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Well, another year at the San Diego Comic-Con, showing off artwork and
trying to get a publisher to take the bait. DC used a lottery system again,
this year, to assign times for portfolio reviews. They had a session on
Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings, and I managed to get a review slip
for Sunday at noon.
I recommend to anyone who wants to draw comics, take your artwork to the
big conventions, the ones that have editors attending. Take your best stuff,
but don't overdo it. They only have ten or fifteen minutes to be with you
and you don't want to have them flipping through page after page of artwork,
with no time to give you any feedback. They usually say four to six pages is
enough, but it doesn't hurt to have ten or twelve pages.
They're not joking when they say they don't want to see pinups, but
character model sheets can be good as part of a portfolio. Don't try to
impress them with your weird panel layouts. Tell a story, show that you can
draw average people, doing average things. You can do some action shots, no
reason part of the story can't be a fight scene featuring your favorite
comic characters, but don't try to make that your whole presentation.
In comics, the art must serve the story. I know, as artists we like to
think we come first, and it's true that we rule and all, but it's really all
about the story. If you tell the writer that, you'll get on his good side,
so keep that in mind. Anyway, the story does come first. Our job is to tell
the story, to make it come alive. That's what the editors want to see when
they look at your portfolio. Your sample pages should tell a clear story
that you don't need to explain.
I got some good feedback from Mark Chiarello, one of DC's editors
sentenced, I mean assigned to portfolio reviews. He mentioned something that
I had missed on a couple of pages. The copies I was showing didn't show the
light sketching in blue pencil that I had done of backgrounds, so one whole
page was missing backgrounds. If you're showing half-finished work, make
sure they can see everything you've done, or finish the artwork first.
One thing you can do when showing work in person is use a portfolio with
plastic page protectors, that way you can show the actual artwork, but you
still need copies to leave with the reviewer and it doesn't pay to have bad
copies.
Also, while you're standing in line with other artists, talk to them,
hand out business cards, whatever, network! This business is all about WHO
you know. Think about it...and editor is taking a huge chance with a new
artist and it can never hurt to have him pick up the phone and call an
artist he knows who can give you a good reference. The artist who reduces an
editor's stress level will rank high on his go-to list.
It also can't hurt to have copies of previously published work, to hand
out to editors. That shows that you can complete a job and somebody else has
already taken a chance on you. Being first isn't always a thrill.
So, what did I learn? I still need to work on my layouts and
storytelling. I still need to work on figures and faces and I need to get
more work done.
When you take your artwork to the conventions, don't be afraid to show
it, but you definitely need to develop thick skin. The person reviewing
your art doesn't have any investment in your self-esteem, they aren't there
to spare your feelings, though most of them will be as kind and helpful as
they have time to be. Take their suggestions and follow their advice,
they're the pros, after all. Give it a shot and keep trying. Keep your
options open and try new things, it never hurts to expand your skills.
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