Workshops COMIC

ART
Special

Artist insight
CUTTING-EDGE
COMIC ART
From designing a cover to selling your own graphic novel,
some of the world’s best comic artists take you on a
journey to making a successful career out of comics...
hether you want to get on you an insight into making it in this artist at Bizarre Creations and comic

W a Marvel cover or publish

your own indie comic
book, you’re going to need
to know a few basics first. So we’ve
called on some of the world’s biggest
comic book artists to impart the
benefit of their experience and give
incredibly competitive industry.
First up, 10 very different comic
artists from around the globe discuss
what makes a good cover. Artists from
Marvel, 2000 AD and Dark Horse all
bring their expert knowledge to the
table. Next up, Lee Carter, concept
artist extraordinaire, shows you how to
tell a story through the clever use of
panels and other graphic devices.
Finally, Liam Sharp, founder of UK indie
comic publisher MamTor, tells you
exactly what you need to know about
getting your comic published.

76 May 2007
 Artist insight comic art tips

THE ART OF THE COVER

Ten world-famous comic artists reveal all about what makes the perfect cover artwork…

1 KEEP IT SIMPLE
Try a little experiment, says 5 THE BIGGER
Boo Cook, a 2000 AD PICTURE
regular. “Take a look at a Comic books are
bunch of covers at the usually part of a
same time. For example, series, so, advises
check out the cover story section at ImagineFX
www.2000ADonline.com. You’ll soon favourite and Dark
notice the ones that leap out at you Horse regular Aleksi Briclot,
have something in common – they’re “while working on comic-
the simple ones. It’s easy to get caught book covers you have to
up in detail, and sure, a bit of detail here keep the purpose in mind.
and there on a cover is fine, so long as You have to produce an
the overall composition goes ‘Wham!’ illustration that enhances,
straight down your optic nerve.” presents and sums up a
Don’t forget that masses of text will soon be put
bigger story. Most of
everywhere you thought you had space, so… keep it the time, you’re not only
simple, let it ‘breathe’, give it plenty of bleed. working on one unique
cover but on several
2 MEANING covers, so it’s important to
Producing a great comic book create a visual link between
cover is not just about creating them and think about the
a great piece of art, cautions Pat storytelling and content of
Lee, an independent artist, “You the different issues.”
must develop a single image that For Dark Horse’s Hellgate: London covers, Aleksi
represents the entire story of that chose full page, action-oriented and realistic
images as the title is linked to a big video game.
particular issue. A solid cover is sharp and
pops out from the stands against all other
books on the shelf. It’s also meaningful 6 DON’T BE TOO LITERAL
Pat Lee’s Marvel cover work
explores the narrative potential
and it must inspire readers to pick it up.” One of the aims of a cover
of a single image. should be to attract new
readers, says Simon Davis,
3 MOOD AND INTENSITY 4 LOOK AROUND YOU a 2000 AD regular.
As a cover artist you For Nic Klein, a freelance “The content doesn’t
may not always know artist who recently won a necessarily have to directly reflect the
what the story inside is contract with Marvel, events in the story – in fact I feel it’s
going to be about, but there’s no ready solution to better if it doesn’t,” he says. “The image
you should know who the cover art conundrum. can hopefully convey the ‘feel’ of a
the main player is. “With that in mind, “In my opinion, a good comic story in one simple iconic image. On
the cover should resemble a movie book cover consists of many factors,” a purely eye-catching level, having a
poster or an iconic depiction of the he says. “Obviously it has to be well strong background, even if it’s just
character,” says Dan Panosian, an crafted and stylish. But beyond that, white, is a very effective way of
artist whose clients include Boom! a cover has to scream ‘Pick me up!’ attracting attention.”
Studios. Of course, that’s easier said The mystery is of
than done. “Picking a nice pose or course, how to
composition is one thing, making achieve this…
that composition and character jump and I really don’t have Simon’s Sinister
out at you is another. You can do so an answer. Just look Dexter cover (2000
AD, prog 1508)
by conveying mood or intensity.” at covers that inspire illustrates his point:
The cover for Boom!
you, and then ask “I decided to paint
Sinister towering over
Studios Pirate Tales relies yourself why. What Recently recruited by the city of Downlode
on creating a mood for its
impact. “They wanted a
rings your bell? Once Marvel Comics, for Nic to convey he was
returning home and
Pirates of the Caribbean you know, you’ll know understanding what
works for you is the things were about to
feel to it,” notes Dan.
what to strive for.” first step. get interesting.”

May 2007 77
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STORYTELLING
7 COMPOSITION IS KEY
“My preferred method of
drawing attention,” says

AND PANELS
Richard Elson, an
independent artist, “is to
attempt to drag the story
on to the front of the comic and,
simultaneously, drag the viewer into the
Demystifying the art of storytelling through
story. Hopefully, where the two collide, a panels, poses and posture
sale will result. Solid drawing and colour
are important, but the composition of the 1 LAYOUT AND THUMBNAILS
image is the main ingredient. That being Good composition can usually
Reading scripts can be daunting, but incredibly exciting.
the case, it pays to spend time getting the be summed up succinctly. In Fantastic imagery will flood your mind as you study the
composition right as this makes the the case of 2000 AD, prog Lee Carter writer’s ideas. With thumbnails you can quickly plan
1389, says Richard: “Huge COUNTRY: UK
actual drawing process so much easier.” metal guy in space.” Lee Carter is a your layouts and think about important panels that may
lead concept impact upon your designs. My rough layouts use a
8 A LITTLE JEOPARDY artist at quick dash of colour to differentiate characters and
Liverpool
If it’s going to sell, a cover needs ‘punch’. For Sean company Bizarre
environments. This helps to get a idea of how many
Philips, a talented Marvel artist, that translates to, Creations. His times something may appear throughout the strip.
“strong graphic shapes, a limited palette of colours impressive client list
includes IFX, Boom
and good integration of logo and image. As far Studios, Games
as content goes, the choices tend to be either Workshop and Fantasy
showing a scene from inside the Flight Games.
www.myspace.com/
comic – ideally with the character
carterworld
in jeopardy – or more of an iconic
shot of the character that doesn’t
give away much of the story.”
Sean’s striking covers for Marvel’s excellent Criminal
series demonstrate the power of a limited palette.

9 IT’S WHAT’S UP
FRONT THAT COUNTS
Comic cover artist
Adi Granov
emphasises the
practical demands 2 LETTERING 3 CHARACTER SHEETS
on comic book Bad lettering can The script will hopefully provide you
covers. “For a cover to be dramatically change the with a great cast for you to flesh out.
successful its two primary feel of your work. My first After a readthrough, it’s a good idea to
goals are to stand out on the thought on lettering is to write down who’s who and how often
shelves and be noticed, and then leave it to the professionals. they appear. Major characters will
to show a promise of excitement Avoiding lettering doesn’t appear numerous times at different
or suspense. No matter how mean you should forget angles so it’s important to have a
beautiful a cover painting may about it though. During the good understanding of how they look.
be on closer inspection, if it’s not thumbnail stage, think Character sheets and turnarounds help
noticeable from across the store
Adi’s Cover for Nova #1 makes an
about how the dialogue you develop and make decisions
or on a newsstand it has failed.” assault on your senses. will affect the placement about the design of your characters.
of characters, remembering Remember though, you’ll have to draw
10 STORYTELLING not to cramp the word the subject over and over again, so
“The storytelling aspects of a cover are balloons. A good rule is to don’t overdo it with detail.
similar to those required in the book, keep the first speaker to
in that you need to ask the question, the left of the panel.
‘What is the primary moment or
feeling that I want to distil?’ observes
DC artist Tim Sale. “What’s different
is that moment and feeling should
encapsulate the issue as a whole, not
just part of a sequence. To do that you
needn’t pick the largest moment in
the story, or the splashiest.”
The cover for Superman Confidential: Kryptonite #1, “announces a new series, a new
way for me to draw the character and a new style of graphics for me,” says Tim.

78 May 2007

4 SET DESIGN
Like the characters, you may be asked
to draw the same room/environment
several times at different angles, so
understanding the placement of
characters and objects within the
scene is very important. You can use
photographic references but this
requires lots of research and varying
shots. Using 3D art packages can help
just by using simple geometry. I use
one to build block shapes to resemble
anything from cars to furniture. Then I
orbit around the scene until I get the
angle I want. I can use a printout of the
scene as a fantastic starting point.
5 SHIFTING THE CAMERA
Comic artists use a lot of different
methods to get you to the end of the
page. Timing and panel count are
integral to the pacing of the story.
A lot of panels will slow down the
reader and create a slower paced
story. Using fewer panels immediately
quickens the pace and using long
horizontal panels helps even more.
Sometimes a situation deserves lots
of different shots. If you have a car
chase going on you don’t necessarily
want to keep the cameras focused on
the car at all times. You may want to
get close-ups of, say, the driver’s
expressions and his emotions.
Artist insight Comic art tips
6 DELAYING THE ESTABLISHING SHOT
The establishing shot is very important; it sets the scene and gives the reader an
understanding of the environment. A lot of stories start off with a location shot; this
immediately gives the reader a sense of placement. After the initial first panel, the
reader then knows where the events take place. Delaying the establishing shot to
the last panel helps build up the sense of mystery and can be used to trick the reader.
I recently illustrated a strip for Boom Studios’ Pirate Tales by John Rogers where we
had the captain of the ship discussing great sea battles with a colleague. By delaying
the establishing shot, you sort of get the picture that he’s a captain of a battleship,
but we then find out he’s merely on a holiday cruise liner.
7 INKING WITH PHOTOSHOP
Traditional comic book inking is done using Indian ink
and brushes and is an artistic discipline of its own.
American publishers tend to use a separate artist to
ink over other artists’ pencils. This can dramatically
change the look of the work depending on the inking
style. There are other ways to ink now; some artists
actually avoid the inking process and head straight to
colouring the pencils. I like to use various tools in
Photoshop to up the contrast in my pencils. And by
using filters such as Cut-out you can get a more solid,
bolder look to your drawings.
Delaying the establishing shot
helps build up a sense of mystery
8 BODY LANGUAGE AND POSTURE 10 USING PATHS FOR
Comic art is all about communication
communication. The PERSPECTIVE AND INKING
reader needs to know what’s happening from Recently I’ve being using paths to
a quick glance at the image. Using visual clues rough out my perspective, but paths
to show the emotions of the characters adds a can also help give you a consistent line
further emphasis to the scene. Learn about body for your rendering. By using full-screen
language by watching those around you and mode in Photoshop I can place paths
study films to see how the choice of shots affects down and hide them when not needed.
the dynamics of the situation. Make sure the As it’s on full-screen mode, you can lay
dialogue and characters’ posture work together. down your vanishing points way off
screen and easily move the points
9 JOURNEY THROUGH THE PAGE around. Another cool thing about
Remember that you’re taking the reader on an adventure, you’re paths is the ability to choose the
telling a story through words and pictures. So it’s important to brush in which you want to stroke
be clear about your goal. Keeping your style constant helps your selection. Use the paths to go
create a world in which everything seems believable. Characters around your pencil sketch and with
in strips such as Tin Tin and even The Broons inhabit a very the path still selected, press the Brush
consistent world. This really helps the characters, while creating button and simply stoke the path using
a very believable environment to draw you into. the brush you’ve selected.
May 2007 79
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SELF-PROMOTION
AND PUBLISHING
Liam Sharp
COUNTRY: UK
Liam Sharp
was born on 2
May 1968 and
is a British
comic book artist, writer MamTor founder Liam Sharp on the perils and pluses
and publisher. He lives in
Derby with his wife and of promoting and publishing your own comics Testament, Liam’s
three children. He made current project
his debut in the 1980s from DC Vertigo.
for 2000 AD, and in 1 WHAT DO YOU 3 MAINSTREAM WARNING
2004 set up his own WANT TO DO? Something nobody tells you about the 5 ACTUALLY PUBLISHING
publishing company.
www.mamtor.com
I think it’s important to be clear on mainstream is that, as an artist, you’ll YOUR WORK
where you want to go with your work almost certainly be drawing stuff you’re If you’ve decided to go down
from the start – and you have to be not prepared for and don’t really want the self-publishing or indie
honest with yourself. If you’re into the to do. Your portfolio – which should be route, then you need to be
capes and tights, and you want to go mostly pencil art, half as big again as very honest with yourself,
mainstream, you’re going to have regular comic pages on high quality and you need to know how
to want it incredibly badly, as the paper, and not inked with ball-point unbelievably hard it is to get
competition is the most extreme I’ve pens or felt tips – will be stuffed with your stuff seen and sold right
ever known it right now. Very few things you like drawing. Nobody now. It’s never been so easy
artists or writers are discovered, practises the stuff they don’t. I’m to create comics and produce
becoming overnight sensations. pretty good at monsters, barbarians, printable files, it’s never been
trees, natural landscapes and organic so cheap, and subsequently
This was Edmund Bagwell’s alien technology, but early on I found never have there been so
epic cover to the second
Event Horizon anthology.
myself struggling with cars, house many people doing it.
Liam tips him to be a big interiors, buildings and a whole host
name in the near future. Liam’s Lap of the Gods book, which was
of stuff I really wasn’t very good at.
co-published by MamTor and Kymera.
And it’s not fun doing that, even when
it’s for The Hulk. So be warned.

4 INDIE ROUTE
The indie route is the
route for committed
auteurs who are doing it
for love. This is much
more flexible, though
you still have to find a
company that fits your
vision and buys into your
stuff – and you absolutely
will not make any money
out of it 99.9% of the
time. If you can’t find a
publisher, you might as
well just go ahead and
publish it yourself – far
more easily achieved
2 PREPARE FOR CRITICISM than ever before.
Most UK writers will have cut their teeth in 2000
AD, and that’s certainly the case for many artists
too. If you can’t get in through 2000 AD, then
you have to go directly to US editors, and you’ll
most likely find one of them at a convention – at
which point you can pester them, face dire
criticism, and get the details you need to
submit work. It’s not easy, and it’s fraught with This powerful image was
disappointment – even as a pro of 20 years, I’m Liam’s cover image to the
lucky if one in maybe ten pitches gets off the first Event Horizon book.
ground.
6 BELIEF EQUALS
SUCCESS
With the advent of platforms like
MySpace and reality TV, Warhol’s
assertion that everybody would be
famous for 15 minutes seems to be
coming true. We’re seeing everybody
selling themselves everywhere – often
with absolutely nothing to sell but
themselves. That’s what you’re up
against: everybody else selling
something. So you have to have a
good idea who’s likely to buy it, and
why, and where you’re going to sell it
to them. You’ve also got to know why
you’re doing it – because if you
honestly think it’ll be a good business
venture you’re almost certainly in for a
shock. The only way to succeed as an
independent is to do it for nothing but
the love of the medium, and belief in
your product.

80 May 2007

7 KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE
Also, be sure you really know what you have.
You’ll need a pretty accomplished and
experienced eye casting over most work to
genuinely know if it’s pro-quality. There’s an
awful lot of self-delusion out there in the indie
publishing world.
8 INSUFFICIENT FUNDS
At cons you’ll need funds for tables,
hotel rooms, and the like, and you most
likely won’t cover your costs with sales.
If you get a distribution deal, you’ll be
in the long shadow of the big
companies, buried in a dark corner of
a vast monthly catalogue. If you’ve got
no marketing budget, then your only
option is message boards, MySpace,
indie-driven sites such as The Engine
(www.the-engine.net) and getting
hold of a list of internet comics news
sites – they’re available, you just have
to find them.
9 NOVEL APPROACH
If you’ve created your own book, and your dream is to see it
printed, but you have literally no funds, and nobody is willing to
publish it, there are other great options, such as www.lulu.com.
Here you can upload your entire book, having placed it into one
of the templates they provide, and then order a printed, bound
copy directly from them for the price you set for it.
10 THE BIG ISSUE
The biggest issue of all concerning new
publishers, indie publishers and publishers
of niche material in general is promotion,
distribution and printing. Securing a distributor
in the first place can be extremely difficult. Many
book buyers simply won’t take you seriously.
Some require you to have published 10 books
before they’ll even take a look at your material.
I’m still coming up against barriers on an
almost weekly level, and we’ve been
established for almost three years now.
11 THE TRUTH
ABOUT COSTS
Let’s say you get a deal with a
distributor; immediately you’ll be
losing 62 per cent of your revenue
– and that’s excluding advertising
and printing costs. To get seen in
the catalogue will cost you an arm
and a leg if it’s going to compete,
and there’ll be no concessions on
the price. Big companies receive
Page from Brian Holguin
huge discounts for advertising
and artist Dave Kendall’s space because they buy so much.
epic Rumours of Ragnorok:
Sea and Thunder story.
You, on the other hand, will have
to pay the going rate.
Artist insight Comic art tips
12 PRINTING COSTS
You’ll also have to pay top dollar for your printing, because
– unlike the big companies who may get good deals – you’ll
most likely be involved in one small print run. Promotion is
an endless cycle of head-scratching and frustration for me,
and it often doesn’t seem to be reflected in sales. It’s the most
talked-about subject of any indie comic publisher, and it can
break hearts and bank accounts.
13 NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK
If you really want to hear it as it is, you have to network within the
industry – and be prepared to listen! It’s a tiny business, so you
really don’t want to make enemies. That means being civil. Do
not, on any account, force yourself into conversations, or make
demands on pros. A bad reputation once it takes hold is near-
impossible to shake, and in such a navel-gazing industry, it’s
remembered for a very long time indeed.
14 REAL PEOPLE
Look long and hard before asking a question, and if you do, you’ll
find there are a lot of people willing to give you answers and fill
you in on how things work. Again, civility is key. If you think you
know it all, you’ll be laughed out of the industry. If you can build
up a good rapport online, you’ll find that pros are more open to
you at cons, once they’ve established who you are. Don’t hide
From A Trace of behind online pseudonyms, they don’t help you. People want to
Fragile Bliss in
Event Horizon 2.
know they’re talking to real people, not Frag Gor the Battle Rat!
An amazing hand-drawn image
from Matt Coyle’s comic Worry
Doll. Incredible work.
15 BECAUSE YOU LOVE IT
Having said everything I’ve said, something inside me
drives me to continue, and thankfully my partner in all of
this – my wife Christina – understands completely, and
gets as much out of it as I do. I love doing it, and I’ll keep
doing it for as long as I’m able. We considered replacing
our desperately tatty old kitchen units, but decided to
publish Worry Doll instead. We’re not going on holiday,
we’re going to the Bristol Comic Expo. The kids don’t
have any video games, but they have a lot of paper and
they draw all the time. Something must be rubbing off!
May 2007 81