Art Progression

Dr. BlkKnight · January 20, 2010, 10:35:07 AM

With the new year underway and such, I have a tendency to look back at my older work when creating new folders and such for the next year's artwork (gotta keep this stuff organized somehow). When I look back at the older years, I realize how far my abilities (and characters) evolved. Some of my characters went from retina-burning monstrosities to the characters I use today in my comics. I figured I'd at least get the ball rolling and ask what any of you think of your general art progression. Has it been a slow, arduous process? Were you always super-talented?

Later, I'll dig up some of my "classics" for laughs and retina-burning :P

Alectric · January 20, 2010, 10:54:10 AM

I've you've read my comic, you know what a drastic improvement my current storyline (fourth) is over my first. This progression was aided of course by my not having had much practice drawing, and having no webcomic-making experience when I first started. I upped the art quality so much and so quickly, however, that I overshot my ability to make a page twice a week. It's the frustrating perfectionist in me. I can't seem to settle for lesser quality, but I'm going to have to try, because once a week is NOT working out. >:(

I just recently saw Jeph Jacques of Questionable Content do a livestream, and I damn near cried. S-so fast. If I were to record myself working, and then played it back at twice the speed, it'd still be way slower. I'm sure he has the equipment and knowhow to make his work ridiculously efficient, but MAN...

Then again, I've learned a lot of techniques myself, so it won't be a complete step backwards for me.

raerae · January 20, 2010, 10:58:42 AM

This is an image I made for my 2002-2006 progression. Since I think I've mostly been improving in smaller increments. ^^; I've gotten better at drawing the face, and better at certain media.

TTallan · January 20, 2010, 11:48:24 AM

Ooh! Ooh! I did one of these last year. But, my quick answer to the original question-- yes, it was and still is a slowwwww and arduous process.

Before you ask, I was 12 when I drew the first one (so now you can all do the math and figure out how old I am). It didn't officially become a comic until 1992-- before that I was writing a novel, and I just drew pictures to go along with it. Also, if some of you weren't even alive when I started, I don't wanna hear about it. ;)

Pete · January 20, 2010, 12:44:03 PM

Doing a comic on a deadline is one of the best ways to improve your artwork (well, for some of us; I can rattle off a handful of artists who don't seem to have gone as far as they could in terms of art over the years). My only formal training in art was the classes I took in high school. Everything else was learned on the fly.

It always makes me laugh to look at my very first comic and compare it to the one I did most recently. It's such a huge difference that I can't help but be amused by it.

I do want to point out that I think doing other types of artwork outside of my comic greatly helped me (in fact, with my comic, I don't draw as well as I actually can; I try to do the best I can at a speed that will allow me to keep moving forward). Getting familiar with the way you draw your characters is great, but it also helps to step outside of that and draw other people and things. It gives your art muscles a nice workout.

mattstout · January 20, 2010, 02:00:46 PM

I've been sketching my characters for about ten years now, but I've only done a regular, deadline comic for almost two years. Here's the earliest sketch I can find of much of my cast:

And here is a sketch I did recently of my characters as Batman characters that I feel to be pretty representative of my work now:

Alectric · January 20, 2010, 04:14:13 PM

Quote from: Pete on January 20, 2010, 12:44:03 PM
It always makes me laugh to look at my very first comic and compare it to the one I did most recently. It's such a huge difference that I can't help but be amused by it.

...Can we see?

Pete · January 21, 2010, 09:25:15 AM

Quote from: Alectric on January 20, 2010, 04:14:13 PM...Can we see?

Oh, sure! Sorry, I guess I was a bit lazy yesterday.

Number 1:

Number 517 (just posted today):

Mari · January 21, 2010, 08:37:10 PM

I used to try to draw anime so hard :'( ...and yet I just couldn't get my disproportions of the human body to be as much fun as it is in anime. So I gave up.

Case in point:

Aaron the tree guy in 2003

...and Aaron the tree guy now:

I'd say the only thing they really have in common is a blatant lack of respect for borders and gutters. >_<

TTallan · January 21, 2010, 09:11:23 PM

OK, wow. Mari, I am in awe. What a difference!

Nuke · January 21, 2010, 09:37:28 PM

Before:

After:

Yeah... yeah, that about sums it up.

raerae · January 21, 2010, 11:33:53 PM

Since I really only posted pin-ups before, I dug around and found my first attempt at a webcomic.

Behold the dreaded gaming comic
vs.
Something I finished today

Mari: Your style change is awesome. Oh, and I love runes. >_>

Xade · January 22, 2010, 02:52:24 AM

I really need to dig out my old scketchbooks. I was actually quite the artist in school, and had my own style that the teacher hated because it just wasnt the standard way of doing it, but it worked really well. I never started out with the familiar shapes that others did, I would draw faint guidelines like a little mark for the head top, bottom then the other parts. Draw the top part of the arm, for it was the straightest then the bottom then add definition, ect. It drove my teacher CRAZY watching me draw and many times she had me try the standard way but it never turned out as nice. But then I lost my memories and my old skill. I only know about it because I used to keep an art journal with notes on how I did what I did. Strangely, although I tried a few times, I could not rediscover my old style as an adult.

GaborBoth · January 22, 2010, 08:23:08 AM

http://gaborboth.deviantart.com/art/Art-improvement-quot-meme-07-09-149449343
That's my art ,,improvement" meme on dArt. Only three years instead the standard 7, because I wasn't drawing for long (with actually trying), but whatever.
I'm never ever satisfied with the art I do. I can look at a drawing I finished an hour ago and spot all the mistakes, BIG mistakes and I feel as a complete beginner all the time.

Xade · January 22, 2010, 08:56:19 AM

Quote from: GaborBoth on January 22, 2010, 08:23:08 AM
... I feel as a complete beginner all the time.

Join the club, I often do that in ed comicing too ;) Like the bush I am supposed to be working on, I look at it and see many noob mistakes and have to go back in and fix it. Vote on my site to see a preview of it ;)

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