Finding Dee Fish

In DEEfense of: Line Weights

Finding Dee Fish — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 13:01:46 GMT

While there is an infinite variety of different drawing styles, all of which have distinctly different “rules” and tips to improve how effectively they communicate, there are some concepts that are useful across multiple styles.

And regarding cartooning, one of them that I really believe in is the value of varying your line weights.

Personally, I love the fluid, thick/thin lines of cartoonists like Walt Kelly, Jeff Smith, etc. Juicy lines that convey the roundness of form, volume, and organic shape. To me, that style of inking just looks more… alive. It’s a style I’ve struggled to get better at for my entire career

Knockoff Kelly Line art. Or, at least, my best attept.

.This style generally emphasizes imparting volume, but also helps to enhance the illusion of a light source even without rendering by adding additional thickness on the sides of forms that are opposite of the light source.

The sun is FAR above me, so the lines on the undersides of my legs, nose, and boobs are thicker than the side closest to the light source.

In the POGO homage image, there are multiple planes of art that help to impart depth. The tree and shrub in the forground has the thickest lines around them, and the outlines on the trees in the distance are thinner, and broken

Thin, open, loose lines in the background IMPLY detail here, and depth.

There are plenty of cartoonists who also do amazing things with what is called a “dead line”, which is to say a line with uniform thickness. MOST tv animation does this, and a lot of cartooning, as well. But even with a dead line, line weight can still be used to help to establish depth and perspective.

But even with a dead line, you can use slightly different line thickness… uniform for each layer… to help enhance the feeling of depth in a scene.

The hedge in the background’s line, just as “DEAD” as mine, is slightly thinner, which helps set it back visually.

Yes, color makes it easier to differentiate levels in your art, but a thicker line can help push a character closer to the reader. It replicates the optical tricks of objects being closer to your eye being sharper and more focused, and far away objects fading back.

A thinner line, or even a broken one, says “background”, while a more solid, chonky line helps transform “lines” into “objects” and flat drawings into windows into a reality.

It’s ALL on display here. Broken lines on background objects, thick holding lines around foreground objects, etc.

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Timelapse - Minimum Effort

Finding Dee Fish — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:37:29 GMT

There are TWO different versions of the bluelines here. My original idea... the second image here, had me in the SAME pose throughout, only changing in the last panel. The idea, was that the art evolution would pop well off of unchanging art.

Minimum Effort

Finding Dee Fish — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:27:58 GMT

This was an idea that sprang out of a moment where I was tired, and REALLY was regretting the decision to start coloring the comic strip. It was a whole lot easier, but the color really seems to be clicking with folks, so there’s no going back. That SAID, I could still poke fun at the idea like this.

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A Blog about Blogging

Finding Dee Fish — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 16:59:33 GMT

So, I really need to write these things with a smidge more frequency. I get started and start building momentum with blogs, then run out of steam and shift my focus back to JUST the posting of comics. But the question I am asking myself is, “Why am I running out of steam?”

The answer, sadly, is THIS bitch

Pictured: THIS bitch.

:That’s the cartoon representation of my Impostor Syndrome. It’s the voice in my head screaming at me that I have no right to sit here and post blogs where I tell people how to do anything, because I suck at everything.

This voice is, in no way, silenced by my now having TWO nominations under my belt from the National Cartoonists Society for Best Online Comic (Short Form). This voice hears me think, “But… I’ve been nominated for this award TWICE now. I MUST know what I’m doing well enough to give the occasional advice, right?” And just laughs and laughs and laughs.

Like this, but in a cape and mask.

For my part, I’m not laughing as much. I’m sitting there internalizing all the reasons why I don’t feel confident in making “how to” blog posts here, or anything that even KINDA hints that I know what I’m doing, either as a cartoonist or an author.

This is pretty much a glimpse of my “any given day” emotional state.

Now, I’m not writing this to whine or fish for praise. I’m writing this because I need to put into words my own thoughts on this and try to work out a way to get around those intrusive, ever-present thoughts.

I pray MATH isn’t required here.

The thing is, sadly, that math does play a part in the only solution I can see, and it’s the math of repetition. Functionally, exposure therapy. Doing it over and over until I get better at just ignoring that voice in my head that says I’ve no business speaking from a place of authority on cartooning or writing.

There’s no trick to defeating this. It’s just… perseverance. Like ANYthing in comics, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. And I am hoping that I can keep up the pace and not pull a hammy trying to outrun the aforementioned bitch

I really DO have a panel to illustrate most everything.

.So, starting next week, I’m going to really TRY to post a new blog every Wednesday here that goes into some aspect of cartooning, but also stuff like books that I’m reading, my novels, or cool comics I dig. Reviews and stuff like that. Here’s hoping I can stick it out this time, and also, here’s hoping I can beat my Impostor Syndrome frequently enough to make HER give up, for a change. ;)

I really DO have a panel to illustrate most everything.

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Timelapse - Dee Tropesy

Finding Dee Fish — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 13:02:21 GMT

This was a BLAST to draw, and I hope you enjoy the behind-the-scenes video WITH audio commentary!

Dee Tropesy

Finding Dee Fish — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:25:28 GMT

Poe eating the cat’s food is a fairly NEW thing. But at this point, he’s pretty blind and stopped eating his OWN food, so we’re just kinda happy he’s eating ANYTHING! lol

That said, the idea occurred to me to finally do an homage to my old boss, and I had a LOT of fun with it.

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DARKNESS!

Finding Dee Fish — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 12:01:13 GMT

If you’re in the Pittsburgh area, you can find me at the 3 RIVERS COMICON all weekend at table B3! I’ve got books, original art, AND will be taking commissions, drawing sketch cards and sketch covers, and having fun! Hope to see you there!

THIS strip is based on what happened last year at the ALA Conference in Philly. I was doing caricatures all weekend, and almost EVERY single person had dark hair. lol

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Timelapse - Chalkboard.

Finding Dee Fish — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:02:08 GMT

Presented with audio commentary. Enjoy.

My Own Personal Chalkboard.

Finding Dee Fish — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:31:02 GMT

Today’s strip features a cameo by fellow Giant Girl Adventures artist and friend, Ed Smith! He’s also a PATREON backer, and his reward tier was to appear in the STRIP! (Hope you dig, Ed!)

This strip is sort of a compilation of a LOT of conversations I’ve had with artists over the years, and is highly streamlined, of course. CAN I ink with a crowquill pen: yes. Do I LIKE to: NO. That scratching sound is HORRIBLE to me! lol

And since I will be at 3 RIVERS COMICON in Pittsburgh this weekend, making drawings and selling books, it seemed like a good week to do a “Dee at a convention” strip.

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Timelapse - Leverage

Finding Dee Fish — Tue, 26 May 2026 13:03:42 GMT

Since the bathroom background didn’t need to change at ALL, I drew that completely FIRST, and just drew me on the toilet on its own layer like an animation cel.

Leverage.

Finding Dee Fish — Mon, 25 May 2026 14:00:58 GMT

I am very much a cartoonist from the school of “every panel has a punchline” writing. This is largely a side effect of making (mostly) weekly strips for so long. So, if this were a strip that ran more days a week, this would likely have been broken up into a few separate gags over a few days, with each panel’s punchline being THE punchline of its own strip.

That said, the strip is still generally weekly until more folks start backing it on Patreon, so I like to get all the possible gags in. lol

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Living Minefield

Finding Dee Fish — Wed, 20 May 2026 13:01:25 GMT

If you have pets, this dance is likely VERY familiar to you. If you have THREE cats and a puppers who are ALL very needy for attention, this is a certainty for you. As for the final... step... Poe is OLD and has accidents.

Accidents we ALWAYS have to watch out for upon coming home. ;)

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NCS/Billy Ireland Special Edition Comic!

Finding Dee Fish — Tue, 19 May 2026 14:30:18 GMT

So, this August at the National Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards Conference weekend, there will be a public-facing event at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum where some of us will be able to set up and sell books, do sketches, etc.

I've gotten permission from both organizations to print a SPECIAL EDITION Finding Dee comic WITH their branding on it for the event! This will be a super-limited-edition comic featuring the most recent full-color strips made JUST for this event, (and ONLY available THERE!) but I wanted to show off the cover!

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Timelapse - A Vocal Concern

Finding Dee Fish — Tue, 19 May 2026 13:06:57 GMT

Doing the lettering in advance allows me to know what EXACTLY needs to be inked in the final backgrounds, so I don’t have to fill the panel with hatching, etc.

A Vocal Concern.

Finding Dee Fish — Mon, 18 May 2026 13:01:58 GMT

I know that a lot of folks can't STAND writing with phonetically written accents, but I kinda love them. ANNNND, these are MY novels, so they have their fair share of them.

That said, it IS a functional auditory crime to listen to me read these books out loud, so don't expect audiobooks any time soon. lol

You can check them out at havenwolf.com

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Timelapse - Reaching

Finding Dee Fish — Thu, 14 May 2026 13:33:50 GMT

This one came together VERY quickly. From the decision to draw it to completion, maybe an hour and a half, tops. Still, I like how it came out.

Reaching

Finding Dee Fish — Wed, 13 May 2026 13:02:10 GMT

I have been in a LOT of public restrooms designed by, what I can only assume, are MONSTERS. Demons that delight in knowing how much of a pain in the arse their layout will be. I hate them all.

This will NOT be the only look into that hatred. lol

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Timelapse-Stress Eating

Finding Dee Fish — Tue, 12 May 2026 13:03:16 GMT

If you’re wondering what that weird staticy sound is that pops in a few times, it’s my CHAIR! I adjusted my position a few times and did NOT account for how loud it would be on the recording. lol

Stress Eating

Finding Dee Fish — Mon, 11 May 2026 12:58:57 GMT

The “fun” part of writing this strip is that my little “news alert” could very easily be true by the time this runs. Ugh.

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Color - Strip 010

Finding Dee Fish — Fri, 08 May 2026 13:31:02 GMT