Ben Dilworth once said (in the 1980s which was a looooong time ago):
"One day you are going to draw a comic book masterpiece and be happy with it. Day after you'll look at it and say: 'That's a load of s^^^!' "
Well, yeah. You see, any artist worth his salt and who is serious never ever is happy with their work. I have seen artists tear and and throw away great art because one panel "doesn't look right". Why not just re-draw the panel? Well, because it would then be "out of sorts" with the rest of the page composition. Frank Bellamy, one of the greatest British comic strip and illustrators, used to hand his work in to editors and wait nervously outside panicking that "it was not up to scratch". Jeezo -one of his envelope doodles was 1000% better than my best artwork!
Then you get the problem of using a technique that just comes out of nowhere on page 50 of a 100 pager. "Great. Fantastic! That really works! And...what about the previous 49 pages??"
Your style does develop as you begin to discover new techniques and ways of adding more to your art panels. For instance, Return of the Gods and the arrival of the Monkey King on Neo Olympus. I have had people rave about it. It took a long while to draw the page because...well, fifth time of drawing (it might have been "S'okay". I just cannot look at my own work. I look at that A3 page or the A4 printed version and I see dried dog poop. I see so many ways I should have drawn it -solid black here, cross-hatching there...change perspective slightly. It goes on and on.
Please, take it away!!! Never ever ask me about the legendary Outlaws of the Urban Forest by the way: few have seen it and marveled at its jiggerypokery!
I have also said and written this so many times over the years: you do not HAVE to go out and buy the most expensive Bristol Board, C10 or other expensive paper to draw on. Firstly, you are wasting money and even in the 1980s I had editors and publishers explain that some big names only used the cheapest paper. You buy a £20 lot of board. You buy £40-50 worth of the "best drawing equipment" so you have spent £60-80 and you are a 'struggling wannabe artist'? Get out of here. Your first job pays you £100 so that's £100 -£60 #£40 and then -£20 so you are getting £20...oh, you mailed copies registered?
Firstly, when I was a creators agent and freelance editor blah blah I found out quickly that you NEVER sent original art through the postal system -I have horror stories about that. These days you can -IF you actually draw on paper rather than use some expensive computer thing- scan your artwork and send it to an editor or publisher so why the hell are you buying the expensive boards and papers for?
To impress the guys at the comic con portfolio viewings? Secret: they are just there to pretend to be nice and promote THEIR company. They have no real interest in your work. And I have seen some of the most beautiful comic artwork verbally destroyed by 'comic book nice guys' because they either feel they need to flex their manhood -simply telling you how crap you are because it gives them a hard-on. Or because they can see you are a good artist and they don't want that sort of competition. I've heard it all while standing behind or near to those 'experts' whose art has not improved in 40 years.
They are smarmy, smiling, nice "I'm not saying this to be nasty but to point out any flaws because you obviously have talent but need more practice".....I've seen the young artists walk away totally depressed. I've spoken to a few but as far as they are concerned they just spoke to real 'experts' and they were told they were crap. Oh, the ones who cannot draw are usually praised because there is nothing going to make you look better than being just about able to draw better than any competition.
I had two best selling adult graphic novels/series drawn by top talent and do you know what these 'nice guys' went on forums saying? "He's not much of a writer and the art is about tolerable" -I have been writing since I was sixteen years old and the artists I worked with I consider to have been top talent -one was continually in demand by Marvel UK and other publishers. Illegal downloads of those two books are currently in the millions. How many people have seen the work of these 'nice guys'? Also, one of the artists I worked with, Art Wetherell, told me that he had walked into Marvel UK editorial offices and at least THREE editors had copies of the adult book and raved about it. It got him more work there and with other companies. Also, those 'nice guys' -what were they doing reading that kind of book and I need to point out that in the UK you needed to order copies (Forbidden Planet did good trade in those books and I know that because two of their managers told me so).
Certainly seek opinions of your work but make sure you do not take negativity in: opinions such as genuine criticism ("you need to concentrate on the head sizes -they are out of proportion" or even "You realise you drew the guy with two left hands/feet?" -I saw so many samples with that and even the late great John Cooper told me he had once drawn a person with two left feet!) are good but at most events those doing the portfolio views are there on freebies, for drink and do not give a damn about anyone's art samples.
In this day and age you can self publish -which is what a good few of the modern 'talents' did and it got them recognizsed. Or publish for yourself or for fun. Mostly, the style you have developed and draw with is the one that suits you and what you are doing. If it looks okay to you then go with it but be careful never to end up picking at the dog-ends at D. C. Thomson.
"One day you are going to draw a comic book masterpiece and be happy with it. Day after you'll look at it and say: 'That's a load of s^^^!' "
Well, yeah. You see, any artist worth his salt and who is serious never ever is happy with their work. I have seen artists tear and and throw away great art because one panel "doesn't look right". Why not just re-draw the panel? Well, because it would then be "out of sorts" with the rest of the page composition. Frank Bellamy, one of the greatest British comic strip and illustrators, used to hand his work in to editors and wait nervously outside panicking that "it was not up to scratch". Jeezo -one of his envelope doodles was 1000% better than my best artwork!
Then you get the problem of using a technique that just comes out of nowhere on page 50 of a 100 pager. "Great. Fantastic! That really works! And...what about the previous 49 pages??"
Your style does develop as you begin to discover new techniques and ways of adding more to your art panels. For instance, Return of the Gods and the arrival of the Monkey King on Neo Olympus. I have had people rave about it. It took a long while to draw the page because...well, fifth time of drawing (it might have been "S'okay". I just cannot look at my own work. I look at that A3 page or the A4 printed version and I see dried dog poop. I see so many ways I should have drawn it -solid black here, cross-hatching there...change perspective slightly. It goes on and on.
Please, take it away!!! Never ever ask me about the legendary Outlaws of the Urban Forest by the way: few have seen it and marveled at its jiggerypokery!
I have also said and written this so many times over the years: you do not HAVE to go out and buy the most expensive Bristol Board, C10 or other expensive paper to draw on. Firstly, you are wasting money and even in the 1980s I had editors and publishers explain that some big names only used the cheapest paper. You buy a £20 lot of board. You buy £40-50 worth of the "best drawing equipment" so you have spent £60-80 and you are a 'struggling wannabe artist'? Get out of here. Your first job pays you £100 so that's £100 -£60 #£40 and then -£20 so you are getting £20...oh, you mailed copies registered?
Firstly, when I was a creators agent and freelance editor blah blah I found out quickly that you NEVER sent original art through the postal system -I have horror stories about that. These days you can -IF you actually draw on paper rather than use some expensive computer thing- scan your artwork and send it to an editor or publisher so why the hell are you buying the expensive boards and papers for?
To impress the guys at the comic con portfolio viewings? Secret: they are just there to pretend to be nice and promote THEIR company. They have no real interest in your work. And I have seen some of the most beautiful comic artwork verbally destroyed by 'comic book nice guys' because they either feel they need to flex their manhood -simply telling you how crap you are because it gives them a hard-on. Or because they can see you are a good artist and they don't want that sort of competition. I've heard it all while standing behind or near to those 'experts' whose art has not improved in 40 years.
They are smarmy, smiling, nice "I'm not saying this to be nasty but to point out any flaws because you obviously have talent but need more practice".....I've seen the young artists walk away totally depressed. I've spoken to a few but as far as they are concerned they just spoke to real 'experts' and they were told they were crap. Oh, the ones who cannot draw are usually praised because there is nothing going to make you look better than being just about able to draw better than any competition.
I had two best selling adult graphic novels/series drawn by top talent and do you know what these 'nice guys' went on forums saying? "He's not much of a writer and the art is about tolerable" -I have been writing since I was sixteen years old and the artists I worked with I consider to have been top talent -one was continually in demand by Marvel UK and other publishers. Illegal downloads of those two books are currently in the millions. How many people have seen the work of these 'nice guys'? Also, one of the artists I worked with, Art Wetherell, told me that he had walked into Marvel UK editorial offices and at least THREE editors had copies of the adult book and raved about it. It got him more work there and with other companies. Also, those 'nice guys' -what were they doing reading that kind of book and I need to point out that in the UK you needed to order copies (Forbidden Planet did good trade in those books and I know that because two of their managers told me so).
Certainly seek opinions of your work but make sure you do not take negativity in: opinions such as genuine criticism ("you need to concentrate on the head sizes -they are out of proportion" or even "You realise you drew the guy with two left hands/feet?" -I saw so many samples with that and even the late great John Cooper told me he had once drawn a person with two left feet!) are good but at most events those doing the portfolio views are there on freebies, for drink and do not give a damn about anyone's art samples.
In this day and age you can self publish -which is what a good few of the modern 'talents' did and it got them recognizsed. Or publish for yourself or for fun. Mostly, the style you have developed and draw with is the one that suits you and what you are doing. If it looks okay to you then go with it but be careful never to end up picking at the dog-ends at D. C. Thomson.
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