Week 45 - 11/13/22 - Social Isolation Pitch/Portfolio Tips Migration
13 November, 2022
Hello!
This week's material might be familiar as I'm moving some things over from Twitter so they don't get lost! For a little bit of context if this is your first time seeing it: back in March 2020, in the earliest days of mass social isolation, I offered some tips on how to build portfolios and pitches for comics. These were done Q&A style, so I'm also including the original questions. Some things may be modified for clarity (especially with the space of a blog rather than a series of tweets) and I might add some additional info as I read back through these myself.
From @Rikdraws (aka Rik Mack, who is now an inker on IDW titles like Transformers: War's End and Sonic the Hedgehog!): Hi David! Is it best to hone a portfolio in on sequential pencils for a specific title you're aiming to work on, or is a wider spread of sequentials featuring inks/colours/letters better? Also featuring different styles/titles better to show variety/adaptability? Thanks!
A great question! Portfolios should be representative of the work you want to do. So, while versatility is awesome and editors like seeing different styles, if you happen to know you hate drawing mechs and Transformers, even if you can do it, don't include those. Do include things you like to draw and would be happy to continue drawing. Similarly, only include samples of skills you want to be employed for. If you don't like coloring or don't like lettering, or don't want to do it professionally, that can show on the page and distract from what you want the editor to focus on. If you're focusing on skills you like and what you like to do, it makes it way easier for an editor to provide feedback because your better skills shine through and it's just polish from that point!
From @CandiPhoenixesA (and overlapping a question from @Captgabssam): In terms of an art portfolio, what would be the best art to show in terms of pencillers, liners and colorists?
This might sound like a cop-out, but the art you like best is a great place to start! If you like it and are proud of it, show it off! The other big ones for me are show art for jobs you want. If you want to draw Spider-Man, superhero art is helpful and a Pokemon picnic might be cool, but it doesn't show the skills you want to show off. And don't show things people have seen a million times if you can avoid it. There are some sample scripts that get shared all the time and, while they're very helpful, if I see the same basic story with the same characters a dozen times, my brain starts comparing them, which isn't fair to your portfolio. If you don't feel comfortable writing your own script, ask a writer friend to put together something short for you or see if pro writers share their scripts in any way. There are plenty of less-used sample scripts out there to build off of. Addendum 11/22: When it comes to inking and coloring, with permission from the original artist and proper credit, you may use someone else's art as a base for your portfolio. Like, if you're primarily interested in coloring and don't have a lot of lineart to share, yeah, it can be fine to use someone else's lines. That said, and related to what I initially said about seeing the same script samples a lot, I recommend you DON'T use a story you're very familiar with. Because you want to show off your work, it's better to try to avoid art where you might subconsciously try to recreate the "correct" way that it looks (what you've previously read). Coming at something with fresh eyes can be helpful to you and your editor.
From @MamboCat84 (and overlapping @candychameleons): I would like to ask specifically for colorists, how is the best way to approach compiling a portfolio? Do editors want to see a sequence of pages from the same story? Or single pages from different stories? And how many pages are optimal?
Generally, I do like seeing a few pages in a sequence when possible. While this is also true for any part of a portfolio, particularly for coloring, it helps me check for consistency. To clarify my original example, if you have a moment of hyper-stylized colors, like the overwhelming orange of an explosion, it's helpful to have samples that are sequentially related, but more "standard" in their palettes so an editor can see your choices unobstructed by things that'd cause major changes to the coloring. Like all things, work off what makes you happy. If you don't want to color Judge Dredd, don't share Dredd samples. Variety is great, but don't back yourself into a corner that you don't like. If there's one thing you're particularly pursuing, say Dredd again, share a lot of that up front. As per portfolio length, I say 10-12 pages is your max. Editors often don't have a lot of time to review them, so you want to keep it pretty short and just your best pieces. If you're interested in multiple things, like coloring and cover art, divide them equally.
Colorist Marissa Louise (@marissadraws) had an important follow-up because I had mentioned making sure your portfolio was in CMYK and, as she pointed out, that's not how digital portfolios often work because while you can work in a CMYK profile for CMYK printing, displays are RGB. My note there is just be considerate of the fact that you'll likely have to print in CMYK, so if you're working in a lot of RGB colors that don't fit that profile, you might want to adjust to make sure what you're sharing's easily printable.
From my pal @palaciosworks: Would you be able to talk about the different processes for licensed vs. original pitches? Are licensed pitches mainly solicited from established pros?
An original pitch is whole-cloth the creator(s) idea and may include the whole creative team at the start. A lot of creator-owned books are like this. Generally, these pitches are prepared for a company with finished sample pages (both story and art) and an outline of what the whole story will be. Different companies have different standards and different ways of reaching them with these, so look up the submission process for the company(s) you want. Coming with only part of the pitch packet can work, but, again, that's kinda on company/editorial discretion Addendum 11/22: Established writers are also sometimes given leeway to pitch an original project without an artist up front. I specify writers because while it can also be true of cartoonists/artists, it is less common for them to be searching for a writing partner. But a lot of coming up with an original pitch often involves coming up with the whole picture--including art or an art direction (and often the associated cost of that), marketing, format, everything a company would need to know for why they should pick up your book and how best to sell it. (Obviously, plenty of original work goes through outlets that aren't companies, but when you do that, you don't have to pitch in the same way). But, when it comes to licensed projects, pitches for those are solicited from editors. They usually ask specific creators--not always super established folks, but often people with some sort of writing background or who has come recommended through a colleague--to come up with one part of a proposal. So, the big difference is original pitches are created to present a project on a whole to an audience the creators are targeting, a licensed pitch is created on the request of an editor and should show why that person is a good fit for the project and what they'll bring to it.
From @zerokaiser85: Lets say someone has a portfolio they're happy with. Any advice on the best ways to get your portfolio seen?
Okay, the single best way to get a portfolio seen is to sign up for a portfolio review session at a convention or event. The only thing that can not go right there is too many people being signed up and the reviewer having to leave for some reason. But getting a time slot for review is great. The other things to do, to various degrees of success, are to watch for like handy Twitter tags. I always check out Portfolio Day and VisibleWomen and DrawingWhileBlack when those are happening and people get hired from those. Recently, there was a Sonic specific one going, so I saw a bunch of great Sonic artists. Some of these are organic, some are planned, so keep an eye out for them. Finally, if you're making work, post it online, post it on your portfolio, and bring it to shows. If I see someone drawing something cool at a con, I'll stop by! Related point: when you show someone your portfolio or sample in person, make sure you have a way to give them your contact info (business card or otherwise) so they can look you up and contact you afterwards! Addendum 11/22: With this being moved here specifically because Twitter's getting more difficult for portfolios, it is going to make getting a portfolio seen even harder. I don't have a ton of good solutions, but this is why, unfortunately, having multiple platforms is probably going to be helpful as well as a centralized space--like, being on Insta and Mastodon or whatever, but also having a website devoted just to your work. Critical to both those things is findability--please make your website really easy to find and please try to keep a consistent name across platforms so you can be found.
From @cinereuskoala: I know its getting less common these days as artists tend to do their own pencils and inks, but for someone who is looking for work as just an inker to be paired with a penciler, what would you look for in their portfolio and how it would be set up?
Inking's a really specialized skill because, particularly as more artists go digital or do their own inks, there are just fewer opportunities. That said, of course we're still looking for good inkers! In terms of things that we look for in inking portfolios, a lot of the usual rules apply--show your best work, show what you're actually interested in, don't just show the same pages we've seen a million times. Some things that are special for inkers, though, are mastery of the technical skills (I know I can be picky about line width a lot), how closely you're working with the pencils and how much is your flair (a smaller pencil page for comparison to the inks can be nice), if you have a person who you're regularly doing inks for so we can see your art in combination. And just be sure you let whoever you're showing your portfolio to know that you're interested in inking only. People tend to be smart, I think, but sometimes exhausted brains say "this looks like so-and-so's art" and miss that you're an inker.
From @craterlabs: When it comes to writing pitches, should people already be working for a comic publisher to set up a meeting? Most calls to look at portfolios at cons seem to focus more on art than writing.
No doubt, doing portfolio reviews of writing tends to be much more time-consuming than art ones and they tend to be much harder to do in a con setting. But, you don't have to be working for a publisher already to set up a meeting or get your stuff looked at. One thing that I find really helpful is mini-comics and zines. Special shout-out to the likes of @Patrick_Ehlers and @CO32minus who are great at this! Something short that shows your writing skills and can be read while waiting for a cab or a plane to board is awesome. However, I know that isn't really an option for all people! If you have a webcomic link you can share, awesome. Other writing samples (even non-comic ones that show your skills as a storyteller), great. And as you do more, names start to travel and pop up between editors, which means it's easier to set up meetings or have an editor come to you. But if you can, I always recommend reaching out to editors through official channels (face time at cons or through a submission page or whatever, not Twitter DMs unless they say that's okay) so they can get an idea of you and your style, the things you're interested in and your approach to comics!
From @auroisa_yah: What makes a good portfolio for cover artists?
That's a really tough question! I think one of the things that editors are looking for in a cover artist portfolio--I know I look for this--is the potential to do more. I really like working with artists who I know will do great covers, but who I also think will do interiors well too, even if it might take a little while for them to get there. And I think part of realizing that is showing off art that shows your storytelling skills, not just mastery of a model or certain technical skills, right? Like, think about covers that you really love or are "iconic". Very few of them are a torso-up shot of a character in a heroic pose (which isn't to say those are bad, just better used with meaning). They have some motion or fragment of a larger story. Maybe there's a cool hook like a graphic design element--travel posters are a favorite of mine. But, yeah, good cover artist portfolios show an understanding of what covers are (the entry point of a book to an audience) and have to show a lot of dynamism within a single image. The rest is pretty much the same as other portfolios. Show what you are interested in doing, show what skills you're interested in using, show off some favorite pieces, etc. Last piece of advice, if you like say quiet romantic covers over action ones, make sure that's what's in your portfolio, y'know! Cover artists can communicate a lot more of their preferred tone of work in a portfolio. Addendum 11/22: Also, and I really don't mean this to be reductive, but draw hot people. Like, I don't think "just a heroic pose on a background" is always great, but if you're primarily interested in covers and are able to draw people who are really eye-catching in their detail, their musculature, their fashion or realism or whatever, it helps.
From @onlycosmia: I want to make my own comic books as a career path and I feel like it would make the most sense for me to pursue this via the webcomic medium. What would you say are the benefits of pitching an idea to a company rather than pursuing it independently?
'm never gonna steer folks away from webcomics or independent publishing. That's a vital part of the industry and if that's what works for you, absolutely go for it! But, in terms of differences and benefits, there are a few. The reach can be very different. Not every comic shop reader is a webcomics reader and vice-versa. So going through a company can help open up new avenues to readership. And, frankly, depending on what your model looks like, going through a publisher can sometimes mean more $. Some folks also find something extra in the difference of format. Like, there are certain things you can do in webcomics that you can't do in print and certain things in print that just feel different than reading digitally. But, that's all kinda assuming your comic gets picked up by a company. What can still happen even if it doesn't get picked is still really valuable though, and that's probably the biggest difference and benefit to at least pitching to a company sometimes. It doesn't always work like this, but a lot of the time, we try not to just say "no." We try to provide feedback (we're editors, it's our instinct). So, either way, you can get feedback on your comic in terms of what's working, what's not, why this publisher might not be the home for it, and how to improve and make even better comics. Addendum 11/22: I'd also add that even just in the past couple of years, the webcomics market has changed even more in ways that're both positive and negative. Webcomics publishers are sometimes throwing around money and sometimes not throwing around enough money for comics that're updating weekly. There's a whole conversation about independently hosted webcomics vs. webcomic publishers. Largely the same advice applies, but I wanted to mention it because it can also really change your pacing and expected output. It might make way more sense for you to update 1-2 pages a week rather than a full "episode" of a webcomic every week or a monthly 20 page comic.
From @katon_comics: What the defining moment when looking at submission do you feel a artist is ready for professional work?
Honestly, it varies from editor-to-editor, artist-to-artist, day-to-day. I'm sure that's not a very satisfying answer, but lemme elaborate. I think my main measure is when I see an artist that I think can give me a uniform quality of work on a recurring basis; who might need refinement, but doesn't need help with fundamentals; and who can solve a problem I have. Last Portfolio Day, for example, I let artists tweet their portfolios at me. I've reached out to a handful of those people where their work particularly resonated with me in some way and where I had an opportunity to work with them and see how we work together. And, lemme tell you, there's gonna be some dope stuff coming out of that. There's also a list like 3 times as long of people who I think are great, but just can't work with because, well, I don't have the projects for them. But that's a little off-topic, other than that sometimes we see professional level work, but it doesn't meet our needs (see also: plenty of amazing artists who are great at drawing people and I edit books that are largely people-less). In terms of a single defining moment, like I said, I think it's when an editor looks at a portfolio and instantly knows their notes. Like, the same level of notes that they'd give someone who is currently working for them on a project. Otherwise, I think a really defining moment is when the person they're talking to knows what they're talking about. Like, showing you're reading whatever the editor is doing and know their titles and preferences, showing you know the answers to professional questions, not being overly familiar, recognizing if you're new that you have stuff to learn and asking how to learn it. That sort of thing. I wish there was an easy "well, it's when they draw x-y-z good" or use the word "ineffable" or something answer, but it really varies because artists vary, y'know?
From @TheChaosSpirit: I don't know if anyone's asked this but I'm personally trying to find ways to improve as a colorist and just in composition in general, any tips or sources you can think of where we might be able to learn from?
One of the handiest tools I've come across to improve as a colorist is to learn from professionals. @Ziggyfin is really good about sharing their process and showing kinda step-by-step how they achieve some of their coloring! And, generally, I find that following people who's styles you admire and who are in the same field can be really helpful! Like, if they're doing what you want to, why not keep up with what they're doing and study it a bit (not copying, of course, but taking time to look at their art and how they do it) I also find this series of articles from ComicsAlliance (RIP) super helpful for understanding comic book color theory: https://comicsalliance.com/superhero-color-theory-primary-heroes/ It definitely applies to things beyond just "superheroes", like Sonic and Optimus Prime have the same theory as Spider-Man or Superman. If you find palettes or textures that appeal to you, I recommend toying with how they work with different projects and how to adjust them for the project.
@jcburcham does amazingly different looks for different projects, but I can always tell when he's colored something. I also really recommend studying lighting (and if you're currently sequestered someplace, this might be fun turning different light sources on and off, using flashlights, phone lights, tv lights, natural light, etc.) to make sure that your lighting makes sense with pages. And finally, in terms of composition, a lot of like "how-to-draw" and anatomy and object reference books that you can find are actually really handy. I recommend working from those, drawing objects in scale in your drawing workspace, and just playing around with art every day.
And that's this batch! I'll try to make sure that anything else helpful is pulled for next week, but now this is here and I hope it continues to be helpful! If next week ends up being light, maybe I'll talk about how different executions on the same themes can lead to really great variance of work (and, unfortunately, of quality).
Things I've been enjoying this week:
The Loneliest Time, Carly Rae Jepsen's new album. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (Novel). Honkai Impact (Video game). Sonic Frontiers (Video game). Aeonian Red (Webcomic--back this week!). Blank Check (Podcast). Spy x Family (Anime). My Hero Academia (Anime). Uzaki-Chan Wants to Hang Out (Anime). Chainsaw Man (Anime & Manga). Finally got a copy of I'm Glad My Mom Died, Jennette McCurdy's autobio, and I'm very excited to crack into that. The first episode of Transformers Earthspark was pretty fun. Don't Worry Darling (Movie) was okay. Not great, but okay. Lego Masters (TV show).
New Releases this week (11/9/2022):
Transformers: Last Bot Standing TPB (Editor)
Transformers: Best of Shockwave (Editor)
Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors All Hail the King #2 (I didn't actually work on this, I took over with #3, but you should read it anyway because it's good)
New releases next week (11/16/2022):
Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island #2 (Editor)
Sonic the Hedgehog: Tails' 30th Anniversary Special (Editor)
Transformers, Vol. 6: War's End HC (Editor--the final volume of our TF run that started in 2019 and that I'm extremely proud of!)
Pic of the Week:
Because it's related, I'm sharing Steve Lieber's 12 standard portfolio critiques!
This week's material might be familiar as I'm moving some things over from Twitter so they don't get lost! For a little bit of context if this is your first time seeing it: back in March 2020, in the earliest days of mass social isolation, I offered some tips on how to build portfolios and pitches for comics. These were done Q&A style, so I'm also including the original questions. Some things may be modified for clarity (especially with the space of a blog rather than a series of tweets) and I might add some additional info as I read back through these myself.
From @Rikdraws (aka Rik Mack, who is now an inker on IDW titles like Transformers: War's End and Sonic the Hedgehog!): Hi David! Is it best to hone a portfolio in on sequential pencils for a specific title you're aiming to work on, or is a wider spread of sequentials featuring inks/colours/letters better? Also featuring different styles/titles better to show variety/adaptability? Thanks!
A great question! Portfolios should be representative of the work you want to do. So, while versatility is awesome and editors like seeing different styles, if you happen to know you hate drawing mechs and Transformers, even if you can do it, don't include those. Do include things you like to draw and would be happy to continue drawing. Similarly, only include samples of skills you want to be employed for. If you don't like coloring or don't like lettering, or don't want to do it professionally, that can show on the page and distract from what you want the editor to focus on. If you're focusing on skills you like and what you like to do, it makes it way easier for an editor to provide feedback because your better skills shine through and it's just polish from that point!
From @CandiPhoenixesA (and overlapping a question from @Captgabssam): In terms of an art portfolio, what would be the best art to show in terms of pencillers, liners and colorists?
This might sound like a cop-out, but the art you like best is a great place to start! If you like it and are proud of it, show it off! The other big ones for me are show art for jobs you want. If you want to draw Spider-Man, superhero art is helpful and a Pokemon picnic might be cool, but it doesn't show the skills you want to show off. And don't show things people have seen a million times if you can avoid it. There are some sample scripts that get shared all the time and, while they're very helpful, if I see the same basic story with the same characters a dozen times, my brain starts comparing them, which isn't fair to your portfolio. If you don't feel comfortable writing your own script, ask a writer friend to put together something short for you or see if pro writers share their scripts in any way. There are plenty of less-used sample scripts out there to build off of. Addendum 11/22: When it comes to inking and coloring, with permission from the original artist and proper credit, you may use someone else's art as a base for your portfolio. Like, if you're primarily interested in coloring and don't have a lot of lineart to share, yeah, it can be fine to use someone else's lines. That said, and related to what I initially said about seeing the same script samples a lot, I recommend you DON'T use a story you're very familiar with. Because you want to show off your work, it's better to try to avoid art where you might subconsciously try to recreate the "correct" way that it looks (what you've previously read). Coming at something with fresh eyes can be helpful to you and your editor.
From @MamboCat84 (and overlapping @candychameleons): I would like to ask specifically for colorists, how is the best way to approach compiling a portfolio? Do editors want to see a sequence of pages from the same story? Or single pages from different stories? And how many pages are optimal?
Generally, I do like seeing a few pages in a sequence when possible. While this is also true for any part of a portfolio, particularly for coloring, it helps me check for consistency. To clarify my original example, if you have a moment of hyper-stylized colors, like the overwhelming orange of an explosion, it's helpful to have samples that are sequentially related, but more "standard" in their palettes so an editor can see your choices unobstructed by things that'd cause major changes to the coloring. Like all things, work off what makes you happy. If you don't want to color Judge Dredd, don't share Dredd samples. Variety is great, but don't back yourself into a corner that you don't like. If there's one thing you're particularly pursuing, say Dredd again, share a lot of that up front. As per portfolio length, I say 10-12 pages is your max. Editors often don't have a lot of time to review them, so you want to keep it pretty short and just your best pieces. If you're interested in multiple things, like coloring and cover art, divide them equally.
Colorist Marissa Louise (@marissadraws) had an important follow-up because I had mentioned making sure your portfolio was in CMYK and, as she pointed out, that's not how digital portfolios often work because while you can work in a CMYK profile for CMYK printing, displays are RGB. My note there is just be considerate of the fact that you'll likely have to print in CMYK, so if you're working in a lot of RGB colors that don't fit that profile, you might want to adjust to make sure what you're sharing's easily printable.
From my pal @palaciosworks: Would you be able to talk about the different processes for licensed vs. original pitches? Are licensed pitches mainly solicited from established pros?
An original pitch is whole-cloth the creator(s) idea and may include the whole creative team at the start. A lot of creator-owned books are like this. Generally, these pitches are prepared for a company with finished sample pages (both story and art) and an outline of what the whole story will be. Different companies have different standards and different ways of reaching them with these, so look up the submission process for the company(s) you want. Coming with only part of the pitch packet can work, but, again, that's kinda on company/editorial discretion Addendum 11/22: Established writers are also sometimes given leeway to pitch an original project without an artist up front. I specify writers because while it can also be true of cartoonists/artists, it is less common for them to be searching for a writing partner. But a lot of coming up with an original pitch often involves coming up with the whole picture--including art or an art direction (and often the associated cost of that), marketing, format, everything a company would need to know for why they should pick up your book and how best to sell it. (Obviously, plenty of original work goes through outlets that aren't companies, but when you do that, you don't have to pitch in the same way). But, when it comes to licensed projects, pitches for those are solicited from editors. They usually ask specific creators--not always super established folks, but often people with some sort of writing background or who has come recommended through a colleague--to come up with one part of a proposal. So, the big difference is original pitches are created to present a project on a whole to an audience the creators are targeting, a licensed pitch is created on the request of an editor and should show why that person is a good fit for the project and what they'll bring to it.
From @zerokaiser85: Lets say someone has a portfolio they're happy with. Any advice on the best ways to get your portfolio seen?
Okay, the single best way to get a portfolio seen is to sign up for a portfolio review session at a convention or event. The only thing that can not go right there is too many people being signed up and the reviewer having to leave for some reason. But getting a time slot for review is great. The other things to do, to various degrees of success, are to watch for like handy Twitter tags. I always check out Portfolio Day and VisibleWomen and DrawingWhileBlack when those are happening and people get hired from those. Recently, there was a Sonic specific one going, so I saw a bunch of great Sonic artists. Some of these are organic, some are planned, so keep an eye out for them. Finally, if you're making work, post it online, post it on your portfolio, and bring it to shows. If I see someone drawing something cool at a con, I'll stop by! Related point: when you show someone your portfolio or sample in person, make sure you have a way to give them your contact info (business card or otherwise) so they can look you up and contact you afterwards! Addendum 11/22: With this being moved here specifically because Twitter's getting more difficult for portfolios, it is going to make getting a portfolio seen even harder. I don't have a ton of good solutions, but this is why, unfortunately, having multiple platforms is probably going to be helpful as well as a centralized space--like, being on Insta and Mastodon or whatever, but also having a website devoted just to your work. Critical to both those things is findability--please make your website really easy to find and please try to keep a consistent name across platforms so you can be found.
From @cinereuskoala: I know its getting less common these days as artists tend to do their own pencils and inks, but for someone who is looking for work as just an inker to be paired with a penciler, what would you look for in their portfolio and how it would be set up?
Inking's a really specialized skill because, particularly as more artists go digital or do their own inks, there are just fewer opportunities. That said, of course we're still looking for good inkers! In terms of things that we look for in inking portfolios, a lot of the usual rules apply--show your best work, show what you're actually interested in, don't just show the same pages we've seen a million times. Some things that are special for inkers, though, are mastery of the technical skills (I know I can be picky about line width a lot), how closely you're working with the pencils and how much is your flair (a smaller pencil page for comparison to the inks can be nice), if you have a person who you're regularly doing inks for so we can see your art in combination. And just be sure you let whoever you're showing your portfolio to know that you're interested in inking only. People tend to be smart, I think, but sometimes exhausted brains say "this looks like so-and-so's art" and miss that you're an inker.
From @craterlabs: When it comes to writing pitches, should people already be working for a comic publisher to set up a meeting? Most calls to look at portfolios at cons seem to focus more on art than writing.
No doubt, doing portfolio reviews of writing tends to be much more time-consuming than art ones and they tend to be much harder to do in a con setting. But, you don't have to be working for a publisher already to set up a meeting or get your stuff looked at. One thing that I find really helpful is mini-comics and zines. Special shout-out to the likes of @Patrick_Ehlers and @CO32minus who are great at this! Something short that shows your writing skills and can be read while waiting for a cab or a plane to board is awesome. However, I know that isn't really an option for all people! If you have a webcomic link you can share, awesome. Other writing samples (even non-comic ones that show your skills as a storyteller), great. And as you do more, names start to travel and pop up between editors, which means it's easier to set up meetings or have an editor come to you. But if you can, I always recommend reaching out to editors through official channels (face time at cons or through a submission page or whatever, not Twitter DMs unless they say that's okay) so they can get an idea of you and your style, the things you're interested in and your approach to comics!
From @auroisa_yah: What makes a good portfolio for cover artists?
That's a really tough question! I think one of the things that editors are looking for in a cover artist portfolio--I know I look for this--is the potential to do more. I really like working with artists who I know will do great covers, but who I also think will do interiors well too, even if it might take a little while for them to get there. And I think part of realizing that is showing off art that shows your storytelling skills, not just mastery of a model or certain technical skills, right? Like, think about covers that you really love or are "iconic". Very few of them are a torso-up shot of a character in a heroic pose (which isn't to say those are bad, just better used with meaning). They have some motion or fragment of a larger story. Maybe there's a cool hook like a graphic design element--travel posters are a favorite of mine. But, yeah, good cover artist portfolios show an understanding of what covers are (the entry point of a book to an audience) and have to show a lot of dynamism within a single image. The rest is pretty much the same as other portfolios. Show what you are interested in doing, show what skills you're interested in using, show off some favorite pieces, etc. Last piece of advice, if you like say quiet romantic covers over action ones, make sure that's what's in your portfolio, y'know! Cover artists can communicate a lot more of their preferred tone of work in a portfolio. Addendum 11/22: Also, and I really don't mean this to be reductive, but draw hot people. Like, I don't think "just a heroic pose on a background" is always great, but if you're primarily interested in covers and are able to draw people who are really eye-catching in their detail, their musculature, their fashion or realism or whatever, it helps.
From @onlycosmia: I want to make my own comic books as a career path and I feel like it would make the most sense for me to pursue this via the webcomic medium. What would you say are the benefits of pitching an idea to a company rather than pursuing it independently?
'm never gonna steer folks away from webcomics or independent publishing. That's a vital part of the industry and if that's what works for you, absolutely go for it! But, in terms of differences and benefits, there are a few. The reach can be very different. Not every comic shop reader is a webcomics reader and vice-versa. So going through a company can help open up new avenues to readership. And, frankly, depending on what your model looks like, going through a publisher can sometimes mean more $. Some folks also find something extra in the difference of format. Like, there are certain things you can do in webcomics that you can't do in print and certain things in print that just feel different than reading digitally. But, that's all kinda assuming your comic gets picked up by a company. What can still happen even if it doesn't get picked is still really valuable though, and that's probably the biggest difference and benefit to at least pitching to a company sometimes. It doesn't always work like this, but a lot of the time, we try not to just say "no." We try to provide feedback (we're editors, it's our instinct). So, either way, you can get feedback on your comic in terms of what's working, what's not, why this publisher might not be the home for it, and how to improve and make even better comics. Addendum 11/22: I'd also add that even just in the past couple of years, the webcomics market has changed even more in ways that're both positive and negative. Webcomics publishers are sometimes throwing around money and sometimes not throwing around enough money for comics that're updating weekly. There's a whole conversation about independently hosted webcomics vs. webcomic publishers. Largely the same advice applies, but I wanted to mention it because it can also really change your pacing and expected output. It might make way more sense for you to update 1-2 pages a week rather than a full "episode" of a webcomic every week or a monthly 20 page comic.
From @katon_comics: What the defining moment when looking at submission do you feel a artist is ready for professional work?
Honestly, it varies from editor-to-editor, artist-to-artist, day-to-day. I'm sure that's not a very satisfying answer, but lemme elaborate. I think my main measure is when I see an artist that I think can give me a uniform quality of work on a recurring basis; who might need refinement, but doesn't need help with fundamentals; and who can solve a problem I have. Last Portfolio Day, for example, I let artists tweet their portfolios at me. I've reached out to a handful of those people where their work particularly resonated with me in some way and where I had an opportunity to work with them and see how we work together. And, lemme tell you, there's gonna be some dope stuff coming out of that. There's also a list like 3 times as long of people who I think are great, but just can't work with because, well, I don't have the projects for them. But that's a little off-topic, other than that sometimes we see professional level work, but it doesn't meet our needs (see also: plenty of amazing artists who are great at drawing people and I edit books that are largely people-less). In terms of a single defining moment, like I said, I think it's when an editor looks at a portfolio and instantly knows their notes. Like, the same level of notes that they'd give someone who is currently working for them on a project. Otherwise, I think a really defining moment is when the person they're talking to knows what they're talking about. Like, showing you're reading whatever the editor is doing and know their titles and preferences, showing you know the answers to professional questions, not being overly familiar, recognizing if you're new that you have stuff to learn and asking how to learn it. That sort of thing. I wish there was an easy "well, it's when they draw x-y-z good" or use the word "ineffable" or something answer, but it really varies because artists vary, y'know?
From @TheChaosSpirit: I don't know if anyone's asked this but I'm personally trying to find ways to improve as a colorist and just in composition in general, any tips or sources you can think of where we might be able to learn from?
One of the handiest tools I've come across to improve as a colorist is to learn from professionals. @Ziggyfin is really good about sharing their process and showing kinda step-by-step how they achieve some of their coloring! And, generally, I find that following people who's styles you admire and who are in the same field can be really helpful! Like, if they're doing what you want to, why not keep up with what they're doing and study it a bit (not copying, of course, but taking time to look at their art and how they do it) I also find this series of articles from ComicsAlliance (RIP) super helpful for understanding comic book color theory: https://comicsalliance.com/superhero-color-theory-primary-heroes/ It definitely applies to things beyond just "superheroes", like Sonic and Optimus Prime have the same theory as Spider-Man or Superman. If you find palettes or textures that appeal to you, I recommend toying with how they work with different projects and how to adjust them for the project.
@jcburcham does amazingly different looks for different projects, but I can always tell when he's colored something. I also really recommend studying lighting (and if you're currently sequestered someplace, this might be fun turning different light sources on and off, using flashlights, phone lights, tv lights, natural light, etc.) to make sure that your lighting makes sense with pages. And finally, in terms of composition, a lot of like "how-to-draw" and anatomy and object reference books that you can find are actually really handy. I recommend working from those, drawing objects in scale in your drawing workspace, and just playing around with art every day.
And that's this batch! I'll try to make sure that anything else helpful is pulled for next week, but now this is here and I hope it continues to be helpful! If next week ends up being light, maybe I'll talk about how different executions on the same themes can lead to really great variance of work (and, unfortunately, of quality).
Things I've been enjoying this week:
The Loneliest Time, Carly Rae Jepsen's new album. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (Novel). Honkai Impact (Video game). Sonic Frontiers (Video game). Aeonian Red (Webcomic--back this week!). Blank Check (Podcast). Spy x Family (Anime). My Hero Academia (Anime). Uzaki-Chan Wants to Hang Out (Anime). Chainsaw Man (Anime & Manga). Finally got a copy of I'm Glad My Mom Died, Jennette McCurdy's autobio, and I'm very excited to crack into that. The first episode of Transformers Earthspark was pretty fun. Don't Worry Darling (Movie) was okay. Not great, but okay. Lego Masters (TV show).
New Releases this week (11/9/2022):
Transformers: Last Bot Standing TPB (Editor)
Transformers: Best of Shockwave (Editor)
Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors All Hail the King #2 (I didn't actually work on this, I took over with #3, but you should read it anyway because it's good)
New releases next week (11/16/2022):
Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island #2 (Editor)
Sonic the Hedgehog: Tails' 30th Anniversary Special (Editor)
Transformers, Vol. 6: War's End HC (Editor--the final volume of our TF run that started in 2019 and that I'm extremely proud of!)
Pic of the Week:
Because it's related, I'm sharing Steve Lieber's 12 standard portfolio critiques!
