Just Joined, seek some guidance

[sum_4fun]

Just Joined,

I'd like to write stories and create an Adult Panel Comic.
would love to chat with someone with similar intent, or who has done either.

Browsed chat yesterday and seems that actually getting published my take time,
but that's fine..........I'm more interested in creative process and those who
are also.

Ugh, need help already tried to attach drawing that I put into area of my account, don't see anyway to navigate within forum and Uploading from dialogue bow for "my computer" fails

 

[Rustyoznail]

Just Joined,

I'd like to write stories and create an Adult Panel Comic.
would love to chat with someone with similar intent, or who has done either.

Browsed chat yesterday and seems that actually getting published my take time,
but that's fine..........I'm more interested in creative process and those who
are also.

Ugh, need help already tried to attach drawing that I put into area of my account, don't see anyway to navigate within forum and Uploading from dialogue bow for "my computer" fails

Hi S4F - welcome!

I can't help with panel comics. I'd love to do one, but my life drawing skills are not too good. I was (still am...) an avid reader of the Carl Barks Disney comics and wanted to do some of my own. Writing stories here is as close as I've got.

Attaching images is a convoluted process. If you reply to this post, there's a section below to attach a file. Click "Manage Attachments" and a new window should pop up. Select the file from your computer, making sure it meets the specs. After it uploads, you'll see the file in "Current attachments". Copy the link and go back to your message.

Click on the "Insert Image" icon - the yellow one with the mountain. Paste the URL you just copied and hit Submit Reply if you're ready.

Close the popup window. DO NOT REMOVE THE IMAGE!!! It'll disappear from view.

There's probably easier ways to do this, but that's what I've found through trial and error.

Have fun! We need more artists here.

 

[Magineer]

I'm genuinely puzzled.

What is this thing about comics and cartoony effects? I keep seeing it. What's with the reluctance to sketch and draw things in a more true-to-life way?

Can anyone explain why people pursue this style as an actual preference? To me it makes no sense whatsoever.

 

[Magineer]

I hear everything you say and, aside from making the obvious observation that most serious readers don't read comics, wouldn't dispute much of it...

...and yet.. and yet...

... whilst I accept that, when producing unaccompanied pictures, an artist can feel free to produce whatever he/she wants or is capable of, the essence of a story is to draw the reader in - to convey to the utmost that this scenario could actually be happening. Verisimilitude, i.e.

Within this latter constraint, the illustrating artist surely needs to avoid distraction or in any other way the straining of a reader's credulity.

The overriding objective is to convince.

I guess this all comes back to discussion of this dichotomy in "erotic art". Sometimes it's there as an illustration; sometimes as a free-standing offering where the viewer is left to guess possible back-stories to what he/she sees, no doubt often being totally wide of the mark as compared with the artist's intention.

 

[WintersCaress]

I hear everything you say and, aside from making the obvious observation that most serious readers don't read comics, wouldn't dispute much of it...

...and yet.. and yet...

... whilst I accept that, when producing unaccompanied pictures, an artist can feel free to produce whatever he/she wants or is capable of, the essence of a story is to draw the reader in - to convey to the utmost that this scenario could actually be happening. Verisimilitude, i.e.

Within this latter constraint, the illustrating artist surely needs to avoid distraction or in any other way the straining of a reader's credulity.

The overriding objective is to convince.

I guess this all comes back to discussion of this dichotomy in "erotic art". Sometimes it's there as an illustration; sometimes as a free-standing offering where the viewer is left to guess possible back-stories to what he/she sees, no doubt often being totally wide of the mark as compared with the artist's intention.

The secret to titillating erotic art is not to explicitly illustrate, but to subtly imply and leave a lot to the reader’s imagination. How? Well that’s the difficult part and not everyone will have the skills and know how to achieve such a thing. I know I sure don’t! I do know that an explicitly drawn scene is good every now and then, but to include too many details in a panel can tire the reader’s eyes out and make reading your comics a tiresome chore.

Also drawing is fecking hard. It’s hard enough just drawing stylized art, what more if you draw realistic characters for 30 whole pages at 3 panels per page. Balancing the amount of effort vs your present skills vs returns for your effort is just as important.

Again, leave a lot to your reader’s imagination. How that’s done is a meta game that’s constantly evolving with the times, but if you insist on hyperrealistic illustrations it’d be easier to just take pictures of porn actors while they do the deed and write a story about their encounter to your heart’s content.

As to the original question. Just use an external image hosting service to show your art. I use catbox.moe since it’s free. Sometimes it’s down but it sure beats having to pay 16 bucks a month for something I only do for fun.

 

[Magineer]

The secret to titillating erotic art is not to explicitly illustrate, but to subtly imply and leave a lot to the reader’s imagination.

According to which absolute authority?

Perhaps we are talking at cross purposes. Are you referring to stand-alone art or illustrating a story? If the latter, it is the words of the writer which supply the detail and the reader's imagination is necessarily constrained within that. This does not mean to say that the artist cannot cast "extra light" on the action or give an interesting slant on what the narrative has already described. Possibly therein would lie the challenge and enjoyment.

 

[SimonDoom]

I'm genuinely puzzled.

What is this thing about comics and cartoony effects? I keep seeing it. What's with the reluctance to sketch and draw things in a more true-to-life way?

Can anyone explain why people pursue this style as an actual preference? To me it makes no sense whatsoever.

There's a place for many different types of representation. Some art strives for realism. Some art strives for something completely different. Think about Picasso's cubism. A person can appreciate a realistic depiction of a person and also appreciate a strange, cubist depiction of a person.

The appeal of cartoons is that they simplify and exaggerate. Japanese hentai, for example, exaggerates certain sexually appealing characteristics of female characters to make them sexier for some viewers. Comic book characters have exaggerated muscles, lean, sculpted bodies, huge rocket-ship breasts. The exaggeration is stimulating. It appeals to something deep and elemental in us.

There are sculptures of women that were made in Paleolithic times that show them with exaggerated buttocks and breasts. The female characteristics are enhanced. I think it's the same concept. It's been going on for as long as people have been around.

 

[THROBBS]

There's a place for many different types of representation. Some art strives for realism. Some art strives for something completely different. Think about Picasso's cubism. A person can appreciate a realistic depiction of a person and also appreciate a strange, cubist depiction of a person.

The appeal of cartoons is that they simplify and exaggerate. Japanese hentai, for example, exaggerates certain sexually appealing characteristics of female characters to make them sexier for some viewers. Comic book characters have exaggerated muscles, lean, sculpted bodies, huge rocket-ship breasts. The exaggeration is stimulating. It appeals to something deep and elemental in us.

There are sculptures of women that were made in Paleolithic times that show them with exaggerated buttocks and breasts. The female characteristics are enhanced. I think it's the same concept. It's been going on for as long as people have been around.

I'm inclined to agree, SimonDoom.

WintersCaress's notes about "titillating erotic art" is interesting, keeping in mind what is "titillating" is very subjective. I do think that with exposure, we do tend to become desensitized to visual stimuli.
As with most everything — it's on a spectrum, and not simply a linear spectrum, or even planar, it's 3D!

 

[WintersCaress]

According to which absolute authority?

Perhaps we are talking at cross purposes. Are you referring to stand-alone art or illustrating a story? If the latter, it is the words of the writer which supply the detail and the reader's imagination is necessarily constrained within that. This does not mean to say that the artist cannot cast "extra light" on the action or give an interesting slant on what the narrative has already described. Possibly therein would lie the challenge and enjoyment.

If it came from an “absolute authority” then it wouldn’t be a secret. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to illustrating, only what you can observe to be the most popular and what hits home with your target audience. We are also subconsciously attracted to youthful features and as such youthful proportions are very common amongst beautiful illustrations of people.

https://files.catbox.moe/b75t3b.jpeg

As an example, one of the most famous illustrators of yesteryear, Doug Sneyd, drew ladies with facial features that aren’t overly detailed and very youthful in appearance. The viewer’s mind automatically fills in the missing details that are pleasing and that is why you should leave a lot to the imagination.

https://files.catbox.moe/0ggraa.jpeg

https://files.catbox.moe/0lg4m3.jpeg

It’s also why Japanese anime is so very popular; their characters have neotenous features that are very pleasing to the eye and leaves a lot of room for the imagination to take over.

https://files.catbox.moe/zu5qjs.jpeg

This can apply for both standalone art and those accompanying a story. As for writing, I honestly don’t have a lot to say. I’m more confident in my ability to draw than in my ability to write.

I'm inclined to agree, SimonDoom.

WintersCaress's notes about "titillating erotic art" is interesting, keeping in mind what is "titillating" is very subjective. I do think that with exposure, we do tend to become desensitized to visual stimuli.
As with most everything — it's on a spectrum, and not simply a linear spectrum, or even planar, it's 3D!

Yes and that’s exactly why you should leave a lot to interpretation but to each his own. Some prefer being spoon fed conclusions and descriptions while others love having their mind’s eye doing more of the work.