Yea, these are acrylic. Since there is a $30 cap on prices I tend to try to work fast. I set up my studio with big old house fan and work on three or four at a time.
I only have about an hour of free time at night to work, so I assembly line them.
I will probably slap $20 on each of them, price to move.
In a random note, here are some paintings I banged out recently. I take part in this thing called YART twice a year, a bunch of artist get together and have a yard sale with art. We set a price limit (right now it is nothing over $30, used to be nothing over $10) and everyone brings a cardtable and sets up in someones yard.
When it started everyone was just bringing leftover stuff from classes or stuff that they had showed and not sold yet. Now a lot of people are like me and produce about 10 to 12 paintings just for YART. We do one in spring and one in fall. If you are friendly with five or six artists, I recomend throwing one!
I really dig your style, you definitely instill a consistent personality throughout your paintings. Also that is such a rad idea, I wish I had enough artist friends to organize something like that. Do you guys keep the profits?
Thanks all! It was a pretty great turnout this time. We do it twice a year, spring and fall, and 30 artists showed up to this one. We had good weather and a pretty steady crowd. I sold everything but Slothercise and one of the eyeballs.
Alecxant: Thanks for the kind words! Yea, we get to keep all of the money. The people who host it don't charge or take a cut, in fact they actually cook out and feed us burgers for lunch.
When we first started there were maybe eight or nine of us setting up cardtables. We didn't know each other very well and it looked kind of sad, but this is it's fifth year and it really got a foothold. If you can get even a few people interested and get the ball rolling, artists will come out of the woodword. You just don't want to be overrun by crafty old ladys selling mittins. That is a real risk.
Thanks 'stang, I still can't believe Slothercise didn't sell. It was one of my favorites.
I am going to try and paint throughout the winter so I don't have to slop a bunch of paintings together in two weeks next year.
I don't know, the first two panels don't seem to match what follows, or they don't seem necessary, maybe. Also, I think it sounds odd for frosty dog to start his sentence with 'Besides', when he wasn't the one speaking right before that. Maybe something more like 'well', or 'but', I'm not sure.
Annnd check your PM box.
NappuccinoSurveyor of Things and StuffRegistered Userregular
edited October 2010
My main question with this comic is what is tannorexic?
My etymology of words isn't very good but to me that suggests someone who doesn't tan (like an anorexic person doesn't eat- were you going for a play on alcoholic? That seems to make more sense even though the words are very different)
This one felt a little off to me, I think I kind of rushed it. Yea, the second dog (his name is Spliff, but that is neither here nor there, I just didn't want you to think I never got around to naming my own dog) shouldn't start with "besides." It doesn't make a whole lot of sense. and I could probably chop off the first two panels.
Napp, my wife suggested the word. I get it, it would suggest someone who doesn't tan at all if taken literally. I thought it sounded funnier than tanaholic.
Shouldn't that be, "So what are you guyS being for Halloween?"
Also, I think the joke would make a little more sense if the second to last sentence was reworded. Maybe "It's like playing a game of chicken with Halloween costumes."
SHIT! I can't believe I missed that. Thanks NibCrob, I will have to grab that file from my other computer later and fix it.
I will prolly change that second to last line, too. I kept thinking it sounded strange, but never came up with a better way to put it. Your's is way better.
Thanks man.
Well, here is a new one, trying to get back to real life sort of stuff. My wfie and I watch a lot of House Hunters on HGTV (I know I am lame...) But it made us think about when we were looking at houses.
MustangArbiter of Unpopular OpinionsRegistered Userregular
edited November 2010
Hahaha, back in form Broke.
Me and Lady Mustang had a similar choice, we decided that renting was the preferred option to being murdered in your sleep in a home that the bank owns.
I have still been drawing, just got lazy about dropping them here. I think this one is pretty solid.
I try to not really do too many video game references just for the sake of video games, but my wife came up with this one, and she doesn't game much at all, so I think it is relatable. Please crit away:
That was a pretty funny idea for a strip, and well executed too!
Watch your layouts and word bubbles though, because that last panel would've been better framed with his bubble over his head, as opposed to cramming everything on one side leaving an empty void on the other. That panel was the biggest offender but looking at some of the other panels, you really can be maximizing them more. Panel 3, why have that much wasted space in the middle?! Free transform your characters bigger, they look great, lets get a better look at them. I think a lot of the comic could use a pretty drastic upsizing character-wise, since the camera looks so pulled back in general.
I also think your comic would benefit from more organic backgrounds. Everything tends to be very straight and rigid, it makes it look computer generated, as opposed to hand drawn like your characters. The first panels background matches the characters, it flows and curves and wobbles. Then the rest of the comic suffers from the lazer straight syndrome.
That bed might as well be a 2 by 4 on two cinder-blocks. There's no contour and no believability. It's not a dealbreaker but injecting a bit more pizazz in the backgrounds will make the comic more life overall. Oh god I just said pizazz.
Thanks adam, This kind of feedback is why I post here.
for those too lazy to go back a page:
You are right, I need to think about what the finished product will look like more. I tend to shy away from background details because they can look swiggly and wobbly, but that matches the rest of the strip better than the straight lines. I think you hit the nail on the head about the first panel. It looks good not in spite of the flaws, but because of them.
And now that you mention it, the characters do look small. It would even be less work to draw them up close, so I will try that out also.
I am not sure how much better it would be with pizza, but I will try and add a slice or two next time...
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NappuccinoSurveyor of Things and StuffRegistered Userregular
edited January 2011
The text is very small as well. I had a hard time reading 3lb diaper in the 5th panel
also the sparkle you included in the 5th panel could be used to accentuate the 3lb diaper bing in the background to highlight it. I didn't even know there was something to read until napp said that.
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The_Glad_HatterOne Sly FoxUnderneath a Groovy HatRegistered Userregular
Thanks for the crits everyone! I know I am like a month late here, but I did read them and took them to heart.
I gave up making my own font for now and downloaded indiestar from blambot, I think it fits my style. I know the joke is a little flat on this one, but let me know about what you think. I am really trying to apply what you all are telling me...
Well, I have to say I don't like that font. It seems busy and difficult to read. Your own handwriting was more attractive, in my opinion. You don't have to get a font that's close to handwriting, though.
I think part of the problem is the letters are too narrow and too close together.
Here are some fonts that are easier to read and may fit better with your style:
I'm with ronnie on this one! I can definitely see that using a font may help you out (plus it is SO MUCH EASIER when you don't have to letter by hand) but I don't think that font is the best choice ever
it seems very... unnecessarily curly, to the point that I was trying to figure out what the words were instead of actually looking at the comic (not an exaggeration, I read it then realized I hadn't even looked at the pictures)
I quite like that Dad Hand one ronnie suggested, along with SF Cartoonist Hand
of course ultimately it is up to you! just throwing my opinion at your face
Long time no update. There have been ups (new job!) downs (grandma passed away) but I am back and here is a new comic.
I have been thinking about doing a storyline: input? advice? skillet?
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EncA Fool with CompassionPronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered Userregular
edited March 2011
That is one dapper crow. I laughed aloud on this one, it's a great image. I feel you probably could still trim down the delivery by a frame or two for better effect, but with this one it doesn't detract too much. Shorter is better with this sort of thing. The new font is a hundred times better than the previous ones. It's easy to read and matches your line weight for the bubbles pretty consistently.
For your storyline, are you talking a persistent story (like Questionable Content or PvP) or an arc based storyline of 2-3 pages?
Thanks for the feedback Enc! You are probably right about trimming down the setup for the joke. I forget that I don't HAVE to use six panels if I don't need them.
As for storyline, I would be more interested in short archs then anything else. I don't think I post often enough to do anything like QC or PVP. I just was wondering if, as web comic readers, do you prefer one-offs with the same characters or short story archs to get to know the characters better? Which would you rather read? (keep in mind I only post once a week, between work and parenthood uping the output is not much of an option right now)
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EncA Fool with CompassionPronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered Userregular
edited March 2011
The difficulty lies not with which is preferred, most folk read a few of both (I read about 20 regularly, split about 50/50 on one strip and serial), but the question should be about what you can sell better as an artist. If you are asking, you probably haven't thought enough about it.
If you were to sell your comic, what would you be selling? Something to provide entertainment or something to make people think? Would you want to sell the deep story of these characters you created, or sell the weekly topic that you want to discuss at the time? They both have advantages.
The disadvantage of short arcs is, if a new reader doesn't know this and is showing up and doesn't get the joke on first page view, it can be a turnoff. Most short gags have their own humor building in each one. Fine on it's own, better with the lot.
I have a bunch of new paintings for an upcoming Halloween art show and thought I would get some crits before I hang them out for the public to ridicule:
Like I said, any advice or crits would be helpful.
Posts
Acrylic?
Yea, these are acrylic. Since there is a $30 cap on prices I tend to try to work fast. I set up my studio with big old house fan and work on three or four at a time.
I only have about an hour of free time at night to work, so I assembly line them.
I will probably slap $20 on each of them, price to move.
What are you painting on? Canvas board?
The four eyeball ones at the bottom are cheap canvas from walmart :U but all the rest are a cut up old ping pong table.
I really dig your style, you definitely instill a consistent personality throughout your paintings. Also that is such a rad idea, I wish I had enough artist friends to organize something like that. Do you guys keep the profits?
The news even showed up: http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=13336147
Alecxant: Thanks for the kind words! Yea, we get to keep all of the money. The people who host it don't charge or take a cut, in fact they actually cook out and feed us burgers for lunch.
When we first started there were maybe eight or nine of us setting up cardtables. We didn't know each other very well and it looked kind of sad, but this is it's fifth year and it really got a foothold. If you can get even a few people interested and get the ball rolling, artists will come out of the woodword. You just don't want to be overrun by crafty old ladys selling mittins. That is a real risk.
Thanks 'stang, I still can't believe Slothercise didn't sell. It was one of my favorites.
I am going to try and paint throughout the winter so I don't have to slop a bunch of paintings together in two weeks next year.
Annnd check your PM box.
facebook.com/LauraCatherwoodArt
My etymology of words isn't very good but to me that suggests someone who doesn't tan (like an anorexic person doesn't eat- were you going for a play on alcoholic? That seems to make more sense even though the words are very different)
This one felt a little off to me, I think I kind of rushed it. Yea, the second dog (his name is Spliff, but that is neither here nor there, I just didn't want you to think I never got around to naming my own dog) shouldn't start with "besides." It doesn't make a whole lot of sense. and I could probably chop off the first two panels.
Napp, my wife suggested the word. I get it, it would suggest someone who doesn't tan at all if taken literally. I thought it sounded funnier than tanaholic.
Shouldn't that be, "So what are you guyS being for Halloween?"
Also, I think the joke would make a little more sense if the second to last sentence was reworded. Maybe "It's like playing a game of chicken with Halloween costumes."
I will prolly change that second to last line, too. I kept thinking it sounded strange, but never came up with a better way to put it. Your's is way better.
Thanks man.
Well, here is a new one, trying to get back to real life sort of stuff. My wfie and I watch a lot of House Hunters on HGTV (I know I am lame...) But it made us think about when we were looking at houses.
I think your style is coming along nicely.
Me and Lady Mustang had a similar choice, we decided that renting was the preferred option to being murdered in your sleep in a home that the bank owns.
I try to not really do too many video game references just for the sake of video games, but my wife came up with this one, and she doesn't game much at all, so I think it is relatable. Please crit away:
Watch your layouts and word bubbles though, because that last panel would've been better framed with his bubble over his head, as opposed to cramming everything on one side leaving an empty void on the other. That panel was the biggest offender but looking at some of the other panels, you really can be maximizing them more. Panel 3, why have that much wasted space in the middle?! Free transform your characters bigger, they look great, lets get a better look at them. I think a lot of the comic could use a pretty drastic upsizing character-wise, since the camera looks so pulled back in general.
I also think your comic would benefit from more organic backgrounds. Everything tends to be very straight and rigid, it makes it look computer generated, as opposed to hand drawn like your characters. The first panels background matches the characters, it flows and curves and wobbles. Then the rest of the comic suffers from the lazer straight syndrome.
That bed might as well be a 2 by 4 on two cinder-blocks. There's no contour and no believability. It's not a dealbreaker but injecting a bit more pizazz in the backgrounds will make the comic more life overall. Oh god I just said pizazz.
INSTAGRAM
for those too lazy to go back a page:
You are right, I need to think about what the finished product will look like more. I tend to shy away from background details because they can look swiggly and wobbly, but that matches the rest of the strip better than the straight lines. I think you hit the nail on the head about the first panel. It looks good not in spite of the flaws, but because of them.
And now that you mention it, the characters do look small. It would even be less work to draw them up close, so I will try that out also.
I am not sure how much better it would be with pizza, but I will try and add a slice or two next time...
I gave up making my own font for now and downloaded indiestar from blambot, I think it fits my style. I know the joke is a little flat on this one, but let me know about what you think. I am really trying to apply what you all are telling me...
I think part of the problem is the letters are too narrow and too close together.
Here are some fonts that are easier to read and may fit better with your style:
http://www.1001freefonts.com/Dadhand.php
http://www.1001freefonts.com/FawnScript.php
http://www.1001freefonts.com/Lamebrain.php
http://www.1001freefonts.com/SFCartoonistHand.php
(Dad Hand immediately made me think of you)
Keep on comickin'!
it seems very... unnecessarily curly, to the point that I was trying to figure out what the words were instead of actually looking at the comic (not an exaggeration, I read it then realized I hadn't even looked at the pictures)
I quite like that Dad Hand one ronnie suggested, along with SF Cartoonist Hand
of course ultimately it is up to you! just throwing my opinion at your face
Webcomic Twitter Steam Wishlist SATAN
Well, one vote for, two against. I like that Dadhand font, I might give that a whirl...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=896THOYzL_k
What do y'all think of the font?...the joke?...egypt?
Anywho, here is a new comic about Storage Wars.
I have been thinking about doing a storyline: input? advice? skillet?
For your storyline, are you talking a persistent story (like Questionable Content or PvP) or an arc based storyline of 2-3 pages?
As for storyline, I would be more interested in short archs then anything else. I don't think I post often enough to do anything like QC or PVP. I just was wondering if, as web comic readers, do you prefer one-offs with the same characters or short story archs to get to know the characters better? Which would you rather read? (keep in mind I only post once a week, between work and parenthood uping the output is not much of an option right now)
If you were to sell your comic, what would you be selling? Something to provide entertainment or something to make people think? Would you want to sell the deep story of these characters you created, or sell the weekly topic that you want to discuss at the time? They both have advantages.
The disadvantage of short arcs is, if a new reader doesn't know this and is showing up and doesn't get the joke on first page view, it can be a turnoff. Most short gags have their own humor building in each one. Fine on it's own, better with the lot.
I have a bunch of new paintings for an upcoming Halloween art show and thought I would get some crits before I hang them out for the public to ridicule:
Like I said, any advice or crits would be helpful.