#to be honest i actually enjoy the process of undoing and erasing lines... it's mindless meditative work almost

[riceballoon]

Hi! Hope you're doing well. I really like the way your art looks, and wanted to ask if you have any advice on how to stop the endless ctrl+Zing that happens when you're doing lineart? (Was gonna post a gif showing it but it won't let me send links in asks) -- Have a good one o/

Hi! first of all, thank you for liking my art!💞 to be honest i undo and erase my lines Very Often… but i tried my best to give an answer! my reply is going to be pretty long so i'll put it under a page break

it's pretty old, but here's a process video of me struggling for comparison lol (i assume the lineart you were talking about was my persona fanart!)

My process sort of feels like sculpting out the lines I want from my sketch. I just work on that same layer and refine the lines by erasing away parts I don’t like or redrawing it (hence all the undoing). Lineart on its own layer sometimes ends up looking a little weird for me, since I may lose a lot of the loose energy from the sketch.

In my experience, when I undo lines often it’s a sign that I’m not really confident in my line quality which is the real cause of the issue. The lines that I’m most satisfied with are those that are bold (one continuous line without fraying), have varied line weight, and create interesting shapes with sharp angles that show the object’s 3D form. To do this I make lines heavier when they’re in shadow and thinner where light is hitting the form or when two forms are touching. I sometimes go over the same line multiple times to give it weight (since my favourite brushes usually don’t change size with pressure).

I’d say making sure your lines are confident + stable, and varying your line weight by knowing where to make a line thicker/thinner is the most important part of line quality! Then knowing where to place the lines by going slowly and making deliberate choices. (People practice this by only drawing with pen on paper, which makes sure every line you place is done with intent and if you do make a mistake, to work with it and adapt. Honestly I should do it more often too) You can also try drawing from the elbow or arm to make your lines really stable, or use a stabilizer on your brush. Oh and this is a pretty general tip but use references!! They're so helpful for visualizing the end goal for the drawing and you can easily spot any errors. They really make you more confident!

This was so long TTOTT I really don’t think I’m qualified to give out advice but I hope this helps! and thank you for the ask, it was helpful for me to analyze my own art 🫡 I hope you're doing well too and enjoy your day today! ☀️