Drawing, writing, and time management.

[Jin-roh]

A thought occurred to me yesterday.

When I draw, I sit and get the entire strip done in one sitting. Now, my comic is not as artistically intensive as the art of others, but it still takes a big chunk out of my day. Furthermore, since I am really bad at predicting how long it will take to draw one, it tends to throw off my whole day. Basically, I have a comic in mind that day, sit down and get it done, and before I know it all remaining time in my day is shot either because the comic took so long to do, or that I simply have lost track of any kind of set schedule.

What I am thinking about doing instead, is setting aside thirty to forty five minutes every other day to work on a strip, story arc, etc and leave it strictly at that. What gets done gets done, even if I don't hit goals for my usual two to three week queue.

I wonder, though, how everyone else handles it? I know we all have other important things going on in life (school, work, relationships etc) so how do you guys manage it?

[Alias Pseudonym]

My advice is: don't finish it all in one sitting. I just sit down and try to get several panels done whenever I have a chance. Also I finish the first step (which for me involves actually writing the comic as I draw it) as early as possible so I can do the panels, which require much less thinking to complete.

[VinnieD]

I just work on mine as free time pops up. Since I bring my art supplies with me to work, I tend to do it during lunch break. Typically I pencil a few pages at a time, ink later. It does help to step away for a bit and come back later. It makes mistakes you may have missed easier to spot. Much like proofreading an essay a few hours later. They tend to show up when you've forgotten what you meant to put there and can't mentally fill in the blanks.

[VeryCuddlyCornpone]

I used to have a big chart of everything I needed to do. Like I had the whole season planned out in a grid, with columns to check off when I'd written or sketched or inked or whatever. Ended up just stressing me out, so now I mostly just work in little chunks when I can. Now I almost do it on the fly. I do have the season mostly planned out but I don't script anything until I actually get to that page. And I don't even have the dialogue exact until I actually go to write it in with pen. Sometimes I'll push myself to get a little bit more done, but I try not to rush or anything.

The past couple pages I worked on while I was watching the World Series.... that was such a smart idea, sitting over on the dark side of the room while coloring... yep... that didn't turn out crappy or anything....

And then when you get an Insanity Burst you can stay up til four trying to reach some arbitrary goal and wind up with a headache and really dried out eyes the next day. I- I mean, a friend of mine- does this now and then.

[Menelaos]

I just set aside the last 30 or 60 minutes of my day to working on my comic.

[Lianweijun086]

You know... I find it difficult to split up the whole process. A number of different things happen when I do.

1) I think of new "jokes" or punchlines that may slightly alter the original direction or pace
2) I forget what the hell I was doing with whatever I was trying to do
3) The jokes get stale(r), which discourages me from working...
4) I realize what a bad artist I am... and stop working
5) I just procrastinate like there's no... today?

I mean, not necessarily ALL of the above, but combinations definitely do occur...

[Charlos777]

Time management? Hmmm I suppose a lack of this would explain my lack of updates in about 9 months. I usually just get an idea jot it down and get to drawing it when I'm in class spacing out. Then I wait about three weeks before I realize I have multiple sketches in my bag that I need to scan. I eventually get around to it and then post them after a week of thinking they are far too stupid to go up, but then I realize I ain't got anything else to post and go for it.

I'd like to quote Mitch Hedberg now,"When I write a joke a sit down and think of a joke and if it's funny I write it down, or if the pen is too far away I have to convince myself that what I said ain't funny."

Note: don't be lazy like me >.<

[Jin-roh]

I'd like to quote Mitch Hedberg now,"When I write a joke a sit down and think of a joke and if it's funny I write it down, or if the pen is too far away I have to convince myself that what I said ain't funny."

Note: don't be lazy like me >.<

Ahh Mitch Hedberg. Funny guy, and one of the very few individuals who could be a pothead and become successful. And he still died young.