How To Find An Artist

Finding an artist for your comic can be all sorts of fun. The problem is that most writers just can't draw and so need to find someone who can. This means that they need to frequently find places where artists hang out, frequent, or generally visit in order to find an artist for their project. You need to find someone who is willing to do the art for you, and you need to try a number of different places in order to find the best possible for your needs and given your limitations. Make sure that you offer something worth his time, and you should find a decent artist.

When you do find an artist willing to work with you, remember to treat them with respect and too honor your deals. On the respect side, this means that you should not be taking all of the credit; the credit needs to be split. You should be doing what it takes to make his work easier whenever possible. If he needs some time off, you should respect that. It also means that you should keep them in the loop; the artist should be informed of any changes, no matter how inconsequential they seem. Even if you are paying the artist, seek out their advice every so often just to show that you at least respect their wisdom.

You need to remember to honor your word to the artist. If you tell the artist that you will handle the marketing and all you do is write a post every so often, then you aren't honoring your side of things. If you promised to get pages to him on a regular basis, and you take your time, then you're not holding up your end of things. The artist has enough of a problem doing his job, and is already doing a lot to ensure the success of your project; you owe him to do what you can do to ensure the success as well. If you say you are going to do something then you need to do it.

While you can be friends, that needs to enhance the business relationship not take the place of it. That is, the core of the business relationship needs to be the business; you can be great friends but not all friends are great business people, or should even do business. Someone who is more interested in manipulating the friendship than doing business is definitely not someone who should be in business; if they can't separate the two relationships then it may be time the business side of the relationship. A business relationship that doesn't make money is not a business relationship you should maintain.

And all of this applies in reverse as well. If the artist is not holding up their end of things, is manipulating the friendship, and is generally being a lousy business partner, then you need to get together and discuss where things are going. If you are unable to find a way forward that allows the business to succeed, then you need to let the business go and find another artist. The friendship can survive this, but the two of you need to realize that the business and the friendship can survive separately. Of course, sometimes it may just be better for everyone to cut all ties.

Put Out An Ad

You obviously need to get the word out that you need an artist, so the first thing you need to do is create an ad and then post it somewhere. When you do create an ad, make sure that you post what you need done, how the artist will get paid, and what you have done before. Each of those builds credibility as well showing that you are serious about the project; if you can't be bothered to include that information, then why should anyone care about your project? Once you have your ad, post it as much as you can.

Comic Sites

Some sites are actually set up for comickers to get together and look for work. You need to find such sites and post your ad there. Be advised that you need to have an actual proposal set up or you will be roasted alive by the other posters; a lot of posters tend to be very protective of their job sites, and they try to keep out people just looking for free labor. As such, if you're doing this with almost no budget, then you need to avoid these boards, but if you have enough to pay for an artist these sites are pretty good.

Discussion Boards

For most writers, this is one of the best options. A lot of comics got there start here as writers and artists for some really great comics were able to match up. The SpiderForest and DuckWebcomics are probably some of the best boards to look at, as they are not only focused on webcomics but are set up to help writers and artists get together. They also allow them to host their comics and provide links to other sites to help them succeed.

Help Wanted College Boards

Your local college should also be contacted if you are looking for an artist. The good news is that some actually don't mind working for free and they are looking for exposure, but that does not mean that you abuse them; you should be doing your level best to get them sort of money, or at least get them some pizza every so often. Keep in mind that you will be working around their class and break schedule, but if you can pull that off and find a working solution, you can find some really great artists before their careers have taken off.

Art Supply Boards

This is a weird one, but some art stores do have some sort of classified advertising section, and it is worth looking at stores with some sort of classes as well. At the very least, most stores have some sort of bulletin board. Given that they reach a wide audience, especially in a big city, stores such as Michael's are worth looking into as a source for potential artists. Just expect them to a little more informal and possibly not even looking for something long-term; it's good enough to start but be on the look-out for someone else.

Art Classes

You are likely to find a lot of teachers that teach small classes or individuals, especially in big cities. You can also small groups of people looking to teach other what they know in order to create something new. It may be worth tracking down these classes and asking the teacher if you could approach some of their artists or even just give them a flier. Even if you don't find an artist that can help you, you are at least starting to build a network of some sort, and that can be worth it in and of itself.

Places Where Artists Hang Out

It can be well worth looking for artist hangouts and/or events. This is not only bars and pubs where artists hang out, but also events like 24 Hour Draw and Drink and Draws. Sometimes you can even find events like 24 Hour Comics where artists are looking for writers. You want to find these hangouts and events and start hanging out at them; at the very least, you establish yourself as a presence while you can also establish yourself as a writer in some circles. Anything you can do that creates a network is well worth it, especially if people are willing to ask you if you need someone for a project.

Mutual Friends

One of the cool things about networks is that the members try to help each other. Part of this is that they tend to share news and what people are looking for between the members. As such, any sort of networking you can do is going to help you find an artist at some point; some people may even try to set you up with others looking to do the same thing. As such, check in with your friends and general network to see what is going on and what others are looking for; odds are you can at least help people match up if not find an actual artist.

Social Networking Sites

You should be using Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and other social networking sites on a regular basis. You want to establish yourself as an expert; you want people to know who you are and what you can do, and there is virtually no better way to do so than posting on various subjects. Even if you're a non-illustrator, post on said subjects just to show that you do know the value of art and are paying attention. Of course, when you do need an artist, having established yourself as an expert can usually do nothing but help you find one.

Comic Book Stores

This is one that is so obvious that people forget about it all the time, but where else would you find someone who wants to do their own comic, or at least be part of one? Almost every city and most small towns have a comic book store, and it's more than likely that it will have a bulletin board that actually encourages writers and artists to find each other. If the store has a Facebook page, then take advantage of that as much as you possibly can. As they usually have a number of books for art and writing, they are a great resource for a beginning or advanced writer or artist.

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The bottom line is that you need to find an artist and that means that you need to put in the legwork. You also need to have something that an artist is looking for such as an actual or promised wage, something that will look good on a resume, or something that will help the artist. If all you are offering is exposure, then you need to seriously rethink things. Lastly, make sure that you are offering a working relationship; if you are expecting the artist to do most of the work, for whatever reason, you need to seriously rethink things. Bear all of this mind and you should find the best possible artist for your project.