My pre-order list for C2E2 commissions is now open!

 You can purchase a reserved spot for the show at my online store:

http://davidmarquez.bigcartel.com/product/commission

Artist’s Proofs for All-New X-Men #7 are now on sale at my online store! Check it out:

http://davidmarquez.bigcartel.com/category/all-new-x-men-7

 

Emerald City ComicCon is only a month away!  I’ve opened up a limited number of reserved commission slots, available here:

http://davidmarquez.bigcartel.com/product/commission

I’ve opened up my list for new commissions!

I’ll be offering a limited number of slots for single character illustrations. Each commission will be done with pencil, ink, and copic markers on Strathmore drawing paper.

For more information, check out my Online Store.

 

 

Friday afternoon sketch. PS CS6.

One of my greatest regrets, art-wise, is that I never learned how to paint.  Fun little exercise.  I should carve out more time to do this kinda stuff.

T’Challa/Black Panther commission.

Ultimate Captain America commission

I’ve found that when I give portfolio reviews  I repeatedly end up  recommending the same selection of  resources for aspiring artists to check out.  To simplify this (and save me from writing it down every time), I’ve collected a number of these incredibly helpful books and websites here.

The first books I always recommend for their excellent discussions on storytelling in comics are these:

UNDERSTANDING COMICS by Scott McCloud

MAKING COMICS by Scott McCloud

GRAPHIC STORYTELLING AND VISUAL NARRATIVE by Will Eisner

COMICS AND SEQUENTIAL ART by Will Eisner

 

For Anatomy and Composition, I highly recommend these books:

FIGURE DRAWING FOR ALL IT’S WORTH by Andrew Loomis

CREATIVE ILLUSTRATION  by Andrew Loomis

DRAWING THE HEAD AND HANDS by Andrew Loomis

SUCCESSFUL DRAWING by Andrew Loomis

FRAMED INK by Marcos Mateu-Mestre 

 

There are also a number of other helpful “How-To” books out there:

PERSPECTIVE! by David Chelsea

HOW TO DRAW COMICS THE MARVEL WAY by Stan Lee and John Buscema

DC COMICS GUIDE TO PENCILLING COMICS by Klaus Janson

DC COMICS GUIDE TO INKING COMICS by Klaus Janson

DC COMICS GUIDE TO COLORING AND LETTERING COMICS by Mark Chiarello and Todd Klein

DIGITAL PREPRESS FOR COMIC BOOKS by Kevin Tinsley

 

Now, while reading and researching techniques, theory, and tools are an invaluable part of improving your craft, there is no substitute for becoming part of the artistic community.  The advice, camaraderie, and  feedback you get from your peers is just as important.  Attending conventions is a great way to meet other aspiring and professional creators, but these trips can often be expensive and only last for a few days.  There are a number of online forums where artists and writers gather to discuss their work, and are great places to post your work for critique and build a network:

 Millarworld Creative Forum

Penciljack

DeviantArt

ConceptArt.org

GutterZombie

 

I encourage you to start attending comic conventions to socialize with other aspiring comic creators.  Go to Artist Alley and speak with working professionals about their art and careers.  It’s  important for me to note that while most artists will be happy to speak with you, we often become incredibly busy at cons which for us are really business trips.  There will be times that we simply can’t devote the time or energy to give in-depth portfolio reviews.  Please be patient and understanding if a creator is busy or just needs some time to recharge or focus on sketching.

Lastly, Twitter has become a defacto discussion board for many comics professionals.  I’d encourage you to follow creators you admire as they often will throw out random thoughts, advice (often with the #makecomics hashtag), or links that may be helpful to you. And, while this should go without saying, please be courteous when interacting with creators (or anyone at all, really), whether online or in person.

Come find me in Artist Alley at this year’s New York Comic Con, October 11-14!  I’ll be sketching and signing at booth C-2! If you’d like to reserve a spot for a convention sketch, email me at davidmarquezart@gmail.com for details!

Miles takes his first swing, from Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #14