I think you might be using low (heavy) quality JPEG compression which is causing some of the trouble. Also did you photograph or scan the original? When scanning what DPI did you try?

hi! so i scanned the piece on my phone and with a scanner and it both looked terrible up close haha... so i went with an a5 format in photoshop to make it look a little better. i scanned in 300 dpi and had to do several takes of different sides, because my paper was a3, so in photoshop i put them all together and exported as png.

i really just wanted to try out how this would work out, but next time i'll make sure the comic is already put together on the paper (i had them all scattered around) and maybe work on a4 so i can scan it properly!

thanks for the suggestion though!

There is also the problems that some physical techniques just don't translate well in digital (hatching/cross hatching). Something seems off and it feels like it's an anti aliasing problem maybe due to the very fine almost gossamer lines in your style. I'm sorry about the frustration with the final quality because I have an idea of how your work was done from both your description and what I'm seeing.

yeah the struggles haha, but it's all cool!! i'm happy with the end result and i learned so much :D ready 4 da next battle

i have just noticed that her feet are facing the opposite direction 😬

you mean in the last panel? she's in a different position, laying down on her arm with the book in one hand..! and a cat has joined her :)

edit: oh nooooOO you're so right aaaaaa

she's cured now, thanks for letting me know T_T

I wasn't sure if the backwards feet was intentional. There are some cultures that have beings who have backwards feet as a sign (Curupira, Pokái, Pichal Peri) and wasn't sure if it was saying even these creatures deserve cozy time.

hhahahaha that's so interesting, i feel like admitting that it wasn't on purpose would take away the fact that those creatures deserve cozy time, because they probably absolutely do.
i love how informed you are on this subject!

but yeah, it was definitely my inexperience with drawing full bodies! :)

Ah this is so cute and cozy! I absolutely love the choice of brown ink.

Out of curiosity, can I ask what ink it is? I bought a brown ink for one of my fountain pens earlier this year, but it's much more orange-y than this. Unfortunately dip pen and fountain pen ink isn't interchangeable, but the vast array of ink colors and types is fascinating.

ahhh thanks so much for the nice comment!! :3
i used pelikan ink! just the regular 4001 one called brilliant brown. i work at a store that also sells a bunch of inks and this is the cheapest option, but even my colleages were suprised by it's hue, so i think it's something special haha :D

oh!! and i use this ink for my fountain pen as well, so if the ink can be used for a fountain pen, then you can use it for a dip pen too, but it's true that it's not possible the other way around...!