Working in COMICS, going to ART SCHOOL, and writing a GRAPHIC NOVEL? | Q&A

[@fernandopaco2379]

In my opinion, any aspiring artist should have clear goals of what they want to communicate to the world with their art. Artists that prevail are the ones with strong discipline (no procrastination) and fully know how to manage their time to accomplish objectives in such short days that we live in nowadys. Obviously, if you don´t have an art professor to critique your work then you need to go to conventions/submit your creations online to get feedback (which might not be there or can be harsh). All in all, never give up on your desire; allocate a full day with no distractions to your comic art and see if the passion is there by the end of the day, if it is, then keep doing it. Good luck!

[@thomaspitilli]

Really great advice, I totally agree! I hope some of the younger viewers who may read this comment take this advice 👍

[@SeanWickett]

Hi! Veteran animator/illustrator here and for the last few years, teacher at art school. Here's my take: - yes art school is expensive. It started getting expensive while I was in it (class of 2002). But the friendships you make, the network you develop, it's really what keeps you employed. So I think it's invaluable. Yes the information is out there but it always has been, since the first 'how-to-draw' book was published. It's how you work with it, apply it and get critiques on it that counts. There's a lot of fundamentals misinterpreted out there presented as fact. But, truly, art school is a petri dish of artistic growth combined with the generous application of fire. You thrive or flame out and you move on. - besides all the other standard books on story I've read, standouts are Brian McDonald's books Invisible Ink and The Golden Theme. They get into the unspoken parts of story telling that invest deeper meanings into our work. I've found those ingredients in generational spanning stories that not a lot of modern works trade in. So I say they are must reads. Others include The War of Art (bought and given away at least 3 times) and Ray Bradbury's Zen and the Art of Writing, a seemingly forgotten masterpiece on writing and the discipline. - as for style: I'm one of those who says forget about it. Your personal, unique style can't be rushed or forced. Your style evolves as you learn to solve problems. You can copy your favourite artists to see how they solve problems and that's fine (copying is fine). Often, that leads to little epiphanies on how to approach things to make your own choices. Those little footprints reveal your influences and that is also fine. No artist operates in a vacuum. Not one. Being an artist is not for the faint of heart. Perseverance, discipline, obsession, and a dash of luck are what you need to be successful (or at least somewhat satisfied) as an artist.

[@thomaspitilli]

Can't disagree with anything you said here. The only point I'll make is that when you and I went to art school, yes there were alternative versions of education out there, books, etc. It's nothing at the level that it is today, in terms of access and information. Thank you for all of those book suggestions too! I'm adding them to my list for sure! Much appreciated 🙏

[@rijodan]

True that you can find the knowledge online. But if half of what you do as an artist is technique, the other half is the art business itself, market yourself, networking and the professional mindset. All things that only art school can give you. I'm two years in and I'm really glad I made this choice.

[@thomaspitilli]

I'm glad to hear you're taking full advantage of all the things art school can offer, outside of just technique. Most don't, unfortunately. It sounds like you have a game plan that will carry itself far beyond art school, which is awesome 👍

[@Xiu83]

I'd definitely draw for food. Food is becoming a "maybe." If not, it's becoming a "nothing at all." 😂😂

[@ricardolabate4984]

Hi Thomas! Really liked your insights on comics as a career and medium. I'm a comic book creator myself, still at early stages so it's always nice to get advices from someone who's been working on the field. Thanks!

[@thomaspitilli]

@@ricardolabate4984 I'm glad you liked it, Ricardo. Thanks for watching!

[@jewishdragons]

Thank you for your advice about art school -- I'll be passing your thoughts on to my kid as she starts considering options. We got similar ideas from some other artists we've spoken with at various shows and conventions. So I guess there's something of a common thread among your fellow professionals. Thank you again!

[@thomaspitilli]

I'm glad some of these thoughts can help you with your daughters upcoming decision. Definitely consider all alternative options before tackling that huge tuition. Good luck with everything!

[@industrial.complex.et.al.]

Great video! Thanks for your insights!!

[@thomaspitilli]

No problem, man, thanks for watching! And thanks for the question too!

[@ComicsOdyssey]

Thank you, Thomas! My 2 favourite writer/artist books are “War of Art” and “Turning Pro”. As for books specifically about Making Comics I recommend O’Neil’s guide to writing comics and Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics and Making Comics.

[@thomaspitilli]

You're the second person who recommended War Of Art...it's definitely on my list now. Thank you!

[@8NW3]

Scott synder has a Substack that is on writing for comic books. His Substack is called Our Best Jacket.

[@thomaspitilli]

@@8NW3 Oh sweet, thanks for the tip, I'll check that out! Have you found it helpful?

[@8NW3]

@@thomaspitilli yes I am!

[@bonedragon5077]

My opinion on art school is this: Look at your work realistically, from a third-party perspective. Don't blow smoke up your own ass about it. Do you feel like you need to learn better anatomy? Is there something that you feel like it needs but you can't figure it out? Have you tried other art classes and can't quite grasp what you're missing? Have you had other artists look at your work and say that your work is good but could be better? CAN YOU AFFORD IT? Do you feel your work is good, but you want to take it from "Good Amateur" to "Paid Professional?" Then go to art school. Otherwise, watch KZbin videos or attend workshops. I felt all of these ways about my work and couldn't quite get what I was looking for in workshops. So, I attended art school. There, I learned the ins and outs, the technical know-how, and the things that I was missing but would never consider on my own. My work has gone up in quality by quite a bit since. It was good for me, but may not be for you. Take a look at your work and really consider it from an outside perspective. See if you think that it would do you any good.

[@thomaspitilli]

VERY good advice! Thanks for sharing that 👏

[@CableTV-f6y]

I like that I got a sign that says I will play this here drum set right there for money

[@Ziyon_]

Thanks!

[@thomaspitilli]

That's really kind of you! Thanks so much 🙏😊😊

[@brandonsked]

Some books I found helpful for writing would include 'Into the Woods' by John Yorke (he goes into different types of act structures, what happens in them, how the characters need to change/grow), 'Story' by Robert Mckee, (a brick of a book that you can approach as a reference, picking out sections that you need to look into at a given time), and 'On Writing' by Stephen King (the latter half has some practical tips and tricks). 'The Art of Fiction' by John Gardner has some good advice as well as some decent writing exercises if I remember correctly. There are some books that are more specific to comics that you've probably already heard of such as 'Comics and Sequential Art' by Will Eisner and 'Making Comics' by Scott McCloud, but I've found them really helpful

[@thomaspitilli]

@brandonsked9627 This is great, thanks so much! I'm definitely writing down that Into The Woods book, I've never hear of that one. I tried reading Story when I was younger, but I think I was too young and that book was just too intimidating for me haha. I should re-visit it though. Also, King's On Writing has been on my list for a while, I still have to pick it up though. It's a whole other world, so I appreciate the help, thank you!

[@BenLewis-x1j]

Inspiring video Thomas! Thank you for putting it out into youtube land. We’re both singing from the same hymn sheet as far as graphic novel writing from an artist’s perspective is concerned.I would highly recommend the ‘art of comic book writing’ by Mark Kneece. Nice balance of visuals and text to drive the points home. ‘A complete idiot’s guide to creating a graphic novel’ by Matt Gertler and Steve Lieber-another useful publication. Cheers all!

[@JohnArmy85]

Check out Stephen Kings "On Writing" book

[@thomaspitilli]

Will do, thank you!

[@rdallas1614]

The Coffee Break Screenwriter by Pillar Alessandra 2nd Ed is ideal for busy people writing a script. As a former teacher in applied art and multimedia, I would recommend people research short courses at universities and colleges, as a cost effective alternative to full-time study. Also, paying a professional mentor to guide the creative process, etc. is a worthwhile investment for the self-taught.

[@thomaspitilli]

Thank you for the book recommendation, it has been added to my list! That sounds like something that would be right up my alley. And really solid advice about alternative art education! I totally forgot to mention any kind of continuing ed courses, or just independent college classes. Paying an artist for a mentorship would be excellent and well worth the expense as well. I know some people who have done that, and their experiences sound way more useful and enjoyable than most art school experiences. Thank you!

[@te9591]

Agreed, short course can help you learn at your own pace too.

[@BenLewis-x1j]

Inspiring video Thomas. Thank you for putting it out into youtube land. We’re both singing from the same hymn sheet as far as graphic novel writing from an artist’s perspective is concerned! I would highly recommend 'The Art of Comic Book Writing’ by Mark Kneece. Nice balance of visuals and text to drive the story points home. ‘A Complete Idiot’s Guide to Creating a Graphic Novel’ by Matt Gertler and Steve Lieber-another useful publication. Hope these help.

[@thomaspitilli]

I'm glad I'm not the only artist having these writing struggles haha! Thank you for those suggestions, I will certainly add them to my list, I'm not familiar with either one. That's why I love this comment section so much! This is better than any internet search I can do, haha. Thanks again for your help!

[@Ziyon_]

👍👍

[@MelbourneAllen-f9x]

Hey i know this is kinda unrelated, but ive been on the fence about this and i dont really know anyone in my personal life that could help me and i would love to hear your advice. im 19 and im planning on going to college next year, im really into illustration and id love to learn graphic design and become a designer or an illustrator, but im kinda scared to go to college for it because im afraid that i wouldnt be able to land any jobs if i do so. My second option would be to go to college and study finance or accounting , but with that im looking at how better and advanced i would be if i were to just fully commit to learning graphic design. I really feel lost right now.

[@thomaspitilli]

Thank you for your comment. I'm sure this is a confusing and challenging time right now. The first thing I'd say is, take a deep breath and realize you're only 19! Use YOUTH and TIME to your benefit right now, because you have plenty of both haha. Many young people today rush into these very big life decisions, often times, with little information or guidance, and often with big financial consequences. You don't have to figure out your entire life's trajectory at 19. And even if you did, life has a way of getting in the way of all our plans 😂 With that being said, my personal view is that if you're going to go to school for higher education, it should be for something that totally and completely requires it, and will help you get a job. Accounting seems much more in line with that philosophy. I'm in no position to tell you what you SHOULD do, I'm just giving you my opinions and thoughts. There's no reason why you can't do both too. Before Arnold Schwarzenegger became a famous actor, he studied real estate and construction, and was super successful in it. That allowed him to pursue acting with a much clearer, less desperate approach. So, there's nothing wrong with having a solid day job, then doing design/illustration on the side, until it can eventually become your full-time job. That's something I never did, and I sort of wish I did. These are just my thoughts, you have to do what's right for you and your life, but try not to think about it with as clear a head as possible!

[@thomaspitilli]

*try TO think about it with as clear a head as possible! (correction)

[@MelbourneAllen-f9x]

@@thomaspitilli thank you so much i really appreciate it

[@HeavenlyZanpakuto]

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