Thread "New to webcomics but experienced writer" in forum "Meet, Greet, Show and Sell*"

Posted at 5:07PM, Jul. 15, 2014

I have been writing stories for years but I've never created a comic before. I have mild cerebral palsy which means that I have to work twice as hard to be half as good at art than the average person. I can draw and I don't mean drawing stick figures. I have a few samples of fairly good quality but it took a great deal of effort just to produce those few good drawings. Using a computer, I know how to color those drawings as well.

I have several comics I would like to publish but I would love any tips or help I can get on drawing. I'm not looking to become the best artist around. I know that will never happen. However, anything that can help me be good enough to at least have some readers for my comic, I would greatly appreciate.

Some of the particular things I have a hard time drawing include: noses, ears, females (my females typically look like males with breasts), 3d perspecitve interior shots or city street shots (country exteriors are easier), musculature, and transparency (such as looking at something underwater).

Also, I frequently use Gimp but find it harder to get the textures right in Gimp. I can draw a grassy feild freehand fairly easy but in Gimp, it turns into a blank, textureless green. Any tips on either how to control the textures in Gimp or a reasonable priced art program that will let me do textures the way I like. I call my style of texture "color influence" because it is a lot like using highlighters or tools set on very low opacity to add secondary colors. Gimp does have the option of low opacity tools but they are awkward and not as easy to manipulate as freehand work.

To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, here's a sample of my work:
(I can't get the image insert to work)