Post by Falcon on Feb 13, 2004 20:44:08 GMT -5
Rachael: Where do you work now?
Scott: I work as a free-lance artist, which means I am considered to be self-employed, and I work out of my home near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. However, I am working under an exclusive contract with DC Comics, who is based in New York City. My contract means that I have pledged to do comic book art only for DC in exchange for additional benefits.
Rachael: How long have you been with your current employer?
Scott: I have been doing freelance artwork for DC for 7 years now, the last 5 years under exclusive contract.
Rachael: What is your Specific job title? What is your job description?
Scott: Most of my work is as "penciler." I take the written script and turn it into a series of sequential images. A script is a story that includes both plot information (what the characters do) and dialog information (what the characters say). I decide the visual presentation of the characters, their dress, the appearance of the setting, the lighting and camera angles, as well as applying visual story-telling rules to ensure a dramatic flow through the story. Some of my work is as "artist," where I provide inking over my penciled art. Sometimes, for covers, I will do both "penciling" and "inking."
Rachael: What products or services does your employer provide? Who are the coustomers?
Scott: DC provides comics books in various formats for readers of all ages. There are books geared to very young readers, and there are other books geared for mature readers only. The formats range from the standard soft-cover monthly comic, featuring 22 pages of story, to large hard-cover editions featuring 100+ pages of story. There is content available for any reader of any age. Additionally, DC licenses it's characters for a variety of other products, from T-shirts to video games to movies.
Rachael: What are the qualifications for this career? And specific training or education needed?
Scott: There are three main qualifications needed for a career as a comic book artist:
1. You must work responsibly, doing professional quality work within the time allowed. This is a career in publishing, and working on a deadline is simply reality. The editor and publisher depend on the artist being able to deliver creative product in a timely manner.
2. You must be able to tell a story visually. Drawing a comic book is like filming a movie, and you must be able to determine the proper compositions and camera angles for the needed images. There are a number of rules to obey, and the visual storyteller must be able to work with them to create a flowing story.
3. You must possess the technical drawing skills to enable you to meet qualifications 1 and 2. Knowledge of anatomy, perspective, lighting, and the ability to quickly learn to draw any object required by the story. An additional bonus is to have a personal drawing style that is distinctive and unique.
Editors and publishers, the people that hire the artists, are only concerned with the artist's ability in regard to these (3) qualifications. A degree in art, or some type of specific education or training, is simply not an issue. You may possess several degrees in fine arts, but if you can't meet these (3) qualifications for a publisher, you won't be working for them very long.
Rachael: What communication skills are needed for this career? Math and technology skills?
Scott: Communication skills are absolutely necessary. In this creative environment, the successful artist must be able to articulate story, emotional content, visual decisions, etc. This can be a process of idea exchange between editors, writers and artists, and you cannot exchange ideas if you cannot describe them. Math does play a role in comics. The artist often works with scaling image sizes, so simple math (ratios, division, multiplication, percentages) are is common. Technology skills also play a role in comics, and it is important for the artist to understand and utilize some basic technology tools. First, communication by fax or e-mail is common, so the artist must be familiar with these devices and systems. Artists work with editors and writers on stories, so knowing word processing software is needed. Artists prepare sketch material for editorial approval, such as covers and character designs, requiring knowledge of image editing software. Furthermore, most comics are colored on a computer, so knowledge of scanning hardware and detailed knowledge ofimage editing software can be required. The trend is for a continually larger role of technology in the creating and publication of comics, and the artist must be able to understand and effectively use these tools in the creation of their art.
Rachael: How has this career changed over the years? How has technology affected it?
Scott: The quality of the product and the expectations of the customer continually rise. The first comic books were quickly produced, and cheaply printed. As they became more popular and the industry became more competative, the artistic and creative quality began to continually improve. Advances in technology have meant improvements in the quality of the product, from paper to printing.
Rachael: What is the best thing about this career? Why?
Scott: As a free-lance artist, you get to work in a creatively rich environment and meet interesting people. Drawing a comic book is like making a mini-movie! The stories are interesting, the adventure is exciting, and the creative challenges are stimulating! And to top it off, all this drama can occur in the comfort of your own home!
Rachael: What is the worst thing about this career? Why?
Scott: The self-employed artist has to take some measure of risk in certain areas of life and career. There are no safety nets when working as a self-employed artist, meaning there are no company-sponsored retirement plans, benefits, vacation or sick days to rely on. There is no team of people out lining up future work. There is no slack - if you don't do it, it just doesn't get done. And your tax liability is higher (you have to pay both halves of the Social Security tax, which can be quite a hefty, additional burden).
Rachael: What was the first paying job that you had? How did it help your current career?
Scott: If you are asking about my first paying job EVER, I would have to say it was probably some kind of yard work as a young boy. If so, then I say that job did very little to prepare me for my current career.
If you are asking about my first paying job as an adult, I would have to say it was as an electrical engineer for the Kearfott Guidance and Navigation Corporation. I worked as an engineering manager on projects that supplied inertial guidance systems for spacecraft. That job taught me the value of teamwork, the importance of schedule and the necessity of clear communication skills. These skills were absolutely helpful when I entered into comics. Too many artists have never worked in a serious, professional environment, and they never gain the perspective of the larger framework in which they work.
Scott: I work as a free-lance artist, which means I am considered to be self-employed, and I work out of my home near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. However, I am working under an exclusive contract with DC Comics, who is based in New York City. My contract means that I have pledged to do comic book art only for DC in exchange for additional benefits.
Rachael: How long have you been with your current employer?
Scott: I have been doing freelance artwork for DC for 7 years now, the last 5 years under exclusive contract.
Rachael: What is your Specific job title? What is your job description?
Scott: Most of my work is as "penciler." I take the written script and turn it into a series of sequential images. A script is a story that includes both plot information (what the characters do) and dialog information (what the characters say). I decide the visual presentation of the characters, their dress, the appearance of the setting, the lighting and camera angles, as well as applying visual story-telling rules to ensure a dramatic flow through the story. Some of my work is as "artist," where I provide inking over my penciled art. Sometimes, for covers, I will do both "penciling" and "inking."
Rachael: What products or services does your employer provide? Who are the coustomers?
Scott: DC provides comics books in various formats for readers of all ages. There are books geared to very young readers, and there are other books geared for mature readers only. The formats range from the standard soft-cover monthly comic, featuring 22 pages of story, to large hard-cover editions featuring 100+ pages of story. There is content available for any reader of any age. Additionally, DC licenses it's characters for a variety of other products, from T-shirts to video games to movies.
Rachael: What are the qualifications for this career? And specific training or education needed?
Scott: There are three main qualifications needed for a career as a comic book artist:
1. You must work responsibly, doing professional quality work within the time allowed. This is a career in publishing, and working on a deadline is simply reality. The editor and publisher depend on the artist being able to deliver creative product in a timely manner.
2. You must be able to tell a story visually. Drawing a comic book is like filming a movie, and you must be able to determine the proper compositions and camera angles for the needed images. There are a number of rules to obey, and the visual storyteller must be able to work with them to create a flowing story.
3. You must possess the technical drawing skills to enable you to meet qualifications 1 and 2. Knowledge of anatomy, perspective, lighting, and the ability to quickly learn to draw any object required by the story. An additional bonus is to have a personal drawing style that is distinctive and unique.
Editors and publishers, the people that hire the artists, are only concerned with the artist's ability in regard to these (3) qualifications. A degree in art, or some type of specific education or training, is simply not an issue. You may possess several degrees in fine arts, but if you can't meet these (3) qualifications for a publisher, you won't be working for them very long.
Rachael: What communication skills are needed for this career? Math and technology skills?
Scott: Communication skills are absolutely necessary. In this creative environment, the successful artist must be able to articulate story, emotional content, visual decisions, etc. This can be a process of idea exchange between editors, writers and artists, and you cannot exchange ideas if you cannot describe them. Math does play a role in comics. The artist often works with scaling image sizes, so simple math (ratios, division, multiplication, percentages) are is common. Technology skills also play a role in comics, and it is important for the artist to understand and utilize some basic technology tools. First, communication by fax or e-mail is common, so the artist must be familiar with these devices and systems. Artists work with editors and writers on stories, so knowing word processing software is needed. Artists prepare sketch material for editorial approval, such as covers and character designs, requiring knowledge of image editing software. Furthermore, most comics are colored on a computer, so knowledge of scanning hardware and detailed knowledge ofimage editing software can be required. The trend is for a continually larger role of technology in the creating and publication of comics, and the artist must be able to understand and effectively use these tools in the creation of their art.
Rachael: How has this career changed over the years? How has technology affected it?
Scott: The quality of the product and the expectations of the customer continually rise. The first comic books were quickly produced, and cheaply printed. As they became more popular and the industry became more competative, the artistic and creative quality began to continually improve. Advances in technology have meant improvements in the quality of the product, from paper to printing.
Rachael: What is the best thing about this career? Why?
Scott: As a free-lance artist, you get to work in a creatively rich environment and meet interesting people. Drawing a comic book is like making a mini-movie! The stories are interesting, the adventure is exciting, and the creative challenges are stimulating! And to top it off, all this drama can occur in the comfort of your own home!
Rachael: What is the worst thing about this career? Why?
Scott: The self-employed artist has to take some measure of risk in certain areas of life and career. There are no safety nets when working as a self-employed artist, meaning there are no company-sponsored retirement plans, benefits, vacation or sick days to rely on. There is no team of people out lining up future work. There is no slack - if you don't do it, it just doesn't get done. And your tax liability is higher (you have to pay both halves of the Social Security tax, which can be quite a hefty, additional burden).
Rachael: What was the first paying job that you had? How did it help your current career?
Scott: If you are asking about my first paying job EVER, I would have to say it was probably some kind of yard work as a young boy. If so, then I say that job did very little to prepare me for my current career.
If you are asking about my first paying job as an adult, I would have to say it was as an electrical engineer for the Kearfott Guidance and Navigation Corporation. I worked as an engineering manager on projects that supplied inertial guidance systems for spacecraft. That job taught me the value of teamwork, the importance of schedule and the necessity of clear communication skills. These skills were absolutely helpful when I entered into comics. Too many artists have never worked in a serious, professional environment, and they never gain the perspective of the larger framework in which they work.
