# My sketch always looks better than my line art. What do I do?



## nekosync (Sep 12, 2014)

This happens with almost every drawing that I do. Even with the current sketch I have, I _know_ that when I go to do the line art, it'll look worse than the sketch.

The thing is, my sketches always have really rough lines. I don't know whether I should go with this look or try to make it smoother?? Examples:


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## mob (Sep 12, 2014)

my sketches usually look better than line art
i think that is a problem a lot of people have


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## nekosync (Sep 12, 2014)

bot said:


> my sketches usually look better than line art
> i think that is a problem a lot of people have



Hmm, okay. Do you know a good tool to use for the line art so I could make it look better?


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## Delphine (Sep 12, 2014)

I have the same problem when I draw. Would love to hear someone's advices as well...


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## azukitan (Sep 12, 2014)

I have the same problem, too! *sobs*

Putting that aside, there's tons of line-art tutorials on deviantART that can help you: [x]
With willpower and patience, anything is possible! *cough* I should really follow my own advice *cough*


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## cocaine (Sep 12, 2014)

imo its bc when we do sketches, subconsciously we know that this isnt going to be the 'final' version (bc it will be inked later) which results in the sketch looking more free flowing bc we werent afraid to make mistakes


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## #1 Senpai (Sep 13, 2014)

this feeling .. my sketches always looks better than my lineart ;-;


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## spCrossing (Sep 13, 2014)

I always have that feeling, but the final product seems to be some what better than the sketch.
EXAMPLE


Spoiler: Rooney sketch













Spoiler: Rooney Lineart










But then again, I tend to add additional stuff or just fix some of the problems the sketch had in the lineart.


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## Mayor Lark (Sep 13, 2014)

This is a common error among artist. I believe there is a misconception as to what a sketch is.
A sketch is a rough idea of what you want the final image to look like, not a drawing to trace over and "refine". The purpose of sketches are to help get the flow of art going. Some artists tend to prefer using the sketch and refining it from there, and that's perfectly fine. Others, like me, use a sketch as a guideline to help with proportions and inspiration ideas.
A bit of it has been cut off, but here's what my sketch looked like:


Spoiler: sketch






Okay so I have the gesture and proportions I want, so let's skip ahead to the line art:


Spoiler: no color base image






Way different, right? A major component in drawing is getting proportion and gesture down before anything. And while a lot of artists are good at that step, they tend to make their finished drawings look stiffer than they had intended. "Line-art" seems to take away from the emotion and character of the image. Look at your sketch as a preliminary drawing, and don't worry about the details. As you start to work the image into a finished product, you can then add in all the details and fix proportions or gestures. Remember, reference images are very useful, and always take a break if you get stuck. You may not see anything to fix now, but I guarantee if you come back in an hour, you'll cringe at all the mistakes. Just relax. Practice. It'll get easier with practice.


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## nekosync (Sep 13, 2014)

Mayor Lark said:


> This is a common error among artist. I believe there is a misconception as to what a sketch is.
> A sketch is a rough idea of what you want the final image to look like, not a drawing to trace over and "refine". The purpose of sketches are to help get the flow of art going. Some artists tend to prefer using the sketch and refining it from there, and that's perfectly fine. Others, like me, use a sketch as a guideline to help with proportions and inspiration ideas.
> A bit of it has been cut off, but here's what my sketch looked like:
> 
> ...


Thank you! This was really helpful. 

- - - Post Merge - - -

I have another issue...

The thing is, I can't make the line art _smooth._ I always use little lines to make one big line, because it helps me get the shape right. I want my lines to be smooth but I can't get them like that. When I use singular lines for my drawings, it doesn't look right.

Please help. What do I do?


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## #1 Senpai (Sep 13, 2014)

nekosync said:


> Thank you! This was really helpful.
> 
> - - - Post Merge - - -
> 
> ...



What software do you use? If you use paint tool sai try using the _stablizer/smoothing_, the higher the number ex. "_S-3_" that'll help make your lines smoother, or you can use the vector _layor/linework_ layer & the _curve tool_ is the best tool while on the layer imo, 

if you're using another software..i can't help you Dx


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