That feel when your art style doesn't support sound effects

[blinkingkills]

I have been trying for a while to put sound effects in my comics but they always look stupid no matter when i do, I've tried many fonts from blambot but my art style just clashes with sound effects. I've trying hand writing them in but have realized that i have the worlds most illegible handwriting and its looks even worse, what do you guys do for sound effects?

[keii4ii]

I don't "write" my sound effects. I draw them.

[Evan]

I just put "Door noise" because I've given up, but it still works to variable effects.

[NanettesClouds]

In addition to what @Keii4ii said, and at the risk of sounding like a huge snob, I want to make the argument that style is a collection of deliberate choices you make about your work. If you want sound effects, or anything for that matter, you should learn how to do them. Otherwise, if you decide not to use them, you're not really making a choice.

[joannekwan]

I just write them out. Even if it looks dumb, it adds a personal touch and the strokes go with the strokes I use in the overall art. And sometimes I'll write the sfx out differently depending on the sound. Like a sharp noise I'll make the letters taller and more angular.

EDIT: and if you look at it another way, writing is just another form of drawing, eh? So if you feel your handwriting is illegible, sketch and plan the letters out like you would a figure drawing.

[AnnaLandin]

I don't use sound effects very often either, but I tend to draw mine out and make the look of them echo the actual sound they're making.

Just... have fun with it. Exaggerate it a little bit. If it's the sound of something cracking, draw each letter looking a bit cracked and shattered. If it's a watery splash, draw each letter looking as though it's made of water, etc.

It usually takes me a bunch of time, because my hand writing is so terrible, but it's worth it!

[Shanny8]

The comic/story doesnt always have to have sound effects. For me, it depends on what I'm feeling at the moment; in some areas my comic has sound effects, but in other areas it doesnt.

[hushicho]

Yeah, what the others have said is true; you don't need sound effects if you don't feel like they fit. Don't put them in if they don't look right to you. I haven't used sound effects for years, because I made the choice to omit them. I feel like, if someone is reading the comic, they are usually going to hear in their minds what they see whether or not I make an onomatopoeic representation of it. It's a fine choice to do without, just as it's fine to do with. What makes the difference is you and whether or not you feel they fit!

[KSlinger]

I know your pain! My style doesn't support sound effects either, they look awful and out of place. I've just taken to writing out whatever sound I'm thinking of and leaving it at that. Like sshk for a deep slicing/sliding sound, or hff for running.

I also have a symbol for pain/pleasure, it's a little star burst type thing.

I also try to make it so any text/necessary sound effects reflect the situation as much as possible. So here in these panels the sound of the demon breaks apart and goes all chaotic, like the sound is overwhelming and everywhere.

There will be other similar shapes for other things like remembering. I think telling the story is most important so if you can find a system that communicates what you need it too without being out of place you're good.

[efdvorsky]

I use them veeery sparringly, and if anything, I try to draw them to make it fit what's happening, especially if it's important. So it's PART of the illustration (Like what Anna so awesomely explained)

If not, I just write it small enough on the side but it's DEFINITELY been something I've gained the more I work on the comic (and my handwriting too is atrocious), so...you just pick it up the more you practice and look at how people work on SFX. You don't HAVE to do it, but it definitely adds a bit of atmosphere in the scenes you'd need to the most

(small sfx in a normally quiet scene)

(for comedic purposes)

(as part of the illustration, mix of drawn/font)

I'm still learning myself, but I honestly encourage people to add it as a practice or even find your OWN ways of making it work for your own benefit and style. (Like how Scampi said they handle symbols for pain/pleasure, etc) Sound can definitely be very helpful if done right.

Another suggestion I guess can work is to decide WHEN you can apply your drawn SFX vs using a font (which you should probably edit the letters anyway to add a flair to it, SFX fonts work more as a base in most situations).