Art [ FAQ ]

[na_th_an]

Hrmmm... Screw tutorials.

The best way to learn how to draw is practice. Practice, practice, practice. Tutorials on "how to draw" are stupid 'cause magic doesn't exist and reading a tutorial won't make you better.

Tutorials are cool when they are about composing a comic, how to keep the tempo, how to organize stuff in the frames, or technical tutorials about how to shade, how to keep proportions or how to use skeletons and wireframes to pose your characters. Anyhow, all the "tutorials" about the subject I've found on the net are very focused on something, so if you follow them your drawings will be like the rest of drawings by manga wannabes.

My advice is to develop your own style. You can be influenced by manga, but don't try to draw "in a style": just draw. Time, practice and the things you read (it is important to read tons and tons of comics) will build your style. Don't close your mind and look just in one direction. Read all kind of comics. Every kind of comic can show you important techniques.

And remember than composing a comic is the hard stuff. Drawing is easy, composing a true comic is harder. We are talking about a language, a visual language. You have to tell things with your drawings. Narrator boxes are not needed in the 90% of cases if you know how to narrate with drawings. And that can only be learned reading and practicing. Reading and practicing. Reading and practicing ... ... ...