So any tips on.....

[Sloth7d]

How an aspiring comic book artist might get started in making his own graphic novels. I want to be good. No scratch that, great. But how can I publish my ideas if I don't even know how to get started. Does anyone have any links to or know the proccess of how a comic book is made. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[tzarinna]

Ask the folks in fan art

 

[tzarinna]

Oh and Fan Fiction

 

[Iron Man™]

^^^ Now that's good advice.

 

[Elijya]

why don't you post some of your work and we'll tell you where you could use some improvement.

Really, the best way to improve is just practise, practise, practise. Nobody becomes an expert in a month. And read books. Read Anatomy drawing books, and read Will Eisner's Sequential Art and Scott McCloud's Understanding comics to further understand what can actually be done with the medium.

give yourself exercises. Like, for instance, draw someone (someone without a mask, like the Joker, or Superman) draw their face. Now draw their face again, but from another angle and with another expression. And again, and again. Can you draw different expressions from different angles but still tell it's the same character?

stuff like that

 

[Sloth7d]

Okay, I'll just re post there.

 

[Elijya]

no, don't, I've already moved the thread

 

[Elijya]

There's also the Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating a Graphic Novel
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/15...784403/ref=sr_1_1/103-4012417-2077444?ie=UTF8

 

[Sloth7d]

why don't you post some of your work and we'll tell you where you could use some improvement.

Really, the best way to improve is just practise, practise, practise. Nobody becomes an expert in a month. And read books. Read Anatomy drawing books, and read Will Eisner's Sequential Art and Scott McCloud's Understanding comics to further understand what can actually be done with the medium.

give yourself exercises. Like, for instance, draw someone (someone without a mask, like the Joker, or Superman) draw their face. Now draw their face again, but from another angle and with another expression. And again, and again. Can you draw different expressions from different angles but still tell it's the same character?

stuff like that

Well, I think I'm pretty good, but there is always room for improvement ofcourse. But I just wanted to know the proccess of how a comic is made, actually. I'm told I can draw very well, and many people have complimented my ideas. So I wanted to know the proccess opf how a comic/graphic novel is made.

 

[Elijya]

Will Eisner's Sequential Art
Scott McCloud's Understanding comics
Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating a Graphic Novel
Dave Sim's Guide to Self-Publishing

these will teach you all you need to know

 

[Sloth7d]

There's also the Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating a Graphic Novel
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592572332/sr=8-1/qid=1151784403/ref=sr_1_1/103-4012417-2077444?ie=UTF8

Thanks a bunch.

 

[ampersand]

Well, I think I'm pretty good, but there is always room for improvement ofcourse. But I just wanted to know the proccess of how a comic is made, actually. I'm told I can draw very well, and many people have complimented my ideas. So I wanted to know the proccess opf how a comic/graphic novel is made.

Can we see some of your art?

 

[Mrh7448]

Hey I forgot about this thread. And to answer your question: No, because they suck. Right now I'm stuck in a deep depression because I have these great ideas for stories, but my clumbsy hands can't seem to draw the lines right. I've been drawing my whole life. I'm obsessed with it, but its like my drawings are never good enough, yknow.

LOL...sounds like an artist to me. I'm the same way, no matter how much I think something is good I always think it can be better. There's always something that you think you can improve.

But post your art, keep drawing and keep trying. If you just keep it to yourself you'll never get anywhere, you'll never get better and you'll never get anything published or printed.

 

[clintrussell]

Lol, I'm the exact same way. I'll draw something. Get so frustrated that it looks horrible. I think most artists do that so don't worry.

Also, even if your drawings 'suck', post them anyway. That's what CnC is for.

 

[Sloth7d]

I finally, summed up the courage to post some of my drawings.
My scanner kind of sucks, and I just got it working, so bear with me on this.

Just a few characters I made up.

 

[Anita18]

Hmm, it's a bit difficult for me to tell if you're trying for the distortion or if you need work on perspective, LOL.

Second/third/whatever the anatomy books, and just try to draw people from different angles. Copy photos out of a magazine if you must, but I find the best practice is from drawing live models (I'm anal that way).

When I read your post initially, my immediate thought was, "story." You've got to have a good story, and a good script. Without that, all you'll have are pretty pictures that don't really have a point.

I'm currently collaborating with a friend for a comic (non-superhero) and it's great that she's a terrific writer since we can discuss approaches regarding the art - styles, layout, everything. Everything that I draw will have a point and will further the story.

 

[Sloth7d]

Well, I have other shots from other angles, but it takes ultra long for my scanner to copy it. Thanks for the feed back though. I know I need to take classes in anatomy, but I'm mostly going for an anime-ish style of art.
Anyway these are just poses of my characters for a the cover page and such.
My actual stories I haven't scanned yet.

 

[Sloth7d]

Dare I ask......Anyone else?

 

[KAD]

Dare I ask......Anyone else?

Do a lot of sketching.

Draw your figures out of basic shapes until you get a better feel for perspective

 

[StrainedEyes]

Well, I have other shots from other angles, but it takes ultra long for my scanner to copy it. Thanks for the feed back though. I know I need to take classes in anatomy, but I'm mostly going for an anime-ish style of art.
Anyway these are just poses of my characters for a the cover page and such.
My actual stories I haven't scanned yet.

The best advice I can give you, is learn to actually draw. Anime may be cool or whatever, but very few people get anywhere drawing like that, unless they are actually from Japan. THE ONLY WAY to get better at drawing, is to learn all the rules, and learn how to draw things realistically (Or real enough) AND THEN finding your own unique style. The other way around can cause problems later on, especially when that style is not unique in anyway (DBZ is on tv, I don't need to see someone drawing it too.)

And there are many ways to start making comics, it really is up to do, just do it. You need a story, you need to draw that story, you need to make copies of that story, and you need to put the pages together. That's pretty much all you need to know to make your own comics. So don't worry too much about how to ACTUALLY make comics and mass produce them and make money off of them, you need to start small.

 

[Mrh7448]

The best advice I can give you, is learn to actually draw. Anime may be cool or whatever, but very few people get anywhere drawing like that, unless they are actually from Japan. THE ONLY WAY to get better at drawing, is to learn all the rules, and learn how to draw things realistically (Or real enough) AND THEN finding your own unique style. The other way around can cause problems later on, especially when that style is not unique in anyway (DBZ is on tv, I don't need to see someone drawing it too.)

And there are many ways to start making comics, it really is up to do, just do it. You need a story, you need to draw that story, you need to make copies of that story, and you need to put the pages together. That's pretty much all you need to know to make your own comics. So don't worry too much about how to ACTUALLY make comics and mass produce them and make money off of them, you need to start small.

I would agree with this. It's better to learn proper techniques and anatomy before trying to develope a style. You need to know what the rules are before you can start breaking them.

Learn your anatomy first, figure out the way things work and then it will be easier to do the exaggeration and find your sense of style.

 

[Anita18]

The best advice I can give you, is learn to actually draw. Anime may be cool or whatever, but very few people get anywhere drawing like that, unless they are actually from Japan.

Third this. I know many, many, MANY people who can draw anime very well, usually to the point of it looking professional. However, if you ask them to draw anything else, they're at a total loss.

 

[Crowforge]

drawing 'anime' is no diffrent from drawing in the many many other styles, it requires practice practice practice. Go pick up some books on anatomy drawing and perspective backgrounds and that sort of stuff.

 

[Sloth7d]

The best advice I can give you, is learn to actually draw. Anime may be cool or whatever, but very few people get anywhere drawing like that, unless they are actually from Japan. THE ONLY WAY to get better at drawing, is to learn all the rules, and learn how to draw things realistically (Or real enough) AND THEN finding your own unique style. The other way around can cause problems later on, especially when that style is not unique in anyway (DBZ is on tv, I don't need to see someone drawing it too.)

And there are many ways to start making comics, it really is up to do, just do it. You need a story, you need to draw that story, you need to make copies of that story, and you need to put the pages together. That's pretty much all you need to know to make your own comics. So don't worry too much about how to ACTUALLY make comics and mass produce them and make money off of them, you need to start small.

I agree with everthing you said (exept one thing) and thats pretty much what I figured I was going to have to do, but it helps to get reassurance from others in the field. I do dissagree about your comment on anime style not selling. If you are refering to superhero comics then I agree 100% since the veteran fans like a more realistic look on Marvel and Dc drawn characters than cartoonish.Contrast to that my stories are journey/quest types. But yeah, I plan to start attending Essex college during mid semester and I plan to take anatomy classes to improve my skill.

 

[StrainedEyes]

I agree with everthing you said (exept one thing) and thats pretty much what I figured I was going to have to do, but it helps to get reassurance from others in the field. I do dissagree about your comment on anime style not selling. If you are refering to superhero comics then I agree 100% since the veteran fans like a more realistic look on Marvel and Dc drawn characters than cartoonish.Contrast to that my stories are journey/quest types. But yeah, I plan to start attending Essex college during mid semester and I plan to take anatomy classes to improve my skill.

The thing is, do you honestly want to be another manga about a quest? I'm sorry, I'm biased over anime. I go to SVA in New York, and half the cartooning majors draw anime. It's really annoying