This is my current main comic STOLIDUS LONGINUS . It's an action based mystery comic about people who can turn into monsters. The story follows the main character Victory's experience with this world and is thrust in to it by a mysterious man he meets early in the story.

I've gotten about half way through the pages I have finished and It is about 3 chapters in to the story, and 45 comic pages are up. It updates every Tuesday.

I'd love tips on how to make the coloring better specifically if your apt at using markers and such things I'd love tips on how to improve it. Since the first page of this comic was the first time I ever used markers to color.

Thanks for any help you guys give. Hope you like my comic.

Ok. I only read the first page I saw.

I wont really go into detail about the art. It's ok, not great. If you want to improve, take some anatomy classes. Or don't, it really doesn't matter.

The writing that I saw was what stopped me from reading more. Juvenile and inappropriate without a clear point as to why. Sophomoric I think is an enormously appropriate word. Besides the lack of depth and immaturity of the more crass bits the writing was just lacking overall. Generally you should only write something in a comic if it helps convey or explain something... something worth reading about. There are other issues but I think you need to work on basic storytelling first.

Layout is another issue altogether as the page simply did not look attractive.

Ironically the thing you were most worried about is your strong suit. The art looks pretty. Just stop doing whatever it is you are doing with the text bubbles. There are plenty of free graphics programs that can help you make good looking text bubbles. I know because I use one.

I could be way off because I'm judging a large body of work on one strip. But if you are going to ask for a crit and have the first thing people see be a poorly executed ass joke. You are totally asking for it.

Best wishes XOXO,
Charlie

The overall layout of the comic pages looks fine to me. Occasionally you have a line separating panels that is slightly on an angle, make sure your lines are straight unless you definitely want the panel border on an angle. And then don't make that angle too shallow or it will look like a mistake. I don't see any problem with the speech bubbles, other then the occasional angle, just like the panel borders.

One major thing that bothered me was the difficultly determining who was speaking first in each panel. Remember to always have the speech bubble order go from left to right, up to down, or it will get confusing.

Your color is very good for using markers for the first time. Still, you ask for advice on coloring so here it is. Your shading is a bit flat, try adding a third color in the very dark areas. Be careful though, it's real easy to overuse that, just remember you don't need an extra boost to every area that's shaded. Also it sounds obvious, but be careful to stay in the lines. I noticed you were coloring outside the lines on the hair of some of your characters.

I know that with a good enough brand of marker you can blend colors. Although I don't know how to do so since I don't use markers myself. If you don't want to blend make sure the edges in the shaded areas are crisp and consistent.

charlie_everyone
Ok. I only read the first page I saw.

I wont really go into detail about the art. It's ok, not great. If you want to improve, take some anatomy classes. Or don't, it really doesn't matter.

The writing that I saw was what stopped me from reading more. Juvenile and inappropriate without a clear point as to why. Sophomoric I think is an enormously appropriate word. Besides the lack of depth and immaturity of the more crass bits the writing was just lacking overall. Generally you should only write something in a comic if it helps convey or explain something... something worth reading about. There are other issues but I think you need to work on basic storytelling first.

Layout is another issue altogether as the page simply did not look attractive.

Ironically the thing you were most worried about is your strong suit. The art looks pretty. Just stop doing whatever it is you are doing with the text bubbles. There are plenty of free graphics programs that can help you make good looking text bubbles. I know because I use one.

I could be way off because I'm judging a large body of work on one strip. But if you are going to ask for a crit and have the first thing people see be a poorly executed ass joke. You are totally asking for it.

Best wishes XOXO,
Charlie

Don't know what to do with this, you didn't read to whole thing. If I wanted a critic on one page I would have ask for It when I only had one page up, but I have like 50 so...

I was asking for help with the markers not the fact that I don't use the computer for comic save for text. Look at my other comic It's full of computer tricks but that's not for this comic. I have every Photoshop from CS2-4 and illustrator so computer tricks are for somethings not others. Thanks anyway.

And the joke. Character personality. I does convey something but you didn't read the thing so... yeah.

istaerlus
The overall layout of the comic pages looks fine to me. Occasionally you have a line separating panels that is slightly on an angle, make sure your lines are straight unless you definitely want the panel border on an angle. And then don't make that angle too shallow or it will look like a mistake. I don't see any problem with the speech bubbles, other then the occasional angle, just like the panel borders.

One major thing that bothered me was the difficultly determining who was speaking first in each panel. Remember to always have the speech bubble order go from left to right, up to down, or it will get confusing.

Your color is very good for using markers for the first time. Still, you ask for advice on coloring so here it is. Your shading is a bit flat, try adding a third color in the very dark areas. Be careful though, it's real easy to overuse that, just remember you don't need an extra boost to every area that's shaded. Also it sounds obvious, but be careful to stay in the lines. I noticed you were coloring outside the lines on the hair of some of your characters.

I know that with a good enough brand of marker you can blend colors. Although I don't know how to do so since I don't use markers myself. If you don't want to blend make sure the edges in the shaded areas are crisp and consistent.

Yeah, I'll try to add some extra depth to later pages. I just got some paint markers a little while back so I can fix some of my inability to stay in the lines. Also I can use the markers to add a little extra light.

The Comic is read from Right to left not left to right. That my be the problem...

The off angle thing is more of a win some lose some thing where in some times I'm in a drafting class room and the rulers won't move sometimes I'm not. It's pretty luck based but I do my best with what I have.
Thanks for your crit.

The only thing it conveys is that he enjoys anus sex and is a huge douche. Typically comics tend to become more artistically mature as they progress. Naturally when I see art that could be improved by a 101 class and writing you might find in a 3rd graders yu-gi-oh fan fiction I get a little worried about the quality of the rest of the comic.


Typically when you ask for a crit you want to put your best foot forward. Until I read your comic I had read every comic I have ever critiqued in its entirety. Most things can't turn me away.


Rhyming "heinous" actions with "anus" action in a sexually suggestive way... I'm sorry I just couldn't take it.


DEAR LORD MY EYES,
Charlie

@charlie_everyone
Well, If you can't deal with the way the character talks that's you. It has nothing to do with the maturity of the comic. The guys just a dick. If you'd read it we wouldn't be going over this since it's implied several times in the comic.

O, yea and to change you comic to A you just have to resubmit its thumbnail. If that works the thumbnails image will have an A on it. That may be the problem since I see It a lot on here. I also had that problem.

Thanks for the help!



Hugs and kisses,
Charlie

CornBreadtm
The Comic is read from Right to left not left to right. That my be the problem...

The off angle thing is more of a win some lose some thing where in some times I'm in a drafting class room and the rulers won't move sometimes I'm not. It's pretty luck based but I do my best with what I have.
Thanks for your crit.

Like a manga, I see now. That does make more sense.

I know what you mean about the lines, I'm guilty of the exact same thing with my comic. I just wasn't sure if you noticed.

A new page is up. There should be another one tomorrow.

new page up!