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Submitted: July 7, 2012
Image Size: 1.4 MB
Resolution: 550×3432
Submitted with: Sta.sh

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SYAC - Q and A - Backgroundsby *TomPreston

Cartoons & Comics / Traditional Media / Comics / Pages

Copyright 2012 Andrew Dobson
Read the latest “So, You’re A Cartoonist” at the following [link]

Backgrounds are a comic artist’s worse nightmare. We all struggle with them because they’re a pain in the neck to do, and yet they’re so essential. While some comics require more backgrounds than others, the important thing to remember is to just have FUN with them.

~~mad 0 0~~

~burninglilly Apr 27, 2013 Hobbyist Traditional Artist

I've been drawing for a few years now,
I did my best to learn to draw hands, I'm still having trouble with feet, my proportions still suck but I'm getting better,
but the number one thing I tried to avoid (and am still avoiding) is... backgrounds.
They're like enemy number 1 to me.
I never know what to put as a background and I never know what objects should go in it.
It's like the background needs to be as much the story as the characters are
and me just putting random objects would be a waste of graphite, ink and paper.
Not only that, if my proportions suck with characters you can only imagine for an EMPTY ROOM!
Seriously!
I can't put my characters inside an empty room! They wall is always crooked, or the room is too small.
Its problematic but I think maybe it's time to tackle this problem, take some of your advice and finally conquer my worst enemy.

~ESCkid Mar 19, 2013

Saved my life =_=

~Jacob3908 Feb 26, 2013

This kind of stuff is very helpful.
Thank you!

~hinatahime666 Feb 12, 2013

That's very helpful

I'm not very good at drawing but I enjoy it. I've noticed that all my drawings that include buildings are all mostly straight lines and rigid looking. Is there a way to change that?
You don't have to answer if you don't want to, I wasn't sure how to ask

~VaguelyCreepy Jan 6, 2013 Student General Artist

I think one of the best ways to have fun with backgrounds is hiding jokes in them. It makes them more fun to draw, and to look at. Sneak in a subtle difference between panels, or pull perspective tricks, or just throw in some sort of absurdist joke. Of course, it doesn't really work for the more serious genres, but what you can do in those cases is throw in some world-building instead, like a news article or a background event.