CHRISTIAN COMIC ARTS SOCIETY :: A NETWORK OF CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP FOR COMICS FANS, PROS, AND AMATEURS

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  • As far as lettering goes, computers definitely help to streamline the process, especially when compared to the EC method that Buzz described about writing the text first and forcing the artists to draw around it. Hand lettering is becoming a lost art (one I wish I was able to do.)

    Of course, there's nothing magic about computer lettering: if used poorly, all it does is allow bad lettering to be done more quickly. To get an idea about what makes for good or bad lettering, I'd recommend some great tutorials from the following websites:

    Balloon Tales, the free resource forum of the Comicraft lettering studio (which also sells lettering fonts). They have a glossary of lettering terms, a guide to the process of lettering, and a lot of computer tips on how to create specific lettering effects.

    "Comic Book Grammar and Tradition", an article by the Blambot.com lettering studio. The site also has dozens of free lettering fonts for download, as well as fonts for sale.
  • The lettering was part of the art in the 'old days.' Soon we won't even have pencils and (India) inks on two-ply bristol board (paper), just straight-to-the-computer drawing (in the mainstream, that is). So much for the resale value of original art. But commercial comics are just that, and any way to streamline the process will become the prevailing method.
  • I don't plan to anymore. When I originally did much of the previous work, I didn't even have a computer. I also never realized all of the balloons and lettering were not actually a part of the finished art. Thanks again to everyone for their helpful suggestions.

    Ralph Ellis Miley said:
    @ Michael- Don't hand letter your comics. There are so many programs that provide word ballons, letter fonts, etc. Contact Kevin Yong and he can direct you to those programs.
  • At the comic book conventions the CCAS has attended, there is a Small Press area. This area is dedicated to those who do not make a living doing comics. No one I've met in Small Press makes a living doing comics, and isn't that not the definition of a professional, as oppose to an aspiring professional. Someone who makes money with their craft. And as Buzz and Kevin can attest, the quality can range from superb to very poor. And in support to this range of quality, comic book convention organizers dedicate an entire area to encourage and give opportunity to these self publishers. And some of these exhibitors have been there for years. As convention organizer for the CCAS, I have displayed a wide range of artistic abilities at the CCAS table. I contact the publishers and give them a realistic assessment of how their books were received, based on sales. I've had to share with them that because of the professional quality of many of the books at the CCAS table, their books didn't fare so well. When asked, I share with them what they may need to do to improve the quality of their product. Some receive it, and some don't, but we always give them a chance. Who would've thought that a tract like "Somebody Loves Me" would be among our most favorite. Not great art, but a great message. Just some observations for consideration.

    @ Michael- Don't hand letter your comics. There are so many programs that provide word ballons, letter fonts, etc. Contact Kevin Yong and he can direct you to those programs.

    Many thanks to Buzz, Alec, Steve, and Kevin for making this such a thought provoking fourm. I have definitely enjoyed it. Having known all of you, I know that you are men of God and I know the spirit in which you share with one another. All of you are of a humble heart and God gives grace to the humble. And special thanks to Michael, not only in his service to our country, but also the humble spirit he has shown in receiving our comments, critiques, and suggestions.
  • I understand and appreciate that you are trying to be a good steward over the abilities you have to teach and help others. I only ask that you try to seperate those who aspire to be a professional and those who only do this kind of thing for fun and enjoyment. There is a whole underground of comic enthusiasts who create and publish their own comics and trade with each other and it's a hobby. They, perhaps are living out a dream, that they could never have in professional comic work. These are good folks, and they still want to improve much like the singer or musician in my worship band who is just a volunteer who enjoys doing it on the weekend. That singer i audition for the back up choir will never be Chris Tomlin, so I do not hold him to that standard. But I will try to help him reach his full potential where he's at. Am I being any clearer?

    My apologies to you if anything I said came across as rude or disrespectful, because that certainly was not my intent. Sometimes inflections can be read into written words that are not there. I do appreciate that someone of your background is willing to work with those with a desire to learn, even if I don't always agree with your methods.

    Calvary Comics said:
    Steve Shipley said:
    Elvis was told by his high school music teacher that he had no aptitude for music... William Goulding took his novel, "Lord Of The Flies" to a publisher who declard it, "an absurd and uninteresting fantasy... Van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime and was told by friends that he should give up painting... Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper because, "he lacked imagination and creativity."... Sidney Poitier was told, "Why don't you stop wasting people's time and go out and be a dishwasher or someting...

    I can only speak for myself, Steve. I never advised any of these men (cited above) who preceded me in this life. Obviously, they had abundant talent, and proved their detractors wrong. As for my personal experience, in eighteen years of teaching college art, as well as eleven years actively involved with Christian comics "scene," I have not seen any subpar talents suddenly (or slowly) rise to professional level. There have been modest improvements in some cases, yes, but in the end, still mediocrity. I'd love to see the contrary happen, and desire to the best for my students, my peers, and for you. But in the Christian comics scene I have seen a lot of "zeal, but not according to knowledge," and many have ended up getting very hurt, bitter, even blaming God, because (in part) no one told them like it is. No one gave honest counsel---only 'positive' perks. I don't want to be a part of 'passing the buck' in that regard. A good critic doesn't ignore errors and just give advice on what books to read, etc. That's an incomplete picture. Many budding artists don't even know what questions to ask, and cannot see their work objectively. I'm thankful for the counsel of older, wiser mentors that I've had in years past, and am willing to impart some of the same, as time permits, to our siblings here who ask for critiques.

    Kind regards in Christ Jesus,

    Alec
  • Thanks, Kevin! That's exactly what I was trying to say. Perhaps, I wasn't expressing myself well. I think you stated it perfectly, but then, You're the writer.

    Kevin Yong said:
    Buzz Dixon said:
    @Steve -- If you (rhetorical) ask for feedback from pros, you are wasting your time and theirs if you want them to pull their punches. To tell a brother or sister (and we'll use writing as an example so as not to unnecessarily hurt anyone's feelings) "Your sentences run on and on but only occasionally have verbs, your descriptions are confusing and contradictory, your grammar and syntax are atrocious, there is no flow or poetry to your prose, we won't even discuss your complete inability to spell (much less punctuate correctly), your characters are one dimensional stereotypes, and your dialog -- when it's recognizable as dialog -- is a dull, lifeless ripoff of comic book cliches" is a brutal mercy. It pinpoints the exact deficiencies that need to be addressed.

    And yet, despite those flaws, somehow the author of Twilight still gets published. There's no artistic justice in the world, I tells ya. ;)

    Not to put words in Steve's mouth, but I think his concern isn't that we should sugar-coat our critiques of actual flaws in an amateur artist's current work, but rather that we shouldn't presume to tell the amateur artist that he has no future potential. I agree with your quoted example: not all aspiring artists have the natural talent to be great, but they can learn to be better.

    We all just need to be clear about what feedback we're asking for, and realistic about what is required to improve. (Be it an improvement from amateur to professional, or merely from untrained amateur to better amateur.)
  • To Michael- Another book you might want to consider, though it is advanced is "The Art of Comic Book Inking" by Gary Martin, Dark Horse Comics. The book also provides sample pages to ink. The artists involved in the book are some of the best in the industry such as Jerry Ordway, Terry Austin, and Joe Rubinstein. It provides excellent information. As I look in my library, I will continue to inform you about books you may enjoy.

    To the pros and teachers- I've been teaching art for 30 years to secondary school children. Many of my students are not naturally talented. I can't tell you need to improve and point out the problem and leave them to their own devices. I provide instruction directed at the different modes of learning. It may be verbal, tactile, or visual. So, when we get a request for advice, no matter what the talent, we should not only give critique, but also give instruction. The students in my class are not all artists, but I do provide instruction, no matter the talent level. If one wanted to go to art school, we would put together a portfolio and send it in. I had a student who had very little talent, but loved art. I took her in my advanced class and she flourished. I didn't have the heart to tell she had no talent, but she loved to draw and she improved. Then I have had some very talented artists who were lazy and I didn't take them in my advanced class. As a teacher, it is my job to provide instruction. The student's grades range from A to Fail. To offer realistic critique and not instruction is not being a teacher, but a critic. Critics are not required to provide instruction, but to critique. Those who are teachers, they provide instruction.
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  • Steve Shipley said:
    Elvis was told by his high school music teacher that he had no aptitude for music... William Goulding took his novel, "Lord Of The Flies" to a publisher who declard it, "an absurd and uninteresting fantasy... Van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime and was told by friends that he should give up painting... Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper because, "he lacked imagination and creativity."... Sidney Poitier was told, "Why don't you stop wasting people's time and go out and be a dishwasher or someting...

    I can only speak for myself, Steve. I never advised any of these men (cited above) who preceded me in this life. Obviously, they had abundant talent, and proved their detractors wrong. As for my personal experience, in eighteen years of teaching college art, as well as eleven years actively involved with Christian comics "scene," I have not seen any subpar talents suddenly (or slowly) rise to professional level. There have been modest improvements in some cases, yes, but in the end, still mediocrity. I'd love to see the contrary happen, and desire to the best for my students, my peers, and for you. But in the Christian comics scene I have seen a lot of "zeal, but not according to knowledge," and many have ended up getting very hurt, bitter, even blaming God, because (in part) no one told them like it is. No one gave honest counsel---only 'positive' perks. I don't want to be a part of 'passing the buck' in that regard. A good critic doesn't ignore errors and just give advice on what books to read, etc. That's an incomplete picture. Many budding artists don't even know what questions to ask, and cannot see their work objectively. I'm thankful for the counsel of older, wiser mentors that I've had in years past, and am willing to impart some of the same, as time permits, to our siblings here who ask for critiques.

    Kind regards in Christ Jesus,

    Alec
  • Oh, and since I've been chiming in to this discussion without directly addressing Michael's original request for artistic advice, here's a few ideas:

    Like everyone has already said, practice practice practice... and especially practice drawing non-comic book characters. Getting a feel for "regular" human poses and anatomy provides the groundwork to build on when creating the more exaggerated work of superhero characters.

    For background elements (cars, guns, buildings, other items), I've heard of at least one professional artist who goes beyond just having stock photos as references and instead keeps a collection of detailed toys and model kits near his drawing board. That way, when he needs to know how a motorcycle looks when tilting at a 45 degree angle on a sharp turn, he is able to simply position the model and see the perspective for himself as something tangible rather than simply guessed at. It's the same premise as those articulated wooden mannequins to help artists visualize poses from multiple perspectives.

    Take the advice for what it's worth, seeing as how my own professional credits are in writing, lettering and post-production. (I was the kid who grew up on the opposite side of this discussion we're having now. That is, everyone in my art classes always told me I had raw "talent", and yet I knew inside that I lacked the temperament to do all the years of training it would take to bring it to a professional level. So I ended up following a career path that allowed me to express my creativity in ways other than drawing and painting, and God has blessed it.)
  • Buzz Dixon said:
    @Steve -- If you (rhetorical) ask for feedback from pros, you are wasting your time and theirs if you want them to pull their punches. To tell a brother or sister (and we'll use writing as an example so as not to unnecessarily hurt anyone's feelings) "Your sentences run on and on but only occasionally have verbs, your descriptions are confusing and contradictory, your grammar and syntax are atrocious, there is no flow or poetry to your prose, we won't even discuss your complete inability to spell (much less punctuate correctly), your characters are one dimensional stereotypes, and your dialog -- when it's recognizable as dialog -- is a dull, lifeless ripoff of comic book cliches" is a brutal mercy. It pinpoints the exact deficiencies that need to be addressed.

    And yet, despite those flaws, somehow the author of Twilight still gets published. There's no artistic justice in the world, I tells ya. ;)

    Not to put words in Steve's mouth, but I think his concern isn't that we should sugar-coat our critiques of actual flaws in an amateur artist's current work, but rather that we shouldn't presume to tell the amateur artist that he has no future potential. I agree with your quoted example: not all aspiring artists have the natural talent to be great, but they can learn to be better.

    We all just need to be clear about what feedback we're asking for, and realistic about what is required to improve. (Be it an improvement from amateur to professional, or merely from untrained amateur to better amateur.)
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