[Chapel]

I have a few questions for any pro colorists for comics.

1. What exactly does a colorist need in their portfolio? I know pencilers need sequentials about 6 pages worth. Inkers the same.

2. Do I have to set up photoshop a certain way to do colors properly for print? I.E. mode, color palette... etc.

3. What size and dpi should the pics be to color?

Also, if Liquid! does read this, do you still have a copy of your submissions portfolio? I'd be interested to see it.

Sorry, if this seems non-digital art related, but to me it is. Plus, I don't think Liquid! reads random musings. (Ya know.. that "other" forum)

[Liquid!]

ok - let me try to answer these to the best of my knowledge. Obviously, there are always tons of different ways of doing things, and I'm sure someone else might be able to contribute more useful info as well. This is just my own experience.

1. I feel 5-6 pages should be sufficient to show where you're at. Anymore than that, and you usually end up hurting yourself more than you think, because your weaknesses become more apparent. However, make sure that you have at least 5 regular sequential pages, rather than 6 pin-ups. Pin-ups are very easy to color and don't really replicate the challenges of doing this for a living.

2. For submissions you don't need to worry about your color setup. The best thing I would recommend is that you print your submissions out and make sure that those print outs are accurate to what you want them to look like. Thus, you are not at the mercy of an editor's poorly calibrated monitor.

However, keep in mind that this is what is one of the most difficult aspects of coloring in comics. What most people don't realize is that it ALWAYS looks better on my screen than what you see in print. I'm sure that is the case for anyone else too. The reasons for this can be various, ranging from paper, to weather at the printing plant, your setup, how you mix colors, color theory and lastly your understanding of pre-press.

3. I think something at 8.5X11 at 300 DPI should be sufficient.

4. My submissions were some marker rendered photocopies over some old Dale Keown stuff, way back when. I don't even think I have them anymore. If I run across them I'll post them for a laugh...

As a general rule for submission, you have to realize that while your pin-up you�ve worked on for 2 weeks looks sooooo much better than anything out there, you�re not at the mercy of the aforementioned factors. Not to mention that no comic is ever published with the 'editorial note' of saying, "We gave the penciler 2 weeks to do this book, and the colorist had 3 days... " This works in your favor in terms of being able to put together a great portofolio, however ultimately if you hope to keep a job in this field you have to be very fast. So keep that in mind while doing samples. No publisher in this world is going to give you 2 weeks to do a piece. You'll be lucky to get a day.

Hope this is in some way useful to you.

-c

[Chapel]

Thanks Liquid! That information is very useful. All the coloring I've done so far I've only spent a few hours on. (probably shows) But I think it is helping me by not giving myself alot of time. I'm still improving I think, but I'm still taking the same amount of time to color. If that makes sense. Anyway, its funny you mention Dale Keown. Feel free to laugh at these. Here is somethings I did in 92(I think) with markers. By the way, I redrew the images and inked them too.




[This message has been edited by Chapel (edited November 29, 2000).]

[Seraphire]

I've also heard tell, that many editors would like to see some traditional mediums. Not just computer coloring. But,I don't know about the validity of that.


Sequentials... That reminds me, I've got to get going on some.

------------------
The Groove is in the Heart!

Seraphire
Michael Jon Birkhofer
Seraphire's Cafe/The Monochrome

[Seraphire]

Oh, and I forgot...

You asked about the settings.

Make sure you color in CMYK, not RGB. Since no printer uses RGB, you can't get all the color values. If your planning on printing your work out use CMYK. If its just for online, then RGB is fine.

------------------
The Groove is in the Heart!

Seraphire
Michael Jon Birkhofer
Seraphire's Cafe/The Monochrome

[Liquid!]

I can't find the thread where someone had asked to see my 'original coloring submissions' ...

Well, I actually found them, so get ready to laugh!









And no, there is NO WAY I would have hired myself. In my defense these are much more faded (hey their like 7 years old), than they day they were done... but that isn't to say they were any better...

These were done over photocopies of a BLACK/WHITE Con edition, before the actual book had come out.

-c

[burn0ut]

hehe i remember askin for some of your other media works awhile ago, heh, these look good liquid, just doesnt hvae your pazaz you have nowdays (i dont know if you can get the good ol liquid! feel to traditional media) but who knows

[Liquid!]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chapel:
Also, if Liquid! does read this, do you still have a copy of your submissions portfolio? I'd be interested to see it.

---

D'oh. Sorry Chapel... maybe I should read stuff more closely. Well, here you go have a laugh at them!

[CapnPyro]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Liquid!:
there is NO WAY I would have hired myself.

---

lmao hahahaha

[Chapel]

That last page there doesn't look too bad to me. But then again I'm not in the industry yet.. hehe.

[Chapel]

Ok, I got another question:

Is this a really old guideline or is this something I should know?

"Traditional comics color guides are coded to match a chart of 124 colors available to us. Marking up your guides is an essential part of coloring.

Colorists should submit 4-6 pages of fully colored and coded comic-art photocopies. Colorists work on reduced photocopies (art reduced 64% onto 8 1/2" X l 1" paper).

Professional comics colorists use DR. MARTIN'S DYES, although colored pencils or markers are also acceptable."

What does "coded comic art" mean? And should I learn to use watercolors and markers for comic coloring?

By the way, I know I've snapped at a few folks for asking Liquid! questions, but he is really the only pro colorist I know. Since I don't have his email I have to post here. I would put this in Random Musings, but he never ventures over to that side.

[Eckhardt]

Hi Liquid!

And no, there is NO WAY I would have hired myself.

----

I dont understand that statement, I think they are great why would you not hire yourself in no way, the colors are great whats wrong with the picture?

/Eckhardt

[TheMilkMan]

Hey Liqued it's funny that you say ohh good ahead and lauph...because half the colorists in the industry dont color as good with a computer as you did with markers when you first started...awsome man...

Chapel you might want to rethink the comic book industry..not doing so well anymore.. liqued gets by because he is the man but that industry is stormy waters at best!!

[Chapel]

Well, here is my situation. I work full time right now and I make pretty decent money, but I'm not happy. So, in the very little spare time I get I'm trying to pursue an achievable goal to get another career. I don't feel I have the skills needed to pursue any work for films. My drawing and imagination are not up to par to be a concept artist for games. I don't have the time to learn 3d. (although I would love to learn it) I could probably do textures, but 3d experience is needed to get most jobs in the game industry. Comic books have always been something I wanted to do. I'd like to be a penciler, but right now I feel my strong point is colors. So, that is what I am working on. If that can get my foot in the door then I'm all for it. I told Fred that I feel if I can get in environment surrounded by artist then I will excel. I'd take a pay cut to get a job in any of the industries I mentioned above.

[Jezebel]

Heya Chapel, I sorta understand where you're coming from... however I don't have a job at all and I'm feeling as though I don't want to work anywhere unless it's involving art. Yet one of my biggest problems is that I choke up whenever I start to work for someone, I always feel like I'm not good enough to do work to please my boss so I find that I'm not able to complete anything :/ I don't really know where I would be able to work because I don't feel like I'm good enough to get a job involving art.

I've always been under the impression that artists never make good money. Unless of course they are one of those 1 in a Zillion artists that everyone worships, and even then I'm not sure that all of them are making their ideal salary. My big question is, "What kind of art positions are available that pay well?" I really want to be successful and I have hopes of traveling all over the world one day and attending art schools everywhere - just for fun and experience. However I need a job that will allow me to do something like that. It almost seems hopeless for me, bah!

Hmm... am I making this thread depressing? I'm just really wondering about these things, hehe.

I'm sorry Let's all be happy.

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Take off your clothes. It's OK - I'm an artist.

[url=http://div.dyndns.org/FOO!]http://div.dyndns.org/FOO![/url]

[Chapel]

Well, money isn't everything. I'll be happy when I see my name in credits somewhere.

[Jezebel]

I'll be happy when I can afford to pay for school and put my broken down piece-of-crap car in the shop, hehe

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Take off your clothes. It's OK - I'm an artist.

[url=http://div.dyndns.org/FOO!]http://div.dyndns.org/FOO![/url]

[Jezebel]

And I don't think money is everything... sheesh. :P

*tackles Chapel*



------------------
Take off your clothes. It's OK - I'm an artist.

[url=http://div.dyndns.org/FOO!]http://div.dyndns.org/FOO![/url]

[Chapel]

Yeah, I can tell by your sig.

Liquid!: Read my post at "November 29, 2000 06:56 AM" Please

[egerie]

Sorry to tackle your thread Chapel but at least I don't include poopy 3d and silly pics in my posts, rght ?

Jezebel : I know from experience that the classical animation field can be somewhat lucrative for SOME positions. If you're good at drawing and that your line is flawless and assured, I'd recommend trying to get trained as a layour artist.
This domain is somewhat hermetical but you can try offering your services (as a gracious gesture to start) in order to learn the basics.

But for an artist I think agressive marketing is the only way to go promoting yourself.. unfortunately I hate that !

And as for the confidence, you just hafta work and draw and draw and read books about art and draw again and visit museums and draw until you run out of paper and pencils/paint.
If you get hired in the first place, it probably means the employer sees you have potential ! And you probably have some. Of course seldom are the intra-company people that will come to you and say you just that (for a number of reasons), but it is there. It's all up to you to perfect yourself and learn to appreciate what you do

Here's my little pep talk to make that thread a little more cheerful !

-ege, thinking of using that sig line more often.....

[Jezebel]

Hehehe ^_^

------------------
Take off your clothes. It's OK - I'm an artist.

[url=http://div.dyndns.org/FOO!]http://div.dyndns.org/FOO![/url]

[hennifer]

hey, i don't know how things turned to classical animation, but one thing for north americans interested in it to keep in mind - the animation industry here is shrinking.

dreamworks & warner brothers have apparently both closed their animated feature film studios. nelvana is outsourcing most of their tv animation to cheap korean studios, and even heavyweights like disney are focusing on re-releases of international animation. disney also recently scrapped plans for a large toronto studio.

------------------
hennifer

[Liquid!]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chapel:
Ok, I got another question:

Is this a really old guideline or is this something I should know?

"Traditional comics color guides are coded to match a chart of 124 colors available to us. Marking up your guides is an essential part of coloring.

Colorists should submit 4-6 pages of fully colored and coded comic-art photocopies. Colorists work on reduced photocopies (art reduced 64% onto 8 1/2" X l 1" paper).

Professional comics colorists use DR. MARTIN'S DYES, although colored pencils or markers are also acceptable."

What does "coded comic art" mean? And should I learn to use watercolors and markers for comic coloring?

By the way, I know I've snapped at a few folks for asking Liquid! questions, but he is really the only pro colorist I know. Since I don't have his email I have to post here. I would put this in Random Musings, but he never ventures over to that side.

---

Chapel -

I ran across this by pure accident. I just don't have the time to keep up with a forum that moves this fast. And since Dhabih decided he wasn't going to make any changes I'm really just able to poke my head in once in a while. Sooooo... if you try to get my attention and you don't see me responding, its not that I'm ignoring you, but its that I haven't seen the post. Just wanted to set that straight.

The answer to you question is - IGNORE it. This is the old information out of the large how to draw comics guide. This is how they used to do it. At this point ignore it completely.

Hope that helps.

Best,
Chris

[Chapel]

Not a problem Liquid! I totally understand. That is why I appreciate Jezebel helping me bump it up to get some attention.

thanks for the answer!

[Ben Barker]

At school we always print on an Epson Pro(jet?) 1200, with photo quality ink jet paper. The results are pretty good, and it's pretty cheap as nice printers go. I guess where they dick you is on the ink cartidges. It has a huge paper bed too.

I guess you have a nice printer, but let me just warn you in case not: never count on Kinkos. I tried it for one assignment, and not only did they NOT have Photoshop on their computers (Corel draw, pshaw! Industry standards people), their printer butchered my color and their paper was ass. I take design classes and the color changes are very subtle. It's what I get for waiting to the last minute.
Just thought I'd add this since it seems to be a pretty popular place for people without access to semi-decent equipment.

[Liquid!]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eckhardt:

Hi Liquid!

And no, there is NO WAY I would have hired myself.

----

I dont understand that statement, I think they are great why would you not hire yourself in no way, the colors are great whats wrong with the picture?

/Eckhardt

---

Sorry, I answered Chapels post, but didn't realize there were others. Well, thanks for liking those samples, but there is plenty wrong with them. The rendering is unimaginative, there is very little mood to speak of, color isn't enhancing the composition of the pages and some of the color choices are a bit silly.


CHAPEL: I read your post regarding your future job plans. Please keep in mind that I think it is infinitely more difficult getting a job (any job) in comics than it is getting a job in videogames. Not because comics is a higher art form, but because comics is a shrinking industry while videogames is somewhat expanding. Also comics is incredibly deadline oriented. While I know many of my friends in videogames that put in long hours, its usually towards the last stretch of the mile, comics is pretty tight from the get go.

Anyhow, either way I am a huge believer in doing what makes you happy. I think we spent way too much time at work, NOT to do something that you enjoy.

Just my thoughts.

-c

[EDIT: 4-6 pages is about how many pages you should have in your portfolio]
PS

[This message has been edited by Liquid! (edited November 30, 2000).]

[Chapel]

Liquid!: thanks for the comments. I understand it is a difficult goal to go after. The way games are though I'm afraid to get in a company that makes a crappy game and then goes out of business. I'd rather atleast do a comic and get more credit. I'd like to do either really, but like I said I don't have time to learn 3d and improve my drawing skills right now. (The funny thing is I'm a computer guru too, but just haven't got the tolerance for 3d apps) I'm not sure what I'll end up doing.. I just hope it is art.

Ben: What the hell? :/

[This message has been edited by Chapel (edited November 30, 2000).]

[Ben Barker]

Heh, I just read Liquid's comment about how printed stuff will never look as good and my mind started wandering.

Ain't it da troof? Ain't it da troof?