Topic: Just started Okami. I'm impressed, but...

What's up with the drawings? I spend like 20 minutes trying to slash the two dummies and rocks in Kamiki Village. Do the lines have to be absolutely perfect or something? And is there a way to improve in this matter? Or do I just have bad luck for not having a steady hand? Also, can I expect even more difficult drawings?

The drawings are a bit finnicky but IIRC if you hold a button, I'm going to say Z, you can draw straight lines... that should help.

You'll get used to it. A trick is to draw quickly rather than accurately. Flick your wrist across the screen for slash, for example, rather than try to draw an arrow-straight line. Letting go of B just before you stop moving your hand can help preventing it screwing up at the end, too.
There's a section coming up soon where you have to perform Bloom about five times consecutively without missing. Just uh... prepare to be doing some raging at that point, but take comfort in the fact that you won't have to do it again.

This. Drawing quickly is the key. I never had any problem with any drawing in the game aftter i figured it out.

Z is your friend.

Quick movements and Z do indeed make the drawing easier.

I can't remember reading anything about holding the Z Button for drawing straight lines. This will help for sure, thanks guys.

I believe the info about " z=straight drawing" is in a scroll later on in the game. Personally I don't think I use it much. I guess you learn after playing it for over 100 hours! The only thing I can't seem to get right though is some of the secret ones, which are really hopeless... One only works 1/10 times or something! >: ( GREAT game nevertheless though! ^ o ^

I never had these problems with the brush. Worked every time for me. I guess that's why I liked this game so much.

The brush controls are rather touchy with the wiimote. It's a great game and that to me is the only downfall.

for some reason, Z never worked well for me. I just had to settle down and get a hang of doing it on my own. crossing off the names of those special enemies from the lists and some of the longer sequence brushstroke events were absolute hell, lemme tell ya D: but it gets easier with practice.

i will say that if you're sitting too close to the TV screen, it'll screw you up almost every time -- if you find that you keep having issues, try taking a step away from the screen and seeing how that works for you.

They're pretty touchy with the Playstation 2 as well. I had to redo bloom at least three times and I could never make a straight line like they wanted me to. It was so aggravating.

Yeah, the brush controls were way worse on the PS2. Good luck drawing a bomb with an analogue stick...didn't stop me from loving every minute of it, though.

the only real problem i had with okamis brush controls is trying to cross out names from the Monster Log

Recently got this game for 15 dollars. I beat it in about 16 hours and came away extremely impressed. I had the exact same problem and almost quit is was so frustrating. The discovery of using Z helped me push through though. Other than that little problem, Okami is one of my favorite Wii games ever! Glad you also enjoy it!