[Kaiju]

I'm Chapel aka Brian Reber. I'm switching my name, because I use "Kaiju" on several other forums.

Anyways, I've changed my website ,I've changed my alias, my appearance (glasses), and my goal. My goal is to break into comics.

So, the reason of this post is I would like it if some of the folks who are in the industry or a simular one could be so kind to look at my work (preferably colors) and tell me what I can do to improve. Tips, pointers, anything. I want to learn and I feel I'm not at the level I should be.

Thanks for your time.

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Kaiju
My Home

[garthmidgley]

Your work's pretty good.
Can you tell us how old you are? It would help people to give you advice.

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[Kaiju]

25

[black_fish]

I had a look at your website, and this is what I have to say for what's it's worth:

I think you have talent, and you seem to have the kind of style that can work in comics, although for that you need to do SEQUENTIAL ART and not just pin-ups. And you need to do a lot of it, because that's the only way to learn sequential art versus illustration: draw a lot of pages. So I think that's what you have to do even before thinking about breaking into comics because, after all, you could dislike sequential art. I know I do I definitely prefer illustration over comics.
So try some sequential art just to see if you're ready to spend 10 hours a day doing that.

Second you need some STRUCTURE in your drawings. You have a good style but a lot of your drawings fall apart in places because you didn't build them; you know: using those cylinders, lines of action, proportions... all the basic stuff which seems often boring to do but which is the secret to anything good (just ask Fred Flick Stone on that!). You need to BUILD any image you're working on, you need all those basic shapes, vanishing points, basic perspective, etc... Any anatomy book (like the ones from Brigdman or Hoggarth) explain how to do that. This is maybe a boring advice I'm giving you but if you want to step up in your art (and you definiteky have to do that if you want to become pro) you need to use that. Believe me: 30 seconds spent on a little structuring sketch can save a whole drawing. And don't belive the idiots who say that artist don't need structure or guides to do their work.

That's it.

Good luck, and keep posting your stuff!

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http://www.jmringuet.com

[Fred Flick Stone]

Chapel-hey, I have a bunch of stuff for you regarding watercolors. I will post it as a thread so you can grab them there. There is actually a lot of useful info within all the stuff I have for everyone else here on the forum. Unfortunately I have class tonight so I will have to post either late tonight or tomorrow. Our IP has been down and we had no email or Internet for the last day and a half. Kinda blows not having a computer at home anymore.

Anyway, I had a look at your stuff. Now you want to get into comics. What exactly in comics do you want to do? My interpretation of the stuff I have seen is sorta like this: I went the same route you are going with respect to working in comics by doing everything from the pencils to the colors. I would hold back if I were you and solidify your penciling. TO be honest, they get paid the most in the work chain, and you get the most credit for the pages. Eventually, let them know you can do it all. But to start with you might want to get better at the most important step. The reason I say most important step is that with good penciling skills, you are learning dexterity. And your inks re a reflection of your pencils, in terms of this you are learning both at once. Although I have to admit that it takes a special dexterity to wield a brush with command. I ink with a brush, and the tech I draw I ink with a pen. I have actually inked longer than I penciled because inking is painting with black paint. My hand is still not as confident as Mark Farmer or Mark Schultz, people I really admire their inking skills for. But, My inking I a reflection of my pencils, and they kinda grew up together. But after I realized all that it took in comics, I stuck with learning to draw, to better my chances of getting work.

Now, you could go the safe route and get a coloring job, which your color jobs aren�t all that bad. And, you show proficiency in your work, and most studios want you to adopt their techniques, you are solid with your computer imagery. I would think you could get work coloring right away. I have a friend who is in charge of the entire art department at Wildstorm studios. I could pass on your web site to him and see what he thinks of your coloring skills.

But my opinion of your other work steers me to saying work on those drawing skills. The inks are a bit on the weak side, mostly because the line art you are inking is your own, which isn�t quite so solid in a comic style sorta way. For example, the shadow hawk image is a lesser quality image of a Valentino image, and his images weren�t the strongest in the industry. It was his story telling that was most solid. To practice your inking, find some pencils to ink over. I have a bunch of Adam Hughes� images in pencils, I have a bunch of Aaron Weisenfelds images in pencil, and I have a bunch of old ashcans from Whilce Portacio, Jim Lee, etc. That you could use as a traceable image to work from to learn inks. What you would do is put them on a light table, and on Bristol board either trace the pencils, or directly ink onto the board with the pencils on a separate page altogether.

Now the pencils. This is the department where I really think you need to tighten up. You have promising skills, but you need a lot of legwork. You need to do heap loads of sequentials to get the idea of story telling. And you need to draw from life a lot. Get your friends to pose in superhero money shots, and quick sketch them. Then take those quick sketches and practice converting them to comic images. This is really going to help you get better convincing poses. And most of all, do not copy other comic artists pages line for line. Most comic artists cannot draw very well to save their lives. What you want to get out of other comic artists work is their story telling, and their stylization of character. That is what makes one persons style better than another. Like I said, you have very solid drawing skills, you need to better them though, and I guarantee you that your inking will improve as well.

I hope you don�t find any of this discouraging. I have been to the San Diego comic con for ten years now, and have been watching and listening to artists crit other soon to be artists portfolios, including my own. These are all valid issues I bring up to you, I have heard them again and again, and I have reviewed hundreds of portfolios in my time as well. These are all points any valid director would bring up. I think you need to hear it flat out to get a better hold on where your skills stand with what you are up against. The best way to get into comics any more is to have a friend in the industry get you in. Honestly. It seems mostly to be built on familiar faces and friends of artists anymore. It is becoming an old boys club. So it is more difficult to get involved with one of the solid leaders in the industry, and there are very few left.

Let me know via email what you want to do if you want me to pass on your website to my friend over at wildstorm, and if you can�t find any pencils to practice inks on, I can find those images and send you some copies. Anyway, I hope this has been helpful. I wish you the best of luck, and keep up your practicing, it is the mileage that is going to help you improve the most.

Anyway, back to work now. See ya�

[Chapel]

Thanks Fred. This is not discouraging at all. This actually motivates me. I'll drop you an email.