On learning to draw, webcomics and artistic snobbery >.

Last week I decided to finally learn to draw. I picked up a really good book called 'Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain' along with an accompanying workbook.

It's going -really- well. Although I have a long way to go yet, I feel I have improved massively just during the one week, and am feeling way more confidant about my ability. Hurrah!

But my perceptions seem to be changing as well. I realised this earlier when I was reading the latest update to one of my favourite webcomics, Darken

Darken has a great story. It's basically evil DnD. The story is very well thought out, is exciting and sometimes funny. Me likes. Darken is how I would like my webcomic to be if I did a webcomic (which would be about Landston, obviously).

The thing is, one of my motivations for learning to draw is that I would love to make a webcomic (which would be about Landston, obviously!). This has been particularly inspired by jl_williams's recent forays into the field. Whilst he has gone for a completely different style and genre to what I want to do, it's still very inspiring (and if you haven't read his strip, go and do so, it's great).

Now, his is a more cartoon-style humour-for-laughs type comic. Whereas I want to go down the epic story kind of route. As jl_williams has said many times, a good webcomic needs good writing and good art. For me, good writing is not a problem, but good art is. Hence the learning to draw.

So this brings us back to Darken. Darken has a great story and writing. And until last week, it had an art style that I admired and wanted to emulate. But after a week of drawing practice (and improvement) I looked at Darken today and thought that actually the art is very simplistic and I (with a load more practice) could do better. I suddenly feel like an artistic snob. And that makes me sad. :(

And that's me done waffling for the night.