have eye catching art, because something more eye catching is always a click or two away, and readers don't have the incentive to read the whole thing through that they'd have if they paid for it.

The reason why I usually delegate artistic duties to others is quite simple. While I write and letter and I have done some touchups on colors and inks, I can't do pencils without giving myself a headache.

So if you don't think your own art can draw people in, there is absolutely nothing wrong with collaborating with someone else. In fact, that can make the creative process more fun.

[kalrhungus]

yes!!
i get annoyed by bad art.

[lartianmartian1]

Honestly, I'm mostly bothered by a poor use of colors, while "unprofessional" line-work just by itself can be quite charming. Right now, I'm looking at a cute little cartoon my non-artistic brother drew me in ball point pen years ago and it still makes me happy. Probably because he drew it, and he's my little bro, and I'm a proud big sis, idk. It depends. xDD

[Ayumi]

What is good art? Someone might think a comic has a good art, while others think that's horrible.

[vfinnigan]

Yes, indeed, what makes art good is largely subjective, but it has to be eye catching to serve its purpose and at least look somewhat professional. I'm actually more put off by bad lettering. If the pencils, inks, colors, and story are flawless, but the lettering doesn't strike the right balance between legibility and dynamism, I won't read it, likely because in too many instances, I can't.

A comic that has dull lettering with dull, typed-in looking fonts may not engage me as a reader very well, but it has an advantage over comics that go too hog wild with fancy fonts and effects or lack clear and distinct caption boxes, word balloons, and such - I can easily read it and make sense of who's saying what.

My opinion on art is influenced by the fact that I work as a letterer as well as a writer. The art has to convey the story and move it along without depending on the words to do all the heavy lifting, for example, drawing somebody smiling and skipping instead of depending on the writer/letterer to make the character explain his/her/hir/their giddy joy.

Also, the art has to leave room in appropriate places for caption boxes, word balloons, thought balloons, et cetera. And if a panel is meant to be read left-top to right-bottom, don't put the character who speaks first in the lower right hand corner.

[MK_Wizard]

I think it depends. Everyone has a different definition of good art and in the defence of even amateur looking art, you've got the famous comic Cyanide and Happiness which is all stick men. I do have certain standards and if the story is captivating enough, I will stay hooked, but out of respect for the art, if you want to keep drawing in new people, you do have to refine and improve your style continuously no matter your level.

[PaulieBlade]

I have a feeling that a person posing such question is looking for an excuse to make crappy art.

[TheBryceKrispy]

I'm not. Just curious to see what other people thought of the quality of Webcomic art. (Though I am not good at drawing)