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Hey guys, optimistic newbie here...

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Mr. Minipax:
Howdy folks, new to the boards, love the comic, etc etc...

I've been considering getting into the comic/webcomic scene, and I have enough "bursts o' funny" in my notebook (I function on epiphanies) to get started...buuuut, I can't draw.

So, I've tried buying books and reading guides, but they have, so far, only confirmed my theory that being handfed art makes one's art appear the same as everyone else who bought those books/guides...so given my shaky art ability and rudimentaries I picked up from observation, I have turned to the ol' tabula rasa.

Which brings me to my point...do any of you have any tips for an aspiring cartoonist? Any mistakes you made while getting into it that you can warn us young'uns about? Errors you see many newbie cartoonists making, helpful tipzorz you came across yourself, particular things to avoid or take advantage of...

I am a tabula rasa myself, so any guidance would be much appreciated. For the cost of zero cups of coffee a day, you could mentor this budding Pencil Warrior.

Anyway, have at ye, and thanks in advance.

(And, uh, thanks for reading this. I ramble, so my posts can end up sort of "stream of consciousness". Case in point.)

Catfish_Man:
Draw a lot. Force yourself to draw outside your comfort zone. Draw a lot more.

finaldelerium:
There are quite a few webcomics out there (dinosaur comics, xkcd white ninja comics) that dont really rely on the artwork much at all, and are more about the writing.  If you are a talented writer who can come up with some truly original and humerous ideas, the artwork CAN be secondary.

Does need to be pretty good though.

jeph:
DRAW DRAW DRAW DRAW.

Draw every single day. Even if your comic uses copy-pasted artwork, drawing will give you better insights for layout, pacing, etc.

Don't break the fourth wall. Unless it's really funny.

Don't make your first strip "SO HERE WE ARE, IT'S A NEW WEBCOMIC BLAUGHLAGBUAGHLLH". Start with the funny, not with the self-referentialism.

Try to build and maintain a strip buffer. This will give you more time to work on your comics and make them better.

Justin:
great tips there. also, it's okay to imitate someone's style when you're first learning how to draw. after a while your own style will emerge. goodluck.

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