This is a witch who wants to be a superhero. Her name is Magenta, off of Rocky Horror Picture show. She has a flying monkey named Jersey. Her boyfriend is named Frank, she made him in the lab.
Was there something more you wanted to add to that? Perhaps something constructive?
No. "draw from life and work on anatomy" is code for "Lol u suck"
oh yeah buddy. I'm throwing you under the train!
Now, on a constructive note:
The comic appears flat: there's a lack of construction. It also feels a bit crowded, so you'll probably want to draw everything and then put in speech bubbles with photoshop afterward.
But three cheers for apparenly doing it all by hand. I commend you.
Critique wise I think your art has quite a bit of merit, even if things could be laid out for effectively and such. It's got charm, and that pretty important.
I would say that even more important than addressing your visual problems, would be to really think about what your trying to achieve with the comic. From reading just what you've posted it's pretty hard to get any sense of what kind of comic it is. If there aren't any real jokes or gags, than I'm assuming it's trying to tell a story and comics like that are usually better as a full page layout and not the typical 3 panel webcomic.
From what I've been browsing and looking over, you need some work on your anatomy. You've had this comic for what... A year now? You really haven't developed it into much. I suggest doing the above and starting on in anatomy. A good book to read is Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards(?) It will break art down into useful exercises that will improve the way you see things around you.
Earth makes a valid point. What are you trying to achieve? I'm guessing you are going for originality, but the jokes are a bit... flat? I'm guessing you are making this into a random sort of comic, but if you can't tell the story in your page then it will fall flat on it's face.
You have potential, but I would suggest checking out the Questions, Discussions, and Tutorials thread to find most of your answers.
A web comic is easy to drop. I went in two pages then quit since my partner kind of shrugged it off and school had gotten a lot more hectic. If you are willing to make a commitment and like to express yourself and have others enjoy, then I would refine the talent. If you are doing this for a popularity and to get a few strangers to laugh then i would recommend retiring your markers.
Like I said, you have some potential, you just need guidance.
Shiekahn_boy on
"your a moron you know that wolves have packs wich they rely on nd they could ever here of lone wolves? you an idiot and your gay, wolves have packs and are smart with tactics" - Youtube Wolf Enthusiast.
A lot has already been said about your artistic prowess, so I can only mention the fact that these scans are somewhat... rudimentary.
I refer to the image quality. No doubt these comics would look a lot better in person, but the way they're scanned take away from visual quality. Perhaps you could use Photoshop or something to up the contrast, so that black lines actually appear black, instead of a dark, dark bluish gray?
Or maybe it's the scanner's fault, I don't know.
The borders could be a bit cleaner, as well. Also, I might suggest making the lines for the borders thicker than all the other lines you use to draw everything else.
AMK on
Find out what it feels like to have head eaten? Y/N?
NappuccinoSurveyor of Things and StuffRegistered Userregular
edited March 2010
Gimp (should be able to do that) and its free.
edit: and i did a quick scan of the advice so i apologize if someone else said this but you really shouldn't have your speech bubbles taking up half of the image. Parse your words down to just what is needed and draw extra panels if you need to. After awhile you should be good enough at writing the script that you can make each comic the same length and with roughly the same image space.
Well, personal satisfaction of drawing something that gives me pleasure, and makes me feel better after a bad week. Mental well being. Also I get to draw a flying monkey every week. This is great fun in itself. If coloring this strip makes me feel happy. I think have achieved what I wanted out of this strip.
Fame, money, or the mainstream? No. I just want to true to myself.
Ronin356
MustangArbiter of Unpopular OpinionsRegistered Userregular
edited March 2010
Yeah I don't think anyone is here doing art for the fame, the money or the mainstream. Maybe for the rent check and the grilled cheese sandwiches.
Nobody said you couldn't have any fun making comics, they were just offering suggestions on how you could improve it and make it more enjoyable for the people who read it. I know i've never created anything where I didn't want or didn't care if people enjoyed it. I very much care if people like what I do or not, so therefore improving myself as an artist is always a priority.
I'm look forward to hearing what people think about it.
It doesn't do anything for me. I'm very visual so art plays a large part in my enjoyment of a comic. I read the one posted here and couldn't draw much from it in the way of writing without context but the art keeps me from wanting to read further.
That's what I think of it. I do hope you are having fun drawing your monkeys though. 8-)
ATM the main issue is the text boxes. I'd make them smaller.
art will improve as you do it Since its for fun, dont stress, but keep in mind the suggestions posted.
It doesn't do anything for me. I'm very visual so art plays a large part in my enjoyment of a comic. I read the one posted here and couldn't draw much from it in the way of writing without context but the art keeps me from wanting to read further.
This is a very important point. I think the ultimate goal (aside from personal satisfaction, I guess) for any kind of comic, whether online or in print, is to make the reader want to turn the page or read more with every installment. This isn't to say every page or series of panels needs to be a cliffhanger--some, like Johnny Wander, are compelling enough as stand-alone pages to keep people's interest--but the best comics out there instill the need to read on. Unlike novels, comics don't have the luxury of forcing the reader to turn the page on account of being mid-sentence.
Since that's not something you appear to be giving a whole lot of thought to right now, there's not much I can say in terms of suggestion for improvement on that front. Just keep that in mind as you continue to work on it, maybe check out some popular story-based webcomics to see how they set themselves up.
there's a site with a lot of free books that you can look at. They will help you grasp the concept of 3 Dimensional form. Also Lexxy is right, go check out some other comics like scary go round or gastrophobia.
I don't mind the art at all guys, maybe pick up one of the McLeod's book on comic structure, pacing, panels, etc. It is an original idea, and I think it could have potential if it were refined. Keep at it!
t i m on
God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now I am so far behind that I will never die.†Bill Watterson
Posts
Georgia O'Keeffe
Be sure to like my Comic Book "Last Words" on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Last-Words-The-Comic-Book/458405034287767
and Magenta the Witchgirl!: http://www.drunkduck.com/Magenta_the_Witchgirl/
There.
water spirals the wrong way out the sink
Was there something more you wanted to add to that? Perhaps something constructive?
No. "draw from life and work on anatomy" is code for "Lol u suck"
Now, on a constructive note:
The comic appears flat: there's a lack of construction. It also feels a bit crowded, so you'll probably want to draw everything and then put in speech bubbles with photoshop afterward.
Critique wise I think your art has quite a bit of merit, even if things could be laid out for effectively and such. It's got charm, and that pretty important.
I would say that even more important than addressing your visual problems, would be to really think about what your trying to achieve with the comic. From reading just what you've posted it's pretty hard to get any sense of what kind of comic it is. If there aren't any real jokes or gags, than I'm assuming it's trying to tell a story and comics like that are usually better as a full page layout and not the typical 3 panel webcomic.
INSTAGRAM
Earth makes a valid point. What are you trying to achieve? I'm guessing you are going for originality, but the jokes are a bit... flat? I'm guessing you are making this into a random sort of comic, but if you can't tell the story in your page then it will fall flat on it's face.
You have potential, but I would suggest checking out the Questions, Discussions, and Tutorials thread to find most of your answers.
A web comic is easy to drop. I went in two pages then quit since my partner kind of shrugged it off and school had gotten a lot more hectic. If you are willing to make a commitment and like to express yourself and have others enjoy, then I would refine the talent. If you are doing this for a popularity and to get a few strangers to laugh then i would recommend retiring your markers.
Like I said, you have some potential, you just need guidance.
I refer to the image quality. No doubt these comics would look a lot better in person, but the way they're scanned take away from visual quality. Perhaps you could use Photoshop or something to up the contrast, so that black lines actually appear black, instead of a dark, dark bluish gray?
Or maybe it's the scanner's fault, I don't know.
The borders could be a bit cleaner, as well. Also, I might suggest making the lines for the borders thicker than all the other lines you use to draw everything else.
I'll take note of your suggestions.
Ronin356
Ps. I have no photoshop.
Georgia O'Keeffe
Be sure to like my Comic Book "Last Words" on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Last-Words-The-Comic-Book/458405034287767
and Magenta the Witchgirl!: http://www.drunkduck.com/Magenta_the_Witchgirl/
edit: and i did a quick scan of the advice so i apologize if someone else said this but you really shouldn't have your speech bubbles taking up half of the image. Parse your words down to just what is needed and draw extra panels if you need to. After awhile you should be good enough at writing the script that you can make each comic the same length and with roughly the same image space.
Well, personal satisfaction of drawing something that gives me pleasure, and makes me feel better after a bad week. Mental well being. Also I get to draw a flying monkey every week. This is great fun in itself. If coloring this strip makes me feel happy. I think have achieved what I wanted out of this strip.
Fame, money, or the mainstream? No. I just want to true to myself.
Ronin356
Georgia O'Keeffe
Be sure to like my Comic Book "Last Words" on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Last-Words-The-Comic-Book/458405034287767
and Magenta the Witchgirl!: http://www.drunkduck.com/Magenta_the_Witchgirl/
Nobody said you couldn't have any fun making comics, they were just offering suggestions on how you could improve it and make it more enjoyable for the people who read it. I know i've never created anything where I didn't want or didn't care if people enjoyed it. I very much care if people like what I do or not, so therefore improving myself as an artist is always a priority.
I'm just giving them a honest answer for why I'm drawing the strip. I know that they are giving me advice, I'm the one who posted and asked for it.
Georgia O'Keeffe
Be sure to like my Comic Book "Last Words" on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Last-Words-The-Comic-Book/458405034287767
and Magenta the Witchgirl!: http://www.drunkduck.com/Magenta_the_Witchgirl/
It doesn't do anything for me. I'm very visual so art plays a large part in my enjoyment of a comic. I read the one posted here and couldn't draw much from it in the way of writing without context but the art keeps me from wanting to read further.
That's what I think of it. I do hope you are having fun drawing your monkeys though. 8-)
art will improve as you do it Since its for fun, dont stress, but keep in mind the suggestions posted.
This is a very important point. I think the ultimate goal (aside from personal satisfaction, I guess) for any kind of comic, whether online or in print, is to make the reader want to turn the page or read more with every installment. This isn't to say every page or series of panels needs to be a cliffhanger--some, like Johnny Wander, are compelling enough as stand-alone pages to keep people's interest--but the best comics out there instill the need to read on. Unlike novels, comics don't have the luxury of forcing the reader to turn the page on account of being mid-sentence.
Since that's not something you appear to be giving a whole lot of thought to right now, there's not much I can say in terms of suggestion for improvement on that front. Just keep that in mind as you continue to work on it, maybe check out some popular story-based webcomics to see how they set themselves up.
I would say you are doing okay, but lack understanding of structure and form.
http://alexhays.com/loomis/
there's a site with a lot of free books that you can look at. They will help you grasp the concept of 3 Dimensional form. Also Lexxy is right, go check out some other comics like scary go round or gastrophobia.
artistjeffc.tumblr.com http://www.etsy.com/shop/artistjeffc