"Sketchy" Manga: Lazy Artists?

[Soviet Heavy]

Anyone else think that this is just downright lazy? Stylistically, I have nothing against a sketchy art style, but what I do take issue with is how this seems to make the artists excuse themselves from actually drawing settings. It's just the characters with a cross hatched background to make the characters stand out. It feels to me like the artist just decided to do as little work as possible, so backgrounds were thrown out and the coloring person was fired.

Now, on its own, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but when it becomes more and more common, it strikes me as a very poor excuse to not try. People will still buy it, so why bother putting effort into your work? It's the precedent it sets, that you can not give a shit about your work and still sell copies. And I think that is a problem.

 

[Davroth]

I don't follow. Mind giving an example what you mean?

Visual aids should help greatly.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I wouldn't really know of any "sketchy" examples you might mean, but manga on a whole tends to be quickly produced and just as quickly read and disgarded by the Japanese populace. Hence why it's usually black and white and not extremely detailed.

There are exceptions ofcourse such as Akira and Berserk wich are visual (as well as narrative) masterpieces.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

I don't follow. Mind giving an example what you mean?

Visual aids should help greatly.

Stuff like Hetalia. Looks more like half finished doodles than actual finished artwork.

 

[Vault101]

visual aids would be nice...

 

[The Funslinger]

I don't follow. Mind giving an example what you mean?

Visual aids should help greatly.

Stuff like Hetalia. Looks more like half finished doodles than actual finished artwork.

Well, Hetalia wasn't originally a proper manga, right? It was a web comic. So you could excuse the simplistic style.

Case in point: XKCD. It's certainly not that the author there lacks talent. He's displayed that well enough.

 

[TehCookie]

I'm fine with a sketchy style, when it's something like this [http://c.mhcdn.net/store/manga/5646/08-037.0/compressed/iao-no-exorcist-3432939.jpg] the mangaka is just plain lazy.

 

[Chemical Alia]

I'm fine with a sketchy style, when it's something like this [http://c.mhcdn.net/store/manga/5646/08-037.0/compressed/iao-no-exorcist-3432939.jpg] the mangaka is just plain lazy.

The lack of background is nowhere near as offensive as the terrible anatomy and google image-traced gun, lol.

 

[Rednog]

Megatokyo is another example of a guy who uses sketches, granted he has come a long way in the 12 years he has been doing the manga, but comparing his normal releases to his full color pages just shows how obscenely lazy the sketch style is...that and using repetitious panels.

 

[evilneko]

Megatokyo is another example of a guy who uses sketches, granted he has come a long way in the 12 years he has been doing the manga, but comparing his normal releases to his full color pages just shows how obscenely lazy the sketch style is...that and using repetitious panels.

Or that he doesn't have the time to put that kind of polish on a webcomic he updates two to three times a week.

 

[Rednog]

Megatokyo is another example of a guy who uses sketches, granted he has come a long way in the 12 years he has been doing the manga, but comparing his normal releases to his full color pages just shows how obscenely lazy the sketch style is...that and using repetitious panels.

Or that he doesn't have the time to put that kind of polish on a webcomic he updates two to three times a week.

Oh please that's the same excuse his fans have prattled on about for years. The fact is that most web comics do the 2-3 updates a week, and are of far better quality. Hell look at the guys from Looking for Group, not only does the artist update that twice a week but he also works on 2 other comics and is involved in a ton of other projects.
And even then you have to realize that Megatokyo is this guy's bread and butter, he doesn't have another job and he really doesn't do any other projects besides his comic and designing more merchandise. And he has never really kept the 2-3 a week updates anyways, hes often done an update a week, and has gone without an update for a month several times.
Look at his last strip, http://megatokyo.com/strip/1336 , the huge difference in quality between the guy and the girl is insane, and the inconsistencies between the male protagonist is laughable.
You might like and enjoy his work, but it doesn't mean that it isn't lazy.

 

[Charli]

...It's how a lot of good artists start...

They either develop or they don't...

Sketches have to be developed and evolve or knowing all the beautification techniques is pointless. So alot of people when practicing just use comics as a conduit to improve.

If they don't sure, it's lazy, however I started the same way and while I haven't seen enough improvement to warrant a living out of it, I still think I've made leaps and bounds from it. Every day I try to push what I can do. Some do not, and yes that irks me, but if I can see evidence of improvement see: Penny arcades early work. Over the years, then I can certainly tolerate a sketchy style of Manga or whatever it is as a natural evolution.

If you don't like it..err... okay then, don't give them any money or attention. Simples!
I certainly don't.

To buy work from another artist it has to be exceptional. The Japanese mentality of Manga is that it's about as substantial as the Sunday Funnies and to be produced just as quickly. Backgrounds would take man hours the production companies simply won't allow the artists. It's hardly their fault it's gotten so mainstream.

 

[solemnwar]

I know that some manga artists are very ill and are trying to get their manga out as quickly as possible before they possibly die...

Otherwise there's a certain appeal to "sketchy" styles. A lot of times the fluidity of the sketch is lost when linearted and coloured, so it can be nice to look at.