Hello again. As the activity of this group has had its ups and downs, I have had time to reflect on how collaborations have been. I had made an error in judgement when it comes to our abilities. We get so excited and caught up in the excitement of creating and making it big that we lose sight of a few things.
Concept art is very important to the creation of any finished product, whether it be a comic book, painting, digital print, a sketch card, a video game, a movie, or an animated series. Someone has to do art to establish what things look like before a finished product is developed.
Years ago when I first started doing self-published comics, I did some concept art but not as much as I should have. I was in too much of a hurry to publish the comic. Because of my lack of planning, my creator-owned comics weren't as good as they should be. As artists sometimes we only do enough to get by and in the long run, it will come back to haunt you.
By doing enough concept art before you jump on the sequential art of a comic book, you know exactly how things are supposed to look each and every time. In fact, you should know your characters, backgrounds, and objects better than anyone else.
In the new comic series I am developing with Rodney Traynham, the concept itself was brand new to me, so I couldn't do the run-of-the-mill sketches. I couldn't just wing it like I did in previous projects. I had to establish what things look like. I had to do some concept art before I started working on the sequential art.
I spent a month and a half doing character designs, backgrounds, facial expressions, wardrobe, building interiors, and I'm still not done. I had to do the research in order to make things as accurate as possible.
In years past, I would just look at other comics as my only reference. Nowadays my drawing references come from Google, DVDs, digital cameras, magazine clippings, photos of friends and family, etc.
The good thing about doing the concept art beforehand is that you have something to refer to. You can't use other people's comics as your only reference. They might be doing it wrong.
When I'm at conventions, I try to encourage artists to DRAW EVERYTHING. Don't just focus on figures- draw rocks and trees, buildings, room interiors. Reference is all around us- you have to train your eye to see it.
Another thing I've learned with collaborations is that different creators thrive in different conditions. Everyone that draws may not be comfortable in a comic convention setting. The requests and the pressure may be too much for some to handle. That does not mean they can't produce good art though.
I am in the process of training a new artist how to do concept art. It's not about teaching someone HOW TO DRAW, but showing them WHAT TO DRAW and why. Just as Motown took time to groom their musicians before they hit the stage, we must take time to groom our artists before they appear at conventions. Doing the concept art will enable the aspiring artist to practice their craft without any pressure. Once I see what this artist is capable of, then the group will know what the strengths and comfort level is. Can they do figures well? Do they color well? Or do they draw beautiful buildings? At least this way we can find out and groom our talent accordingly. And once you're comfortable, you'll create the best work possible.
Concept art is very important to the creation of any finished product, whether it be a comic book, painting, digital print, a sketch card, a video game, a movie, or an animated series. Someone has to do art to establish what things look like before a finished product is developed.
Years ago when I first started doing self-published comics, I did some concept art but not as much as I should have. I was in too much of a hurry to publish the comic. Because of my lack of planning, my creator-owned comics weren't as good as they should be. As artists sometimes we only do enough to get by and in the long run, it will come back to haunt you.
By doing enough concept art before you jump on the sequential art of a comic book, you know exactly how things are supposed to look each and every time. In fact, you should know your characters, backgrounds, and objects better than anyone else.
In the new comic series I am developing with Rodney Traynham, the concept itself was brand new to me, so I couldn't do the run-of-the-mill sketches. I couldn't just wing it like I did in previous projects. I had to establish what things look like. I had to do some concept art before I started working on the sequential art.
I spent a month and a half doing character designs, backgrounds, facial expressions, wardrobe, building interiors, and I'm still not done. I had to do the research in order to make things as accurate as possible.
In years past, I would just look at other comics as my only reference. Nowadays my drawing references come from Google, DVDs, digital cameras, magazine clippings, photos of friends and family, etc.
The good thing about doing the concept art beforehand is that you have something to refer to. You can't use other people's comics as your only reference. They might be doing it wrong.
When I'm at conventions, I try to encourage artists to DRAW EVERYTHING. Don't just focus on figures- draw rocks and trees, buildings, room interiors. Reference is all around us- you have to train your eye to see it.
Another thing I've learned with collaborations is that different creators thrive in different conditions. Everyone that draws may not be comfortable in a comic convention setting. The requests and the pressure may be too much for some to handle. That does not mean they can't produce good art though.
I am in the process of training a new artist how to do concept art. It's not about teaching someone HOW TO DRAW, but showing them WHAT TO DRAW and why. Just as Motown took time to groom their musicians before they hit the stage, we must take time to groom our artists before they appear at conventions. Doing the concept art will enable the aspiring artist to practice their craft without any pressure. Once I see what this artist is capable of, then the group will know what the strengths and comfort level is. Can they do figures well? Do they color well? Or do they draw beautiful buildings? At least this way we can find out and groom our talent accordingly. And once you're comfortable, you'll create the best work possible.