Tag: comic artist blog

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Writing for Comics 101 – The Beginning

comic script for the legend of jamie roberts page 3

I’m beginning a new blog post series. Called Writing for Comics 101.

I had an epiphany recently, thanks to some new work I do. See, I’ve been hired as the Chief Creative Officer at NeverEnding. (Find out more about NeverEnding over on their website.) This new work has gotten me in contact with artists, because we’re looking to grow the team a little bit.

So I’ve been talking with other artists a lot more often. That’s nice, considering that the coronavirus pandemic has shut down convention season. So my options of chatting with other artists got a bit more limited.

That said, I realized something talking with some of these folks, pre-virus and presently. The thing is, many of them start as comic artists…but then they get frustrated at the lack of readers, so they leave the business. Many of these artists have moved on to just freelancing in general. There’s nothing wrong with that! But it made me realize something.

You can be the most killer comic artist on the planet – but that doesn’t mean shit unless you can write well.

And the thing is, many of these former comic artists…are not great storytellers.

This gave me the inspiration to start the Writing for Comics 101 blog post series. I’m going to keep this series to 4 posts. If there’s enough demand for it, I’ll expand it. But 4 posts (not counting this one).

We’re going to talk about:

  • why a comic is more than just cool-looking characters
  • why one-liners will not save your ass
  • design tricks to make the reader actually read your page
  • how to STOP packing so much dialogue into your pages

I hope with this short blog post series that I can help my fellow artists get more confident in their writing ability. I KNOW you can draw AND write killer stories. You just need more guidance than Google can provide.

So stick with me. And be sure to sign up for the email newsletter so you can keep up with this series as it posts.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

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Charlie in Action: A Sketch

charlie the black punk girl in final fantasy cosplay striking an action pose

I promised more Charlie sketches a while ago. And I found one in the old sketchbook bin.

Honestly, I loved drawing Charlie in action poses. I haven’t drawn things like this for a long while. I should get back into it.

I drew her in this outfit because I wanted something that looked sleek yet unobtrusive for martial arts moves. She’s a Tae Kwon Do practitioner, after all.

And now she’s available as a digital download! Check it out on Patreon or Ko-Fi. The original sketch will be listed on Storenvy soon.

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How Do You Land Work as a Freelance Artist?

This is the question that has plagued Google and other search engines since the internet became popular. How DO you land work as a freelance artist?

Well, when you’re a freelance artist, I’ve really only found one or two methods that have worked above all else. You might want to sit down for this one, because it’s so mind-bogglingly simple and yet so difficult at the same time.

Here’s the two things you need to land work as a freelance artist:

  • a website
  • friends

That’s it.

No, I’m not joking.

A website will put all of your work in one place: your portfolio, your social media links, a sign-up page for your email newsletter, testimonials from people who hire you – ALL OF THAT. All of that goes on your website.

In my experience, people who hire artists don’t really give much of a shit what’s on your resume. They just care that you make good work, that you’re easy to contact and work with, and that you turn the work in on time.

Maintaining a website will help establish that you can do all 3.

“But how do I even get clients?” you might be asking.

You mean, other than having a website where people can find you online and look at your work?

Friends.

If you have good friends, they will be your first clients. Yes, you will likely need to discount your rates if you’re absolutely new to your field. But making work for friends (or your roleplaying group, or your book club, or whatever friend-group thing you do) will build your portfolio. Your portfolio is what will land you the work you want.

Do you want to be a character designer? Make character art for friends.

Do you want to be hired to make comics? Make zines illustrating an inside joke for your friends. (By the way, Chloe, if you’re reading this: “…apple pie.”)

Then, once you make the thing, post the thing on your website.

And then – get ready for this next part – ask your friends to spread the word that you’re available to work.

I have lost track of how many clients I’ve gotten over the years because a friend of mine said, “By the way this lady I work with is looking for an artist to (bleh).”

Is it really that simple? Yes.

Is this fast? NO.

Is the work worth it? YES.

If you’d like to see more posts about the Freelance Lifestyle, or if you’d like to keep up with my work, I have an email newsletter. It sends out once a week, and it’s the best way to stay in touch with updates on my blog and my webcomics.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

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More Blog Posts Incoming

image of a desk covered in papers, pens and pencils, an x-acto knife, a sketchbook, and a mug full of tea

Yus, there are more blog posts coming to the site during the month of April.

Why? Because I have a lot to write about, surprisingly.

There’s a handful of blog posts series coming this month, including:

  • Adventures in Moving: updates on my moving situation, as I’m looking to move house this summer.
  • Writing for Comics 101: pro-tips on how aspiring comics makers can write better comics.
  • Freelance Lifestyle: how to live well on a budget, land and fulfill gigs, and maximize your energy and focus.

I’ll also be continuing my Throwback Thursday art posts on (you guessed it) Thursdays. I like this trend and I’m going to maintain it.

Adventures in Moving will start updating on Tuesdays.

Freelance Lifestyle will update on Wednesdays and will run for 4 weeks.

Writing for Comics 101 will updates on Fridays, starting on April 17, and will run for 4 weeks.

The short-run blog post series might continue if there’s enough demand for them. For now, we’re starting with this.

If there’s a topic on any of these posts that you would like me to cover, let me know in the comments!

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

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Apprentice Wise Woman: A Sketch

Way back in 2014, I drew this Apprentice Wise Woman.

…Mostly to play with the aesthetic. But also to practice drawing with some new pens I had acquired at the time.

In retrospect, I consider her a prototype for The Woman of the Woods. The face paint patterns are also proto-Nafrit, Nafrits being the nomadic women warrior peoples in The Legend of Jamie Roberts. The gang hasn’t met them yet.

Actually, I may draw more ladies like this one…

Oh! And she’s available as a hi-res download for Ko-Fi and Patreon.