Paging Dr. (_____): The Soren Project Part 2

I'll assume you've come straight from Part 1 so I'll just dive right into things. I'd like to discuss the first stage of alterations, as seen here, where I simply removed the notepaper lines and binder holes. As before, please take a moment to compare it to the original.

This removal of the lines brings us to the first, and most obvious issue with Ryuu's work as an artist, namely his choice of medium, pencil and notebook paper.

What's wrong with notebook paper I hear you ask? Simply put, its the medium of complete amateurs. Few serious artists even consider it, preferring the better quality paper of sketchbooks (which are not that expensive at all). This is because the very cheapness of notebook paper means you can't do as much with it. Too much inking, pencilling, or even erasing and it'll rip. Markers bleed right through, and pencil lines smudge, ruining any fine details and lines. It simply can't compare to the sturdier paper you get in sketch pads (which, again, are not that expensive).

Another problem is the lines. For starters, the lines are a crutch. Using them allows you to better gauge proportions and such things, but like any shortcut they make it harder to do the same without them. Secondly, they give a false sense of "fullness" to the picture, as once the lines are gone you can see that there was a lot of empty space being hidden by the notepaper lines.

The first bit is perhaps forgivable, though Ryuu should try and learn to get by without, though if he's not quite ready to give up the lines I'd suggest using a ruler and pencil to make his own lines in a sketchpad and erase them after he's done. The lines are still a distraction though, as you can't accurately gauge how much empty space the picture has with them in the way. They also interfere with any fine details that happen to cross their path.

All in all, notepaper is the choice of amateurs, which I feel has Ryuu doing a disservice to his own work, as in my own opinion for Ryuus faults as an artist he most certainly can do better both in medium and as an artist.