Why I Let Go of Perfect Line Art
And Why Character Design Isn’t for Me
Hello everyone! Halloween is around the corner! 🎃
I've been on my digital art journey since 2018, and like any creative path, it’s been full of twists and turns, some good, some not so much. But today, I want to talk about something positive, my relationship with line art and the pursuit of perfection.
When I first started out, I followed a meticulous process that involved several steps before I even reached the line art stage. I would begin with a base, add small details, then more layers for refinement, and keep building until I created what I thought was the perfect line art. Yet, no matter how much time I invested, the final result never quite captured the life and energy of the original sketch. Why? Because of all those steps.
Each stage, adding details, refining the sketch, distanced me from the raw essence of the drawing. It was a time-consuming process, more so than even coloring. But I pushed myself to do it because I was influenced by comic artists who produced these beautiful, crisp lines. I admired their work and wanted the same for mine. I thought my art had to be clean, precise, perfect.
But here's the thing, I didn’t just want perfection. I craved the freedom to be messy, too. And yet, I kept telling myself the line art had to be flawless, that it had to follow the "rules" of polished illustration.
Lately, though, something has shifted. I’ve stopped striving for that perfect final line art. Now, I embrace the sketch itself. I clean it up a bit, remove the guide lines, and jump straight into coloring. The messy, organic lines bring a unique energy to my illustrations, and honestly, I love it. I’ve realized I don’t want to create the "perfect" artwork anymore.
I want to be messy. And I’m going to be messy. 😁
It’s taken a long time to reach this stage, the stage where I can just let go and have fun. I no longer feel bound by perfection. Instead, I welcome imperfection. And I hope you, along with others, will enjoy this messier side of my art as much as I do.
Let it be imperfect. Let it be free!
🍂 Art Journey
I recently enrolled in a Character Design course over at ArtWod, taught by Jordy Knoop. Overall, it's a fantastic course, and I can see why many people love it. However, I quickly realized it wasn’t the right fit for me. You see, I’m more focused on illustration rather than character design.
In the course, I only managed to complete one assignment. It started off really well, with an exciting challenge to create different types of characters based on three random items. I thought, “What a perfect opportunity to explore the new original character I’ve been working on!” And I did.
But then, the focus shifted slightly. We moved to designing characters based on shapes. Although this is a great exercise, my ADHD brain wasn’t having it. It was like my mind just hit a wall, saying, "Nope, not today, and probably not ever." From there, the course asked us to work on one character design and make changes over time. By that point, though, I was already pretty disengaged.
Reflecting on the experience, I remembered that when I first started my journey, I thought I wanted to be a concept artist. But it became clear to me pretty early on that it wasn’t the path I truly wanted. The techniques taught in the course are genuinely useful if you’re interested in creating your own characters. That said, you don’t need an expensive course to start – sometimes, you just need to dive in and experiment.
As for my original character? Oh, I haven’t stopped working on him. In fact, you’ll see him next week, though he may still need a bit more time in the spotlight! 😁
The pumpkin art came perfect, because I made a messy sketch and started paint. In the end sketch get buried below it all.
🍂 What to Read Next
Thank you so much for your generosity and support!
You're right! Focusing more on lineart is very time consuming. That's why I've also started to loosen up a little, not restraining myself to rules in this step. It's more fun and the results look natural when there are little gaps between lines. ^^ ✨