Happy Birthday Mom! You’re the best!

I can’t believe it’s mid-August already. It’s sad to see summer go.

These are a couple summery illustrations I made. Let me know what you think.

You can also buy these images as prints in my store.

Related posts:

• Summer of Heroes
• In-Progress

I received an email recently asking how I “write” my comics. That’s an interesting question because seeing as My Sister, the Freak is my first comic ever, I am still learning how to do this myself.

However, I thought I’d write this blog post anyway just to give you all a sneak peek into the way I work and write. It’s been a big learning experience for me, and I’m sure you can learn from it too if you’re trying to tackle your own graphic novel.

Unlike with screenwriting or prose novels, there really isn’t a standard way for writing comics (that I know of), so comic scripts can be all over the map. But I’d imagine all of them would have the same elements, including:

Setting

Description of the action

Dialogue and captions

And it should be very clear in the script which is which.

Because of the highly visual aspect of comics and graphic novels, there are several other things you must consider as well, such as:

Page breakdowns

Panel breakdowns

Descriptions of the illustrations

Writers approach graphic novels in many different ways. I’ve heard of people who simply describe the illustrations in words right alongside the story text, and others who go so far as to write the descriptions in actual boxes drawn on a page. In my opinion and in my process, this is unnecessary at this stage. When I write my story, I do not worry about the illustrations at all, but simply concentrate on making a clear story.

Not that there’s anything wrong with breaking down your panels and illustrations; if you get into working for the larger comic companies, this type of thing is probably required. But if you want this illustrator’s opinion, it’s not necessary. If you are a writer planning to hand your script off to an artist, and you start to get nitpicky about how many panels per page and what should be in each one, you’re gonna lose the illustrator’s interest. It’s the same way in the children’s industry – most picture book manuscripts are not broken down into pages before being handed off to the illustrator. The publisher trusts the artist to do it. Artists have greater visual skill and generally do a better job with these types of tasks. So, I would advise writers to stick to the words and action unless a certain panel or page is sooo important to the concept that it can’t be left out. If you have written a visually-exciting and successful script the artist should have no problem breaking down the story into illustrations on their own.

If you are both the artist and the writer, things get a bit more fuzzy. However, I still think it’s a good idea to separate the two tasks. Write the story out so that it reads well and is clear, and worry about the visual stuff later. The comic won’t work if the story is bad, no matter how great your artwork is. Of course, as an artist I always have certain scenes and pictures that influence me as I write, but typing it out is a great exercise and it’s also a good way to see that the story is working without getting distracted by the visuals.

My script ends up looking like a combination of a screenplay and novel. I write out the story and action as if it were regular prose, and highlight the dialogue as it is being said.

After the script is written, I start making thumbnails. I’ll take the script and see how it is working on the page. This will usually result in revisions to the writing (in most cases, cutting a lot of stuff out) and I’ll go back and revise the original script as needed. That’s what’s so great about being an artist/illustrator – you can go back and forth and make changes until you get it just right.

To get a better idea of my specific writing process, I have a portion of the My Sister, the Freak script available to download. This is the exact script I was looking at while I was drawing the thumbnails.

Before you read it, I have some caveats:

This is my first comic. Ever. Keep that in mind please.

I am not an expert in the comics field, or writing in general for that matter.

Since I am both writer and illustrator, this was not written with the intention of handing off to another artist, but I would be fairly confident doing so. I don’t get too descriptive about the illustrations, but the gist of the story is there.

This is not a standard for the comics or publishing industry. This is just how I work personally.

There are many many ways you can go about this comics writing thing. I would recommend researching other writers and artists too, not just me. Use the approach that works best for you.

Here’s the sample script: http://danidraws.com/media/MStF_scriptsample.pdf

I hope this will give you a better idea of my process and give you some insight if you want to write your own graphic novel. And if you have suggestions or feedback, I would love to hear them – I’m still learning all this stuff too!

I’m going to kick off the summer with a brand new, all-for-fun, sketch project. I’m calling it the Summer of Heroes. If you are familiar with the Monster-a-Day project I did last Halloween, this will be similar.

Starting this week and for the rest of the summer, I’m going to create a series of sketch cards depicting my favorite heroes from pop culture. Think Superman, Buffy Summers, and Luke Skywalker. The art will be posted here at the top of this post as I finish them. Check back often to keep track of the progress.

As part of the fun, I will be creating these all on my Ustream show, where you can chat with me in real-time and discuss art, movies, and TV with me while I am drawing. Go here to watch the show and look at the schedule.

Watch the Show: http://danidraws.com/danidrawslive/
Buy the art: http://store.danidraws.com/summer-of-heroes/

Here are the finer details:

About the Art

Schedule

Contests and Giveaways

Sale

Commissions

All commission slots are taken. Thanks! You are still welcome to order a regular commission outside of the Summer of Heroes project. Details here.

• There are only six slots for custom commissions. First come, first served. All other cards I make will be subjects of my own choosing.

• Each commission is $15 and must be paid in advance. All payment is done through PayPal, which accepts credit cards.

• Limit two requests per customer. Anything more will be drawn after the Summer of Heroes project is completed, and regular prices will apply.

• The subject must be some kind of hero/protagonist/good character. Limit one character per card. Customer may choose whomever they wish, as long as it isn’t offensive, excessively violent, political, or religious. I reserve the right to refuse any subject for any reason.

• I’ll draw any commission requests I receive on August 4, 11, or 18. I will only draw a max of two per show, which means after August 4, only four slots will be left despite if there were more openings available before or not. After August 11, only two slots will be left. All heroes commissions will be closed after August 18, whether or not I fill the slots.

• If all six slots get filled, time runs up, or you want different subject matter you may still request a commission. However, please note that it will be drawn after the Summer of Heroes project in completed, and regular prices will apply.

• To request a commission, use the following form. If you have additional questions or details you want me to know, please write it in the “Add special instructions to the seller” box during checkout or email me at dani@danijones.com.

Other Sales and Commissions

Whether you’re buying art or just watching the progress, I hope you like the Summer of Heroes. It is sure to make MY summer very fun indeed. Enjoy!

Related posts:

• A Monster-a-Day
• 12 Days of A Christmas Carol
• Summer Fun

Special thanks to Bob and Chris Wilson for letting me hijack their show for an episode.

You can listen to the interview here.

Related posts:

• Spacedock 7 – Sci-Fi Webcomic Portal
• “My Sister, the Freak” Has Begun!
• Download “My Sister, the Freak”

Are you a new art school graduate who needs help getting an illustration business up and running? Are you an experienced illustrator looking to recharge your career? There’s a great new resource available today that I highly recommend for you.

It’s called 15 Steps to Freelance Illustration. It’s an ebook by Thomas James, creator of the awesome illustration website and podcast Escape From Illustration Island.

I’ve had the chance to read the entire book, so I can personally confirm that Thomas has made an invaluable resource for all types of illustrators out there. In the book, he outlines 15 steps to starting an illustration business. The process is simple yet thorough, covering general stuff like finances to current issues like social media promotion. I like that it outlines a set of necessary goals in an easy and doable manner. This is essential for new artists who are at such a critical stage of their careers. Experienced illustrators will also find plenty of helpful info for revamping their existing business.

In addition, buyers will receive a workbook that takes the goals outlined in the book and gives specific assignments to help accomplish them. It’s a great supplement to an already solid resource.

Given that there is a general lack of business education among art students (read Thomas’s Open Letter to Art Schools – a great read), you can’t pass up such a great resource like this one when it comes around. Most beginners are left stumbling and fumbling their way through the start of their careers. Many do not succeed. However, you’ll improve your chances greatly if you read and follow 15 Steps.

15 Steps to Freelance Illustration is on sale starting TODAY. Those who buy the book within the first week get a special introductory price, so be sure to check it out as soon as you can.

Related posts:

• NESCBWI 2010 Conference Workshop

For those of you who follow my webcomic My Sister, the Freak, I just posted the final page to the first chapter. I am now making the first issue (containing the Prologue and Chapter 1) available for download as PDF and CBZ files.

These files will make it possible to read the comic on your computer or favorite mobile device, like iPhones and iPads. Note that you will need the correct software; there are many free and cheap apps that will read these files – I recommend GoodReader or ComicZeal.

Of course, you can always read the comic for free on the web at mysisterthefreak.com too.

The download is only $.99. You can purchase it here.

Related posts:

• “My Sister, the Freak” Has Begun!
• I’m Making a Comic!
• How I Write Comics

Artist Kelly Light was devastated by the news of the recent oil spill in the gulf. So, she decided to do something about it!

Kelly started a site called Ripple. On it, she is selling sketch cards created by her and many other artists, with 100% of the proceeds going toward helping the animal victims affected by the spill.

The above pieces of artwork are my contributions to Ripple. Visit the site to buy some great artwork and help out a good cause!

Related posts:

• A Monster-a-Day
• I’m Making a Comic!

New Features and Notable Changes

• A simpler shopping cart built into the site will make it easier to keep track of stuff. Payments are still processed through PayPal.

• All shipping is FREE.

• I’m starting to sell digital downloadable products. This is exciting because you can buy and receive stuff instantly. There is currently only one product (a PDF of my NESCBWI workshop), but I intend to fill this section with tutorials, videos, and digital comics in the future, so keep an eye on this page.

• People can now leave comments or reviews on the product pages. If you buy anything from me, I would love to hear any feedback, good or bad, about the what you purchased. It will help me improve the products and store in the future, and will also help shoppers as they make buying decisions. Thanks for your support!

To browse the store, go here: http://store.danidraws.com

Related posts:

• DaniDraws.com Store SALE
• Improving Your Online Presence
• NESCBWI 2010 Conference Workshop

If you have been following my webcomic My Sister, the Freak or are a comics fan in general, I’ve got a great announcement for you!

Several of my artist friends and I have started up a new website called Spacedock 7. Check it out at Spacedock7.com!

Seven creators, seven comics. This site will serve as the central hub for them all.

Each comic is sci-fi related. That means lots of aliens, spaceships, robots, planets, and babes. What’s not to like about that? Each artist has different styles and tastes, and it’s neat to see how each one handles the genre.

The rest of the SD7 crew includes Otis Frampton, Mike Maihack, Joel Carroll, Eddie Pittman, Grant Gould, and Katie Cook. If you are unfamiliar with any of these artists, please go check out their work because they are all awesome.

With the seven of us, we are each updating our comics on a different day of the week. MStF will reside on Saturdays. For the rest of the week, be sure to visit Spacedock 7 to get your daily sci-fi webcomic fix!

Related posts:

• “My Sister, the Freak” Has Begun!
• How I Write Comics