When I first started Terran Sandz (well, actually re-started, since I ditched my whole first go at #1), I agonized over every line, panel, & greyscale. It took me forever to finish a page, & then it felt like pulling teeth.

The second issue wasn't any better.

Suddenly, with issue 3 I relaxed. I was terrified of not doing the right thing. I had fun because I relaxed, unexpectly finding I had faith in myself, & drew every page, seldom stuttering over nary a line. My page rate almost doubled.

The 4th issue was just a breeze. I didn't re-think anything, & instead enjoyed every thumbnail & finished page.

Broken Things takes me seldom more than 4 hours from thumb to post. I never second guess myself, & move right through things I'm not confortable drawing because I now know I can, at the very least, fake my way through anything. I know my pages have flaws (all of them), but I don't care because I know I've done my best. I know I'll improve, just by keeping at it, so I don't struggle to improve.

How about you? Are you your worst enemy or your best friend? Do you beat yourself up over every page, or do you enjoy the experience like you're a wide-eyed kid watching over your shoulder?

Are you having fun, or is this work?

Later,
Chip

Chip, what a great topic. For me its both. I am having a blast w/ . Each new page has me excited as the story unfolds. The work part is trying to balance it with my life and finding time to draw said pages. That's the hard and agonizing part.

My worst assault on my own progress is getting so excited about the grand climaxes I have planned that I become uninterested in the stuff it takes to get there. I feel like those pages are "chores" sometimes, even if they are fun and interesting, because my mind keeps replaying these cool scenes that it feels like I'll never get to.

Most of the time, I'm really happy when I finish a page. Lately, I've been drawing slower (not "slower" per se, but taking long breaks between panels and getting distracted) but still happy with the result. Sometimes, I get excited and go on a drawing streak (usually during the brilliant scenes I've been planning for months...) and will draw page after page without stopping to eat, check email, or anything.

When I color a page, while it is somewhat tedious, I love the result so much that I keep going with full excitement until it's done, and then I want to color more.

How about you? Are you your worst enemy or your best friend? Do you beat yourself up over every page, or do you enjoy the experience like you're a wide-eyed kid watching over your shoulder?

I enjoy doing it. Especially MAG-ISA.

I don't beat myself up on every page. I DO though in writing the script. Even during the last moment before the particular script section gets transcribed into art form... I still make changes.

English is not my first language. So that poses a bit of a problem even if I studied English extensively in my home country. After being in Canada for about 5 years, writing dialog is still a problem. Especially if I'm trying to do dialog for white or black people or characters who were supposedly born and raised in the west.

And from looking at pages written by native English speakers, I see a BIG DIFFERENCE in the stuff they write. The dialog... the way characters speak and interact... is different.

Thats one challenge I have in doing MAG-ISA. So far you've seen the US soldier go berserk... and demons talking... but later chapters have characters who are supposedly native english speakers. I'm trying to make it as REALISTIC DIALOGUE as possible.

So there. I beat myself over the head with that.

With art... I'm a slacker at drawing it but I like coloring and putting photoshop effects better. :)

I enjoy making every page, and I watch as the characters move around on it as if I am not the one drawing it. I love the pencil stage, because it's like new terrain each time. Line art can be a little tedious at times, but I enjoy each part of making Wolf. Every page is fun for me and there are no 'boring' pages for me, be they action or expose. :)

I have an odd love/hate relationship with my work.

I look at upcoming dynamic scenes and say to myself how much I don't want to draw them and am scared of them. But at the same time I can't wait to draw them and love/hate the process as I do so.

I think I have a bit of a punishment problem =P Where I actually enjoy punishing myself and pushing myself on certain poses and actions.

When I 1st started I was on a quest to get fast enough to pump out 1 page a day without losing quality.

I succeeded in doing so, however... my quality was not improving fast. And when I did try new things I had to rush to keep up on other pages which finally started affecting some quality.

I am relaxed when I attempt to draw anything. I know I can do it. It's just making myself do it that is the problem at times. Some days it really feels like work.

But my biggest internal conflict is between improving as an artist and seeing my story actually unfold. I don't want to be stuck in story arcs for long long periods of time. But I can't improve on art if I rush either.

So some days my artistic side wins and I take a long time on a page. Sometimes my story telling side wins and I get the page to a presentable point and don't do all the fine tuning and experimentations I may normally attempt. Or I leave an error that I catch later on. Making a mental note to simply not repeat it again.

I usually go pretty fast and never redraw. But I'm currently stuck on one page which is already at version 3. It's already grown beyond normal size (I'll be pasting 3 partial pages together into 1 web page).

The art's not the problem, but rather the screen direction. Simply trying to achieve a goal I'm aiming for.