Artistically what are the most difficult things to portray in a comic?

Speaking strictly in terms of concept to panel translation. To me, sheer scale is very difficult to convey in a 2d format. Particularly objects that are meant to be portrayed as enormous in stature.

Originally posted by dmills
Speaking strictly in terms of concept to panel translation. To me, sheer scale is very difficult to convey in a 2d format. Particularly objects that are meant to be portrayed as enormous in stature.

Making characters seem badass while they're just talking takes some major skill. Its why Jim Lee is the champ, he can turn a quiet conversation into an action scene of sorts with his epic penciling.

Horror is another difficult thing to convey. I've read comics that were disturbing, but nothing that has ever scared me.

Originally posted by dmills
Horror is another difficult thing to convey. I've read comics that were disturbing, but nothing that has ever scared me.

A lot of artists, both good and bad seem to struggle sometimes with drawing anatomy, especially feet for some reason....

Originally posted by willRules
A lot of artists, both good and bad seem to struggle sometimes with drawing anatomy, especially feet for some reason....

It seems like a lot of artists have trouble drawing characters like Thanos or Darkseid, a lot of them draw said characters like fatties rather than just musclebound tanks.

Originally posted by Omega Vision
For me hands are the hardest things to draw.

It seems like a lot of artists have trouble drawing characters like Thanos or Darkseid, a lot of them draw said characters like fatties rather than just musclebound tanks.

Yeah, there are so many issues relating to scale or proportion ✅

Originally posted by dmills
Horror is another difficult thing to convey. I've read comics that were disturbing, but nothing that has ever scared me.

Have you read Locke and Key? That's an awesome series and has some classic kind of haunted house horror elements. There are some scenes in that series that don't necessarily make me jump outright but rather become fearful for the main characters. There is the genuine feeling that anybody could be killed off, and that's scary in a different way.

Having said that, the death of Hawkgirl in Blackest Night #1 made me literally jump. Before that I can't remember a comic that has made me jump.

I can see the difficulty in rendering Darkseid, but not Thanos. Just think Hulk with a bald head, purple skin and a skrull face and there you have it!

Hands. Hands are so crappy to draw.

P.S. Nobody post their drawings of hands. I'm not going to look at them.

Pouches.

It's why Liefield is so respected.

There's something magical about a well drawn pouch.

Originally posted by Badabing
I've always thought that it would be difficult portraying dozens of characters with detail in epic battles. Like we see in both Marvel and DC crossovers. Seeing 20+ characters on a 2 page spread all fighting, interacting on different levels of depth. Makes me...g_twitch thinking about it.

Yea, not many artists are George Perez.

Originally posted by Blanket
Pouches.

It's why Liefield is so respected.

Women's bodies...

Originally posted by Doctor-Alvis
Hands. Hands are so crappy to draw.

P.S. Nobody post their drawings of hands. I'm not going to look at them.

HEY! give Rob Liefeld some credit!!! The guy does the best hands.

Size perspective; small objects in relation to huge ones. See it a lot with characters standing near planets.
That's one area Walt Simonson showed some definite skill in.

@roughrider,

That is problem number 1 for me as I talked about in my op. I have come to the conclusion that in all likelyhood it's more of a limitation of the format then it is a matter of artists skill. Although some artists can pull it off better then others. Paul Peletier's work in Negation comes to mind. He set the gold standard nearly a decade ago and I've yet to see his Negation work surpassed in terms of rendering relative porportion and detail.

Shoes.

As someone who likes shoes, plain boots or weird shoe things make super heroes look like cartoon characters, instead of people in workable uniforms. I know they are actually cartoons, but when the characters themselves talk about their uniform plain weird boots look odd.

i would say hands and feet,,, definitely was and is for Rob Liefeld along with perspective.. background and finally the human body both women and men....

basically anything that is pencil to paper i would question even him writing his own name as being horrible and inconsistent.