Learn to Improve Your Manga Drawings Even with Negative Comments and Avoid Artist Block

By Rick Feathers

Words are very powerful and they can be inspiring and encouraging or they can be destructive and negative to the point of hindering us from being motivated. One of your manga drawings is subject to a vast ocean of comments because of what they say to others looking at them.

Therefore we have to be open to criticism and that is not always easy to do especially when a person spends hours on a manga sketch only to be congratulated or insulted in just a few minutes.

The way we deal with words from critiques has a lot to do with how we react later. Lack of motivation or artist block is a frame of mind that comes from past feelings of words we remember people and even family members telling us about our anime. This also leads to what we think of ourselves as an anime artist.

This is the point where you have to be cautious because like depression, artist block will keep you from ever picking up a pencil or pen and ink again. One of the primary reasons we create anime art is for people to like and enjoy it but on the flip side art that is not appreciated leaves us thinking about our ability to create anime.

So how do we get past those negative comment and stay in a positive and creative mode. The answer is simple, you overcome artist block by capturing that negative energy and find the good in it. Let me illustrate what I mean.

Picture yourself working on a manga sketch and someone looks over your shoulder and after a few minutes they make comments and suggestion for you to try something. Now you may find this very annoying or worst but it is a time to grab new insight.

Therefore stop what you are doing and listen to their comment and take notes on what they are saying. Try to envision what they are suggesting because sometimes we get so wrapped up in our work that we fail to see the obvious. By listening to a fresh idea, good or bad will motivate you for something to create later or what to avoid.

Now at times you will come across people who comment and criticize your anime art work and do it with an attitude that they know what is best. These people can leave a very bad experience with you in regards to feelings and the quality of your manga, your may even become defensive.

Again, I want you to focus on the energy of a negative comment.

The way to overcome those negative comments is to first write down what they dislike about your manga drawings. In other words play along with them by taking notes and then turn it around and ask them question about other things that you see.

Afterwards take your drawings and show it to your art teacher, your mentor or someone who you respect as an anime artist and value their opinion. Present them the notes you took and brainstorm about the ideas and ask why that was suggested.

The key is to not let negative comment make a nest in your mind but to harness every ounce of creativity from it and by doing so artist block has no place to reside. Make everything in your anime art world count for something and learn to improve from it.