I need some feedback/advice on my comics

[Legendary_Bibo]

As most of you know I draw comics that I started a year and two weeks ago today as was suggested by some users on these forums. Well I think I've made progress in my skill, and I want some feedback/advice on how I can get better at drawing, and what I need to improve on, anything like that.

My first comic (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xVIWRPqXmzA/TAMWBFn1HtI/AAAAAAAAAAM/GvvYzAzv5vs/s1600/Ubuntucomic.png)

and my latest (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aRMImLvQ2sU/TffBvQRM84I/AAAAAAAAAHw/beUYycsNX04/s1600/Trot+of+Hell+non+ED+special.png)

I know I need to work on hands and bodies more, but they're so awkward to draw.

[cgroza]

The second one looks pretty pro.

[Linuxratty]

The second one looks pretty pro.

Second one does look much better. I'd simplify the main character so he is easier to draw from different angles.
I'm so sick of stupid stick figures and copy/pasted bloated floating heads, it's nice to see someone who can actually draw.
Here is an example of my cartooning done in the Gimp;

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j25/Blueroo22/Linux%20screenshots/th_bloomingsudo.jpg?t=1288729291

http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j25/Blueroo22/Linux%20screenshots/?action=view&current=bloomingsudo.jpg

[Smilax]

i would'nt worry, i've been following your comics,

they always make me laugh.

[Legendary_Bibo]

Second one does look much better. I'd simplify the main character so he is easier to draw from different angles.
I'm so sick of stupid stick figures and copy/pasted bloated floating heads, it's nice to see someone who can actually draw.
Here is an example of my cartooning done in the Gimp;

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j25/Blueroo22/Linux%20screenshots/th_bloomingsudo.jpg?t=1288729291

http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j25/Blueroo22/Linux%20screenshots/?action=view&current=bloomingsudo.jpg

Nice! Yeah I spent two nights on the latest one, probably about 8 hours total if I subtract my breaks. I try not to be hard on myself because I know I'm still improving, but I push myself to do better after seeing other people's work.

Yeah it's angles that get me, I usually look up images of people in the poses I'm drawing and place it right next to the screen to make it easier (rather than drawing it in my head entirely). Once I started using Illustrator I've been seeing a lot more improvements though, but I only use it to draw the lines and Gimp to draw the backgrounds, and color them in. I don't like Photoshop's UI, and it doesn't seem to be able to do anything better than Gimp that I use, and I know Gimp better.

Thanks for the feedback guys!

[sffvba[e0rt]

I didn't follow your comics but judging by your first and last ones I should be :p


404

[desktorp]

Yeah, hands and feet. When I was a young photoshorper, I used to do a lot of practice on hands and feet by tracing photographs. Keep up the good work. It's obvious you're improving just through the routine of practice.

[Legendary_Bibo]

Yeah, hands and feet. When I was a young photoshorper, I used to do a lot of practice on hands and feet by tracing photographs. Keep up the good work. It's obvious you're improving just through the routine of practice.

I tried to avoid tracing, but this may be a good idea to get better at hands and feet.

[Quadunit404]

I am sorry, but I headdesked when I saw Pinkie Pie in that second comic you linked to. God of War + MLP = no.

If you can't tell I dunt like MLP. I find it sad how I know the names of all the main characters (I blame my irl friends, aka the same people I see at school every day)

[desktorp]

I tried to avoid tracing, but this may be a good idea to get better at hands and feet.
Yeah I pretty much only ever did it for the practice.. I would often gradually reduce the opacity as I was working, so that by the time I was 3/4s of the way through, I was just freehanding it. I suppose I still use that technique to some extent, but I remember being very enraged about hands and mostly feet for a long time.

edit: I'd like to note that I have been 100% gimpified since 2009.. not lookin back.

[ki4jgt]

As most of you know I draw comics that I started a year and two weeks ago today as was suggested by some users on these forums. Well I think I've made progress in my skill, and I want some feedback/advice on how I can get better at drawing, and what I need to improve on, anything like that.

My first comic (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xVIWRPqXmzA/TAMWBFn1HtI/AAAAAAAAAAM/GvvYzAzv5vs/s1600/Ubuntucomic.png)

and my latest (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aRMImLvQ2sU/TffBvQRM84I/AAAAAAAAAHw/beUYycsNX04/s1600/Trot+of+Hell+non+ED+special.png)

I know I need to work on hands and bodies more, but they're so awkward to draw.

That's wicked :-)

[Legendary_Bibo]

Yeah I pretty much only ever did it for the practice.. I would often gradually reduce the opacity as I was working, so that by the time I was 3/4s of the way through, I was just freehanding it. I suppose I still use that technique to some extent, but I remember being very enraged about hands and mostly feet for a long time.

edit: I'd like to note that I have been 100% gimpified since 2009.. not lookin back.

I used to be exclusively Gimp because I hated vector art after using Inkscape, and I just found it annoying. Then I got a free copy of Adobe CS4 from a guy in my Linux class, and I fell in love with Illustrator. I still don't like Photoshop.

I think I'll actually practice with some tracing tomorrow, I just can't get a hang of it otherwise.