What Do Artists Do?

One of the problems with being a writer is that you can't draw. Don't get me wrong: I'm well aware that some writers can draw and that some are actually good at it. There is definitely nothing saying that a writer can't learn to draw. This is just making the observation that most writers cannot draw and that means that if you want the project to go forward you need to convince an artist to take on the art chores.

Here's where we look at how to do that and what an artist actually does, and what he can do. First: If you want an artist be willing to either pay him upfront per page or make the deal really interesting. If all you have to offer is "exposure", then just stop: Exposure in and of itself doesn't pay bills, look impressive, or do anything to further the career of the artist; he's going to do all of that work for you and you're just offering ad space.

It's not an equitable relationship: You're getting all that work for basically free and he's getting nothing.

If he's an experienced artist, then you need to pay him upfront. Period. If he's not so experienced, then at least offer him half of the money that the comic makes, and show how you will market the piece. If you can ink and/or color, then put that in as part of the deal. The key here is that you need to either pay him fair market value or ensure that he is getting something out of the deal; if the artist is just getting exposure with no promise of a pay-off then you are just wasting his time. If you have to crowdfund in order to pay the artist then so be it.

Character Designs

The artist is going to define the feel for the comic, and that starts with character designs. Whether they are unique or have some sort of unifying thread, he gets to decide what the characters look like. He also gets to decide what the equipment and vehicles look like, as well as the buildings and general background. This is not just "extra work"; the artist needs to put some actual thought into what everything looks like so that he can draw them consistently as well as so that they can fit the theme of the comic. And keep in mind that he needs to do this for every character, item, and location or else the comic won't look right.

Page Breakdowns

Each page needs to be broken down into the panels, as well as what is basically happening in those panels. This needs to be done so that action and dialogue can flow easily from one panel to another. It also needs to be done to provide a good visual look for the comic as how the panels are laid out can affect the look of the comic. He also gets to be the final arbiter of splash pages, full pages, and double-pages, deciding which will create the best effect for the writing. While the writer can suggest panels, the artist is the one who gets to make the ultimate decision on what goes where.

Pencils and Inking

All of the drawings that make a page need to be roughed out; these "pencils" need to then be inked. Only an amateur works without penciling first; the pencils allow the artist to better position each element, each character, item, and background, so that it works best within the given panel. He then needs to ink the important parts, adding details as needed, such as hatching, minor custom embellishments, and even textures. If the comic is black & white, the inker also needs to add shading and other effects to finish the page.

Coloring

While this has changed due to technology, allowing the coloring to go from a relatively simple process to one that can be as complicated as needed, the basic job hasn't changed: The colorist adds color to the inks to create a finished page. This is a lot more than just selecting a given area and applying the appropriate gradient; the colorist needs to allow for the different costumes, time of day, and even dramatic import of the page and panel, and create a satisfying image that looks great and is ready to be printed.

Lettering

Only the worst letterers simply choose a default font for the caption boxes. A letterer is supposed to create the caption boxes and various balloons, allowing for the difference between normal conversation, whispering, shouting, thinking, and all of the other various forms of communication. He then needs to decide on the best font for each character, possibly even doing it by hand if need be, in order to ensure that each character's personality shines through even when they speak, and possibly even allowing readers to tell who is speaking off-panel. It may sound like a simple job, but there is a lot more to it.

Cover Art

Making a cover is not as easy as it looks. First, you need to allow for all of the signage, such as the title of the book, where the ISDN code goes, and any character panels. Then the artist needs to decide on which image best represents the comic, usually depending on a single panel in the book, but sometimes other considerations will win out. He then works out a way that the cover is eye-catching and won't be missed in a collection of other books. He then needs to pencil, ink, and color it while allowing for the signage along with any lettering. All of this makes covers a lot more intimidating than they look

Marketing Art

Once the book is done, the artist then needs to create the art that will draw in potential readers. In the modern era, this means creating different panels for web advertising as well as the ads for print. While there can be some fun here, the art still needs to communicate the feel of the comic as well as quickly show the relationships of the characters shown. It can't just be panels; the panels don't always work outside of there original context. While there may not be a lot of it, it still needs to be drawn fresh, and can make life more interesting for the artist.

Site Graphics

Site graphics can get…weird. The artist needs to do more than just create new art for the website; he needs to make the art mini-masterpieces; they need to show the characters, both alone and together, as well as any vital locations and items. Just like the marketing art, just using panels will not work, although some of the character design art will. Making it more interesting is that the individual trademarks of each character need to shine through, almost to the point of creating a special symbol and/or logo for each character. While it does allow the artist some fun, it can be irritating just the same.

Merchandise Graphics

And then there is the bleeding merchandise. While some panels can work here, again the artist needs to generally create new art for all of the T-shirts, calendars, and stickers, and then he needs to allow for all of the different standards for image size, DPI, and color of presses that he has no way of interacting with. What this translates to is that the artist has no idea what the final product will look like until he sees the final product, and can only correct it after he gets it back from the printers. This complication needs to be allowed for when contracts are written up.

Collaborations

And then it gets really weird: Using someone else' characters in your comic, or letting the play with yours. While collaborations can be all sorts of fun, they require some serious communication between the artists of both books in order to get right. While most books will never see their characters in another book, it is worth taking into consideration when doing the character art, especially if the artist and/or writer are members of an actual community or linked continuity of some sort.

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Getting an artist on board is just half of the battle. You still need to market the comic, but that is just part of the business aspects. Having an artist on board makes the comic possible so do whatever it takes to get one. Sure, you can learn to draw, ink, and color, but that can take years and you want to do the comic RIGHT NOW. So figure out some deal that's equitable to the two of you, be it money or a share of the gross, and go for it!