An Artist With Writer's Block
Comics are weird and difficult to make ok? But I'm doing my best. Hopefully someone will find my efforts worth while.
Click Here for Speed Paint Post
I've had a plan for a comic for, maybe two years now? Longer possibly. But I have a certain obsession with trying to make it perfect. See, I've never done a long form comic before, and I want to plan and write it out so that once I start drawing, I don't have to think about it anymore.
But what seems to be happening is that my desire to plan this out is preventing me from actually making it. Part of this stems from fear of writing a cliche or boring story. But I'm also terrified I wont have an audience.
As an artist, you can have the same problem, but to me, the scale seems much smaller. I can create a standalone piece with several hours put into it, and people will either like it or not. With creating a comic, a detailed story, I'm putting in more than a few hours, i'm putting in months of work and just a bit of my soul.
That fear of rejection or indifference can be very immobilizing.
But I'm trying to move past that, I have a demo of the comic I did for a class. 18 Pages of kinda confusing stuff. I'm going to post that here.
I created this for a class, and it's all traditional Ink and Wash, but it's definitely not my best work. Forgive the fast pace and campy writing. :)
Last summer I was planning and planning and planning - I was not even close to making page 1 - and then one of the thousands of guest that always are in my flat threw away all the breakdowns...
Then I posted three pages on my other social network Diaspora, of a comic that I had not really thought to continue... read here: https://steemit.com/comics/@katharsisdrill/but-8-month-earlier
Now I am at page 34 in a long and complicated story.
Sometimes planning is your worst enemy.
EDIT: I reshared - Your drawings are really good!
it probably is. it's one of those things where i'm waiting until i become a better artist, instead of doing the one thing that will make me better. hahaha, and i'll check that out! (also, HOW DARE SOMEONE THROW AWAY YOUR WORK???)
I try to keep it loose, so a lot of the real decisions happens in a sketching and inking mixture. So my page-breakdowns is very much about timing and dialogue. That means that they tend to look like something that is not even doodles - and my family in law are very tidy people that insist on helping out when visiting. It is they I suspect!
I am a perfectionist myself and I have come to view perfectionism as Marsellus Wallace view PRIDE.
Great Job!
I think every artist I know, including myself, has very similar anxieties. The great thing, though, is that you can eventually stop wrestling with yourself. Because that's what actually is going on most of the time. Only you are so familiar with your work and way of working that it seems boring. But if you work with themes and ideas that really interest you, eventually you'll find your appreciative audience. They've been waiting for just your point of view. Keep it up. It's great!
I'm upvoting and following you. I hope you'll take a look at my work, too.
That is such a valid point! It never occurred to me that that might be the reason I find some of this so bland? I guess that just gives me another reason to hammer it out while I'm still excited about it. <3 Thank you so much!
Wow, this is super cool and a lotta work (I started a comic on here too). I like the world you're building and the characters. Keep it up!
Thank you! and i'll do my best!
My mantra is "Even if you do shit, it's more than someone who did nothing."
I'm still a wreck but I like to think it helps.
I've heard that before, and it's so difficult! but i really do believe it's true. but yeah I'm a wreck too.
High Five!
You have so much talent!! I am a writer and I have nothing but love for illustrators--I'm in awe of what you can do!
If you're looking for good writing advice, I have posted some over the last week. @JessicaKluthe is another great account to check out (she is a published author and university instructor).
Best of luck on your projects...I look forward to following you on your journey!!
Thankyou! I'll check out both of those!
Greetings, @sheagar,
I just "discovered" you by way of a Re-Steem. Your work is very cool!
My grandson is interested in and occasionally active with comic book art. He is also into film-making.
In any case, Glad to see you here, and I just wanted to mention that I think that just being here and interacting with other Steemians will stimulate your creativity and help you to get past whatever "roadblocks," mental or otherwise, may be holding you back from completing your comic vision.
Best wishes for that! ;)
😄😇😄
aw, thankyou so much! I hope I can move past those too. :)
amazing I´m ur FAN @sheagar
<3 Thaaanks!
This is absolutely fantastic! I love the ink wash of the strip that you produced, and I'm looking forward to you making the actual comic. Your style is excellent. Upvoted, resteemed, and I'm following you now :) I'm a writer myself, so if you ever want to collaborate on a project, I'll happily share some of the creative burden by whipping up the text. :D
hahaha, I'll definitely consider it. Thank you!
Your comics are more than interesting and well done @sheagar. Thought: You should have posted one block at a time with links on the page to subsequent episodes. I hope you try this and I hope it helps you out
I've seen some comics on here set up that way, and it definitely makes sense for ones in progress, but I needed this all in one post instead of dragging it out.
Once I start on the final version though, I will follow your advice! Thanks!