Finding an artist is hard.

Inx

Hey guys.

So, here's the scoop. I'm a writer, aspiring to break into the comic book industry. However, as is commonly known, it's not very easy to do, at least via the submission process. Most people, in fact, have to make a finished product and self publish to get anywhere (Bendis, for example, got into the biz in this fashion).

So, I've written something that I'm very confident in, and think could catch the eye of someone who might be able to get me a job. However, now I've hit a snag.

I don't know any reliable artists.

By reliable, I mean someone who can stick to a deadline and is serious about finishing the project. Preferably, someone who wants to get into comics just as much as I do.

I don't need the next Frank Cho or Alex Ross or whatnot, just someone with a little talent and dedication.

Any suggestions where to look? I'm just lost in a sea of I don't know what to do.

rts

If you are expecting an artist to illustrate your comic book for free you are probably going to have some difficulties finding one.

First of all, if an artist does want to break into the industry they probably already have their own ideas that they would want to illustrate instead of yours. They obviously already have an interest in comic books and so they probably have some understanding of how they work and are willing to write their own.

Second, I can only assume that illustrating a comic book requires far more time than writing one. So you are looking for someone who is willing to spend more time working on your idea than you are. That is going to be a tough sell.

Third, you have already insulted artists in general by suggesting they are unreliable and don't take working as an artist seriously.

So, I guess what I am trying to say here is that if you want an artist to work on your project you are probably going to have to pay them to do so. You didn't mention anything about payment so I am assuming you were thinking they would want to do the job for free for exposure or something. That probably won't be the case.

Inx

I didn't mean to insult any artists out there - I was simply stating that all of the artists that I know, personally, which is very few, are unreliable fucktards.

Hell, I'd be willing to negotiate payment for someone no problem. I just didn't mention it because I didn't think to I guess.

I'm just looking for ideas before I start trolling around deviantart ;_;

rts

Well, recently there has been some happenings that are comic book related in the Artist Corner. You might want to take a look through this thread and try contacting some of the artists working on it if you like their work. There are decent artists floating around this forum. But you may also try conceptart.org. Deviantart probably isn't a good place to go.

NotYou

Artists that actually work professionally are usually EXTREMELY good about deadlines, and will work 24 hour days not to miss them. I don't know who you're talking to, but I expect they don't work professionally. Secondly, you can easily include a clause in the contract that penalizes the artist for failing to meet deadlines.

I'd suggest you post a job on conceptart.org looking for an artist. If it's paid work anyways. No one will give a flying fuck about you if you aren't paying realistic wages. As in, something someone can live on. Probably a minimum of 20 an hour for a relatively inexperienced artist. Closer to 50 or 60 for a talented one.

Deviantart is shit.

John Matrix

Visit the art forum here on the PA forums, it's full of professional artists.

Inx

Thanks for the leads, guys.

Now to save up some money...

gurgle, wheeze.

NotYou

Inx wrote: »

Thanks for the leads, guys.

Now to save up some money...

gurgle, wheeze.

Just remember, what you're doing is trying to create a business and businesses require investments to get running. There are a ton of FANTASTIC artists out there and simply having their names attached to your work will generate interest and revenue. If you're really passionate about your comic, then save up enough money to get it done the best you can.

zenpotato

So, I'm a published writer who has done a few comics. (Indie stuff, nothing you've probably heard of.) Here's my advice.

You can find young artists out there who are willing to collaborate on a new project. There are just as many artists out there who want to be in comics as there are writers. It's just that writers can usually manage to put out enough content for multiple artists at a time, and most publishers have lots of work they need artists for.

Still, you can find people to collaborate with. Scan deviantart pages, artist forums, that kind of thing. Remember that comics are a partnership though. You're starting a business relationship. This is something you can't do by yourself, so be humble. This artist is taking a chance on you, just like you're taking a chance on him/her. Things don't always work out, but don't take it personally.

The other option is to pay a pro artist. IIRC, that costs between $75-$150 a page depending on the artist's rates. You might be able to work out something so that you only pay for the first 5-7 pages that are required by most publishers for a pitch. You'll probably need some character sketches too. Some artists are willing to work on pitches for pay, and then willing to finish things up after the publisher picks the book up. Things are tough now though, and artists are trying to pay their bills, so don't expect a working artist to take a chance on you.

Either way, when you're looking for an artist, remember that awesome single images aren't all you're looking for. You want to judge an artist on their sequentials. How well can they convey story and narrative with a sequence of images? The difference and movement between the panels is just as important as the actual images themselves.

It's a tough market out there, but if you're any good, you'll find someone and you'll sell your book. Publishers really are interested in buying good stuff. If you show them you can deliver a solid product, they'll buy it and they'll want more.

Now, actually making any money is a different affair. Cross that bridge when you come to it.

Klorgnum

You might take a look around the conceptart.org forums. They get a lot of traffic and there are forums for finding artists, either paid or unpaid.

zenpotato

Klorgnum wrote: »

You might take a look around the conceptart.org forums. They get a lot of traffic and there are forums for finding artists, either paid or unpaid.

That's an excellent place to find artists (especially paid ones).

One other place I recall having lots of talent is the penciljack.com forums.

Houk the Namebringer

zenpotato already said most of the important things, so the only thing i would add is that while you can post an ad and hope someone who doesn't suck comes along, youll probably have more luck finding artists whose work you like and contacting them individually. you'll probably hear no a lot, but in my opinion it's good to engage the artist and let them know off the bat that you respect their talent and want to work with them, specifically, as a collaborator.

also, there's a pretty cool site called satellitesoda.com that has some really talented young guys, although the community is pretty small and not super active. might be worth a look though. also check out the image comics forum for a lot of good aspiring artists (especially if youre looking at image as a possible publisher)

the other bit of advice id give (forgive me if youve done this already) is to have a really solid pitch ready for your project. you're much more likely to find an artist who's excited to work with you, rather than treating it like just another paycheck, if you have a strong grasp of what you want to do and where the story will end up. have some pages ready for them to read if they're interested, things like that. write summaries for your story - one sentence, one paragraph, one page, etc. the more you can convince them your story is worth working on, the more likely you'll attract better, more devoted talent.

basically what it comes down to is that an aspiring writer, even if youre talented, has to do a lot of wooing. like zen said, arists are forever in higher demand than writers, so its up to you to show them why youre the one to go with, beyond just money.

acidlacedpenguin

Might I suggest that you not hold onto your idea too firmly.

by this I mean that if you have stone-set idea of what you want out of your comic you might miss out on some extra concept or idea (from the artist) that you might not even have considered. Of course, if you're too loose with it you could also end up missing out.

Another thing you could consider is trading work with an artist. IE, they have an idea they want, you have an idea you want, so instead of fighting over whose work you should do, work on both projects. I bet if you have more than one idea to pitch to "the biz" then you have a better opportunity of hitting upon something "the biz" might want to pay you to do.