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How long does it take you to do a drawing?
That depends on how large the drawing is, and what medium/a is used. A simple 9x12" portrait drawing can take three hours, but I've had painted portraits take days.
I'm a student. How do I become an artist?
The best thing I can advise is, draw, draw, draw! Carry a sketchbook around with you. Do well in school so you can have your choice of art schools to attend. Definitely go to a school noted for its art curriculum, and which stresses learning classically and learning to think and see. Stay away from schools which just get you to have a 'good portfolio' at the end of your four years. You want a good portfolio, but you need to be taught the process as being as important as the final product.
How do I price my work?
Pricing depends many times on experience and education. For a good guideline, you can refer to the Graphic Artist's Guild's 'Ethical Pricing Guidelines', which breaks down each job, from animation to graphic design to book illustration to web design, and gives pricing with consideration to licensing, exposure and usage.
How do I copyright my work?
Presently, that is, 2009, the law says that once an artist has created a work, (s)he owns the copyright. However, in order for a case to be without doubt, the artist should file for a copyright through the U.S. Copyright Office (www.copyright.gov). Be sure to use the government site and not a site that ends in '.com', '.net' or '.org', as some of these may be private businesses that may charge more and may or may not file your work with The Library of Congress, which is what makes it legal.
I want to be a comic book artist. Where do I start?
The answer I'll give for anyone who wants to be any kind of artist is the same: draw, draw, draw. For a comic book--or sequential format--artist, it is very important to know the human face and figure. Take anatomy classes, look at people's faces and bodies, how clothing hangs...study the body from the skeleton out to the muscles to the flesh. Characters reside in comics and you must be accurate and convincing in your portrayal of them. In addition, it is important for you to almost be an actor, like an animator would. You need to know how people move, how their expressions go, how animals move and settings. I'm personally non a fan of non-human drawing (buildings, vehicles, objects) but, as I draw them for comics, the finished product helps them to grow on me. Part of who a character is is his or her setting or how (s)he reacts to a setting. So, you will want to draw all the time and build a portfolio.
Your portfolio should consist of stand-alone characters drawn from your own imagination. Do not copy other companies' characters, as they want to see what you come up with. If they want to see how you draw Batman or Wolverine, they will ask you, but don't include these in your portfolio. You should also have sequential format work, or, a story or stories told in frames you see in a comic book. There are a number of good books out on this subject, such as anything by Will Eisner. Read comics, too, and notice how the artist and writer tell their stories. They show, don't tell. And if they tell, it is succinct, to the point and for the purpose of achieving the most drama possible. Remember, your job is to keep the reader hooked. You do that through a great story (whether you write it or choose a good one with permission that someone else wrote) and stellar art.
After you have shown your portfolio to some art professors or maybe friends in the industry (not your pals down the street who will tell you how great you are), show your portfolio at comic book conventions. Usually you need to sign up at the beginning of the show to be seen by comic book publishers. It is possible to get a job on the spot, but don't be disappointed if you don't; you are walking away with valuable industry advice on improving your portfolio and, hopefully, a business card (definitely get a business card!). Follow up with the person who reviewed your portfolio. Send a note thanking him or her, no matter what the outcome of the review. Politeness goes a long way and keeps you in their minds.
At conventions, it is helpful to show your work to some of the established, published artists on the floor, but do this only after asking permission, and make sure they are not in the middle of a signing or have a crowd around them. If they look busy, as when there is a good time to speak with them. Don't be offended if they say they don't or can't, just move on. Conventions can be extremely busy, especially if you're attending Comicon in San Diego, or DragonCon in Atlanta or Wizard in Chicago. You should attend the smaller cons because you will be able to speak more freely with these artists. The smaller cons may not have publishers reviewing work, but you will always make contacts here.
Finally, you can submit your to a publisher by visiting their site. Be sure to take note of their submission guidelines, as you don't want to be rejected just for disobeying their requests.
Most important, don't give up. There are many comic artists who are trying to break into the field. Keep trying, keep drawing, keep submitting and when you're not doing one of these, work on something else: a sketchbook, more refined 'cover' paintings. Always continue to perfect your craft.
Where do you get your ideas?
There are many places and situations which inspire me. Sometimes it is a movie or book that causes me to think of painting something. Sometimes it is a color. Once I saw a pink garbage truck. I actually photographed it while I was driving on I-95. It was the prettiest pink in the world, and I thought it was funny that it was on a garbage truck. I still haven't done anything with it, but I have the photo and someday I will. The bible is also a big inspiration to me, given its visual descriptions, stories and how it sparks my imagination. Everything I do is to glorify God, and His creation provides a great deal of inspiration, especially when I think of doing abstracts.
If you weren't an artist, what would you be?
A fighter pilot. Definitely a fighter pilot. I met Val Kilmer in New York and told him it was his fault my sister had become a military pilot. He kind of grinned and said, 'Uh oh. I had nothing to do with it'. I leave the flying to my sister, but
hope to get my pilot's license at some point.
Who is your favorite artist?
Painters: Alphonse Mucha, Rojo, Rauschenberg
Drawing: Michelangelo
Illustrators: Peter deSeve
Comics: Alex Ross, Adam Hughes, David Mack (and so many more!)
