It’s official. Schlock Mercenary is not representative of the best work I can do.
(Okay, okay… my definition of “official” is admittedly lax. I don’t have a certificate or anything, but I suppose I could print one up.)
I’ve been reviewing my recent non-Schlock artwork, and carefully examining the line-art. I’ve been working to “draw something every day” for the last few weeks, and my ability to show volume and shape has improved dramatically.
That ability, however, is not getting reflected in the strips I draw. There’s just no time for it. If I had more time, I’d spend more of it on the artwork I put into the strip, but these days time is tight, and I’m consciously (CONSCIOUSLY!) cutting back on the amount of time I put into each strip.
That’s not to say I’m spending LESS time than I used to. No, I’m spending the SAME AMOUNT of time, by opting to NOT USE techniques that would make the line-art much better.
I’m still wondering how I feel about this. Does the old saw “anything worth doing is worth doing well” have corollaries like “you can’t do something well without doing your best?” Or are there valid antitheses to be found in phrases like “leave ’em wanting more” or “good enough for government work?”
Ponder, ponder, ponder.
