Welcome to the WORLD of Shannon "Roku-chan" Townsend, artist for the webcomic Otaku -no- Yen. Shannon is a professional freelance artist who specializes in the style of Anime and Manga, and is happy to have a spot here on TheOtaku! Visit Otaku -no- Yen online Mondays and Thursdays www.otakunoyen.com
- Created By Rokuchan
Great Sources of Reference Material for Artists
Well, choice B won over in the last poll. So today’s topic? Great sources of artistic reference material and learning resources for the Anime and Manga style artist.
Now, I want to emphasize a few things before I get started listing what I personally think are some great pieces of reference material.
1. I am completely self taught with the aid of nothing more than books (several of which I will list here), my own flubs, and the occasional advice from one of our readers or colleagues. I am by no means an authority on the Anime and Manga style, nor do I want to be considered as such.
2. There is absolutely no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to draw. Art is art. What looks like crap to one person looks heavenly to another. Keep that in mind for future reference
3. If you think you’re so good that you have absolutely nothing to learn from a book or other individual, you have no right calling yourself an artist. Put away your pencil, burn your papers, and kindly go jump off a cliff…or join the rest of us poor souls and go back to playing GTA and Portal. Damn my 360…
4. No, you cannot have my gamertag. =P
Alright, here we go!
1. The Dummies Series. I know a lot of people who steer far, far away from these books. But if you’ve ever given any dummies book a shot, you’d know they are usually not only wonderful learning aides, but they are typically very entertaining reads. I highly recommend using these books particularly to learn computer programs. I didn’t really grasp what Photoshop could do until I picked one of these up ages ago. ("durrr, what're layers?") I’m also impressed with the “Manga Studio for Dummies” book by Doug Hills. I’m still learning the program, but damn if this book doesn’t make my life a hell of a lot easier, even if the artist in me wishes there were more pretty, pretty pictures to look at.
2. The How to Draw Manga series. Love 'em or hate 'em, the How to Draw Manga series is in my opinion one of the best sources for American based Anime and Manga style artists. I mean, come on folks. You’ve got to love a series that covers not only perspective and anatomy, but also shows you how to clearly draw a girl roundhouse kicking some fat dude, complete with lacey pretty panty shot. In all seriousness though, I think the problem with the negative feedback on these books has to do with what I like to call the idiot factor. If you think you can pick up one of these books, look at the pretty pictures, and instantly be an awesome artist who understands everything, you’re an idiot. Drawing is like anything else; you have to practice it and (GASP!) read the book! And if you haven’t checked out the newer ‘sketching Manga-style’ books from this series, you really should give them a chance. I’m rather addicted to the first volume and have found some wonderful planning techniques, as well as anatomy improvement suggestions and some great ideas on how to create a total composition instead of just doodling a chick giving the 'v' sign. Great stuff.
3. DMP’s How To series. I’ll admit it, I initially only picked up the ‘yaoi’ book in this series by Botan Yamada because I’ve had a ton of commission requests involving shounen-ai and tons of pretty boys, and I liked the style of the artist. Turns out that a simple purchase based on a whim turned me on to a whole new series of books…no pun intended there, you pervs. In all honesty, I really like the DMP series for two main reasons. One, they cover things that I haven’t seen covered in several other book series for the Anime and Manga style artist. Two, the artwork in most of these books is stellar, with very easy to follow suggestions and outlines. They actually make anatomy almost simple to understand if you’re a newbie, and believe me, that’s a good chunk of your battle out there. I also like that they cover some different subjects in these books than the norm. Kudos to them.
4. The Comic Artist’s Photo Reference, People and Poses by Buddy Scalera. My husband found this book on a random trip to our local book store one day, and he just had to get it for me. After ten minutes with this book, I understood why. First off, the book comes with a cd-rom set that contains over 1,000 images with pose references. Hell-OOO! You have got to love that. Second, the poses are all photographs with real human models, and trust me when I say it doesn’t get any better than having a book chock full of the real deal to help you along when you're struggling. I love to pick up this book and flip through it when I’m having a particularly difficult time coming up with a creative pose for a piece. The book also contains several image sets with weaponry, including katana, guns, and medieval style swords, as well as people wearing capes and doing casual things like smoking. Awesome book, and it’s only about $25. Not to mention it contains artwork from Greg Land (of X-men fame), Paul Chadwick (Deadpool), and Sean Chen (Iron Man). Long live geek source material!
5. The Nude Female Figure, a Visual Reference for the Artist, by Mark Edward Smith. This one is great if you need a reference piece for female characters. What I really dig about this book is that it’s got perfect representations of every body type you can imagine. There are thin girls, thick ones, girls with long hair, short hair, long fingers, tiny feet, huge chests or none at all. It’s not only a wonderful portrayal of femininity on an artistic level, but it’s an irreplaceable piece of reference if you draw a lot of female characters. I’ve used it on several occasions and believe me, the fluidity of the poses in this book is stellar and really makes wonderful reference material.
6. Draw Manga: How to Draw Manga in Your Own Unique Style, by Bruce Lewis. If you’ve never met Bruce, you’re missing out on meeting a wonderfully talented and kind individual. I’ve only chatted with him a couple of times, but even before that I was impressed with this book. What I really enjoyed about this one is that he breaks everything down in a practical way that you can really utilize. Nothing like learning straight from the source.
Other sources of reference, on a more personal basis:
The works of Kazuya Minekura. If you’ve never looked at Saiyuki, lord are you missing out. Minekura actually got her start as a portrait artist (from what I understand), and trust me when I say that her work shows it. Her style is stunning, and no, not just for the pretty, pretty boys. She has a raw, edgy style, blocky and almost too masculine at times. But you can see the real world influence in her work. If you’d like a sample, try to get your hands on any volume of Saiyuki, Bus Gamer, Wild Adapter, or find any of her Backgammon or numerous other artbooks. They are inspiring, and may just give you some great ideas of your own. Not to mention they're funny as hell. The woman is wonderful with kooky poses and humorous shots.
Google Image Search. Alright, I almost hate to recommend this, but it does come in handy. Say you need to draw a specific type of sneaker on a character for a commission, or you need an example of Victorian hair styles or picket fences, and you need it right the hell away. This is an awesome way to have quick access to reference material of all sorts, from architectural shots to clothing ideas.
Fashion Magazines. This is an old favorite of mine. I’ve had a ton of students ask me over the years how to draw effective, realistic looking clothing. Honestly, what I love to do is grab a fashion magazine and try to draw what I see on paper with a slightly different pose. It really gives you great ideas as to how fabric moves and hangs on different body types. If you're not into fashion zines though, I also suggest using...
A Friend. I can't count the number of times I've made my husband or best friend pose for me or swish around in a goofy cloak so I can get a shot right. "Here, hold this sword...no, more...over your head...yeah. Good. Now hold it." If they love you, and sometimes if you offer them liquor for their trouble, they will give you a hand.
Megumi Magazine. I almost hate to admit this, but a friend gave me a stack of this popular Japanese magazine, which I’ve affectionately dubbed 'moe monthly’ a while back. It was like Christmas when I opened that box, and I was one very good, happy girl who got her red rider gun she'd been asking for all year...okay, that was lame. Whatever. You get the point. This magazine is loaded with awesome pose ideas, great colors that you can use as inspiration for your own pieces, and some really kooky but fun anatomy and perspective shots. Great source of reference material!
Manga. Yup, all Manga. If you really like a specific artist, the best source of reference material in the world is the series that you love. Personally, I take a lot of influence from Takahashi, Murikami, Oh!Great, and tons of others. I also find that watching an anime or reading a series in the style of what I want to draw does in fact help get me in the mood to draw in that particular style.
Online Tutorials. There are several awesome online tutorials that cover everything from the basics to coloring digitally. Here are a few of my personal favorites, and a couple I’ve thrown together myself
My basics of eyes and face tutorials:
http://guardiansun.deviantart.com/art/BASIC-ANIME-EYE-TUTORIAL-1-76199832
and part 2
http://guardiansun.deviantart.com/art/Basic-Anime-Eye-Tutorial-2-77098423
Drawspace.com, an awesome site to check out for all sorts of tutorials.
http://www.drawspace.com/
Jim Zubkavich’s digital painting tutorial.
http://drawn.ca/2008/03/04/jim-zubkavichs-digital-painting-tutorial/
Human Anatomy Pictures for Artists.
http://www.fineart.sk/
Julie Dillon’s old digital painting tutorial and the Manga University tutorial archives.
http://www.howtodrawmanga.com/tutorial.html
edit: Also, check out Art of Otaku, referred by none other than the webmaster of this lovely shindig we call TheOtaku.com. Actually this looks to be an excellent source as well! Thanks Adam =) http://www.artofotaku.com/thebook/
The trick is to be as creative as you want to be with your reference material, and don't be afraid to try new things. Remember that while Anime and Manga style is a very specific and easily identified art form, it is based in one way or another on realistic human anatomy. The stronger the foundation you have in the basics like anatomy, perspective, and figure drawing, the better your art will look in the long run. Remember that practice really does make perfect. I may suck at basketball, but if I tried to play it every day for five months, I like to think I’d get infinitely better at the game than I am now.
Happy hunting, folks! Hope this helped.
Now, poll time! What would you like the next article to be about?
1. My review of Crisis Core, because I am a big thumping nerd.
2. Tools of the trade.
3. Webcomic stuff.
See you soon!
Feature: 05/01/08 | Posted By: Rokuchan | 20 comments | Personal |
Tact and Common Sense in the Artist's Alley
The Artist’s Alley, as I’ve touched on before, is a place full of creativity. Unfortunately, where there is creativity, there is also idiocy, and in abundance.
I don’t necessarily mean the people behind the tables, though admittedly I’ve met some real asshats in my day that had their own AA table. Most artists I meet in AA’s (when I actually have time to get up and walk around) are kind, open to discussion, and are just like anyone else: simple folk trying to make a buck with their talent and skill.
What the general populace tends to forget is that putting your artwork out there for the world to see, and potentially buy, is a tremendous show of bravery and heart. I know that probably sounds lame as hell to some of you, but believe me, until you’ve spent months pouring your heart and soul into an art piece only to show it publicly at a convention full of literally thousands of individuals who all think they're professional critics, some of whom are real jerks, opening yourself up to criticism, moronic comments, and outright harassment, you can never understand.
So I’m going to set some kind guidelines that both artists and average Joes should follow in AA’s.
Artists first:
The number one rule, and the one you can not break under any circumstances, is always be polite. I know that sometimes when some kid comes up and starts bitching away about your artwork to your face, there’s nothing more you’d like to do than break something over their skulls. But you just can’t do that. I’ve sold tons of artwork just making kind conversation with people, and have made tons of friends in just that manner. I met one of my best friends at a convention, and she was freaking over a mild lesbian piece I had on my table. I half expected her to go crazy on me, but simple conversation eased the situation, and now we're buddies (love ya Cinderz!). I’ve dealt with smelly fanboys, angry or bitter artists, would-be-arteest teenagers who think they’re all that and a can of coke, you name it. But I always find a polite way to deal with them.
Say for instance someone comes to your table and says the infamous “Pfft…I can do that way better.” My favorite way to deal with this is to hand them a sharpie and a piece of paper, smile, and say “Please! Show me!” Now, I’m not doing to be a bitch about it, though sometimes it feels damn good to watch them get all flustered and stomp off with the trademark "...yeah well I would, but I don't feel like it right now." But truthfully, and at the heart of the matter, I want to learn as much as I can from as many people as I possibly can. Maybe this kid has an awesome way of drawing hands that I’ve never seen, or has a keen eye for a way to improve my inking. If they’re really that good, I want to know. Try to be objective when you hear stuff like that.
The second piece of advice I can offer those of you who are working is ‘don’t be a bitch’. What do I mean by this? I mean don’t track down a staff member to cry about every last little thing you can’t stand about your table, or your location, or your lack of power outlet, or the fact that the guy next to you won’t stop babbling into your ear while you’re trying to work. Staff members and staff heads, most of the time, bust their asses to make things as comfortable as possible, but things happen that are beyond their control. I always say you catch more flies with honey…you know the drill. Don’t make yourself stand out as a whiner. And if you have ideas, tell the staff! Just make sure you do it after the con when they aren’t sleep deprived and potentially starving and/or crabby as hell.
The third and final piece of advice is a measure of keeping tabs on yourself, and ensuring you are in a decent mood. For the love of all that’s holy people, get up and pee, eat, take a walk, take time to enjoy the convention! I have a horrible time with this. Most of the time I don’t think to get up and do anything unless our lovely assistants Nobaku or Lizzy come up behind me, stop the folks I’m babbling with, and kindly point out that I haven’t had a break in eight hours and really need to eat. Don’t try and eat at your table either; it never works and two hours later, your Sonic Coney won’t taste nearly as good…unless you’re me and there are no Sonics in the area. Damn you, Sonic! *shakes fist*
Now, for the attendees:
Do not, under any circumstance, walk up and make the following idiotic comments:
1. Don’t buy that, it’s a waste of money. I can find it for free for you on the internet. If you are ever near my table and I hear you say this, I will personally throw something at you. No, you will not find it for free on the internet, because all my internet stuff is watermarked. So phooey on you. ;)
2. I can draw way better than that. Don’t waste your money. Sure, maybe you can. But that is the most insulting, rude thing you could possibly say. Have some tact.
3. OHMYGODCANYOUDRAWSASUKEANDNARUTOTOGETHERCUZTHATSYAOIZOMG11!!!1!! …yeah, don’t even have to explain this one. And I swear to god someone HAS said this to me, including the “one one exclamation exclamation one” part.
4. Your art sucks. Yup! Thanks. ^_^ Seriously, most artists don’t take that kind of commentary seriously, so don’t waste your breath. If this is the kind of comment you'd usually make, do us all a favor and go troll a forum somewhere. It'll be more effective.
I’m sure someone out there will use the whole “there’s a difference between criticism and offering advice” fallback on this. But here’s the thing folks; there is a time and place for advice, and at a convention table is not necessarily one of them. If the artist asks for advice or a critique, then by all means, have at it. But just because you think you know of a better way to do it, does NOT give you the god given right to point it out to the artist. Sorry, I stand firm on this. I’m all about constructive criticism. It’s how you grow. But I hate it when I’m in the middle of working, busting my hump all weekend with my nose to the literal grindstone, only to have someone trying to tell me about a flaw while I have a line of people there, all waiting to buy things, and I’m trying to juggle eight tasks at once. It’s hard, and on top of that, it makes it nearly impossible to get the full impact of what the critique may be. That, and keep in mind, not every artist is going to be open minded. You could start a fight or an argument, or possibly even send the poor kid to tears.
It boils down to common sense. Be kind; treat folks the way you would want to be treated. Remember, the AA is not all fun and games. The folks there are working all day, sometimes with non specific hours that keep them up till 2 or 3 in the morning. Some of them (like me) take too many commissions to appease all of their customers, and then are stuck awake till 5am just to make all of the customers happy, despite the fact that they had to run five panels that day. Make no mistake about it, its work. Fun work at times, but it’s still work, and work of the most difficult kind; the kind where you put your own ass on the line.
Be kind, use common sense, and most importantly, enjoy yourself without doing so at the expense of others. Simple enough, right?
Also I’m taking a poll on what my next post should be about:
A. How to handle commission work
B. Great sources of artistic reference material
C. Tools of the trade
Feature: 04/18/08 | Posted By: Rokuchan | 17 comments | Personal |
The Trouble With Cosplay
This is a little off the beaten path for me to be babbling about, but I feel the need to for some bloody reason. So just take a deep breath, stick with me, and hear me out on this. I'll try to keep the sarcasm to a happy medium. ;)
I don't cosplay much for several reasons. For one, I hate making the outfits. I've done it a few times, and I just don't enjoy putting together a cosplay outfit. I'd rather pay someone to make it for me so I can walk around in something that I know fits me right and works to my assets...read, boobs. ( Hey, at least I'm not above admitting that! ) My second reason for not cosplaying is that I am usually in a guest of honor situation at a con, and honestly I feel a little silly running around dressed as Mizuho from Onegai Teacher when I have to race around, run panels, sit behind the table and draw, and basically work for the day. One year at Acen I went as Yaone from Saiyuki, and I did the full corset under everything; I thought I was going to die. I can handle SCA events in a corset all damn day but sitting behind a table bent over paper made it the pits. I was SO glad to be out of that outfit that evening.
But the biggest reason I don't cosplay is probably the saddest of all, and one that ticks me off to no end, because it affects numerous people out there.
People are, for the most part, rude about larger cosplayers, or cosplayers who don't have 'professional' looking outfits.
Now, I will admit, there are times when I'm just chilling in a hallway at a con and watching the cosplayers go by. I love seeing what other folks come up with, and to be honest I get giddy when someone does something really obscure that I recognize. There was a girl at AnimeIowa last year who did the most awesome Crimson Shadow Cat from Shadow Lady, which is one of my favorite manga, and I was just so geeked that someone had thought to cosplay that. That in turn made her day because no one recognized the character, the poor girl. She had rather large assets, and I heard several people making underhanded comments that she shouldn't be wearing that due to her very curvy figure. I did not think she looked bad, I thought she looked AWESOME, and the way the outfit was cut really worked to her advantages without being overly revealing! But it made me wonder why folks think that way.
The thing is, I try never to make those types of comments when I can, because a cosplay outfit is something for the most part that someone has put a LOT of love, effort, and care into creating. I think every cosplayer, yes including the tin-foil Gojyos, deserve some love. Because hey, at least they are trying and enjoying themselves. And if the cosplayer is having fun and enjoying themselves, that is really all that matters.
But what really pisses me off is when people sit around and criticize cosplayers. You know what? YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE SKINNY AS A RAIL FOR EVERY COSPLAY! And if you think that is the way of things, if you think that a 200 lb girl has no right to cosplay something, then I suggest you take that narrow minded opinion and shove it.
You also don't have to be a professional seamstress to cosplay. I know several folks who are friends of mine, like Taelic from Be Anime Studios and my good friend Cindy who make a living and get their livelihood making professional quality cosplay outfits. I also have several friends who hand stitch things in their living room the night before the con in a mad dash to make something themselves. BOTH ARE GREAT! I think all cosplayers should get a nod for their effort unless they bought it at hot topic.
...God I hate those Naruto windbreakers.
If someone is comfortable enough with their own body and creations, and are confident enough to walk the halls of a convention, they have a right to cosplay just like everyone else out there, and should not be ridiculed. They don't deserve the 'zomg fat!' comments or the '...ew, that SO looks awful' commentary.
Now, people need to think about what cosplay they select. I think the general rules I've seen are:
* Pick a cosplay that is going to flatter the best parts of your body and help conceal the parts you are uncomfortable with. Comfort is key.
* Try to put a little effort into it. You may not be a pro, but the effort will show. =)
* Don't go overly revealing! This really gets my goat, especially at family friendly cons.
And finally * HAVE FUN WITH IT.
I encourage you all this con season to really sit back and think about how much effort went into an outfit. Don't criticize, encourage. And if you know someone who would fit as a specific character, TELL THEM! I know I'm always looking for characters to cosplay. You'd think having big boobs made it easy...ugh.
Next time, What Not To Do Behind Your AA Table.
Essay: 04/12/08 | Posted By: Rokuchan | 16 comments | Personal |
11 Things Every Starving Artist Needs to Know
Some days, I regret ever becoming an artist as a career choice. I have my moments when I wonder if I should have kept it nothing more than a hobby and instead continued my pursuit of other things, like theatre or the stage. Even now, I'm getting more and more into other things that threaten to take up my time, but no matter what, my heart is in the art.
I continue to do what I do because it's where my heart is. I always said that when I auditioned for a part in a play, I knew I gave it my all, but still made mistakes that were imperceptible to me and cost me the part. When I goof something up on paper, it just makes more sense to me. I'm sure that doesn't make sense to many of you, but I digress. I draw because at the heart of it, I enjoy it. I love it. It doesn't mean I love every project I take, but sometimes you just have to do what needs to be done. Work is work. My husband jokes sometimes that I'm the Bobba Fett of artwork...pay me enough, and I'll just about draw anything. I have pretty low standards I guess.
...though I draw the line at Loli, Shota, and non-con. *shudders* Sorry, gang. Just not my cup of tea.
When you choose to become an artist and start looking for paying gigs, there are inevitably a few things that are going to happen. When anything stops being a hobby and begins being a way to pay your bills, you're going to have a hard time being all hearts and flowers happy about it. But there are a few things you can do to help yourself along the way, and keep the enjoyability in the work.
Again, just some advice. Strictly my opinions, and based entirely on previous experience. I.e., THE HARD WAY...
1. THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT, EVEN WHEN HE'S WRONG! This is the hardest part to get used to when you become a freelancer. When someone is paying you for your work, usually, you have to pretty much do what they want. Now, commission work may be a different story. Most commissions aren't contract gigs that pay you a big lump sum. So get used to the fact that if the company you are doing work for wants everyone in period garb, you're going to have to research it and draw it the way they want, even if you think it's dumb. They're paying for it; do it their way as long as it isn't morally objective to you.
2. This should be #1, but sometimes it falls to slot 2. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS GET YOURSELF A CONTRACT!!!!!!! I can NOT stress this enough. Long story short, I was on a large project once back when I got started for a company that ultimately kicked the bucket. I did roughly around $2000 worth of work and conceptual stuff that never saw the light of day, and I never got a penny for it. From that day forward, I insist on contracts. They cover your butt and make sure you get compensated for the work you've done, as well as ensure you don't go crazy from extra work getting dumped on you.
3. NEGOTIATE A KILL FEE. Let's say you're working on a comic book for a small company, and they have a very different vision than the one you are presenting. Neither party can agree on anything, so they pay you a 'kill fee' and you amiably part ways. I usually negotiate my kill fee to be half of what the full payment would be for whatever gig I'm on. That way, I get compensation for the work I've done, and if the company decides to kick my sorry booty off the project, I still get payment for what's been done. This is a safe thing to do and trust me, no professional company would argue a kill fee. If they do, that's a red flag in my opinion.
4. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ARTISTS BLOCK WHEN YOU ARE ON A DEADLINE. Let's face it. If you are going to take freelance work, you're going to have to get over artists block. There's no such thing as an 'off day' when you are working on a severe deadline. If I have a day where I just can't draw, I put on music that inspires me, or...gasp!...draw something for myself! If I'm having fun with it, I tend to loosen up and then the ability comes back. Experiment and find out what makes you relax, but always make sure you get your projects done on time.
5. I need to take my own advice here, but DO NOT TAKE ON MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE! Otherwise, you'll be like me...working on a massive graphic novel, 12 backlogged commissions, and a weekly updated webcomic at the same time. -_-; I am full of suck and fail...
6. LEARN TO ACCEPT CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. Not every person from a company will like what you are doing. I had a massive project for a marketing company in Chicago a couple years back that made me want to rip my hair out. There was criticism coming out of every angle, but I smiled and nodded, and took it to heart. Don't let yourself get bent out of shape. You opened yourself up for this when you took on the project.
7. SMILE! You have to be friendly. Treat your freelance work as what it is; BUSINESS. If you were a dick to every Tom Dick and Harry who wanted to get artwork from you, you'd have no business at all. Your clients are customers. Treat them with the same respect you would expect as a customer.
8. Again, need to take my own advice... DO NOT LEAVE EVERYTHING TILL THE LAST MINUTE! Now, me personally, I work better on stress and deadlines. I've been known to pull all nighters with energy drinks, and I like doing it. But I don't recommend it to you. Inking with the jitters sucks.
9. LEARN TO TIME YOURSELF SO YOU AREN'T GOING CRAZY. I work a 40 hour a week job on top of my studio work, and I also volunteer at the local animal shelter, take weekly bellydance lessons, lecture at libraries and colleges, AND I am a gamer. How do I do it? I make sure that I make time for myself to do the things I enjoy. If I didn't, I'd go crazy. Make time for yourself, and remind yourself why you are doing what you do. If you are miserable, it's not worth it!
10. HAVE A FALLBACK! Getting paid is good. Paying your bills is good. Working a freelance project and knowing you are going to get $3000 but not knowing WHEN you will get it is BAD. Freelance work often has uncertainties when it comes to pay, so you ARE better off having some sort of day job on top of everything else, so that you have regular, steady pay coming in.
and finally, 11. OCCASIONALLY DRAW SOMETHING JUST FOR YOU. This is something I forget to do alot, but sometimes I just need to sit back and draw something that makes ME happy. Sure, it's selfish, and not often the best thing to do when I'm in the midst of a deadline or something similar. But I need to recharge like everyone else from time to time, and if drawing Gojyo and Sanzo beating one another upside the head will make me smile, damn it, I'm going to do it!
The point I'm making here folks is that sure, it's work. Any time you do freelance work, it's a job. And you have to treat it as such. But that doesn't mean you have to make yourself crazy. The day drawing makes you miserable, it's not worth doing as a career any longer.
I have more advice for aspiring professionals and other artists, but I'll talk about that later.
Feature: 04/03/08 | Posted By: Rokuchan | 18 comments | Personal |
Fan Art. Oh Yes, I'm Going There
I want to state right up front that what is about to be discussed here is purely my opinions. It is not the thought of anyone here at theOtaku.com. I'm just making some thoughts public, and stating some opinions. I'm going to do this in the most polite way I can, and I'll attempt not to sound like a douche. I do not want hate mail, or brownies sent to me under the guise of being a box of explosives...I'm looking at you, Dave. ;) (Though last time, the brownies WERE damn good...)
Once again, here is Wikipedia's definition of Fan Art:
Fan art or fanart is artwork that is based on a character, costume, item, or story that was created by someone other than the artist. The term, while it can apply to art done by fans of characters from books, is usually used to refer to art derived from visual media such as comics, movies or video games. Usually, it refers to artworks by amateur artists, or artists who are unpaid for their fan creations--so that, for example, professional comic adaptations of the Star Wars films would not be considered fanart while a version done by an unaffiliated fan would be. The distinctions here cannot always be finely drawn and the actual status of particular works can often fall into a gray area.
I'm going to start out here with a little story. Years ago at a certain convention that will go nameless for this post, I had an unfortunate run in with someone who had a massive problem with the fact that I was selling fan art. I had some harmless Final Fantasy VIII pieces on my table, as well as a little Saiyuki parody. The rest was original artwork. Someone took severe offense for some reason or another to the fact that I was selling fan art, and told the head of the AA to have me thrown from the convention. Now, I have no idea why the individual did this. I'd had no conversation with him about it previously, and literally every table around me was selling fan art. But for some reason, I was singled out. He stood on a table, rallied around some fangirls, and basically singled me out for a good hour or so. I smiled through it; what the hell else could I do, you know?
I'd been doing AA's for a few years, and I remember crying the entire drive home to Chicago. I never cried after cons. Usually I was giddy and bouncy, full of ideas the whole way home. I was pretty broken up by it. I wasn't used to that sort of hostility. But the entire thing had made me really give the Fan Art thing a good once over in my mind, and after that show, I decided against mass producing fan art ever again.
It came down to one thing with me: I decided that it was time to stand on my own two feet as an artist. I was done relying on other people's characters to make my dollar, and truthfully I had a million ideas in my head that were mine and mine alone that I wanted to commit to paper. I made the decision to do so, and I've held true to that for several years now.
Over the years, I've run tons of art related panels at cons and libraries/colleges, and at almost every single one someone brings up the Fan Art debate. I remember at Anime Central last year, I had a particularly rousing Artist Alley panel where this topic came up.
I said it then, and I'll say it now: You can agree with me, or you can disagree with me. But Fan Art available for purchase, in the purest sense without parody applied, is a form of copyright infringement. Not one that will get noticed most of the time, but there it is.
There, I said it. Now, if you'd like to send ninjas to kill me, my address is...what, do you think I'm that stupid? Heeeell to the no. ^_~
In all seriousness here though, here's the way I look at it. Fan Art is not wrong, per say, but it does fall under an artistic grey area. Why? Because as fledgling artists, we all need to learn somewhere. No one is a pure genius and is able to create completely original characters, story, fluid panels, and a killer art style right off the bat. Most artist I've ever known, including myself, like to emulate the art style of someone they particular admire, and that is how they learn. I never went to college for art. I'm completely self taught, and if it weren't for the stylings of Naoko Takeuchi, Rumiko Takahashi, Kazuya Minakura and Maki Murikami I would never have given any of this a shot. I used to doodle for hours, just trying to draw Ranma and Ryoga in hand to hand combat, or Sailor Mars kicking Tuxedo Kamen's butt...oh come on. Mamoru was a wuss. You know I'm right. =P
For a while, I sold artwork of these characters in large quantities. I had original stuff, sure, but I also had prints of some very popular characters that were mass produced. Not many; I've always tried to incorporate my original ideas for prints and product as well. And I've never relied on fan material to make my money. But it's how I got started, and it is, to this day, how most DO get started. There is NOTHING wrong with that.
The problem comes when you rely purely on fan art to make your dollar. What do I mean? I mean if you have an entire booth of AMAZINGLY good artwork, loaded with tons of prints of Ouran High School Host Club, Lucky Star, and Gurren Lagaan stuff, and little to no original artwork, you are prime suspect for me to whack you upside the head.
It's one thing to do a little fan art here and there. Even people like Bob DeJesus do this from time to time. One of his art collections, which I want to add was LIMITED in number, had several popular video game characters in it. Lots of it was parody, but some was just cute and neat sketchwork. Is this wrong? I don't think so. Sure, it's still in a grey area as far as legality, but if you are going to sell fan art, there are a few short rules I like to think you should stick to.
1. DO NOT MASS PRODUCE! If you are going do do fanart, make it a one of a kind piece or a limited number of numbered prints. If you mass produce, you are flat out ripping off the company that owns that property. And that, my friends, is wrooong.
2. ALWAYS CREDIT THE ORIGINAL CREATOR OR COMPANY THAT OWNS THE PROPERTY! Let's say I do a Naruto piece where Sasuke's hair is being compared to a duck's butt by a giggling Kiba. I would sign it at the bottom, date it, and then slap a little note that states I do not own the characters, and I would thus write that the copyright of the characters belongs to Viz Media or Mashashi Kishimoto.
3. DO NOT PURELY RELY ON FAN ART TO MAKE YOUR MONEY! This is the one most people abuse, and the one that makes me the saddest panda of all. Contrary to popular belief folks, you do not need fan art to make all of your money at a convention! I know for a fact, and from experience, that you can make just as much, if not MORE money, with originality and creativity. Some people will disagree with me on this, but the truth holds firm. If you are good enough to make $2000 in a weekend selling materials with licensed characters that you are NOT paying the right to use, you are good enough to make your own artwork and stand on your own two feet.
4. NEVER EVER EVER PUT YOUR OWN ARTWORK OF LICENSED CHARACTERS ON MERCHANDISE! This is a big no no, and one that several conventions are starting to crack down on. Don't make little clocks or mugs with Ed Elric or Pyramid head on them (no matter how funny it is to see the word "raep" on each time slot). Don't make scarves with Furuba characters, or hats designed to look like Kirby. That is blatant copyright abuse, and tends to rub companies the wrong way most of the time.
5. IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO FAN ART, BE CREATIVE ABOUT IT! Don't just draw the standard Chun-Li giving the V sign, or Sailor Moon doing her "Oshioki Yo!" pose. What do you draw? Something like this, or this. The point I'm making is if it's parody, or creative, or just a cool drawing that doesn't look like it's been copied right off a page of the manga, you're in pretty good shape.
And finally, 6: IF YOU TRULY THINK YOU WILL ONLY EVER BE GOOD AT FAN ART, STICK TO ART SHOWS AND AUCTIONS. The reason for this suggestion is that most of the time, Fan Art is very much allowed in Art Shows and Art Auctions. You can do numbered prints there most of the time, or you could create amazing one of a kind works that will sell for a LOT more than you would probably make in an AA. AND you get the added bonus of not having to stand watch over your table all weekend, thus not getting to enjoy the convention as the fan you obviously are.
It comes down to common sense and respect. If you feel you can stand on your own two feet, do so. You might be surprised at how well it turns out. =) Trust me on that one.
~Roku
p.s. For the record, yes, I have purchased one of a kind fanart from several people. Black Cat is a weakness of mine...so sue me. =P
Essay: 03/26/08 | Posted By: Rokuchan | 25 comments | Personal |