Things to Avoid When Making ComicsOr, Things That Really Annoy CrowbarEdit April 16: Given recent comments, it's come to my attention that the tone I've used is too derogatory and using others' work as examples was a huge mistake. I've rewritten it to be what I hope is more constructive, and removed the examples (since half were missing anyway). My intention with the examples was only to provide example of that one element, not to completely defame the authors or insinuate their entire comic is shit. All the examples had good and bad to them, but the focus of this write-up is the bad. [/edit]The majority of these issues are things I see in OCT entries and could be easily avoided and/or improved on. Please be aware that these are things I find issue in, and some points may be more subjective than others. For most points, I've explained why I think it's wrong, what can be done to fix it, and how it can be made to work well. Above all, think about how each element of your comic impacts the narrative and
Unique Character Design TipsIn my opinion, these are the most important factors in any character design: color, concept, shape, simplicity, cohesiveness, repeatability, personality and uniqueness.Color: Any design with colors all over the place creates too many places for the eye to look. Keep your color design very simple and zen. Looking at the colors shouldn't be jarring or confusing. This isn't to say only use one color, not at all, but try to make sure the ones you use are harmonious. Avoid mixing and matching different saturations of the same color or picking colors that clash with one another.My rule of thumb: Stick to no more than three base colors and some
A Guide to OCTsOriginal Character Tournaments are all over deviantart and keep growing in popularity, but not everyone knows what they are or how to participate in them. Since they're hosted by individuals and not actually affiliated with the website itself, there are no guides available to help explain how they work. Hopefully, this FAQ will be helpful to anyone looking to get involved in OCTs.What is an OCT?OCTs, or "Original Character Tournaments" are contests held here on deviantart in which you can pit your original characters against other people's characters in a comic-style battle-royale. To put it simply, it's a
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