Wanna get your stuff seen?

[Yeahduff]

Keenspace's very own Van Douchebag can tell you how.

http://comixpedia.com/the_beginners_gui ... guel_caron



Know any other good articles? Link em.

[War]

It's not an article, it's just some advice for writers.

It's not uncommon to see people looking for artists to illustrate their comics, admittedly I've seen less of them these days, but they're still out there looking for an artist of their own.
A typical request for an artist goes something like:

Hey all I have many scripts in the works and need some artists on board to put some quality stuff out there.

I can tell you now that this will get you zero artists. No-one is interested. As with anything you have to sell yourself.
Show us what you can do. Post a sample of the story, and a couple of comic scripts to give us some idea of what it's like. And a script isn't just about two people talking to each other, give us an idea of camera views, actions. They don't have to be perfect, the artist will probably change them anyway, it's just to give us an idea to get started.
As well as that, detailed descriptions of the main characters would be nice. Something that'll help us visualise what they'll look like. A summarised description of the overall background to the story would also be nice.

I'm not saying this will work. Artists are always in short supply. But it will show people that you know what you're doing and that you're not one of those people who think writing a 100 page story is sufficient for a comic writer(a writer is much much more). If the effort of doing this is too much then you probably aren't suitable for writing a comic, besides you only have to write it once then copy/paste it to other forums.

[Parabolee]

Looked like some good advice to me. Most of is what I already do.

[TBAC]

Can't I just take a pill like I do for everything else?

[DOOM2099]

. . . . .

[NarCranor]

Good advice. I am currently working with four separate artists on various Star Wars related web comic projects. I find that getting an artist to collaborate with is really about having a geniune infectious excitement for the project you are creating. If you aren't excited about it, you artist isn't going to get excited about it, and that is the key. The second you get that artist excited about your story idea, that's when you have them. This is really important since a writer's workload on a webcomic is so much less than the artist's.

Another thing that I find breeds success in an artist hunt is to be personal. A random post asking for ANY artist will get you NO artists. Go to deviant art, or look at portfolio pages. Email artists specifically commenting on what you like about their work specifically, and why you think THEY would be the perfect artist to collaborate with. If your artist feels like they just got picked out of thousands of other artists, its gonna make them a lot more interested in what you have to say. It is kind of like going to a club and trying to pick up a girl. If you walk in and just scream hey, will any girl dance with me, you aren't going to get any ladies. You have to go up to each one personally and ask them specifically. Then it becomes a numbers game.

Another side of things is how to keep your artist happy once you get one. I usually talk to my guys (and girl) 4-5 times a week online, sometimes not about the comic at all. By creating that mutual friendship, and not just having a strictly business relationship, your artist might be more into the comic. Also, if all you talk about is the comic, your artist can begin to feel like you are hounding him for pages. A little small talk goes a long way.

The quickest way to lose an artist is to stifle their creative freedom. You can't be a nazi dictator of the story. You have to be open to changes in the script and page layouts. If the artist wants to do something differently, and you strongly disagree, don't just lay the hammer down. Explain why you need it the way it is. A good artist should be focused on serving the story anyway, so if there is a plot reason, they ought to agree. Otherwise, I would suggest trying to rearrange some things. It is just very important to stay flexible.

Talk with your artist before you get too far into writing. One of the first things I like to do when starting a new project is to ask my artist if there is anything specific they want to draw. Even on projects that are already written but trying to find an artist for, when I do find an artist, I still have that conversation, and see if there are places to fit things in for them. A certain character, environment, creature, etc. Find out what they want to be drawing. Then keep that in your head when you are developing your plot and script, and see if you can't work at least a few of those things in. This not only gives your artist something to look forward to when drawing, but it makes them really feel like they are a part of the development process.

Finally, and this might seem contradictory, but push your artist. Try and get them in the mindset of taking their work to a higher level. Let them know you are interested in helping them hone their craft, and that when the project ends, they will be a better artist for it. Write scenes that are going to push them. If their experience tends to be a lot of pin ups or action splash pages, challenge them with a few emotional scenes that require a mastery of expressions. Don't overdo it, or you will push the artist away by overwhelming them. But you have to challenge them enough to keep them interested. If they are a traditional comic artist, try having them paint a cover for the book. Giving an artist new challenges is really important to their satisfaction.

Anyway, just a few more tips for you fellow writers out there. Artists, would be curious to see your responses to these tips. Anyway, happy webcomicing!

[Qwanderer]

As an artist, well, although I've often thought that drawing someone else's stories would be fun, I'm the spacey type and I just haven't picked a time and gone out looking for an opportunity. As it turns out it was easier for me to get up the energy to write the story myself.
Every artist's looking for something different. I'm good with faces but the page layout and backgrounds of my stuff would probably work better if I had some input from someone who was good at that.
Sometimes I think of myself primarily as a writer, and I've done some collaboration in that area. You have to have a similar vision and not get on each other's nerves. Too much. Some of the most intense arguments of my life have been with my beloved co-writer. But we feed each other's imaginations. I know it helps him as a writer to see my sketches even if the finished book contains no artwork at all.
I'd guess it would be hard to find someone like that if you didn't already know them.

[Kesu]

Keenspace's very own Van Douchebag can tell you how.

http://comixpedia.com/modules.php?op=mo ... =0&thold=0

Just thought I might bring it up that this comixpedia link is giving me a "Page not found" answer. Maybe the article moved?

[Yeahduff]

Thanks. Fixed.

[Picasso04]

I am new to comic genesis and I am just anxious to get my work seen. I have done several comics and illustrations based on other people's scripts or ideas. It makes me feel like a proffesional. I also think it is a good guage for me to see how my work is progressing. As a writer I can manufacture my stories to my own strong points as an artist. But when I am drawing someone els's story it forces me to challenge myself. But yes, the pitch from a writer must make me take notice.

[Jekkal]

I like the concept, but I don't think it's precise enough, especially when you're talking about all sorts of genres and you may not know which forums are the best for the pimping, y'know?

[Yeahduff]

Which part?

[Jameslong]

getting an error on that link... i think it's sql related?

[Yeahduff]

It's working fine for me. I dunno.

[Ewomack]

I'm not having any troubles with the link either.

As for which forums to post on - any forum that allows a signature will work. Just put your link in your signature then post like a regular member. Choose forums that interest you. That way you get the double benefit of posting in a forum and having your link out there. The curious will click.

[Wadefade]

Post everywhere you can!

Wait a min... see what I did there?

[InvaderScurk]

The article linked in the first post makes a lot of sense. I don't know about other artists, but as an artist myself, I know that if someone made some fan art of my characters, I'd be somewhere from duly impressed, to giddy with excitement, to sobbing with joy. It's nice to know that your characters are enduring and endured to an audience, however small that audience may be. Another big plus with webcomic artists is sending them positive emails praising their work. I'm sure the bigger names get loads of emails, but if you send one to a blooming webcomic artist, you're sure to make an instant friend (at least as long as your correspondence lasts).

[Perdire]

I'll keep that in mind.

[BionicDance]

I've gotten some fan art: my main character drawn manga-style. It was, indeed, deeply flattering.

I get another coupla pieces, maybe three total, and I'll make a page for 'em on my site.

[Evil_Hare]

Yeah I want my stuff seen.. but by who? Will it be hot chicks who will then think I rock, or will it be fat middle aged guys who live with their mom and go postal if you diss Han Solo?


The things that worry me...

http://jaketheevilhare.comicgenesis.com/