this post was submitted on 08 Mar 2024
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I do it with drawing too. I've been doing a lot of sketches geared toward playing with expressions lately. Somewhere along the way, I became convinced I needed to draw things in some undefined "right way" (not life drawing, purely comic) and that's been interesting.
Unwinding it has been fun, though.
I am jealous of your powers. Overthinking is my special skill, but often it results in just not being able to get something done...or only being able to blitz through it (minimal edits to avoid getting trapped) which leaves me something far less refined than the amount of thought I dumped into it would suggest.
Oh good catch! I absolutely do that in drawing depending on the art style my brain has decided to focus on. Usually the more "simple" looking the style, the worse it gets. The less details there are the more vital that each line is shaped just right. (The oneshot I tried to draw in Humongous Entertainment's style was a special hell.)
The only reason I'm getting things done is that I'm largely embracing that if I want anything done, I have to allow stories to be short. Notes that were 30+ pages long (mixed with notes I forgot were for other stories (80% being doodles)), taking out the most clear parts and making that a 18 page comic. But I also enjoy cold opens and open endings. Those who prefer more traditional pop culture western story structures would 100% be in hell.
And for certain fandoms there is less meta pressure because the official works are astoundingly poorly written/designed. They dare ask people to give them money for massive plotholes. Some plotholes easily fixed if they tweaked a handful of lines (hi SwordShield).
If companies can charge for rushed jobs and earn billions for it, I'm clearly doing fantastic for being a team of one giving shit out for free.
Yeah, taking a critical eye to what sells--even things that I think are masterful--is a great way to realize that a lot of those things are also not nearly as refined as the standard I'm holding myself to. Not all comics are smooth or hyper detailed. Their lines aren't always 100% PERFECT (whatever that means for fictional characters portrayed in a style that isn't even pretending to be close to realism) and yet... they're great.
They're also laden with shortcuts, sensible shortcuts that sane people implemented for efficiency.
Simple, non-detailed backgrounds are an example. It took me far too long to realize I did not need to draw and redraw the same chair in the room I envisioned this conversation taking place. I didn't even need to draw the room. But, just as I am wordy I am...whatever the drawing equivalent is. It's taken me a long time to learn to be "concise."
Suddenly, it's become a lot easier to progress as I've learned. But it's been a very conscious effort. Lots of letting go of things too.
There are a handful of comic peers I know who have either bought or made their own visual assets that they can drag/arrange for misc backgrounds and so on. Saves so much time and I deeply envy not being able to hold a consistent enough of an artstyle or POV to be able to take advantage of that as well.
I'm glad to hear that some parts have gotten easier. 100% always effort but as with all art forms can catch us off guard where said efforts actually have to be applied!