Has my comic improved any?

[Chris Read]

You may or may not remember my webpage on Comic Genesis that I started up 2 years ago. Well, anyway, I put it up to review and most of you didn't like it. But I still plugged away on it, and beginning in January 2008, I started drawing it in MS Paint, resulting in new color strips. I've just wondered if you guys and girls like my comic any better than 2 years ago (if you don't remember them, the awful strips from 2006 are available under the Archives section.)
http://chrisread.comicgenesis.com

[Deathbringer]

Hmm, well it's legible now, before it looks like it's drawn in biro, scanned too big then shrunk in paint

[K-Dawg]

You need navigation buttons dude.

[Boozeathon4billion]

You should get a better program than MSPaint. It would help a lot.

Also, you need some nav buttons bigtime. If you have separate pages, put links to them too. Otherwise, just keep pushing forward. It can be hard to push forward in the light of criticism, but I'm glad to see that you're doing it.

[Chris Read]

By 'navigation buttons', do you mean the ones that say 'previous comic', etc? How do I get help on this?

[Prettysenshi]

http://cgwiki.comicgenesis.com/index.ph ... on_Buttons

This is a pretty clear article and it says everything you'd need. I hope that helps.

[Chris Read]

Navigation buttons added. Before you complain that they're too plain, please note that these are test buttons and I'll add better ones once I can come up with a better idea for them. Is there like a good program for adding shadows/effects, etc. to my comics or should I just get Photoshop?

[Chris Read]

Also, should Jessica's looks be changed? Here's what I was thinking. I want her to look real, but in a "cartoony" sense (as in the characters in Foxtrot, for an example) I did this in Paint because I don't have another program better than that yet. Any suggestions?

[Harishankar]

I think you're better off drawing on pen and paper and scanning the result into your computer.

Also I noticed that all your characters face the panel, which is a really unnatural way of carrying on a dialogue. At the least they could be facing each other. Or you could think of more creative ways to make two people have a conversation.

As for the art, I think you should put in a lot more effort to make it look polished at least. Right now the lines looks too jagged or too stiff. The best thing you could do if you're really serious is buy a graphics tablet and pen.

Humour is again something you need to work on. I am not sure of what your goal is, but if it's getting a few laughs, then you need to tighten your script a bit.

All in all, it's not something I would read regularly, unless I saw some major improvements in artwork and script. (And please, don't use the "it's not about the art" excuse. If it's not then you should probably not be asking for advice on this forum.)

[KingofSnake]

I agree with the last post. You'll never really improve doing it the way you're doing it now. If you keep drawing you'll get better over time, but piecing it together in paint... it will only get you so far

[Lei]

MS Paint was how I started with digital artwork back in, oh, 5th grade. It's an ok springboard when you're really new, but if you want to be taken at all seriously, you should invest in a different program. I'm sure there have to be threads in the archives where CGers suggest cheap alternatives for high-quality graphics programs. I work in Photoshop, for instance, which is on the higher end of the price spectrum, but you can find copies of the older versions for very low prices, with a lot of the same features.

I'd advise you to get some art books, or take a class. Yes, a lot of cartoons and comics are a far cry from realism, but the more you understand the composition and motion of the human figure, the better you'll be able to stylize it.

[Valkyrk]

You'll never really improve doing it the way you're doing it now. If you keep drawing you'll get better over time, but piecing it together in paint... it will only get you so far

It's an ok springboard when you're really new, but if you want to be taken at all seriously, you should invest in a different program.

Being a former Paint user, I just have to say that I do not support that position. Paint is far more versatile than many people realize. Although not many people can use it correctly, when it IS used CORRECTLY, it can create very good-looking comics. I did all of my early comics in Paint. You can use Paint, but you gotta learn HOW to use it. The same goes for any art program.

However! A little help on improving your drawing style a bit, should you remain in paint. My number 1 reccomendation? Use the line tool, NOT the paintbrush tool. In paint, the paintbrush is VERY unweildy. It is EVIL. Even if you have a TABLET you should not use the paintbrush tool in Paint. It's just too hard to manage. You might try just going with the line tool to create crisp, sharp, black outlines, then using the fill tool, which will improve the look of the comic.

In terms of humour, I can't help you. I can get a kick out of looking at ROCKS for an hour, so my opinion on how funny something is isn't really valid. (Am I the only one in the world who finds Garfield funny? It sure feels like it.)

[Cartoonme]

Have you tried using GIMP ( http://www.gimp.org/ )? It is a great free graphic program with many Photoshop style features.

[[geoduck]]

I use Paint Shop Pro. It's not free, but it's relatively cheap and it covers all the basics.

[Valkyrk]

While we're on this topic, Paint.Net is also a lesser-known, yet valuable resource. It is pretty much a cross between Paint and Photoshop, and I find myself using it often.