I've been in Newgrounds art forums a few times. I asked why my art never gets any attention. Many of the users didn't like my coloring/art style. I even really looked at my art, they were right. This was the reason why I decided to change art styles and go for a Marvel style based on the How to draw comic: The Marvel Way book. This included redesigning many of my characters I created. Including Charcoal and Clawson. I went on Google to look up cartoon character designs to see why they worked and mine didn't. I designed Charcoal and Clawson first. Charcoal was modeled after Mickey Mouse, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Bugs Bunny, Charcoal's look when I made him in Sonic Forces, Huckleberry Hound, Ricochet Rabbit, and Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh. Some of the characters I said, Charcoal didn't take much from them. Just used them as a reference. Same thing for Clawson.

I designed Clawson around Charcoal's new design with some Cheshire Cat, Shere Khan, Sylvester Cat, and Muttley. To make him look mean but lovable. This time, he has only one blue spot. Couldn't be bothered to add spots on every single comic with him.

I made one drawing with New Charcoal and Clawson together. I gave them blue gloves and socks to make their blue more prominent. But after a suggestion in the forum, I made them barefoot with white feet and hands with no gloves. To make the face which has the blue the focal point.

For coloring them, the whites, blacks, and grays were the same. I had to make the blue brighter without making it too bright to separate it from the darks.

When I made another drawing of Charcoal, I gave his pupils no outline to make them easier to spot.

I'M NOT GOING BACK AND REDRAWING ALL THE WEEKLY COMICS I MADE THIS YEAR FROM THE TOP!!! I'm just gonna leave them alone and move on. I would only redraw them again in the future for making a compilation book of comic strips. Far into the future, after high school, with better skills, more time on my hands, and equipment. NO PROMISES!

Before I release everyone's new designs, I'm gonna draw a few pictures of these characters. I'm gonna rebuild them and rebuild them hopefully better than last time.

This weekly comic strip thing sounded so much better on paper. Thank God I already made enough to get through most of this year.

Lessons I've possibly learned the hard way, make a good art style, easy with the colors, leave good enough alone, and look at other people's work for help. I should've seen the error in my work sooner. I'm personally amazed I managed to get as many followers as I did on my social media pages.

I've said all that I wanted to say. You can look at my artwork on Deviantart and Newgrounds to see what you can learn from me.

-Charles. T