After having finished my first sequential for publication I have to say, man what a learning experience. I still don’t think I’ve fully come to know what all I’ve gained in doing this, but I have thought about a lot. First I have to say a giant thank you to Vince and especially Peter for patience and help/guidance. Sincerely thank you guys.
So I thought to myself, whats a good way to make sure I remember everything I’ve learned? Duh write It down. And then I thought, this could help other artists out there too, so why not make it a blog? So here I am. Well where to start… on the purely artistic side of it, I certainly learned what I need to change, what I need to advance and also what type of style I like and although my personal style will change and adapt and hopefully mature and get better I now know what elements I want to pursue. And what elements I just plain don’t care if I lose. Overall I think it came out pretty good, but me being me now I know more. I know how to change and how I would do things differently now. And that’s ok, its how we grow and how we don’t remain complacent. Since I’ve drawn it, I’ve been working on a lot of sketches, (yes Peter you were right once again) my style has been changing and growing. And I really like the direction its going in. but I’m getting off topic.
Storytelling wise, man I cant put into words how much I’ve learned. From layouts, composition, whats important to emphasize, the nuances of what people are doing and how it affects the story, to just pure storytelling. Not to mention how much of a difference a simple glance drawn in can make. Not to mention how important simple things like people moving in a certain direction is. I guess the best way to put this all into perspective is a list, outline so here goes.
Storytelling:
1. Layouts though a headache, teach you A LOT. Do them. Do lots of them. Start small find one that you like then make it a little bigger, and don’t worry, things change. Preliminary layouts get your thoughts going.
a. Layouts work out a lot of storytelling kinks
b. They save time
c. When doing them take everything into consideration, lettering, flow, composition, acting etc. again it saves you time. And lets face it, it REALLY helps.
d. They don’t have to be fancy. Just enough that you, and your editor knows whats going on.
2. Comic pages
a. Mark out lightly where the bleed is and where the cut off is AND where the are for lettering is. You need to know your boundaries, what will get cut off, what could get cut off and what’ll help your letterer.
b. When the script calls for a lot of panels, try the simple first, it’ll more than likely be the best way to represent what’s going on.
c. Gutters, love em, learn em. Make sure they are an appropriate size and well placed. Theres magic in the space between panels, and its something I personally want to learn and master. Respect the gutter!
d. I mentioned it before but it bears mentioning again, especially when you’re starting out like I am, simple is better. Flashy pages wont give you much unless you’ve mastered the art of storytelling in the first place. They wont always show off your abilities but can distract from them.
3. Acting is tougher than pin-ups lead you to believe.
a. Its more than just a facial expression, more than drawing body language, especially when you’re dealing with a whole scene of people. You have to think about line of sight, directing sight, how we read pictures and what can hinder the flow of the story.
b. Always keep in mind WHO is the focus of the page, and each panel. Its amazing how easily a supporting character or a fluff character can take over a scene simply based on where you put them.
c. Beware of glances. You may not notice or think about it as you’re drawing it but one glance can totally change the meaning of a panel or page. It can be read into or misdirect the reader from the main point. So if you have extras, be sure to be aware of what they’re doing, who they’re looking at.
d. Everything can hinge on a facial expression and body language. Draw/act as if there are no words at all. Make sure people can tell the story even if they arent reading the words. (all the while again leaving space for the lettering)
e. Remember people read left to right. Which means you have to make your pictures read left to right. Left is the past right is the future. Therefore actions should lean….right.
4. Shadows, ah how I love them. Even though they want to swallow me whole sometimes.
a. Draw everything withOUT shadows first. You need to draw through your pictures, you need to know where things are, what the structure is even if you’re eventually going to cover it in blacks.
b. Fix in your mind or on your paper where the light source is. It needs to be fixed so that all the shadows are based on the same point of reference.
c. If you’re not sure about how a shadow should be cast or the shape it should take, get some tracing paper. Lay it over the piece and try some different things. You’ll eventually land on something you like. Also don’t overshadow. Even if you love it as much as I do, sometimes the proper mood means none at all.
5. Love your writer, your inker, your colorist , your letterer, and your editor.
a. You’re just part of the chain. And you ALL are a team. The point of the story IS the story, and each one has an equal part in making it come to life and making the reader get lost within it.
b. Now I know this comes down to a personal decision for each artist, and this frame of mind not everyone takes. But when you do your first piece boy you are faced with this choice. You can either believe its all about your art and showing off for yourself. Or you can believe that its all about the story and showing off that to the best of your ability.
Especially when its your first publication on a wide scale. Theres this urge, an urge to show off EVERYTHING you can possibly imagine even at the detriment to the story. You want everyone to see what you can do. Its natural. I know personally I wanted to. And my first layouts showed it. Afraid of the simple. And lemme tell you the sooner you decide for yourself that its ok, its about the story, not me the sooner you’ll be on your way to doing what comics are . make the choice. Your job is to represent the writing and translate words into pictures. To tell a story. Not to go out and say “this is me adore my art”
c. Be mindful of everyones job, do your best to make it easier for all involved. Allow space for the letterer, keep in mind your colorist and give them room to show off. Make your work easy for an inker to interpret. Draw for your writer, ask them what they had in mind, get on the same wavelength and work as a team. Listen to, and RESPECT your editor. They have a tough job and very valid advice and input. They have to put up with all types of personalities, make sure your’s isnt one that gives them a headache.
d. Humility is a virtue. Know where you stand and embrace it.
e. Bottom line, respect dearly those with whom you work. They’ll be hard on you, they have expectations that rival your own. In then end they want the best end product just as much as you do, and if you’re as lucky as I am, they also happen to be your friends. Which means you want to do your best and you want to do all you can so their best shines just a bright or even brighter than your own.
6. In the end you’ll hate what you’ve done. Hopefully.
a. And even when you already hate it you still have to go over it bit by bit so swallow your pride. You don’t need it. Seriously you wont like what you’ve finished with, because by the end of it you’ll have grown, you’ll have learned a lot and you’ll see all the flaws. That’s a good thing. Means you (hopefully) wont repeat the same mistakes and your work will continually evolve.
7. Timing. Almost forgot.
a. You’ll learn what distracts you, what you can do and what you’re stopping yourself from doing. Its invaluable. These pages took a long time, longer than I would have liked. But I know now why and what I can do different. Simple practice sketches I’ve been doing have already helped me to understand how to draw faster, and better. But you’ll learn what distractions you can take and what just hinders you.
b. Breaks are ok. Take a couple, maybe ten minutes tops though.
c. Set mini deadlines for yourself and don’t break them. But be realistic. Don’t skimp.
This is just a bit of what I’ve learned over the past couple months, and I already know I’m missing some of what I wanted to say, I’ll just put it in another blog as I think of it. Hopefully this helps people other than myself. That is what we’re all here for right? Bettering the comic community through shared knowledge? Well it should be. Always should.