Valentina

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Simple isn't bad.

Let's say it again so that it sticks.

Simple isn't bad.

This should be clear from the beginning but people think of simple as a form that lacks depth or mature themed. It doesn't it is a form, and it depends on how you use it.

For real beautiful simplicity, this is a hard skill to master and takes a lot practice until you are skilled, and even more until you can master it.

Think about it, the less you have to illustrate means that there is more than will show. Disney may seem simple, but their characters were extremely complex and took a lot of skill to draw. This is a good example, because, the whole point of making a "cartoon" is for the sake of making it realistic. It is an image that has been boiled down to its essence.

Because of this the simplest images can convey the strongest, most pointed messages.

Before you start sketching and call it quits, I will say that there are many failed attempts at simplicity.

You need to learn to run before you can crawl, and Picasso's most famous works are some of his most graphically simple and abstract. Yet he was still highly skilled at realistic rendering. Her and understood the importance of accurate light, shadow, line, and compostion, and he knew how to make them work togther with a simply style.

I can't find a link right now, but there is an artist which you will find from time to time in the New Yorker. They produce beautitful rendisition, and yet they get away with simple geometric shapes, most without captions or anything. Simple isn't bad it just depends on how you use it.

The drawings in a comic should suit the story, or the mood you're looking for when telling the story. In this sense, simple doens't necessarily mean bad, and sometimes you can also mix very detailed parts with very simple art. Think about Liberty Meadows by Frank Cho, the first one to come to mind. Be careful that simple doesn't have to mean immature; it's a common misconception. The artist must know what they're doing and decide to go for a simpler style.

Look at xkcd, this is an example of simple that is also a sensation, even thought the story is literal told through stick-figures.

My recommendation to you as an artist are this: Ask yourself if drawing your comic in a simple style enhances the mood of the piece or detracts from it. If it works then use it.

You should remember, there are comic masterpieces out there that are in a simple style, it is totally depended on what you are trying to do . Think of it like this, a simple style will force you to let go.

Even the greatest comic artists of all time had panels and details that they weren't proud of. It's so hard but we have to let go of our mistakes at some point, and keep moving forward.

Whatever style you choose, and this is important because it is basically your ground work, please sure that you make the choice that is best for your comic. There is nothing worse than having the story suffer due to the mismatched art style.

If you are curious for more thoughts on this, I have two suggestions: read the book called Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud once you understand what he is trying to teach you you can go over to Netflix and watch first episode of the TV show Abstract.

Now it is time for a cookie!