Comics for Beginners

How to Write & Draw Comics

Video

The Most Badass Tools for Inking Comics

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I’ve talked about the tools of the trade in other videos, but this time I want to dig deep on some of the some of the classic tools for comics inking and show the different style in lines you get from a marker vs. a brush or a quill.

As a companion to this video artist Michael Johnson Curry (mikejc.com) has provided a handful of his pencils that you can print out and try your own inking skills on.

You can find the printouts at the bottom of the resources page.

Let me know if that’s helpful and I can see about maybe doing more of that type of stuff.

Amazon affiliate links to tools mentioned in this video:

Wacom Cintiq

Wacom board

Pentel Brush Pen

Sumi ink

Staedtler Lumocolor Marker

Winsor & Newton Cotman Water Colour Synthetic Brush – Round #4:

Sharpie markers

Posca white acrylic marker

Pentel Twist-Erase III Mechanical Pencil, 0.7mm

Dealing with Tangents in your Art

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One of the most important art lessons I ever got was when my studiomate Ole Comoll showed me what tangents are – and how to avoid them.

In this video I try to pass that lesson along while using examples from my own art. Tangents are everywhere – and once you see them, you can’t unseen them. You’ve been warned!

Three Books All Creatives Should Read

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In this video I give three book recommendations that might seem kind of left field. Nevertheless all three have had a huge impact on me and how I see myself as an artist – and as a human!

Here are direct affiliate links to all three books on Amazon:

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, by Steven Pressfield

The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick), by Seth Godin

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life, by Mark Manson

Bonus Video: Lucy Bellwood and her 100 Demons

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I first met Lucy at Periscope Studios in Portland, OR, where I had the great privilege to work from a guest table for a few weeks back in 2014 (you can hear the podcast episode I did with Steve Lieber here). Even then she struck me with her wisdom, despite her young age. I never managed to get a real sit-down with Lucy back then but when I saw her new project 100 Demon Dialogues I jumped at the opportunity to chat with her about dealing with your inner demons as an artist, tabling at cons and having a career as a creative freelancer.

Check it out here and please share with your self-deprecating artist friends!

Links mentioned in this video:

Lucy is @lubelwoo on both Instagram and Twitter

Bonus Video: Choose Your Own Adventure

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Time to make some tough choices!

As an artist you often have more ideas than you have the time and resources to complete. How do you decide what projects to do next? How do you make sure you’re not just mindlessly taking on all incoming work but stay true to your creative vision? Is strategy even a word in the artist dictionary? And what does a walk in the woods have to do with making comics? Watch the video to find out!

Let me know if this video helps you in any way or what method you use to decide what to work on. Do you even have a method or do you just follow your gut?

Bonus Video: Roll With the Punches

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Going to a convention or a book show can be quite a nerve wracking and exhausting experience. So why go at all?

Plenty of reasons; inspiration, networking, fun, the chance to connect with new readers and put your work in front of publishers and agents. But you have to plan ahead a bit, lay a strategy – and be able to think on your feet and improvise when all your carefully laid plans go out the window. And they will!

I just got back from World Book Fair in New Delhi. Here’s a video postcard from the show: