Is my art good enough to make webcomics? Q&A

Hey Everyone,
PeppermintFrog asked me a really great question about making web comics on twitter, one that I've been meaning to sit down and talk about in a video but just haven't gotten around to it yet. And I wasn't able to answer it within the character limit of Twitter, so I thought I'd share my answer in blog post form here instead. Hopefully you find it helpful, and always feel free to send me any questions you have!

onto the blog post!

@MrsPaigeLavoie been bothering me for a while and I don't feel my art is at the level to start a webcomic yet (sorry for spelling) any tips?

— peppermintfrog (@peppermintfr0g) July 1, 2016

This is a question I've wondered myself before. And I can honestly say, I think getting started making comics is the best way to get better at drawing them. As artists, we're never really satisfied by the level of art we're creating. Our lines could be finer, or backgrounds more detailed. There's always something to work on. And the best way to work on your craft is to actively practice, learn and grow in comics than to start making them.

With every page, every chapter, you're going to get better. You won't really notice it happening, until you open up an old sketch book and you compare them from side to side. But every time you draw your main character the lines will get stronger, sharper, you'll change little details, you'll learn ways to draw faster.

There is no perfection, there's only progress and the only way to see it is to keep drawing <3

I'm not the best artist. There are shots and scenes that I can visualize in my head that I just can't seem to get down on the page, and my storyboards have changed as a result of that. Reference pictures, 3D models have helped me figure out some tricky poses in the past. but there are things I've modified to suit my drawing abilities and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. All we can ever do is our best and to learn from our previous pages about things that work, and things that won't.

I wanted to share these two pictures with you. This is a drawing of Isabell from six years ago

And another from four years ago

And now here she is from the page from today

Looking at the three, they don't even really look like the same character much less like they were drawn by the same person. Someday I'll dig out some of the SUPER old drawings of Isabell I have from when I was sixteen if I can't find them for fun. Back then my comics where really rough, but it didn't stop me from drawing them and sharing them online. People didn't always say the nicest things in the comments section, but I'm so glad I kept going. It hasn't always been easy, being totally transparent a few weeks ago I had a breakdown just wishing I could get my background the way they look in my head. But I know that the only way to get there is to keep going. 

There's always going to be new levels to unlock and a laundry list of things to work on. But the point I'm trying to make is you're always good enough to start :D That's the easiest way to get better. There will be good days, and bad days, but as long as your creating jokes, stories, and characters your proud of, starting a webcomic to me is always worth it. It's an archive of your growth as an artist, it's a new adventure, and if it's something you want to create, I say start creating it! 

Wishing you luck, and inspirations to keep drawing and growing your skills, 

Paige