Archive for ‘Art How-To’

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Gone to Amerikay Makes Me Cry

by Colleen Doran on October 2nd, 2010
Posted In: Creator Resources, Art How-To, Blog, Colleen's Work, Culture, Comics, Creator Resources, Culture, Comics, DC Comics

I prioritized my graphic novel with Barry Lyga for Houghton Mifflin over my Vertigo GN with Derek McCulloch – Gone to Amerikay – for months now, but as I wind up the Lyga GN, it’s time to get back in the saddle with Amerikay.

Only a few pages of pencils on Amerikay left with roughly half the inks in the can. I had forgotten how much harder this book is than anything I have ever drawn in my life. As I struggle over the last few, I remember why I let these pencils sit and rest for awhile: virtually nothing on them could be drawn without a stack of specific location reference. Very specific location reference.

Some of which does not appear to exist.

I spent over 3 hours yesterday in a fruitless search for a shot to use in one panel. Today, more than six hours sunk trying to get specific shots of specific time periods in a specific block of a specific city.

I had already found some of it, but that was months ago and I could not remember where I stored it. I had used some of it for earlier shots, and could not find the files in the more than 1000 images I gathered for this book. I finally had to re-research the scene. Tears of frustration were shed. I lost an entire day’s work just trying to get the shots correct, and didn’t draw a damned thing.

I didn’t use a computer to gather and file reference until some months after I started working on this book. I haven’t quite got the hang of the process. My lateral files of clippings gather dust now, and I scan a lot or download to my computer – photos don’t even get printed anymore. I filed all the images by category as I once did with hard copy images. This was a mistake. Now I file ref under the page number of the script. I make aliases of images and duplicate them where they need to be reused on other pages.

On the Lyga book, I dropped images directly into the script document, including thumbnails and reference. That was great for the first 20 pages or so. Not so great as the document got longer and longer and harder to control. Might be the sort of thing to do for short stories and individual comics, but over an entire GN? Forget it.

To make matters worse, after I spent hours creating the Lyga document, my editor could not open the images. Cripes.

We will finish Gone to Amerikay in March, and alas, we will do that without our fearless leader, our muse, our adult, wild cat herder, our beloved editor Joan Hilty, who has been laid off from DC Comics/Vertigo. Her last day will be in December. I can’t adequately express how inspiring, valuable, and disciplined she has been on this gig.

Not only do I think Amerikay is the best work I have ever done, much of that is due to her excellent direction. Getting a decent page rate and a protracted deadline has been a huge help: there is no way I could draw work like this on a monthly schedule.

So yes, I weep hot tears of frustration as I try to wrangle these newfangled ways of handling information. But I am devastated we will finish this major project, of which I am immensely proud, after Joan has left DC. I’m doing the best work of my life, thanks to an inspiring script from Derek, and sensitive, wise guidance from Joan.

And yeah, I know this is sentimental and all, but dang, that’s the way it is.

I’m sitting here sketching page 140 of this book, and it’s hard to draw when you’re weepy.

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Swamped. So, let’s talk about deadlines.

by Colleen Doran on August 19th, 2010
Posted In: Creator Resources, Art How-To, Blog, Colleen's Work, Culture, Comics, Creator Resources, Culture, Creator Resources, Time Management

It is not funny how much work I have to do right now. In the worst case scenario of time management scenarios, Fate threw a buttload of hilarity, annoyance, and tempting distraction my way over these last six months. I can’t say I have ever been so pleased to be overworked before, and my stress management has been admirable, if I do say so myself. My garden looks as neglected as gardens get. I’m only able to get outside for a few hours a week.

Thanks to our tech invasion, I’ve lost nearly two weeks of work, income, and hundreds in costs. I think we’ve got a handle on it, but I will not tempt fate by doing the public neener neener. The latest victim is The Dreamland Chronicles, which was completely destroyed last week, twice.

Over the last year or so, I’ve taken to scanning all my prelims into the computer, making adjustments, and blowing them up to original art size for finishes on my lightbox. Sometimes my thumbs are tight enough that I can start inking directly from them. I delight in all the time I save, and the preservation of the energy of the original sketch.

Naturally, after buying printer ink in bulk, my printer died not 24 hours ago. My old model is no longer available from the manufacturer, and it is cheaper to buy a better model and have it rush delivered. If anyone needs EpsonT04 ink, sing out. I’d be happy to exchange it for a donation. Otherwise, it goes on ebay.

Mark Evanier delivers the smackdown on whiny freelancers who do not meet their deadlines. I may print this out, roll it into a stack of papers, and beat myself with it.

No matter how much time you think you have, you don’t. There will cometh a tornado, a murder, computer meltdowns, the death of your cat, and really cool other jobs you just can’t turn down. (Time management articles here. I pull them out and read them to me once in awhile, which is odd, because I wrote them. You’d think I’d know this stuff by now.)

There is nothing noble about being late, nothing that suggests your work is better because you fussed longer with it and did that extra draft. Creative folks can meet deadlines and still be creative. Laurence Olivier somehow managed to be on stage when the curtain went up at 8 PM. He didn’t tell them to have the audience come back at 9:30 because he needed more prep time to give the best possible performance. You can do good work and get it in when it’s supposed to be in…or reasonably close to it. (When I write here of being late, I’m not talking about being a day or so late or even of skirting phantom deadlines. I’m talking about being late on a real deadline such that it causes problems.)

I’m not sure this is a good comparison. It is one thing to show up and perform in a play that runs two hours. It is another thing to draw the cast of thousands the writer gave you to draw in the same time frame as a pinup.

However, I am in complete agreement about his definition of deadline: it’s not being a day or two, or even a week or two, it’s the weeks and months behind that wrankles, the book due on the stands in September that doesn’t get completed until August.

Like that.

It’s been years since I blew a deadline that was due to client malpractice. If the deadline goes blown, I am usually at fault. Then again, I haven’t created a problem that’s caused a schedule snafu in more years than I can remember, so I feel smug anyway.

There’s a famous story they used to tell around the Marvel offices about the great New York blackout of 1965 when power was off everywhere for about twelve hours one evening. Most everyone showed up at the Marvel office the next morning without their homework, figuring they couldn’t be expected to write or draw by candlelight. Stan Lee, however, came in with all his pages done, having labored by candlelight. And the point of the story was that Stan was amazed that everyone else hadn’t done that. It had simply not occurred to him not to write even though he had a perfect excuse. Which is one of the reasons he’s Stan Lee and you and I are not.

I used to do that. A lot.

The client rarely appreciated the effort I went to to work in the dark, but I did develop terrible eyesight.

I pulled the all-nighters regularly, worked myself sick, vomited with nerves, sat down for so long I had to crawl away from the drawing board, and pulled up to 120 hours in a single week.

I produced lousy work for low money and no one appreciated it.

Now, I work fewer hours, and produce better work. I get better pay and can afford the eyeglasses I need from years of strain working for crap pay on lousy jobs.

Killing yourself won’t make the client love you. Taking advantage of the client’s deadline largesse won’t endear them to you, either.

The client may remember the fact you got the job in quickly, but they will not hire you again if you moved heaven and earth to get it in and produced crap.

For many years, I was a fill-in artist, producing entire books in days.

And I got a bad reputation as a bad artist ( my Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #3 makes my eyes bleed). And even though I met the deadlines, I didn’t get good jobs. Good jobs go to the artist who brings in the big sales. You know, the guy who never meets his deadline.

It’s about balance, kids.

If the book is not on the schedule, not coming out next month (or within six months) and you need more time, just ask. Editors can be pretty flexible.

I’d like another two weeks on this new one, please…

c

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The Truth is Out There

by Colleen Doran on August 12th, 2010
Posted In: Creator Resources, Agents/managers, Creator Resources, Art How-To, Blog, Creator Resources, copyright/trademark, Creator Resources, Creator Resources, Education, Creator Resources, Legal, Creator Resources, Money Management, Creator Resources, Publishing, Creator Resources, TAXES, Creator Resources, Time Management

…or you could just keep reading my blog.

Just kidding.

Tad Crawford’s books are full of legal info with handy forms.

If I would just stop putting this stuff on a blog for free, I might be a richer woman. Working for tips kind of sucks. But every time I stop one of you from running over a precipice (I’m looking at you, iUniverse,) I can’t help but feel like my time on this blog has been worthwhile.

I hug you all.

c

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Photo Reference as a way of life

by Colleen Doran on June 4th, 2010
Posted In: Creator Resources, Art How-To, Blog, Colleen's Work, Culture, Comics

This post explains why cartooning is sometimes at its best when the artist doesn’t rely on photoreference. (EDIT: I have not read the comic. But the article makes valid points based on the examples.)

I use a lot of period reference for my work, because on projects like Gone to Amerikay, I must present a convincing picture of a particular time and place. But I use little photo reference for the figures. My custom is to reference the figure photo for no more than the initial rough sketch, after which I toss it and draw from memory.

Some years back, I tried heavy photo reference for my figure work, and not only do I don’t think it improved my drawing or storytelling, it made me neurotically concerned about using reference. Eventually, I became so dependent on photos, I convinced myself I could not draw without them. It took me well over a year to wean myself off the crutch.

I know some cartoonists who never draw without tracing. I’ve gone back to my custom of using reference and then drawing something which looks almost nothing like the reference. I am so much happier.

I think that the rise of computer graphics has decreased the impact of realistic images. Almost anyone can scan in some photos and use filters to make a comic book. Almost anyone can learn to use a Poser program.

One of the interesting things about SF fans who dabble in comics reading is that they often love highly rendered, illustrative comic art no matter how bad the storytelling is. I once heard a woman go off on a painter because you could see his brush strokes.

Comics fans are far more likely to appreciate design, line, and storytelling style.

This is a problem publishers need to consider when they try to market comic adaptations of books to people who are not comics readers: they need to take into account how differently non-comics readers process the pictures.

People who have no understanding of comics won’t notice the lousy lettering in the Twilight manga (and will become hostile when you do, you comic book nerd,) or the stiffly rendered figures and forms and very bad storytelling in some of those other novel adaptations.

But a non-comics reader will look at lots of color or hatching and they think they are looking at Great Comic Art.

Word balloon placement, storytelling…it’s like trying to explain pitch to someone who is tone deaf.

Work Bird swoops in. I must flee.

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Verbal Communication for Artists Workshop

by Colleen Doran on March 23rd, 2010
Posted In: Creator Resources, Art How-To, Blog, Creator Resources, Creator Resources, Education

What: Verbal Communications for Artists Workshop

When: April 10, 2010 (9:30am – 6pm)

Where: NYFA, 20 Jay Street, 7th Floor, in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood.

Registration and Fees:
Early Registration (through March 21): $100
Regular Registration: $125

This fee includes lunch as well as coffee and refreshments throughout the day. The event is limited to 24 participants to ensure personalized attention. Registration is on a first come, first served basis. Please register early, as our last workshop sold out in 36 hours.

Sign up now at: http://pdpverbalcommunications10april2010.eventbrite.com/

Workshop Description:
Designed and facilitated by Kirby Tepper, a Los Angeles-based communications specialist with extensive experience training artists in public speaking and leadership skills, the Verbal Communications workshop includes lectures, small group activities, role playing, hands-on exercises, and facilitated feedback on participants individual communication styles. By the end of this one-day workshop, participants will have identified their goals and objectives in order to more effectively and accurately represent themselves and their work; practiced how to be authentic and comfortable talking about their work in social situations; and learned how to craft an effective pitch when searching for funding or other partners. The workshop is appropriate for artists of all disciplines.

Workshop Policies:
- Participants must be available to attend the entire workshop.
- To ensure your spot, the workshop must be paid in full in advance.
- No refunds are available for this workshop.
- The capacity for this workshop is 24 participants.

Please visit the Creative Capital website for more information on the Professional Development Program, this workshop,
our leaders, and other upcoming PDP events at http://creative-capital.org/pdp.

If you have any questions, please contact Negin Salmasi, Workshop Manager, at negin@creative-capital.org.

Best wishes,
Alyson Pou
Director, Professional Development Program

About Creative Capital
The Professional Development Program was launched in 2003 to share with a broader community of artists the tools and strategies for improved self-sufficiency that were initially developed for Creative Capital grantees. This acclaimed program includes a diverse menu of workshops that helps artists to plan, promote and manage their careers to build toward long-term sustainability. With instruction in strategic planning, public relations and marketing, fundraising, and financial and time management, the Professional Development Program provides artists with the vital business tools to manage their practice so that creativity can flourish.

Creative Capital is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing integrated financial and advisory support to artists pursuing innovative and adventurous projects in five disciplines: Emerging Fields, Film/Video, Innovative Literature, and Performing and Visual Arts. Working in long-term partnership with artists, Creative Capital’s pioneering approach to support combines funding, counsel, and career development services to enable a project’s success and foster a successful and sustainable practice for its grantees. In its first decade, Creative Capital has committed more than $20 million in financial and advisory support to 325 projects representing 406 artists, and has reached an additional 2,700 artists through its Professional Development Program. For more information, visit www.creative-capital.org.

About the Workshop Leader
Kirby Tepper combines his experience as a performer, writer and therapist to help people acquire verbal communication skills in a variety of areas such as public speaking, fundraising, conflict resolution and presentation. He has maintained a long-running association with Los Angeles’s Center Theater Group/Mark Taper Forum, having worked with Carol Burnett, Sydney Poitier, John Lithgow and Lily Tomlin. Some of his other clients include Hyundai America, Washington Mutual, L’Oreal and Columbia University Law School. His acclaimed performances of his own music and lyrics have been presented everywhere from the Pasadena Playhouse to Carnegie Recital Hall. He has performed live in shows on Broadway (“On Your Toes”), on television (“Cheers,” “Wings,” “Kennedy Center Honors”) and at numerous regional theatres. Tepper is a psychotherapist at the Center for Individual and Family Counseling in Los Angeles.

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