Pushing Through the Ugly: Watercolor Basics

Read the comic online now!

The Ugly Phase: Noun.  When a piece is still unfinished, but looks incredibly ugly, causing the creator serious career doubts. The ugly phase is necessary for truly great pieces to exist.

When: Happens generally midway through a piece- before things really start to come together, or before everything's even filled in all the way.

What: Many newer artists will give up at this point.  But experienced artists know to keep pushing

Causes:
Lack of definition
Lack of contrast
Inexperience with materials
Piece is underdeveloped
Artist needs to step away from the piece
Piece is oversaturated with water and needs to dry

The cure:
A second opinion or fresh perspective
Time spent away to think
Stepping away (literally- about ten feet- it allows you to get a better overall view)
Increasing contrast
Tightening up details in area of focus
Continuing to work on the piece-push through the ugly and embrace the suck

If symptoms persist:
Take a longer break- 2-3 days- and return with fresh eyes
Consider restarting the piece and learning from your mistakes
Try another medium

This post was brought to you by Ink Drop Cafe- a creator's collective!  Nattosoup Studio Art and Process Blog is an affiliate of Ink Drop Cafe- so swing by and see what's on our menu!

Ink Drop Cafe is a collective of webcomic creators, online art educators, and so much more!  If you enjoy comics or illustration, you should definitely check out the main site- browse our members and check out our amazing update calendar!

Interested in pursuing an education in art?  Love sequential art like comics, animation, and children's books?  Check out the NATTO scholarship!