In the future, people dont need to work in order to survive. All you have to do is find one and apply for it. You can bet that it will be very specific. A pitch will resemble something like the following: Start with the title, tagline, and/or the high concept. By elaborating on the world in your mind and not on paper you allow the details to intuitively show themselves. This life and journey of creating comics is just a really great game. Refer to Brian McDonald's book, Invisible Ink to really understand this concept of working from a theme. I don't think there is a standard here but what is useful to know is that technology comes and goes. Once you have several entries start to list what drew you to these creations or artisans. The easiest way to find a theme and a basis for your plot is to prioritize the list you just made. A grant is just a sum of money awarded to you in which you don't have to pay back.
This is a subject that I won't break down too far but rather just give my suggestions to how and why you should be disciplined practitioners of the arts. What is the character left with after the main conflict is over? I am assuming in this scenario that you've already exhausted all of your favors from family, friends, and industry help. Now, I use strong and confident lines to finish the page. Wacom Intuos: This is a well-made tablet but is also limited because of its lack of a monitor. Most of what we draw as comic book artists are people. Imagine all the questions people would have about this place and then write to yourself the accurate answers. That process is a tried and true way to break into comics but I would also add a piece of advise that was passed on to me. In the case of Star Circuit, I am skipping the inking stage and going straight to color. You are resonating with it for a reason. It has a good quality, wireless capabilities, and a nice touch screen. Hes a lazy, wealthy, over-grown latchkey kid who poses as a slum dweller and secretly uses his over-powered tech to win street races, hook up with girls, and boost his ego. If something is in two dimensions it has form in the way of shapes and if it is in 3D it has form by the way of volume. Say for example, you were in a bad car accident and you recovered from your injuries through some heavy physical therapy. It's the biggest problem with amateur art and I believe the number one thing to work on when learning how to draw. Still very important. In this case though, the pictures on the board will be focusing on the actual subjects in the images. After you see the connections take shape and they begin to sprout potential characters with different motives, start to read in between the lines and see the underlying theme. Simply draw your favorite characters from the work that inspires you and post it online. In fact, this guide will streamline the process and become somewhat of a reference bible for not only how to make comics but how to believe in yourself and your ideas. Note: This is not Page 1, but this is the level of detail that I will tend to put into a thumbnail. Star Circuit was actually written several times over, and each time it focused on a different theme. And the first is making a mailing list. The way crowd funding works is like this:A private internet company creates a website specifically for people to try to get other people to give them money for creating products. Once I have a good underdrawing done, it's time to erase away most of the work with the dry cleaning pad. But when he unlocks the secrets of a long-dead racing hero, he gets set on a path to not only win in an unparalleled racing league but also find a way to save whats left of his disjointed family. This is one of the best and worst aspects of commerce on the internet. The Standard: The best sale. Layouts are the part two to the thumbnail stage. Let's run through the most popular and useful software to create comics digitally. This is the stage that I have the least experience in. My Choice: I've jumped between different boards before and really just used what's on sale.
Because of it being a slightly off brand monitor, the price is incredibly cheap for its size. If you start forcefully injecting extra details about the world inside of average dialogue it will soon take over the plot and the audience will be so distracted from the unnatural verbiage that they will never become attached to the characters. A couple of the biggest crowd funding resources are Kickstarter and IndieGoGo. This approach allows for a more global view of each page. And the fanbase is growing all the while. Here are the basic lists that inspired the story for Star Circuit. They, of course, won't end up perfect but they will be yours, story and all. Like I said, you need to look deep into the theme of your story and find a way to represent it visually.
The Options: Separate Flatbed Scanner, separate wide format printer, wide format printer/scanner combination. I would even make a bet that you are one of the few who actually loves to read comics and that you've been inspired enough to start the journey of becoming a comic creator in some capacity. And sometimes, like in my case, I've decided to have total control and be the sole creator of the book. This piece of technology is used quite often when utilizing this traditional workflow. This is where having experience with drawing software comes into play. His dreams of becoming a racing legend with his family cheering him on are gone. Screen Direction Continuity: This is also called the 180-degree rule. The most exciting parts are when the up-and-comer is improving fast and making great strides. Adobe Illustrator: This choice is slightly odd in my opinion. Generally a book is created with the creativity of several people. from the likes of Bladerunner and mixed them with futuristic motorcycles and space from the likes of Akira and Green Lantern. I will also give examples for each category pulled from Star Circuit. Design language is the understanding of how different shapes and compositions evoke different emotions in the viewer. My Choice: I personally love the feel of quill type nibs. Lastly, I darken the panel borders to really clarify the lines. Dive deep into your comic book collection. In this same video I go into the layouts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6wyU5tNJC8. They will then use their favorite tools to make the pencil lines as crisp and pretty as possible. Mastered Tools: A lot of what makes an artists work so magical is the actual line work. Be on the look out for sales on well reviewed printers and scanners to find your best option. Some are rough, some are smooth, some take ink well, and with some kinds the ink bleeds. Wacom Cintiq: This tablet is also a monitor, which gives you the ability to draw directly on the screen. Next is the summary section. When you get down to work try to do it for the same time everyday, rain or shine; friends wanting to hang out or not. I set up a live streaming time to do art a few days a week just so I am more motivated not to cancel and let down a viewer. Here's a couple of suggestions of how to protect your art time. Some companies require a whole first issue to be presented while others only need to see a few pages accompanied with a complete outline of the story. For comic books, there honestly isn't many. Research.
Techniques like using speed lines for fast motion, panel border integration on a single environment to show the movement within a still camera, and collages of interconnected imagery for montages are all examples of comic book language. This will give you an honest read on how well the logline works since they won't care about hurting your feelings. The art of writing an engaging story is arguably harder than drawing one and so the sooner you start to unravel the random ideas in your head and turn them into something coherent the better. And I think the majority of that is mental freedom. For Star Circuit I chose Only through struggle can one find what's truly important as my theme. The only difference between the two should be the change that happens to the main character. Color code your cards to what characters are involved in each scene. I use a 4h or 5h wood pencil for my underdrawings and a combo of a 2mm 2h lead holder with a .4 or .5 HB mechanical pencil for finishes. Your job is to make this obstacle mean something that is directly symbolic of the theme and also, the most daunting task to overcome. It's not even that I believe it shouldn't be said, just that it shouldn't be accented as much as it is. I am including the process for making page 1 of Star Circuit Ch.1 as an example. It is literally why I love comic storytelling above all others. In order to persuade them, you will need a few things. But just like the human ego, this famine mentality is an illusion. As you can see, there are several here because I've put everything for the first chapter into one sheet. Now that the basic layouts are transferred to the board, I do a strong underdrawing with heavy use of reference. And this leads me to explain Design Anchors. People will be drawn to because it will also have your unique style attached. Thumbnailing is just the process of drawing sketches of the pages in a very small form (it doesn't have to be as small as your thumb). So let's not assume that every comic creator has a road of troubles and depression ahead of them because if they are true to themselves and delve deep in the craft with reckless abandon there is really nothing that can stop them. From this point on, I will start pairing my guidance with an actual example from my personal life. Now that you have a logline, you can start the process of branching out and forming a plot based on it. This is may be true but it shouldn't be because perspective is likely the most important part to understand if you'd like to create exciting art. The biggest challenges will happen early on for your comic career since you are building it from nothing. Take time to learn the techniques with different inking tools. After a while of sharing, pick one that works for you and that others are intrigued about, as well. This section is not too important in regards to the main content but it's more to rebut some of the disclaimers that I see brought up in just about every discussion or lecture about how to draw comics and how to break into the industry. In order for professional colorists to do their work quickly, they need an easy way to select the objects in the panels. Carl Potts explains this concept most brilliantly in the book DC Comics Guide to Creating Comics. The idea here is to write the scenes in a way where you can move them around in different orders and then be able to visually see the plot being formed. So youve outlined, mapped out, and world built until no end. In truth, the beginning and ending should resemble each other, just like bookends. Even complex forms like human bodies have these basic shapes and so characters can be very useful when evoking different emotions. Since these roles are historically split up, it is advised by many to get proficient at one of these areas and use your portfolio of samples to get work with a currently published book. If you haven't released the book to the public you can still feel confident that the work is already done. To continue to grow your fanbase you will need to be actively going to conventions and meeting people. You did finish the project already, so there is nothing to worry about. This is where your cork board comes in. Neither are wrong. You now will have more confidence that your decisions in each step are the right ones. Layouts are will fit nicely on a 5.5 x 8.5 paper (half a sheet of letter size). If you are interested in using what I use for making comics you can head to https://starcircuitcomic.com/blog and use the links the My Tools section. Make note that this is only my process and it can be added to and subtracted from to create a process that works for you. Since I don't want to spoil what happens in Star Circuit, here is an example that I did of the movie Gattaca. The answer is research. How do you get people to read this gem of literature? But what you need to do as a solo creator, is to figure out what works best for your mind. If you can make the reader feel something without them even knowing the plot, you've done your job well. Start with a fanbase -I'm sure you are already sick of me saying this, but it is the #1 consideration for how well your campaign will go. In this part of comics, it is essential to focus on the story points, the page flow and making sure your figures read within the frames. In this example lets just say you also love the conspiratorial and secretive nature of V for Vendatta. It's a great way to keep your final art board as clean as possible. Heres a video where I break down my thumbnailing process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6wyU5tNJC8). Backup Plan - Now this sentiment is a bit controversial but hear me out. I have upgraded the RAM and added an external hard drive but for the most part it is an out of the factory machine. And so, by gaining an understanding for all of the steps in making a comic, you, in turn, understand how to do each part with a better idea of how each step directly influences the other steps. Blake gives a definitive 15 places the story needs to go for it to really be entertaining. If you are unfamiliar with a mood board, it is just a bunch of pictures that are collected and placed on a board. This is all dramatized by the main characters change that takes place in these three acts. Over time audiences become accustomed to what's come before. I would suggest you start local and then branch out to other conventions where travel is required. The comic will soon start releasing pages for free so please signup for email notifications about dates for that. This process involves using tablets, computers and software instead of traditional means.
To help you along, read these books, forums and blogs about creative writing. Then, I wrote out ideas in several brainstorms and eventually I ended up with something that vaguely resembled a cyberpunk story centered around racing. As Jocko Willink so heavily emphasized "Discipline equals freedom". Each company that you pitch to will have their own proprietary rules and requirements for submitting. For example, ask yourself, what do people do for work around here? The road to finding your place in the storytelling collective is a long one but it isn't a bad one. I'll talk about the few options I've had contact with and end with my favorite to date. In comes Flatters. A logline is a story described in as few words as possible. In this program you can draw, color, and letter your comic. This breaks down into several categories in which you should study diligently.
Everyone remembers things differently and we all will likely recall totally different aspects of the same objects. Midday there is usually plenty of light to transform your window into a lightbox. Having your fans emails is a much more secure way to hold on to their interest and business. You may list things like Davids simplicity and yet volumetric figures or Franks gritty tone throughout the story. With this method, you can easily see the global space in which a character takes up in a story when plotted across a timeline. Withhuge advancements in science, absolutely everything in society has become automated. Everything should point back to the focus of your story which is the theme. The more people that you can contact from your mailing list the better so timing when you launch a crowdfund is huge. The Standard: Technically there is no standard, only what you are willing to pay for the best results possible. As you can see there are beginnings and endings for every major aspect in the story. It's one that you can win if you learn, practice, and never quit. Have your book already made - This is something that will make your life very easy when the campaign builds steam. 
I found that a great way to get involved in your storys setting is to pretend that you are the settings tourist adviser and you are in a question and answer type forum. Now, let's say you have a considerable number of people reading your new book on its blog website. Again, here is mine from SC: A complacent street racer, still scarred from family tragedy, unlocks the secrets of a long-dead racing hero and gets set on a path to not only win in an unparalleled racing league but also find a way to save whats left of his disjointed family. The reader not only needs to follow along but feel apart of the scene. What stands in between the character and her goals is the great ocean. However, instead of using this freedom for the betterment, when left to their own devices, most people simply absorb the constant stream of entertainment directly into their skulls via a cerebral implant and live aimless, carefree lives. So from your past experiences and your most influential inspirations, you start to find small nuggets of a greater story. It is the essence of creating comics. For example, if you place a close up image of someone holding a weapon and the next image a picture of a grave, you automatically assume that person holding the weapon killed someone. I personally use an app called Mail Chimp to organize and send out mass emails to my fans. A great way to do that is to delete about 90% of each days photos. And lastly, the curve or lack of curves with in your line work will also be thrown into this category and evoke different emotions from the viewer. I am not an Apple fanboy but just an artist that likes beautiful designs. Speaking of cinema, it's not a bad idea to also find classic movies that are among your personal favorites. Designing the world and characters comes from the writing and the theme. Here is my version of these for Star Circuit: A cyberpunk racing adventure with a strong family element. Composition: This is essentially the process of arranging shapes, forms and values within a picture panel so to create the most visual interest. I think a happy medium is what's best. But what happens when you have to write about things you don't have such a personal tie to? Every time you see something in daily life your mind automatically remembers some details about that subject. When you feel lost or need guidance come back and read a section that you are currently dealing with. In my case for Star Circuit, I wrote a pretty detailed script but at the same time I've not set it in stone. Be as specific as possible. Even having 20 people that sign up to give you funding is a nice start that can be built on to have a successful campaign. My Choice: I enjoy the seamless nature, superior quality and resilience of Apple products. For Comic Book Artists by David Chelsea. I am currently in the process of making a comic book to be first released on the web and then if all goes well, be printed. Design Anchors are like reference points in which you will tie everything in the story to. The theme was finally chosen because I felt I truly wanted its message to be spread. Staging: This skill is just the ability to arrange characters and objects in a shot. All the while highlighting the strength in mans need for love and fellowship as the counter to pure objective based motives. I am currently using a 27 all-in-one iMac from 2012. I want to make the idea of starting your own comic a less daunting one. Let's keep each other accountable! It is time to write an actual script Or not. This is the foundation of everything! The equivalent method to this in the physical medium is to print your book with cheap materials and hand them out at conventions and at comic shops. 