Hello friends!
Recently, as gift to the wonderful people who subscribe to my newsletter, I drew a 45 page comic short story about a pig, entitled “The Secret to Being a Great Artist.” Here’s a preview of the first fifteen pages:
Would you like to read the rest? Sign up for my newsletter, and get a link to download the whole comic in PDF format! Thank you!
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Can you please send me the download link once more?? I accidentally delete the email contains it, thank you very much for this wonderful comic!
Sent!
Same thing. Could you possibly resend it?
Sent!
Same here, could you please resend it too? Thanks!
Hi! I never got an email with it ;P Sorry to trouble you, but I really would like to read the rest of this comic.
Oh, sorry! Sending that now.
[…] McCranie over at doodlealley.com has published a short comic entitled The Secret to Being a Great Artist. It is an incredible, beautiful, and intelligent piece of work that should required reading for any […]
Hey there!
I just want to say I have been following your blog for quite some time now. I’m also a comic artist with really (REALLY REALLY) big expectations for my webcomic. I’ve struggled with self-doubt in both myself and my art, for my entire life. I continue to. I have no audience outside my friends and family, but spend 40+ hours a week on my art. Sometimes it feels so hopeless.
I just want to say that seeing you express these same insecurities with your lovely art…I don’t know…It just makes me feel a whole lot better. I look forward to watching your creations for many years.
-Andrew
Thanks Andrew! Glad to hear that– keep in touch!
Hello Mr McCranie,
I know your website for some time and I really appreciate your work and your clever advices. I usually don’t comment on blogs but this time I have to do it. This comic is amazing. Beautiful drawing and very intelligent message. Bravo.
Olivier
Thanks Olivier! Much appreciated!
Art with heart!
Dear Stephen McCranie ,
I really feel I owe you a BIG THANK YOU for this wonderful comic. I received it today and decided to read it and I was hooked in the first couple of seconds. My heart swelled with happiness when I finished.
You see, I can totally related with the story—in a different way. I have this terrible dispensing workshop every Thursday (I am studying pharmacy) and I really hate every single moment of it. This comic makes me realize something important that I have forgotten: instead of focusing my energy to hate the workshop, I should try to enjoy it and see if it will make a difference.
Plus, I do like to draw but now, somehow, I have stopped drawing because I think I am wasting my time. Career-wise, it has nothing to do with what I am studying. Also, I see lots of other people that are better in drawing/painting that I am so it kinda make me feel like it is pointless to do it. I feel like my drawings lack of life and a bit too stiff and unnatural. This comic asks me a serious question:”why do I like drawing in the first place?”
I really like the style of the comic. It is very sweet and simple and emits a certain warmth that can’t be described with words. I am so glad I subscribed to you. Thank you again and keep up the good work.
Yay! That’s awesome. Thanks for letting me know!
Thanks a bundle! This is just what I needed. It’s time to draw new things without worrying about how good they look. It is just time to draw.
Heartwarming story, too, and I enjoy how readable your layout, text and pacing are. Content and a very digestible read make your comics a real pleasure. That is something to put into the “Must Reference” file! Thanks again!
I enjoyed reading this one a lot. I love how relate-able the characters are! Their quirks and misgivings make this comic even more lovable. Good work!
Thanks!
Reading this feels like you had a lot of fun making it haha! Your work has been a tremendous help with mine but it is a cool change seeing your advice in story form. There’s a lot of character in it and that is one really huge lesson I’ve learned since I started.
I was so critical and focused so much on technique and skill that I didn’t realize that it’s not JUST the content, but the character that matters too! It did help that the craft was improving too though, but really it is all good fun
This was a very refreshing story. Thanks again!
You’re welcome!
I like where this is going! I’m going to sign up for the newsletter so I can read the rest and get your updates ^o^ (….I keep coming back to your site. I really should have signed up earlier, haha.)
Thank you!
This is brilliant and so true to life. Thank you for making these comics, I am sure they will inspire and encourage many artists to come!
Thank you, that was a beautiful comic.
You’re welcome!
I’ve been following your work since last summer and it always inspires! Thanks for having the courage to be honest and transparent about the struggles we all face, and for communicating them through your art. This comic in particular made me really think through what it means to be a great artist and I realized I was believing some misconceptions.Keep up the great work;God has truly gifted you with the ability to impact lives. God bless, and I’ll be praying for you!
Sorry but even I haven’t received the email with the
newsletter. If it’s not too much trouble could you please resend it?
Thanks
Love your works and a big congrats. Sorry but even I haven’t received the email with the newsletter. If it’s not too much trouble could you please resend it?
Thanks
I really enjoyed the story and how you did it. very heartwarming.
Hi Stephen, I’ve already subscribed but I haven’t got my link. Could you please send me the download link? Much appreciated. Thanks!
Hello! I would like to get the rest of this comic. Could you send me the download link? Also, I ordered a comic on your store, but I will be moving at the beginning of next month. Do you know if it will make it to me before then?
Thank you for such a nice read
I’d love to finish reading your comic, what must I do to get the rest? I didn’t see it in the Store.
please send me the comic…… i am curious..
I signed up but didn’t get a link to the download!
Hello! I signed up and was downloading the pdf happily.. But then my internet choked and now the file is damaged and won’t open. Would you please send me another link?? Thank you for your thoughtful, encouraging and lovely art!
I erased the page that let me download it, whoops!!! Can you send me the pdf or download link? Thanks so much!!!
Hello Stephen, I just signed up for your newsletter and got the “Secret” pdf. Thanks so much; it made me cry because it truly says that what is in front of us (ie, people) is (should be) the most important thing. I see my art as an expression of me…I am its creator, and so it cannot be more important than me (as a vulnerable, but magical human being)… and it would not exist w/o the things I feel and bring out to share…my joys, my pain, my struggles, my friends, every person and experience that I find in front of me….just like Patrice finally realized! Thank you, and I look forward to more good stuff from you on the true “art” of living. Best….R
i didn’t get the email ,could you please send it ?
I really love this “Secret..” comic… when I was 10 (I think… not quite sure) I loved to draw… so I even used to draw on my desk at school and my schoolmates somehow admired my draws but I felt ashamed of them, one day that I was drawing I felt so angry at myself for drawing something so horrible so I wrinkled that paper and threw it away, surprisingly for me, two mates (that apparently were watching while I was drawing) ran to the trash can and rescued that wrinkle paper and started fighting for it… I was surprised and amazed ’caused I thought my drawing was shameful, I think that’s the most beautiful part of being an artist… that other people can appreciate your art even when you can’t, it may be ugly/bad/terrible to you, and perhaps it is, but if other people can enjoy your art too.. then I think is quite worth the effort.. The funny thing was that I was asked “how did you get so good at drawing?” or to teach them… and I always said: “how can I teach you when I’m not good enough myself??” and if you really like to draw then draw.. what do you need me for?… and if you wanna get better at drawing just keep practicing… don’t you guys see I’m still practicing??.. I think they thought I was a prideful “artist?” and maybe “full of myself” they even said that I said that because I was petty and didn’t want to share my knowledge.. and when I said my drawings were ugly they also took that as false modesty but I was being sincere, I’m still not good…and the truth is I’m still practicing TT_TT hehe but I draw because is fun sometimes and a few times I felt that reward of other enjoying my draws… (I’m sorry for my poor english since I’m not a native english speaker)