What are some of your biggest unexpected challenges?

[Random_Guy]

Sometimes there are things you don't expect when you become an artist or a webcomic creator.
Sometimes, there are totally random, unexpected challenges that you never thought you'd face.
I'd like to know some of the toughest and funniest unexpected challenges.

Personally, one of the biggest, most unexpected challenges I've ever faced is how to draw a lamp from above. The colors, the scaling, the look, they were all harder than I ever could have expected.

[Iris-Grimoire]

Drawing heads from below. I STILL don't know how to make it look good, so I use what other people do and have angle tricks where the jaw is lower than what's anatomically accurate. I'm not actually sure you can make that angle appealing in any way, so it only shows up when I really need to connect characers' line of sights together in a weird camera angle.

[C_o]

How much detail to include in characters at certain points of distance from the "camera". I work as a concept artist for my day job so I have a tendency to over-render characters. I think the most recent page of my comic struck a decent balance, but I really had to force myself to take away detail and exaggerate certain things.

[Shanny8]

Unexpected challenges- developing PAIN.

I never thought that my body would be affected like this- especially when I'm doing something I really love.

[WOSTR]

Trying to sort what goes where and wondering if I'm making sense.
I set generous schedules as I'm certain what I'm doing will be the next chapter, but then I feel I could put in more detail and greater explanations between the chapters. I'm always feeling I'm missing something.

[EmmyPax]

Drawing vehicles.

I started my comic thinking, i will get to draw lots of plants, because this takes place on a farm! YAY!

As it turns out, there are so many reasons to draw trucks on a farm. SO MANY TRUCKS. I never drew vehicles before this, and now they show up in every episode -_-

Another funny small problem: I do traditional watercolor, so I ended up switching to a 4H pencil instead of an HB, so that I get less graphite smeared on the paper before going over it with ink/paint since graphite looks uuuuuuuuuuugly when mixed with watercolor. This is working great for me, aside from the fact that I only own one 4H pencil (came in a pack I got at the age of about 12. Never had a use for it until now) and I keep leaving it random places and having to go look for it. I really need to put a tracking chip on that darn pencil.

[EmmyPax]

Pacing is hard! I feel like we need to come up with some good resources for teaching storytelling/pacing.

[Random_Guy]

I really need to put a tracking chip on that darn pencil.

Or you could, like, get a mug?

[EmmyPax]

this hits close to home. Yesterday was a rest day for me purely because my hand hurt.

[eloquent]

Scaling, so far. I'm sure a lot of these other issues will come up (especially vehicles) but for right now:
I have an MC with a bow and arrow. I do have a size reference for the bow; it's about top of head to knee height for most adults. But oh my gosh. Keeping that scale when it's all sorts of positions... I'm dying here.

[DukeOfOool]

Realizing that I can't swap to photoshop, because I have preworked over 10 chapters on firealpaca already.

[EmmyPax]

I have a place to put the pencil. I do not have the will to put the pencil in the same place every time I use it. My scatter-brain does not allow for it. And so it wanders...

[Random_Guy]

((I feel that pain, truly I do.

[SagaHolmgaard]

It was so easy to add cute animals to my script, DRAWING them on the other hand....
Lol, it's hard but it's fun! I appreciate past me forcing current me to get better at art.

[NickRowler]

I guess the biggest one, and one that newbies who are going into webcomics should know, is that making a comic to post online for free should not drive you to insanity. You should work at your own pace and to take breaks if needed.

I know there is a pressure to post constantly, heck even Webtoons bugs me with emails that say "Don't make your fans go crazy waiting for new episodes!" If fans respected you as a creator, then they should be respectful when it comes to hiatus and health breaks.

[Shanny8]

Order a box of them from an online art supply store/site.

[Freemints30]

I realize I had to draw and design back ground characters that will never show up again on the spot. Sounds easy, its not, Fine if from a distance but when said character has to talk to and interact with my mains, for several panels, urrrrgg.

Oh and making pages where its just characters talking not devolve into just talking heads.

There's a lot of temptation to just do that, for dialog heavy scenes.

[DasIstWunderblyat]

Telling when the narration or dialogue is lacking, enough, or overdone.

[skicoak]

Someone in the house really cranks down and makes all the jar lids too tight.

I barely got into the peanut butter today.

[Random_Guy]

I was referring to art related challenges.