HOME | DD

Darkstar-001 In reply to UnnecessaryNecessity [2018-12-19 08:18:46 +0000 UTC]

Oh dear, my procrastination + forgetfulness combo is really quite deadly!

Eheheherm, cough cough. So to answer your question, my memory isn't the best as we've established,
but I think the difficulty of making Walfas comics has slowly increased over time for me, moreso the longer
ones than for 4komas. This surely must sound strange, as one would expect it to get easier with experience, however,
my experience, as well as observations made on the techniques used by others, have taught me tricks not just to simplify
or streamline the Walfas creation process, but also to complicate it with improved visuals. These new techniques, from as
simple as angling characters' heads to as involved as custom props and heavier post-process edits in GIMP, have made
comics look better, but their creation has also become more time-consuming overall as a result. I've still found ways to
make even these techniques easier, but it is still generally more time-consuming than an unrefined approach.

I feel like a number of my more recent 4komas don't really take advantage of the advanced techniques, though whether
that be because their subject matter didn't call for it, or because I'm lazy, I really can't say. I would never intentionally
skimp on comic quality, having spent far too long on trivial details in a few cases, but I still feel like they may not be my
best work. There are a few particular standouts, such as How It's Made , which received a disproportionately large amount
of polish for how early in Walfas days it was made, so I can't help but feel like I'm missing something in my newer comics.
But maybe it really is just that I'm choosing subject matter that has little use for fancier techniques... again, out of laziness.

I suppose I didn't say how 'easy' I considered making Walfas at the start, so I'd say... medium. I can't draw, so the assets
are a life-saver, but at the same time, arranging the scene is secondary to the writing. Arranging the scene is still important,
though, and I've always struggled to make good use of the background, especially when using only stock props. I generally
don't even bother trying to populate it anymore, unless those items have some clear connection to the foreground action, or
are really obvious choices for the scene, aesthetically speaking. As I said before, my struggles with Walfas evolved over time
as both my techniques and my standards grew. I think right now the biggest thing holding me back is not a lack of technical
knowledge, but a lack of willpower. I really need to work on that Fanon Virus part two...

TL;DR: 1. Medium difficulty 2. Same now due to standards improving with skills. 3. Yes

That was a lot more involved than I was expecting.
Well, if you need clarifications on my clarifications, don't hesitate to ask!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

UnnecessaryNecessity In reply to Darkstar-001 [2018-12-19 20:20:48 +0000 UTC]

It's natural to always compare yourself to your best works. Truth is, it may be quite harmful if you overemphasize the differences between your "usual" and "best" quality. But maybe you rate "quality" differently? Do you base it more on how much work you put into it or the end effect?

As for laziness, I'd say I've been struggling with that before. I can't say I'm completely free of it (especially in departments other than writing). However, I realized that when it comes to my hobbies, it has to be embraced, not fought with. I'm sure you don't really want any advice on that matter, but that is not what I wanted to do, neither. Laziness is quite a funny issue because on one hand, we want to do stuff, but on the other, we don't and end up having an internal affair with oneself. Maybe we feel "lazy", though, because we feel as if our efficiency is not at its highest? Oh, and distractions do help in that too. A lot.

So that makes me come to a next question (spare for the previous ones lol): what do you consider your biggest distraction that keeps you away from doing cool stuff? What would you exactly define as your "laziness"? It's real

As for clarifications, I think I do not need to have anything explained yet. And... yes, I am surprised you went as far as to write a counting words 500 words woo that could be a story plan

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Darkstar-001 In reply to UnnecessaryNecessity [2018-12-22 16:29:28 +0000 UTC]

For quality, I'd base it on the end effect. That's all that people
see, and while I can note how much work went into it in the
description, ultimately, the comic's quality will either speak for
itself, or it won't. Of course, putting more work into things tends
to yield better results, so the two things are certainly related.

As for the biggest distraction I have, that would probably be video
games, but really, just general apathy is more than enough to gunk
up my  productivity. My laziness is, eh... like... not having any
motivation, just playing games, or watching Youtube videos for hours.
You can see it simply by looking at my posting lately. The Q&A, for
example, wasn't completed until months after the questions were posted,
and I still haven't released part 2 to the Fanon Virus series. I could
have done it, if I really tried. I'm not that busy, just... lazy.

Curiously, I am able to complete a comic for 4koma Friday every
week. Maybe it's because they're shorter, and so I can feel like I got
something done in a smaller amount of time, or maybe it's because
they're so routine now that there's no longer any room for resistance
to the habit. Perhaps I could do that for bite-sized chunks of larger
works, as I often (but not always, further confusing me) struggle to
maintain motivation when making those. And it didn't use to be this
way, so I'm not entirely sure why I've become lazy now, over these
past few months, when it wasn't so bad before.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0