21 replies to this topic

[JASON DAVIES]

Hi Chaps,
I'm new to the forum, and happy to find a friendly welcoming community in the threads I've read through.
I joined after recently discovering ( I'm embarrassed to say ) the Ultimates, by Mr Millar and have been trying to catch up with as much as I can since. Then found out about the recent Kapow comiccon - got my tickets for Saturday and having wanted to be a comic artist since I was a kid (many moons ago) decided to have a go at an art submission for the convention.
I decided to pencil a short Marvel based strip around the idea of The Hulk rampaging around New York, Shield and Cap, Spidey, Hawkeye and The Wasp on a mission to stop him.
I didn't get a call back, I know what I think's wrong with it. Amongst many things, it isn't finished, I had 3 weekends to work on the submission from booking my tickets and drew right up to catching the train but couldn't quite finish it- (but I just had to try anyway). I think I learned a lot by doing it
and enjoyed the process.
If any of you guys wouldn't mind casting your eyes over it and letting me know, am I anywhere near heading in the right direction, I'd be most grateful- and any advice on just what and how much do you include in a portfolio for review?- thanks in advance!

[Paul Penna]

Welcome to the board

It's good, really good, not perfect but you definetly show a lot of promise.

Some of the faces belonging to Hulk, Iron Man and Nick Fury look off to me, but I'm not an artist so I'm sure someone who is will be able to give you better advice on how to improve your craft.

As for the call back, it's not as if you'd have been offered a job on the spot anyway, so don't feel too bad. They would've given you advice and hopefully folk on here will be able to the same. With luck you can improve so next year your craft is fully up to a professional level and they will take notice.

But if you want a job at either Marvel or DC, that isn't gonna happen until you've been published elsewhere.

The question is, do you want to be a paid artist or do you want to fufill a dream of working in comic books?

If it's the former, then improve a little and you can likely start making money by charging people for your services. Mission accomplished.

The latter is much more difficult. It means you need to get published in as many places as you can, with good quality stories (which essentially means working with good writers). My advice would be to look at small press magazines like FutureQuake or at anthologies (there's a thread on this board at the moment called Future Noir that you could check out).

These are all small press publishing, so it means you wouldn't get paid anything, but they represent a credit on your cv and you're putting your name out there.

As for portfolio's, from what I remember from Marvel's Breaking Into Comics panel (and it's not a lot, since I'm an aspiring writer, not an artist) is to include pencilled versions of your stuff, even if it has been inked and to always include the newest stuff at the front.

You've got a year, so don't be idle, do as much as you can, and maybe you'll get a call back at next years Kapow.

Edited by Paul Penna, 28 May 2012 - 02:18 AM.

[JASON DAVIES]

Cheers Paul, thanks for the welcome!
Thanks also for the comments and advice on the submission, all taken on board mate- especially the Hulk faces, I changed most of them a couple of times, I kept making them too human I think, the last 2 I was more happy with.
I'd love to get paid for drawing comics!- which seems rather obvious to say on a forum like this, but would like to get more involved in unpaid comic work, as you said to build up the cv and gaining valuable experience.. I am finishing off a short strip for Zarjaz at the moment, and hope to do more like it.
I do paid work now, drawing sketch cards, and have enjoyed doing them, but feel I need to draw less of them or I'm never going to find the time I need to draw the storytelling comic work.

[Christopher Brodie]

Those two panels of caps shield hitting hulk square in the face; and then kicking him whilst jumping, are really good, some work needs to be done in other areas and panels. Seems you're missing a few connect-the-dot panels in places, but still enjoyable and definitely shows promise.

[JASON DAVIES]

Cheers Christopher, thanks for the comments

[Steve Sensible]

Welcome to the board Jason. These are really nice - you've clearly got talent.

I'd say your figures need more work - your establishing shots and backgrounds are great, which is rare for a comic artist. It's usually the other way round! The first couple of panels are great. I assume you used a lot of photo reference, but that's fine because it doesn't look as though you just traced them - they fit perfectly with your style and they're nicely composed panels.

Later on though, the heavy shading that makes those first panels work so well disappears. I know you've spotted some of the blacks rather than shading them in pencil, but I think your figures would benefit from showing that light and shading so they don't look so flat.

Also, watch where your light is coming from - the shot of Iron Man flying towards us at the top of page 4 has two opposing faces of the background buildings in the shade, and then Iron Man himself has no shading at all, so it's a little inconsistent.

Keep at it!

[garjones]

But if you want a job at either Marvel or DC, that isn't gonna happen until you've been published elsewhere.

True for writers, somewhat true for artists.

David Lafuente got a job with Marvel from using this board and approaching CB Cebulski at the Dublin Comics Con and his world travels have signed a few others to first professional jobs at Marvel.

I'd still say most need to get published somewhere else first but for writers you don't get near the door nowadays unless you've had a comic out elsewhere (or screenplay or novel).

[Miqque Loveland]

Hiya, Jason! Most warm welcome, especially here at Creative!

Looks like you're going pro soon. These look like fine portfolio pages. What I've heard (I'm more in the writer's block, as it were) is that the individual touch is where it's going. So make sure to do some completely non-trademark stuff. Also backgrounds are important (called "environments" now), and, actually, Very Ordinary Items. Good idea to submit calm scenes of people talking in mundane circumstances. I'm not going to critique - I leave that to the artists. I think it looks fine. Just keep goin'!

[JASON DAVIES]

Thanks chaps for the welcome, input and the tips, much appreciated!

[GordonM]

Hi Jason.

I really like your pages, especially the sequence on the last page where poor Stark goes through the helicopter (VERY nice work with Iron Man being reflected in the pilot's visor!). I agree with Paul Penna that sometimes the faces seem a bit off, but this is something that's common among comic book artists - I've seen a lot of comics where the quality of facial work varies from page to page.

You're definitely on the 'path to the shelves'.

[Geoffrey D. Wessel]

Hey Jason:

I more or less agree with this summation, HOWEVER...

I might have something where you can get some on the job training as it were. Hit me up at your convenience. Email's in the signature.

Thanks!

[craggy]

jason, I suppose I agree with the majority here, (faces and poses not 100% yet, but layouts and backgrounds are well above the level that even most professionals deliver regularly) but am pretty amazed at how good your stuff is, especially for a first attempt (okay, I'm sure you have probably picked up a pencil before, but still!) I'll echo Christopher's comments about the shield smash and Cap kicking Hulk's face panels...those are amazing.

welcome to the boards, and if you want to get some practise drawing sequentials, I'm always looking for a good artist for something.

[Sanjay]

Welcome to Millarworld Jason. There's some good work there - feel free to put up more work when you knock more of those pages out!

I'd agree with Steve in his critique of your work. Also get a portfolio together, if you haven't done so already, for the Kapow or Thoughtbubble Cons, there're usually talent spotters at these things who are able to recommend paying work if they think your work is good enough. I'd stick in about 5-6 pages of your best and really recent work in there.

[ditta]

Just listen to what these smart guys are saying.

All I wanted to say was your art is bitchin'

[Paul Penna]

Do you have a deviantart page?

Or a blog?

They're usually a good way for people to get a look at your stuff (it's easy to direct people to a web address online), and it would be really cool to see some more of your artwork.

[JASON DAVIES]

Fella's thanks again so much for the feedback,
I do need to sort myself out and display my work and older stuff better-
I do have an old website- www.jdaviesart.com not updated for a couple of months or frequently for that matter- but its nearly all sketch card work, painted base cards for Baseball and American football sets for Topps. Some commissions on artist proof cards and blank sketch cards.
But there is an older submission I tried for 2000ad 2 or 3 years back, again on that I think I learned quite a lot in the process.

[mattgarvey1981]

Welcome Jason.

I really like the pages you have posted on here.
I especially like the level of detail on the first page with the crowds and the backgrounds.
Also the choppers look fantastic.
I love the panel of Iron panel being thrown through the chopper too.

I do agree for Paul about the faces.

But apart from that there is some solid pages on here and with a little bit of tweaking they could be perfect.
Really nice work.

I cant wait to see more.

[JASON DAVIES]

Hey Matt,
Thanks for the comments also mate, really appreciated.
Good to get a group of people to look over your work to get a consensus (if that's the right word)- sometimes you can stare at something so long, you just don't see when something's just not quite right.
Faces and poses I love drawing anyway, it's getting all those muscle groups in the right places, from all the different angles I find difficult!

[mattgarvey1981]

Any time buddy that's why we are all here

Good to get a group of people to look over your work to get a consensus (if that's the right word)- sometimes you can stare at something so long, you just don't see when something's just not quite right.

i agree its always beneficial to get a pair of fresh eyes to look over your work.
I do with my stories too!

Seriously though you have some fantastic pages there.
Well done.

[stuperrins]

thats awesome stuff brother, be great to work on some stuff with you one day. (im a writer) keep it up!