Tag: motivational

Sharing Resources & Wisdom

Posted on January 15, 2021 by Lady T. Musings

Hey, y’all!

Before making my comic MagicalMashup!, I did tons of research on tips, tools, and anything helpful in making my comic (just like all of y’all I’m sure). I’ve watched hundreds of videos, listened to podcasts, read books and blogs from other creators. So much helpful info, but once I posted my comic and branded myself with the “I’m a webcomic artist.” I have been exposed to even more neat and just plain helpful information. Things change fast and there are new resources being made and knowledge being gained and shared every day for the benefit of others.

After responding to a thread on Twitter about helpful tips that saved you time on making your comic and seeing just how many people liked and shared my little 2 cents I remember that just bc it’s out there and you found it (or heard it in the case of advice), doesn’t mean everyone else knows about it (even if it seems like common sense to you). You don’t know where all folks are on their journey so the common sense you have might be an eye-opener to someone else.

These are the two resources that have helped me immensely on my ongoing journey as a creator of comics and art that may be of use to y’all.

https://www.pexels.com/ (Free stock photos uploaded by Creative individuals.) This site is pretty darn handy and just plain nice as all folks who upload do it for free of charge. Though it’s not required to shout out the photographers, it’s a nice thing to do :). Check out their licensing page for more info in case your skeptical too https://www.pexels.com/license/.

https://planner5d.com/ (Build houses, make rooms, and other architectural structures with simple to use tools and a ton of assets that come in the free version and even more in the paid one. This site also lets you create in 2d and flip to 3d.) I really dig this site bc it’s faster than making assets completely from scratch (reminded me of the Sims) and you can get a look around your rooms with ease by vanishing a wall if it’s in the way.

2D

Here’s an ex of what 2d looks like

3D

Flip to 3D

(Sorry for the bad quality, but you get my drift).

I would like to get this thread going for all who have something to share that could be helpful to a creator and to those who are looking to learn something new. Feel free to also add a link to your work, but only after sharing a helpful resource. Also feel free to add what you specifically use the resource for if applicable.

What counts as a helpful resource? If it’s something you used/use and it helps, that counts :smiley: .

This is my New Adult Fantasy Comic
https://tapas.io/series/MagicalMashup/info

We all win when we share and grow together!

TLDR: Share a resource or two that helped you on your journey as a creator and then you can share a link to your work. Let’s get some gains and learn something new!!

I can Make this Comic!

Posted on September 28, 2018 by Lady T. Musings

Daydreaming is awesome, but what good will it do you if that’s all it stays? I will give myself some credit in that a pencil and paper have carried me a long way. Drawing has been second nature to me since I was a wee one. I started with dinosaurs and made the jump to anime style once I got into DragonBall Z. I’d spend hours playing back episodes and redrawing characters learning how to Git Gud before the thought of making something original popped into my head. (insert my early days DeviantArt page).

I realized early in life that I did not have it in me to be a traditional animator. The repetitive drawing put me to sleep. This bummed me out a bit, but then I found comics! Western and Eastern style comics. The amount of detail, the flow of the story through beautiful illustrations. Yes, this was me! So I immersed myself in reading and collecting them.

It wasn’t until high school that the thought of actually making a comic myself even popped into my head though. My first attempt at a comic was a Kingdom Hearts fan-comic (that will NOT see the light of day, so don’t ask.) I kicked out over the course of a month. I wanted to see if I even had the patience to make a comic since I figured out pretty early on that animation was a no go for me.  I would work on it after school on Fridays for about 6hrs. I made a rinky-dink script that was nothing but pure smut, and just started sketching it out in my dollar store sketchbook.

Two months later I had about 8 pages to show for my dedication. I was hella proud of those 8 rinky-dink pages! Even with all of the Inconsistencies… I mean, Riku’s clothes changed every panel.

Anyway, the take-away is that I did it! There was a lot of frustration, but I made it. That was proof enough that I could make comics. That feeling is what I’m mustering whenever I think of the task at hand. It’s hella daunting to think of everything that goes into making comics, but taking it one step at a time is how you do it. Baby steps are still steps, and every little bit of work you put into getting your creation from your headspace to your hands is worth it!

How do you eat a whale?

One bite at a time.

Have you heard of tiny Melinda Mae,
Who ate a monstrous whale?
She thought she could,
She said she would,
So she started in right at the tail.

-Shel Silverstein

I heard a variant of this first from one of my favorite comic artist E.K. Weaver. Creator of the Less than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal