How to Become a Comic Artist
Over the past few years, the most rapidly growing genre of literature sales (most dramatically with hard-copies as opposed to digital publication) has been comic books and graphic novels. And with the incredible success of film, television, and video game adaptations of stories having originated on the proverbial funny pages, many enthusiasts have attempted to climb on board the band wagon. There is definitely an increasing demand for this kind of literature, but that does not change the fact that comic book illustration along with concept creation and development is a complex and challenging set of skills to acquire. To actually be published and successful in this business is no easy task. In addition to traditional comic books and graphic novels, internet web-comics are also growing in popularity.
What is a Comic Book Artist?
Those who are generically called “comic book artists” originate from disparate origins, and each often displays work of completely distinct and different styles. What every successful comic artist has in common, though, is the ability to tell a story using images and short bursts of succinct yet impactful words. Some artists even write their own narrative and dialogue, while others pair up with a writer, but either way, compelling and effective storytelling is a must.
Creating an Actual Comic Novel
Here are the usual steps in producing a comic book or graphic novel. Generally, the story script is written first and then it is laboriously segmented into separate panels with the dialog and captions created for each individual panel. Then the story is drawn on paper board using pencil. After the pencil art is completed, ink is placed over it using India ink. Some artists work with a brush and an ink bottle, while others utilize a nib or dip pen. Some swear by technical pens that have their own reservoirs of ink built in. After the inking is done, the remaining pencil lines are carefully erased. If this comic is intended to be released in color, then the last step is to color all the pages. All of these steps can be completed by one illustrator or by a team of artists. Often these days, artists will use a computer program, such as Adobe Photoshop, for the coloring process.
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