Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with art and comics

Help with project? Please list fictional cities !

ahtlast93 — Sat, 18 May 2013 06:39:55 -0800

For a project I'm currently working on as part of my graduation in Graphic Design, I wanted to compile something like an atlas of fictional cities. These may be from books, legends, stories, video games, advertisements, comics, really whatever... Even "real" cities but alternate versions, imagined or in some way deviate from their real counterpart are valid. The project started about a year ago, where it was a quick assignment that resulted in a book a of interviews and retellings of these fictional cities (I can post some images later). This one was more conceptually driven and people would tell me of cities on the go, without necessarily knowing the cities they spoke of, driven by the notion that if these cities are imagined, anyone could potentially imagine them again and alter them. Or something :D

This time I want to expand it and figured why not ask metafilter to help me out. I would greatly appreciate the help, and would gladly send a copy to anyone interested (it honestly isn't as boring as it's sounds, it's more of an active book with constantly changing content and layouts, not a novel or anything).

Cities I used for interviews were the City of Ceasars (from a myth), Zora (from Italo Calvino's invisible cities), Los Angeles (from Blade Runner) and an unnamed city from a manga by Tsutomu Nihei. So basically, anything goes. (i.e. your own imagined places are entirely valid, doesn't need to be sourced).

If you have an example, please list it, it doesn't need a name, but a description (if from a book for example) or an image, or both, would be very fantastic.

Thank you

Need practical advice on lettering a graphic novel book project.

markkraft — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:48:21 -0800

The illustrations have already been drawn on card stock and inked, for an actual, physical project inspired by this kind of handmade "star book" design... but now it's time to tackle the lettering. Are there any good, professional ways of doing it without hand lettering everything? If so, can you link to examples / tutorials? Or is hand lettering the only good option available? (Scanning the illustrations, adding lettering, and reprinting is not an option.)

Most unusual online comics?

mortaddams — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 15:44:56 -0800

What are the most unusual, non-traditional, online comics? I am especially interested in learning about comics that are visually different. For example, I would love to learn about comics that blend photographs with drawing, are interlinked in a non-linear way, or are all one continuous strip rather than divided up.

How do I emulate this digital texture?

iadacanavon — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:54:51 -0800

Digital artists: What is this cool, grainy Photoshop texture used in webcomics and how do I make it too? I've been seeing this texture appear in several webcomics, particularly Gunnerkrigg Court (previous pages offer more examples). I think he draws in Photoshop. It's not a smooth color look, and I like the depth and atmosphere it gives to the art, giving it more of a painterly feel. How do you think it was most likely created (with noise? a filter? some type of layering?) and/or what is the simplest way to achieve this effect?

Help me learn how to draw simple comic style drawings.

Mr Ected — Sat, 19 May 2012 21:59:55 -0800

I'm writing a book. I want to draw very simple black & white comic strip style cartoon drawings to go with it. PROBLEM: I can't draw. Heck, I don't even doodle. But I can learn! What books/websites/iTunes U/online classes/etc are out there? Got any advice or knowhow to pass along? Help me get started! I know it's silly, but I wasn't raised in a creative family at all. It wasn't until my 30s that I realized I'm actually quite creative. I'm writing a book (but I don't care if it ever gets published. I'm doing it for the sake of the creative process). I'd like to open each chapter with a single panel simple cartoon, and it's important to me that I do them myself (but I'm totally open to using software, especially if it's iPad or maybe Mac).

I know that part of the answer is "just do it! Just start drawing!" But I'm looking for a starting point to get me going. I want to learn some of the basics. Even things as simple as "How to draw faces" or "How to draw wacky characters." Basically, I want to learn to draw, and then over time, I'll teach myself how to develop my own unique characters to go with the book.

Please recommend any resources for learning to draw what will essentially be very simple comics. Think more along the lines of XKCD and Gaping Void than Marvel comics or anime. iPad and Mac resources especially welcome, but also books and websites would be great! Even your own insight would be helpful. Thanks!!!

I'm looking for visual conventions for portraying a scene as imagined, fantasized or dreamed-up rather than real.

nebulawindphone — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:23:50 -0800

I'm looking for visual conventions for portraying a scene (e.g. in a movie or comic) as imaginary, dreamed-up or "all in the head" of one of the characters. So for example:

In American movies you can surround an "imaginary" scene with the wobbly-screen fade that was parodied in Wayne's World.
In American print comics, you can draw the borders of an "imaginary" panel with the same scalloped line that goes around thought bubbles.

What are some other examples, either from film, comics or "non-sequential art" like painting or sculpture? Bonus points for examples from other historical periods, or examples that are mostly used outside the US.

If you know of anything I could read that discusses this sort of thing, I'd like to see that too. (I already know about Scott McCloud, and I'll be re-reading his stuff for sure — but I don't remember him discussing this specific question.)

Help me find avant-garde comics/sequential art por favor?

fantodstic — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 23:41:41 -0800

I'm looking for avant-garde/experimental comics or sequential art. I love comics/graphic novels, comic strips, and sequential art. I'm very interested in the ways that people create meaning with visual mediums that build and fragment reality. Comics as narratives have always been one of my fascinations but lately I've felt a bit jaded going to Barnes & Noble to find new reading material.
I know that last sentence probably will piss some of you off because there's bound to be a graphic novel or book out there that's really awesome and experimental that I may have dismissed while skimming a book during one of these B&N visits. (Maybe I'm too impatient or judge the stuff I find too quickly).

Anyway, long story short, can you point me to some cool artists/writers who are working on comics that are experimental (maybe the term would be avant-garde) or unusual?
I'm thinking along the lines of "artist who only uses regular quadrilaterals (squares) for panels" or "artist who blends photograhpy with drawn, comic style characters".

Here are some examples from an artist I've really digged lately:

http://www.ruthgwily.com/cycle.html

http://www.ruthgwily.com/lifeanddeath.html

And, of course, HyperboleAndAHalf

Who is the lady behind this Queen of Diamonds?

ultrapotato — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 10:13:31 -0800

Who drew this picture? I think it was done by a female artist who also draws comics, and I remember she had a print of gnomes carrying a flower bulb for sale on her website.

Artwork, bound with words (and perfect binding)

Smoosh Faced Lion — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 04:36:02 -0800

Not quite book-filter: I'm looking for graphic novels (or comics wrapped up as TPBs) with astounding artwork. I've long since given up following comics as they come out, so I'm interested in any artists doing great things with the medium. I've recently begun reading the hardback compilation of Marvel's Wonderful Wizard of Oz* and find the artwork in it simply amazing. I'm fully used to seeing wonderful covers (usually inked by a separate artist), but rarely have I seen illustration done so well, so consistently throughout a series. I want more. Obviously, if the works suggested have good stories, all the better, because I will be reading them, but primarily I'm interested in any volume for its naunced, clever or otherwise interesting artwork.

To provide context, this was one of the covers. As was this, and this. Whilst, I think this is a fair representation of the art therein, there is also a preview of the first nine pages.

I really liked the Mouseguard books, for example. And I Kill Giants. And Y: The Last Man (though the internal artwork doesn't live up to the great covers, to a degree).

On the other end of the spectrum, those whose artwork I've not really enjoyed include Persepolis, Maus, and Bone. I've not seen the Bone colour prints, though.

So MeFites, I'm sure some of you are familiar enough with these books listed, and of the scene in general, that you can make recommendations.

*Alas, Marvel's website is so bad I can find now authoritative page for the comic.

How to teach myself illustration?

Metroid Baby — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:19:45 -0800

I'm re-learning how to draw, and particularly interested in illustration/cartooning. Looking for resources that will aid me in my quest. I've doodled as a hobby for most of my life. I majored in art (painting and drawing); I learned and improved to some extent, but mostly I half-assed it through my classes. That was several years ago, and I haven't done anything with my degree other than more idle doodling. This year, I've decided to really work at it and get better, so I can make art that I'm satisfied with.

I'm not a complete novice to drawing, but I am rusty, and the way I've been drawing all these years feels more like a collection of habits than a coherent style, and it only gets me so far. I know what looks "right" when I see it, but I have trouble making it happen in my work. So I figure I need to do two things: practice as much as possible, and read and observe and gather and absorb all the outside information I can. I've been doing the former, and could use recommendations on the latter.

Currently I'm working through Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, since it's been recommended in so many previous AskMes, we already had a copy, and it seemed like a pretty good jumping-off point. It's a good refresher, and I like having specific exercises to do. On the other hand, I prefer playing around with styles and am drawn to illustration and short-form comics, which the book doesn't talk about.

I read Understanding Comics several years ago, liked it a lot, and will need to return to it. Will Eisner is on my to-read list too. I really like the Indistinguishable from Magic blog so far. This previous question has a lot of recommendations that I'll be checking out, too. However, I don't want to limit my focus to comics and comic-book styles.

What else should I be reading, looking at, or doing? Who should I be following or talking to? I'm looking for both instruction and inspiration, any skill level or style. Pretty much anything and everything.

Thanks, as always!

Please show me your first sketchbook, mighty artist!

swrittenb — Fri, 07 May 2010 09:15:43 -0800

Are there good online resources for examples of the early work of a modern illustrator or comic artist? I love fantasy art, comic art, or almost any animation in that vein. I'm also really curious about how these talents got their start, and what that start looked like. Have any artists put up real timelines of their early start, from when the started to take things seriously but weren't yet great, and onward through some of the clumsy periods when they were still learning?

The best example I've found is heading back to comic #1 for online webcomic artists. That's interesting, but is a very specific niche. In many cases, these artists were already awesome when they started, so you don't even get that much information. How did these artists progress through art on paper, learn Photoshop (or other digital tool), and develop their creativity?

You're awesome now, artists, but surely you were simply mediocre at some point! Mind sharing? :)

They Appear When I'm Not Looking

rahnefan — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:39:53 -0800

Where online can I find masterful montages for design reference and inspiration? By "montage," I do not mean collage or mosaic or anything involving photography or video. I mean carefully constructed 2D designs made by hand, by real illustrators. If it's not a montage, then I don't know, but it's tough to describe what I'm looking for, though when I'm not looking, they seem to be everywhere.

In function, something like a title page or movie poster, or possibly a comic cover, or illustrated song lyrics. Common elements are a bold, calligraphic title, a central subject, abstractions or miniatures of various scenes/features, and an elegant layout (whether sparse or decorative). But in style, mostly like comic art or bookplates (Ex Libris art) or book illustrations. Some art nouveau posters have the kind of lines and rhythms that I am thinking of. But maybe even woodcuts/block prints.

The best example I can find to give you is Peter Pontiac (but dang if I can find a site with lots of his work). Also like works by Bill Sienkiewicz, Hal Foster, Bernie Wrightson, and Arthur Rackham. IIRC, Tolkien did stuff similar to what I am thinking of. But I can't seem to find great examples (by them) of what I mean. Maybe I am looking at the wrong sites. More likely I am confusing one artist's style with another's. It feels like there is a single artist whose work is exemplary of this but my brain has dumped the info.

Again, I don't mean a collage. Maybe there is a better word than montage for something as specific as I describe, and if so, please please enlighten me. And is there a word for illustrating lyrics, as Peter Pontiac does? I used to try my hand at that but don't know what to call it.

Thank you in advance.

I need to be a better illustrator!

Shane — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:24:51 -0800

Help me become a better (comic book style) artist so I can illustrate my own scripts. I need to become better at sketching, primarily. The human figure mainly, but also backgrounds and layouts. I don't have $$ for an extensive course, so I'm looking primarily for books and online tutorials. (I also need to find artists to illustrate scripts I don't have time to do myself, if anyone's interested.) Thanks.

The unexpected cowboy in the arts

Astro Zombie — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:11:30 -0800

I'm looking for examples from literature, comic books, film, and other media, in which a character, for no clear reason (or unexpectedly), is a cowboy. Some examples: Cowboy Curtis from Pee Wee's Playhouse and Jeff Goldblum in Buckaroo Banzai. It's not necessary that the fact that they dress as cowboys is incidental to the plot -- although it helps -- just that they are the only cowboy in the story, and the fact of them is rather surprising, like the Texan Quincey Morris in Dracula.

Me Draw Pretty One Day

EatTheWeak — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:22:13 -0800

Hey artists and creative types! How do you get back at it when you've been out of the studio for a long time? This question relates directly to visual art, so that's my main interest in this, but I'd like to hear answers from writers and musicians and any other creative folks who might have some insight to share. Basically, I'm wondering how you get your muse to start returning your calls again.

My situation is that I'm heading into a quarter of school where I get to spend as much time as I please in the studio, working on my art (comics, in my case) - trouble is, I'm coming off a summer where I worked six nights most weeks and scarcely had a moment to draw, so I feel really rusty. When my comics matrix is firing on all cylinders, inspiration is never a problem - rather, keeping up with it is. But getting there takes awhile, and I'd like to jumpstart my return if at all possible.

So, that's the question, creative AskMe readers: when you've been away from your artistic practice for a long time, how do you get your head back in the game?

Total Crud Face Universe and Galaxy

Juliet Banana — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:13:39 -0800

I am obsessed with artist&writer Lynda Barry, and don't believe she has any peer or equal in the world of comics. Prove me wrong; who else would I love? I like how the art is appealing but from a totally different planet than the enviable mechanical precision of, say, Chris Ware.

Her work represents how my youth actually was; instead of a bland suburban innocence that doesn't really exist, she depicts the bloody skinned knees and lack of parental supervision and messy school assignments and gnawing anxiety and fear and destructive crushes and cruel teachers and wild neighborhood dogs and bittersweet memories of childhood.

Reading her work is having the feeling "I had no idea anyone else felt like that!" over and over. She manages to be nostalgic without kitschiness or saccarine sugar overload.

The closest I've found is Rebecca Kraatz's House of Sugar. I know I'm totally slacking by not having read any Ariel Schrag. Your suggestions don't have to be female, or even comic book artists, if you feel the feeling fits.

I know bonus questions are frowned upon, but how many Ask theads about Lynda Barry can I possibly start? I want to know how many more Lynda Barry books I need to buy before I have a reasonably complete collection of all the Marlys-Maybonne-Freddy-Arna-Arnold stories. I currently own Down the Street, It's So Magic, The Freddy Stories, and The Best of Marlys (which collects a lot of the strips, but not all). I still need My Perfect Life, Come Over Come Over, and The Fun House, I know. Do any of her other books contain Marlys-Maybonne-Freddy-Arna-Arnold stories?

All Comics Big And Small And Dangly.

The Whelk — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:40:55 -0800

Where The New Comics At?: In addition to my many other hats I may be getting a job reviewing new erotica/sexuality/explicit etc comics in the future. I'd get my pick of any comic/graphic novel to review as long as it includes some element or discussion of sex or sexuality or whatever. The problem is that I have no idea what the new releases are and I can't seem to find a centralized list of upcoming titles with enough description. Where should I be looking for new and upcoming titles from big and small publishers, ideally with some description so I can tell what the hell it is?

What graphic novels should I read?

wonderyak — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:19:21 -0800

Apparently I'm a fan of graphic novels now, but I don't even know where to start. I love (LOVE!) Preacher; I liked Watchmen. What should I read next? A friend of mine (mrzarquon) gave me Watchmen to read before the movie came out. Another friend lent me the first book of Preacher. I loved reading them both. In fact, with Preacher, I've never felt as excited reading a book...hardly being able to wait to turn the page! And, while I haven't set foot in a comic book store in over 12 years, I just made the potentially fiscally unwise decision of buying the rest of the series.

But I'm going to finish it soon...and I want to know, being a total neophyte to the graphic novel world, what should I read next?

Thanks for any recommendations!

Help me find an artist for collaboration.

nosila — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:23:06 -0800

I have a story and I'm looking for an artist to collaborate for little to no money on a sci-fi comic book. I will pay for the actual production (it will be a limited run to accompany a record), so I have at least that to offer to the artist. Know of any websites/forums that help foster this labor-of-love type collaboration between media? So far, I've placed ads at tribe.net and in the rpgnet forum for free art/writing.

Do you know of any other places where I might find an excellent artist for said collaboration? (Of course, mefites and friends are welcome to inquire within.) Thanks in advance!

Who was the artist who learned to draw hands really well?

lore — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:07:07 -0800

Who was the comic book artist who improved his hand-drawing skills to mastery? A friend of mine is attempting to recall a story he heard. In it, an artist, possibly a comic-book artist, realizes that he's much worse at drawing hands than most of his peers. He decides to focus on learning to draw hands well, and eventually he becomes well-known for being one of the best artists at drawing hands in his field.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? He'd like to know the name of the artist in question, and an actual cite would be extra-great.

Cartoon and comics major programs

zainsubani — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:17:16 -0800

Are there any US colleges or universities that offer majors in comics and cartooning (the traditional 2D variety, not 3D animation)?

Help me think of Reenactment Photos for Cosplay

Del Far — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:11:24 -0800

Creative Ideas Filter: I need ideas of Famous and Memorable Photographs or Paintingsor famous and memorable scenes from History, Movies, or Television that can be Reenacted on the spot without planning by 3-6 people for me to photograph for a final project for school. So I have this final project for school and I realized that I could use my trip to the NY Comic-Con for "fun and profit." We had previously done reenactment photography in my digital photography class and I had a lot of fun, and I just thought, I could get some hilarious shots of people already cosplaying but also reenacting great scenes for me.

Imagine it, all the Naruto cosplayers reenacting the Mexican stand off scene from reservoir dogs. Or a reenactment of Jesus' Last Supper with people dressed up as DC heroes.

Online webcomics - graphic novel or manga style

arcticwoman — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 20:05:59 -0800

Can webcomics fans point me to some good online manga or graphic novel type comics? Bonus points if the story is complete and I don't have to wait for an update every week (side question - why is it so hard to find webcomics that are completed?). Sex, violence, serious, silly, whatever, as long as the story is engaging and the artwork is well done. Some I have found so far that I like (although all are unfinished): Last Blood, No Rest for the Wicked, Rice Boy, Flipside.

The astonishing tale of lava and the Adobe noob

EatTheWeak — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:22:08 -0800

What's the best way to get a glowing molten lava effect in Illustrator CS3? Hi AskMe. I'm learning Illustrator in advance of purchasing a Wacom pad, with making whip-ass comics in mind. Right now I'm just scanning in drawings and photos to play with, learning the program as I go. I've found some good web tutorials, but none of them have specific instruction on what I'd like to create today.

I want to learn how to make a molten lava/metal effect with a convincing glow and illusion of motion. I want to start with silver as the overall color.

Like I said, this is part of a larger effort to learn Illustrator inside and out. Making comics is my principal project, but I hope to develop a marketable skill with this software in the process. So, if you know of any quality online tutorials or other useful means of learning Illustrator, I would love to hear about them.

Thank you.

After Klimt?

horseblind — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 09:20:11 -0800

Who is the artist that created this image? Where can I get a print of it? I was with my girlfriend at the St. Louis Science Center viewing Marvel Super Heroes: The Exhibition. There was a display area in which they had several classic Marvel comic book covers and other pretty cool images of Marvel characters. These were all blown up to about 18"x24"and printed directly to plastic for durability in the exhibit. Each of the images had a card below it that told who the artist is, the year the image was created and, I think, what or who the subject of the image is. All, except this one.

This one is obviously an homage to Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss". The artist's signature on the image was illegible. Printed on the image is the phrase "After Klimt". This is all that I can see as any kind of identifying mark.

Can anyone tell me the name of the artist, the subject of the image and where I might get a print of this image? Any other clues or information are appreciated too.