The comic book and graphic novel industry are some of the fastest growing and most popular sectors of the literature market, and there is many a comic book artist turning his hand to try new things to take advantage of the increasing demand for comic books. The art of comic book drawing is a complex one, but nearly anyone can become a comic book artist. Not only are there traditional comic books, anime, manga, and graphic novels, but webcomics have become increasingly popular in the last few years.
You may wonder “How did comic book artist greats like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Adam Hughes, Joe Madureira, Axel Alonso and the rest become famous, and how can I become a comic book artist?” Becoming a comic book artist is not the easiest profession, and you should be prepared to overcome a large number of challenges in order to become a recognized and sought after comic book artist. Here are a few things that will be required:
Techniques
Technique does not refer to a specific technique that is popular, but refers to the artistic techniques that separate an artist apart from someone who doodles on spare sheets of paper. A true comic book artist knows shading, rendering, how to use lighting and the angle of light properly, draftsmanship, how to draw the bodies and expressions to represent body language and facial expressions accurately. A true artist has a style that is unique to him, and he knows how to use his unique style in combination with other artists’ styles.
Storytelling
A comic book artist needs to be able to tell a story. The art of comic is all about illustrating a very good story, and a comic book needs to follow the same lines as a book. A great story can easily be turned into a comic, but a terrible story makes for a terrible comic. No matter how much action, violence, or romance you put into a comic book, your story needs to intrigue the reader. There are hundreds of different styles of storytelling that you can use for your comic book, and you should do some research into the best ways to tell a story in comic book form.
Experience
Experience is vital when it comes to being a comic book artist. No one starts out with a lot of experience in comic books, but many years of drawing can help a comic artist to hone his talents. Obtain as much experience as possible in order to learn as much as you can about the art of comic book creating.
Anyone who is considering a career in comic book art should consider creating a webcomic first. A webcomic is a comic posted online, and can be a great way for budding comic books artists to practice and hone their art skills. It can also help teach the young comic book artist how to apply themselves to producing a comic every day, and can help them in both their art and their storytelling styles.
When considering starting a career in comic book art, you should create a portfolio of some of your best works. You should put into your portfolio as many pieces as you can to truly showcase your art skills, as that is how you will be able to accurately present your skills to comic book editors.
You may want to consider visiting comic book conventions, as conventions are a great place to meet the editors and publishers of some of the world’s most famous comics. There are dozens of comic conventions hosted around the country every year, and you should consider visiting a few of them. Not only do you have the potential to meet some of the comic world’s greats, but you can get advice on how to become successful from some of the most successful webcomic, graphic novel, manga, anime, and comic book artists.
You can also simply apply directly to one of the major comic book companies for a job as a comic book artist. It will be a bit more difficult to get a job with the major comic book companies like DC, Marvel, or Dark Horse, but there are a number of independent comic book companies that are always looking for new talents.
It will be a long road to become a comic book artist, but if you have sufficient talent, motivation, and perseverance, you stand a chance of becoming a comic book artist.
Recommended Books
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott Mccloud
I highly recommend this to anyone who has even the slightest interest in comic books. Whether you’re new to comics or a longtime comic book fan, you will probably learn something new and interesting about the medium. In particular, this book has really changed the way I look at manga and has given me a new appreciation for Japanese comics.
If you are interested in finding out why graphic novels and comic books are so popular with young people, there is no better introduction to the genre than “Understanding Comics” by Scott McCloud. Exploring the origins of sequential art beginning with Egyptian hieroglyphics, McCloud contemplates the nature of visual symbolism and the juxtaposition of imagery and language with wit and style. This is a brilliant 224-page comic book, loaded with insight and entertainment. It is also an impressive display of Scott’s remarkable versatility as an artist. An excellent tool for anyone interested in young adult literature, and a pleasure to read for it’s own sake.
Reinventing Comics: How Imagination and Technology Are Revolutionizing an Art Form by Scott Mccloud
Most of the books of Scott McCloud have been “eye-openers” to me, as they illustrate aspects of the comic storytelling that went unnoticed and that really server to improve my craft.
This reinventing comics, with his fresh approach to using modern technologies applied to comic book creation is also very illustrative and gives the basis to try new visual experiences – based on current technology.
Totally recommend this book!
Comics and Sequential Art: Principles and Practices from the Legendary Cartoonist by Will Eisner
Will Eisner has written the definitive book on storytelling. This book is extremely useful to the aspiring comic artist as well as an aspiring film director. Mr. Eisner has wrapped a lifetime of discovery into this masterpiece.
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