Weird or not?

[OtomeWeekend]

I always think my sketch is better than the properly drawn one. Am I the only person who thinks like this? Is it normal? Or......

Just asking people around. I'm getting conscious about it lately.

[Zylinder]

It's not weird! At least, I don't think so. My sketches always make me go, "This isn't too bad at all! I really like this!"

...And then I start coloring it and realize the face proportions look like this. o _o
Yeah. orz

It goes away after some time though. Like now my sketches pretty much look the same/worse than the actual finished product. But the "It's way better earlier ;O;" feeling is still there sometimes xD

[Auro-Cyanide]

Hahaha, no, it's pretty normal XD

I often feel my sketches have so much more... life about them while my finished work often feel stiff to me. I'm working hard to capture the energy of my sketches in a more refined form *fight!*

[Endorphin]

Absolutly. =/

When I look at my sketches all I can think is "damn, when did you learn to draw such emotional pictures?", while the colored version just seems stiff and lifeless.
The sketch looks more dynamic and the character fits more.

But with the time you'll get used to it. :>

- R.

[sciencewarrior]

I'm not an artist, but I have my pet theory. I think that, when you have a lower resolution image, you brain fills in the details and they look just right. It's like when you think you spotted a cute obtainable in a crowd, then you give them a good look and think "nope, not cute!"

[Anna]

When you have a sketch, you have multiple lines instead of one. So, when you look at the sketch, you automatically 'pick' the best lines to look at. Line-art only uses one line, so it's more likely that the 'perfect line' isn't there and that it might look off.

That's my theory, at least.

It probably has to do with more factors though; for example, I can imagine sketches making a stronger impression because there are more lines or because the lines are thicker, compared to a thin line-art. Considering line-weight during inking can help with that too though.

[Endorphin]

It probably has to do with more factors though; for example, I can imagine sketches making a stronger impression because there are more lines or because the lines are thicker, compared to a thin line-art. Considering line-weight during inking can help with that too though.

That too - but also the fact, that the sketch lines are just "free".
I don't even have lineart anymore (I go for a slightly softer style), so everything I get down is kind of fixed - in sketching, you have all this unnecessary lines that make it look so dynamic~

But really, it's such a common problem - I always play with the thought of making a game in sketch style only. Dx

- R.

[Sapphi]

Yes, yes, yes. It developed because I was too nervous to draw proper pictures, so I almost always wouldn't make an attempt unless I told myself "it's okay, it's just a sketch". I also like the vagueness it allows, especially in facial expressions and hair. It's like if you get one line off, you make the character look entirely different and not how you wanted... but if you leave it sketchy, you capture the essence of what was in your head.

Maybe related is the fact that I have a very hard time visualizing complete pictures in my mind. You know those people who say "I can see it in my head, but I can't draw it?" I'm the opposite... I draw until I like what I see, then I know what my character looks like. (Is anybody here like me? This, along with some other things I've noticed recently, has made me question if I have the typical brain of an artist or if I'm some kind of freak variant.) Anyway, perhaps because my mental images are already very vague and transient, I like to see them replicated that same way on the paper.

Personally, I would say don't worry about it. There is a definite beauty to sketchy art and it has a solid place in illustration. Just draw what looks good to you, and not what you think it should be based on common convention, and then in no time, you will really like your art. ^_^

[Reikun]

Definitely not weird! In fact, there is actually a scientific explanation for why sketches look better than clean linearts to us.

In the end, all we can do is do our best and be happy with our art while try to bring the life of our sketches into the final pieces

[OtomeWeekend]

Thank you very much for the replies. :'D That made me feel really rest assured knowing that I'm not the only person who *I thought* thinks sketches are better than the properly drawn one >.<

Well, here's is a sketchy thank you drawing for all xD