Working in Manga
There are many conventional comic artists in the UK however there are only around ten professional manga style artists. In the UK the term manga is often used as a marketing term for the sake of categories of book stores and publishers. The term manga also relates to an art, drawing and narrative style. Manga is the Japanese word for comics. Whereas around 5 years ago there were only 2 or 3 UK Manga events a year today there are between 10-15 events and the industry is now reaching mainstream audiences.
Manga can be categorised into two groups:
Shoujo or girls comics focus on the characters that events are happening to, most of these comics contain beautiful characters with less focus on the background and more on the inner workings and emotions of the character, typical symbols and motifs include the extensive use of flowers and bubbles. Shounen or boys comics are structured more around what is happening and the action of the scene or sequence. In Japan these comics are typically the size of a telephone directory and are printed in black and white tones and frequently have a ‘house’ style to them.
In terms of layout and pacing Emma and Sonia comment that ‘it’s like making a film with words’. Differing sized panels create a sense of pacing - larger panels make the reader spend a longer time looking at them. The layout of a sequence requires planning to create a subtle and well timed panel flow. Because Manga is a cheap and disposable medium, it is not considered necessary to draw what doesn’t need to be there. This allows the artist more space to ‘design’ the pacing through reducing or abstracting the visual content of a scene. Illustrations can be paired down to only what is required to tell the story.
The use of halftone dots to produce shades of grey is another characteristic of manga. These dots can be purchased as pre-printed sheets and cut out for use to create shadows and areas of colour enhancing mood and the sense of volume.
Characters
Manga characters are based on solid life drawing skills, but there is no 'right' way to draw people in Manga. Some artists use more cartoon-like proportions and some draw more naturalistically. The eyes, as they say, are the window to the soul - and as Emma and Sonia note also to ones style! Many people tend to believe that a typical Manga characteristic is large eyes. The eyes are very expressive but they do not need to necessarily be large and over pronounced. In terms of ground rules the head count or head height can influence or act as a check-point on proportions, it is essential that you work with constant proportions that fit with your style - if you want to create a cute style, your character's body will be smaller in proportion to the head. Men are generally drawn in a more angular manner than females which are typically designed as figure of eight shaped or curved, it is also essential to consider subtleties such as bone structure, jaw line and hips. When drawing props and costume it’s a question of fashion versus practicality. Lots of detail is fine if you are working on a pin-up but if you have to repeat an image many times from varying angles and composition perspectives it is better to simplify things to make it easier to remember important details and continuity.
So the upshot? There is a broad style range in manga. In terms of the Western style it's not so polished but is quite unique because many artists create their own narratives and work on the whole process or pipeline. In Japan there are not generally many writer-artists and so there are more polished or ‘house’ styles.
Portfolios
You will thrive as an artist on the strength of what you produce, contacts, experience, and techniques. With the proliferation of the internet, having your own website with your own domain name or online portfolio is becoming more and more important. Emma and and Sonia comment that its also nice to have a speciality but show that you can also be diverse and flexible in order to work on various commissions.
The Comic Industry
As an illustrator you will need to market yourself through cards and flyers. Business cards are essential as a showcase for your art and style, make it attractive for contacts to want to hold on to. Also leave some space on your card so contacts can write any of their own notes. Take care when designing to ensure you leave space for bleeds, crop marks, etc. Remember to give and receive business cards with both hands if talking to a Japanese person.
The comic scene is a very small place and reputation is extremely important. Blogs can seem time-consuming and unimportant, but in fact they allow your potential clients (and fans) a look at who you are. An illustrator's own blog is an ideal place to post up non-contract work or any contract-work that he or she has permission to show. As a manga illustrator you will also need to market yourself at the many events in the UK. Be sure to go along to them, and bring a folder of your best pieces and business cards - you never know who you will meet. Make sure you shake hands with people, chat to publishers and other artists and writers, exchange business cards, be friendly but never be pushy.
Finances
When you are self employed, you are your own manager – you are the boss! This means you have to manage your working hours and your finances. You must ensure a contract is in place before starting work if you want the security it brings. It is also good practice to invoice your clients promptly, look out for payments and chase them up, keep track of your expenses and keep good records as you have to do your own taxes. Remember income is not guaranteed to be steady. Always keep enough money in reserve to tide you over for 2-3 months minimum. When first starting out a common question is ‘How much should I charge?’ Sonia and Emma notes that this is dependent on your popularity and skill, illustrators take anywhere between £5 per hour up to £200 or more per hour. Don’t be afraid to ask for fair pay. Think about how long a piece of art takes you to create. Remember to charge more if you have to sell copyright and consider discounted rate if the work gives you very good exposure, royalties are likely to be good, if it is a very large project, or likely to bring repeat business.
Importance of colleagues and community
Always strive to improve. There will always be a better artist than you out there – accept it, don’t get beaten down by it, and try to surpass them. Accept criticism gracefully – even if it hurts, say thank you, and think about it, particularly if you hear 2 or 3 people saying the same thing, or if it is from a competent artist. Having a support network can really help you through tough times; they can sympathise with your troubles and offer solutions. Look for other points of view – colleagues in other areas of illustration can sometimes be the breath of fresh air you need! There are many benefits to working with a group such as Sweatdrop.
Based on Emma Vieceli and Sonia Leong's presentation for FDMX ‘Wired’ Wednesday on 14th May 2008
Recordings of the presentation are available as mp3 files to download here:
