New Beginnings

I was going to make this blog nothing but my adventures with the comic book industry and some of the "challenges" I've had.  It's still going to be part that, but I also want to share with you some of my NEW adventures.

As a kid, I've always wanted to do something with art.  I never knew what exactly, but I wanted to draw.  Like most kids in the single digits, I would always watch cartoons and try to draw what I saw on tv and bring them to life on paper like they did.  Of course, it's not that easy, but this is how I taught my self how to draw.  I wasn't even introduced to comics until 6th grade (1990).  Yes I knew who Spider-man, Superman and those popular characters were.  But I never thought I'd work on those characters years down the road and color them professionally.

I know I'm going down memory lane here, but, bare with me.

Let's fast forward to 1999.  I've been accepted to the Walt Disney College Program at Walt Disney World in Florida.  That experience changed my life FOREVER!  Not only did I have to do my school work from back home (math, science and so on), but I also attended Disney University on Disney property for business (it was part of the College Program).  I even worked at Downtown Disney's, World of Disney store!  Which I'll save those stories for another blog..lol.  After about a month working there, I became the storyteller for the store where I'd read stories to kids in the Mad Hatters hat at certain times during the week.  I'll never forget the time I had a "wardrobe malfunction".  Of course that was the time I had the biggest crowd, about 50 kids and their families.  The drawstring to my PJ bottoms I wore that time got all knotted up backstage.  When I walked out to greet the kids and their families, my pants fell right down to my ankles.  But I had the best time working at the store, meeting people from all over the world and making some REALLY great friends.  By the end of my College program, I worked so hard at Disney University, I was awarded the DUCKtorate Degree (the highest degree from Disney University) and passed the Disney course.  During my time in the College Program, I learned about animation, drawing and creating your own stories.  I met animators, music groups (BSB, NSYNC, OTown just to name a few).  I think this is why I have such a connection with Disney and Florida.

The following year (2000), I met my best friend and now husband, Brandon.  At that time I was pretty heavy into creating music and producing.  I even had my own boy band (don't judge) where we started performing all over Illinois (all two places) and had a couple of bookings in Orlando (at Downtown Disney's House of Blues and the main stage on Pleasure Island).  The group didn't pan out, so Brandon and I moved to Orlando in 2002 where I can pursue my music career with Lou Pearlman (creator of BSB, NSYNC and others).  Well again, that fell through (because 9/11 happened just a few months prior to us moving).  I got a little depressed and upset, so I picked up my drawing pad and a pencil, and put my emotions into artwork.

Facebook wasn't even a thing then.  Myspace was HOT, like FaceBook or YouTube is today.  I posted a few of my drawing on Myspace and got some positive feedback.  But people wanted to see fully colored pieces (which I didn't have).  So I colored up one of my Spider-Man pieces (with colored pencils mind you) and posted it.  My page blew up.  People absolutely loved it.  I didn't know why.  Maybe it was "how" I colored him and the use of lighting and shadows.  After a year, in 2004, we moved back to IL.  I kept posting more and more colored piece and posting them to my profile.  A professional comic illustrator contacted me to color for him and sent me some of his art.  Helping him out by creating prints and building my own portfolio.  Well it worked.  After a few months, I was contacted by a small comic company (After House Press) to work on a comic for them cover to cover.  I had just started 4-6 months prior, coloring digitally using Photoshop.  I had NO clue what I was doing.  I taught myself by picking up my favorite comics and learning that way.  Sometimes that's the best way.  Just to get out there and DO IT!  OH, and by the way, did I mention that first comic I colored (Foxwood Falcons), I did for free?  I didn't care, I wanted to work in the industry badly and would do anything to get there.

Fast forward a few years, I got to work with some great companies such as: Marvel, Image, Storm King Comics, Zenescope, 4 Fingerd Press and MANY more.  Over 12 years of working in the industry.  But something was missing.  I wasn't completely happy.

2015 at MegaCon in Orlando, I woke up from a deep sleep looking around, then at Brandon.  I said to him as he's waking up, "I want to have my own animation studio".  Brandon practically asleep said, "ok".  That was the beginning of Jeff Balke Studios.

I continue daily to teach myself 2D animation both digitally and by CEL animation.  I'm learning new technologies and getting tips in how to create amazing animation.  I can't wait to show you guys.

It's. So. REFRESHING!

It's no big secret that I'm getting rid of my superhero prints.  In 2017 I got rid of the majority of them and had some extras laying around I didn't know what to do with this year.  I didn't want to throw them away.  So this past weekend at the Indiana Comic Con, I had a HUGE weight lifted off my shoulders.

Ok, maybe not necessarily a weight, but the beginning of something NEW I FINALLY had the guts to do.  On Friday of the Indy CC, I sold all of my 11x17 superhero prints I had left.  EVERY SINGLE ONE!  It's SO relieving to finally get rid of them.  At the same time, scary.  However, I haven't given up on selling prints.  I've started selling my studio's cartoon prints featuring my own characters.  I know I'm going to take a little hit financially in what I make at the conventions, but, that's ok.  It feels good to sell what you believe in and created.

When I started selling superhero prints years ago at conventions, I loved it.  As a new professional colorist in the comic book industry, having fans come to my table and buy a print or prints I worked on was fantastic.  I had every character from Spider-Man to Batman, Wonder Woman...you name it.  I'm not going to lie.  When you have those popular characters at conventions, they will sell.  Now a days if you sell the prints of characters that made it to the big screen, you're going to make a bundle.  Even though the prints I had were selling, something was missing.  I was stoked people liked my coloring on those prints, but it wasn't enough.

Anyone can draw a circle.  A square.  A straight line, or at least a semi straight line.  Anyone can draw, Spider-Man, Batman, DeadPool.  It's easy.  There's a lot of references to look off of to draw those characters.  But now draw something from your heart you created.  Something that comes from you.  It's not easy.  Since creating my own characters and putting them in comic strips and upcoming comics, kids books and animations through my studio, I have a whole new outlook on creating and the creators.  I have a much more higher respect for the masters who created those characters and the animations I grew up with.

So I'd like to say THANK YOU to everyone who has purchased a piece of art from Jeff Balke Studios featuring our own characters and giving them a place in your home.  It may seem like a small thing, but it's huge to me.

I've enjoyed coloring up the superhero prints, it's something I've worked very hard to do, especially with NO schooling.  All self taught.  But now I'm taking that talent and applying it to my own characters and prints.  If you see us set up at a convention stop by, say HI and check them out.  See for yourself what I'm talking about.  And again, THANK YOU!

On Your Own...OH NO!

It's very difficult to go from creating prints and comics of characters people know to switching to your own, which most people if any know at all.  As I worked for many years in the comic industry, I've been fortunate enough to work with some great illustrators.  Together we've created comics for numerous companies and prints we sell at conventions.  But what happens if you stop making those characters and create your own?

This is a question I've been trying to answer for the past couple of year, and it's not easy.  I have stopped creating the superhero prints and started really focusing on my own characters.  Fans and creators have told me that's a bold move and kind of dumb.  I quote "creating your own characters won't make you any money, just keep doing what you do and color the superhero prints people know".  This is quoted from a pretty well known artist in the comic industry.  But it's not only him  and creators who had said this to me.  I've had "fans" say something similar and also mention they won't follow me if I do my own thing.  I don't know about you.  But maybe they weren't fans of yours to begin with?

It's very difficult for any creator to promote and sell their own characters.  Money is going to be tight because you're not working on the characters (prints) people know.  I've been told numerous times over the past few years, even before I started Jeff Balke Studios, to keep working and pumping out the superhero prints so I can make money.  Every time I heard that, I just rolled my eyes.  Yes, I could keep creating the "superhero" prints so I can make a ton of money at conventions.  I can keep up with all the new movies coming out and making prints based on those movies.  Absolutely.  But that's not what I want to do.  That time for me has come and gone.  The movies I want to create prints for are my own shorts and feature animations.  I want to create prints for the art and not for the art of making money.  To some I'm sure that sounds pretty weird.  But when a creator/artist, sells their own work, their own character, it's such a GREAT feeling.  A feeling you can't put into words.

I'm creating prints for the art.  Not just something that's spit out in a few minutes before a convention that's based on the hot new movie (which you may forget about in a month).  It's not about making money for me.  YES, of course it helps, but I want my prints to be meaningful, and not something just "printed".  I want my prints to "speak" to you.  I want them to be ART.

In animation, you work with a team to create that animation.  It's not just one person.  The same thing is also done with our prints.  Any given print we create, there are two people who have worked on it, the illustrator and the colorist.  Coming out in the Spring, we have a new set of prints coming which we have a watercolor background artist/painter, an illustrator and a colorist all working on one piece.  So it's a team effort to create these.  These are something different, unique and original.

I'm very happy to have started creating our own prints using our own characters.  It's such a great feeling when you sell your own character's prints.  It means more.  So hopefully you will check out our web-store (BalkeStudiosArt.com) and see some of what we have to offer.  And if you make it to any of the show's we're at, you can come and see them (and many others) in person.

The Next Chapter...or Book

This blog is going to be a bit different.  This isn't just an experience in the comic book field, but a life and career change.  This is a whole new chapter or...BOOK of my life.

Remembering as far back as I can, being a kid in the little town of Lindenhurst, in Illinois, I always wanted to do something in the "arts" field.  Everyday I'd RUN home from the bus stop after getting let off the bus from school and put on cartoons until I had to go to bed.  Doing my homework during commercials.  On the weekends, I'd watch my Saturday morning cartoons religiously and try to draw the characters.  Of course the drawing weren't the greatest, but I never gave up.  I kept on pushing forward until I got them to look like how I wanted them.  I did this for YEARS!  Even as an adult.

I had a Preschool art project I had to create about the outdoors.  I think it was some kind of show and tell.  I didn't want to just bring something in and talk about it, I wanted to think outside the box and create something.  Both my parents and I came up with a "television" type of thing.  Where you take an empty shoe box, flip it on its side, cut a rectangle out of the bottom take receipt tape, draw on that and with 2 pencils attache that to the inside of the shoe box on either side of the cut out rectangle and roll the pencils to where it looks like you're watching a moving scene.  I'm pretty sure I'm not explaining that right, but ask me about it when I see you next, and I'll tell you about it in person..lol!
But this was my first introduction to "ANIMATION".

Many many years later I was honored to become a professional comic book colorist working for companies such as Marvel, Image, Storm King Productions, Zenescope, After Hours Press (who gave me my break) and many more.  I've worked 10 years full time as a comic book colorist.  Winning and being nominated for numerous awards.  But in 2015, I woke up, almost shot straight up and said "I want to do animation".  From that day on, I went forward with creating my own studio..Jeff Balke Studios.

When you go to comic book conventions as an artist and sell the art you worked on, you kind of get sucked into this machine where you create prints of characters you don't own.  Like Spider-Man, Batman, Superman and so on.  It can be decent money at times, but, even though it's your art (or in my case colors), it's NOT your own characters.  And that's what I was looking for.  My own characters to bring to life.  Not only in comic form, but on the big screen.

This year was the final year for me selling any of the "superhero" type prints of characters.  In 2018, I'm really bringing Jeff Balke Studios to the front of the line.  Bringing my own characters and stories to fans and people all over the world to enjoy.  It's going to be a challenge, but, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it.  I'm ready for the challenge.  This is the NEW chapter..or really..BOOK of my life.  And I HOPE, you will follow me on this new adventure.

Do What You Have Too

I'll tell you what.  Waking up everyday and doing what you enjoy doing (coloring in my case) is one of the best feelings in the world.  I mean just to wake up and create art everyday...and maybe even get paid for it.  There really aren't any words.  But it's not all glamorous.  It's a lot of work and you do what you have too to get yourself out there.

I'm asked all the time how did I break into comics?  What did I have to do?  Simple answer?  If you want it bad enough, you'll do almost anything to get it or do it.

When I was younger I would always go to the Chicago Comic Con with my mom and have my portfolio with me to show as many people as I could.  Artists mostly. I wanted to get feedback from them, since I was too young to get hired by anybody.  And I did show as many artists as I could.  Of course I was a little scared to show anyone my work in fear that they would say "I suck.  Just give up."  Thankfully, I never got that.  What I did get was a lot of critiques on how to change things.  How to make it look better.  And I didn't take it personally.  I felt they were really trying to help me, and that's how I took it.  Even some of the artists gave me their books they created as a "thank you" to me in showing them my work and wanting feedback from them.  Boy how things have changed now a days..lol.

After a few years of showing my work to artists at the show (now in the mid 90s), I approached Chaos! Comics, Brian Pulido.  I was a huge fan of Chaos! and collected I think everything under the sun they produced.  Even the stuff outside of the comic books they made.  One of the last times I talked to Brian, I was extremely excited.  He sat down with me and my mom outside his Chaos! booth and was talking to me about my art and what I can do to improve it.  I thought that was extremely cool that he sat with me outside the booth on a more personal level.  Then he does something I NEVER could have imagined. He asked me to intern with Chaos! Comics for a year in AZ.  Unfortunately I was still young and not out of school yet.  So I had to turn down the offer.  That was EXTREMELY hard to do.  But, I got out there and kept being persistent.  And I listened to what the artists said and "updated" my art, which is why I became a colorist...LMAO!!

It's never easy when someone is critiquing your work.  Especially when you're young.  What was easy for me, is that I knew what I wanted.  So I would do most anything to get there and do it.  I know I had mentioned this before, but even my first comic, I did cover to cover FREE!  Did not get paid for it at all.  I did get "comps" of the books which to me, was worth even more.  Because I now have something printed professionally by a company which I now can give to other editors and artists.  It was my foot in the door.
There's a LOT of work I did for free in the beginning.  Even years down the road I did things free because I really liked what I did and wanted to keep my name out there.  And when you see your name on the comics on the shelves, it's a feeling you just can't explain.  Being up there with some of the biggest names in the business, it's a dream come true.  So you do what you have too in order to make your dreams come true.  If there's someone or people who mock your work or don't like your work..don't worry about that.  For ever 1 person who doesn't like your work.  There are 10 who DO like your work.  You can't please everybody.  But you can definitely please yourself.

Poloroid taken at Chicago Comic Con 98' I believe

Left to Right:
D-Tron, Michael Turner, Marc Silvestry

Planes, Trains and Comic Cons

If going to comic conventions isn't enough, with the setting up, then taking down after the weekends over, and selling your work.  There's one thing that sometimes you forget you have to do.  GET THERE!

When I first started setting up at conventions as a professional, I really just stayed around my area.  Really just going to the Chicago Comic Con (now Wizard World Chicago) and that's it.  After going to just a couple of conventions there setting up, I got what's called "the Con Life".  Meaning I had a taste for meeting new people all the time and selling at shows.  As a professional, it's SUCH a good feeling to sell that first piece of art you worked on.  Be it a print you worked on, comic or commission.  It just feels good because someone else thought it was good enough for them to buy.  You can't put a price on that feeling.

After setting up at the Chicago Comic Con for 2 years (2007-2008), I had the itch to do a couple of more shows.  So the next one I attended was Wizard World Texas (2008).  Yes I started building my name as a colorist locally in my area, but I wanted to expand.  I had a friend in TX I could stay with, so, that worked out perfectly.  At the time, driving to conventions wasn't even an option (mainly because I was still working in retail management).  So we flew (Brandon and myself).  I didn't have much to pack up and take with me.  My marker set was smaller and I didn't have a lot of prints or books, so it was pretty easy.

After the Wizard World TX show, I was hooked.  I wanted to do as many conventions as I could.  But working retail, I couldn't take off a lot of weekends.  I was lucky to get a weekend day off a month (if you work retail, you know how that goes).  But in 2009, one of the best things happened to me which changed my life forever.  I was fired.  Yup, I was fired from my retail job at Crate and Barrel.  Which most people would be down about, but I was actually pretty excited.  Because now, I can do a LOT more shows.

Over the next few years, I started picking up more shows and starting meeting my "Con Family".  We'd always see each other at shows and started to get to know one another.  It got comfortable.  I'd see these HUGE set ups people would have and wanted to expend my set up as well.  As I did, I didn't realize I'd have to get this all on a plane.  It didn't occur to me.  With a bigger set up, means you can have more stuff at shows to sell and display.  So trying to get everything on a plane wasn't working.  I've heard horror stories from some of the artists that their luggage was overweight and charged over $200.  Shipping banners or art, it would get lost or completely damaged.  I didn't want to have a horror story of my own..lol!  That's when I decided to start driving to conventions (about 2011).  I'd drive to as many shows as I could make it too.  No matter if they were back to back shows for weeks.

2012, I suggested to Brandon that I really needed his help at conventions and we do better as a team on the road.  So he quit his job and came with me on the road.  Now, we can drive anytime to ANY convention.  Boy did we ever.  We drove to Florida, New York, Canada, Texas, Seattle, San Diego, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City (all more than once).  We got to see a LOT of this beautiful country.  Seeing mountains for the first time (on our own) really opens your eyes to how amazing this country is.

After about 200,000 miles we decided to relax our car for a little bit and last year, for the first time, take a train to a convention.  We went to Seattle.  That train ride from Wisconsin to Seattle.  WOW!  I suggest if you want to take a nice ride (long), but a nice ride, take a train from the Midwest to the West.  It's amazing!  And since we were off to a convention, I had to take my set up with me.  The best thing about taking stuff with you on the train, it's not like a plane.  There isn't a weight limit.  We brought everything for MUCH less than the flight.  Would we do that again?  YOU BETCHA!  But we'll get the "sleeper".  We sat in the regular seats (which were comfy), but sleeping in a bed, and bathing would have been nice..lol!

I can saw that over the past 5-6 years of me traveling, I don't regret it.  It was a LOT of fun and both Brandon and I got to spend more time together.  Even though it was in a car..lol.
But now, we're pretty much staying locally and with the animation studio (Jeff Balke Studios), I really can't travel as much as I did (which is FINE by me..lol).  Yes driving/traveling is amazing, but it takes a lot out of you.

An older pic at a convention.  My little island I had

Flipping Commissions

NO, I'm not talking about giving the middle finger.  Although, sometimes we want to do that.  But what I'm talking about is when you get a sketch or commission done by an artist, and you flip it and make a HUGE profit off of it.  Kind of like flipping a house.  Well, here's my take on it.

Over the past 10 years in the business, I've really got to understand what a lot of vendors and art dealers/sellers do with original art.  That is taking a piece of art (sketch, Sketch Coloring™ or whatever) they paid cheap for and marking it up so they can make get back what they paid for the item and make a little extra.  In MY opinion, there's NOTHING wrong with that.  This has been going on since the beginning of time.  Really when that piece leaves the hands of the seller (in this case artist), the buyer can do pretty much whatever they want with it.  Now I know that's not a popular answer, BUT, there are times when the artist can feel like they are getting taken advantage of.

For instance when an artist has a full list of commissions to finish by the end of day of the show, someone runs up to you and pretty much praises you and your work.  Basically just saying they've followed you for years and have loved your work since you started.  But they are only at the show for another hour and have to leave.  They ran out of money, they can't pay for anything, but they want a quick sketch of their favorite character (usually quick sketches are free).  Now even though that artist has a full commission list, they are human and most of them love their fans.  So at times that artist will push all the other commissions aside for this one time for you (since you also said you weren't going to sell it and you love their work so much).  At the end of the day, you get word that that sketch you did is now up on eBay or some selling site for hundreds when you did it for free for that "fan" who loved your work and won't sell it.  Unfortunately, this is very common now a days and I understand why artists get upset at that and WON'T do sketches anymore at conventions or really anywhere.  This is just one case I've heard of, but there are hundreds out there I've heard of and also have NOT heard of.  I've even been a victim of something like this.

In a nutshell, someone I've done a lot of commissions for in the past 2 years sent me 11 covers to color up (wrap around covers most of them) at one time.  I did Sketch Color™ them up, but for way less that I would normally charge.  He's been a great supporter for mine and he can only do so much money at that time, so I wanted to do him a favor.  He gets them back then turns around and sends me a not so nice email pretty much saying that "the covers are horrible, he's not going to send me any more to do and he's not going to refer anyone to me."  Be that as it may.  He never had issues with my coloring in the past, just all of a sudden these ones.  However, the next day, I did a search on eBay for the covers (since I know he sells the Sketch Colorings™), and there they are.  The ones he talked down my price to me about are now selling for WAY more then if I were to have charged him full price.  AND, the same ones he didn't like and sent me a scolding email about.  So he wanted them quicker and cheaper so he can make a much higher profit.

Now this is not the first time something like this has happened.  Lets face it, I've been creating Sketch Colorings™ for 10 years.  But this was the last time I was going to have this happen.  I've changed up my pricing a little bit to people I know who flip my Sketch Colorings™ on eBay or any selling site.

All in all.  Yes, you can do whatever you want with the commissions when you get them back.  The artist has no say after they've been paid.  But, don't cheat them or flat out lie to them.  The artist community is small, and we all know one another.  If you get that commission from your favorite artist.  AWESOME!  Keep it.  It should mean something to YOU.  Not just a paycheck.

That first big gig

Just like anyone else, when you start a new career you have goals.   You want to move up the ladder become one of the big shots and really have a name for yourself.  Well just like you and everyone else, I was the exact same way.  I knew what I wanted to do, but didn't know how to get there.  So you figure it out by trial and error.  And boy, there were errors.

I had no clue what I was doing when I first started working in the industry.  Yeah I knew what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go, but no idea how to get there.  I was literally starting from scratch.  Now for those of you who are looking to break into the industry or maybe in and have no clue where to go or do.  Maybe this will give you a little bit of light at the end of that tunnel.

After working on Foxwood Falcons (from After Hours Press), I had no idea where to go.  But what I did know is that editors and "higher ups" would always go to the comic conventions and recruit every now and then.  I was hoping to be in that mix they recruited.  It's not as simple as you may think.  Even though I had a comic in my hand I worked on, yes, it was easier to talk to the editors and whomever, but, now you have to have the "style" they are looking for.  I didn't have it yet.  I was still fresh and new and learning how to use a tablet.  But I was willing to learn and kept at it.

For about 5 years, I would chat with a writer/editor Raven Gregory who's one of the funnest guys I've met.  Very down to earth and tells it like it is.  He can be a little off the wall, but that's what I think drew me to him.  Show after show I'd go to him and show him some of my latest coloring I've done and just talk to him.  And hey, I'm a fan of Raven, so I got some books signed too while I was there.

It was in 2010 I believe at C2E2 where he walked up to me, gave me his card and said "give me a call Monday.  I may have some work for you".  I can just tell you inside I was giddy like a kid in a candy store.  That night I celebrated with a big McDonald's dinner (hey, I was just starting out).  That made my weekend (not McDonalds, but Raven giving me his card).

Monday I called him, and he sent me a couple of pages to test out.  No matter how good you may think you are, you always have to do "testers" to make sure your style will go with that the editors are looking for.  I got them finished up, sent them back and then heard back from the EIC (Editor in Chief).  Right then and there, I was offered a job with Zenescope.  This was my biggest break I've had in years.  Yes, I did in fact get my foot in the door with Foxwood Falcons in 2007, and during that time I was chatting with Raven about working with him on something.
As I'm just about finished with the comic, my computer had a meltdown.  My hard drive, external and backup ALL CRASHED at the same time.  Now this is my big break.  My first book, and THIS happens.  I cried..and had to let the EIC and Raven both know what had happened.
To my surprise, they weren't upset at all (at least they didn't seem like it).  They said "these things happen".  Do what you can and we'll get someone else to help you out with the colors".  I was awwed!  But I got the book done and it came out great!

So to everyone out there who has a dream of whatever it may be.  The one thing you CAN'T do, is give up.  That's the only "fail" you'll have.  It took me about 7 years to have my "overnight success".  I'm very grateful, and wouldn't change a thing.
Because of my constant working on comics, I was nominated for 2 Eagle Awards and won the Shel Dorf Award in 2011 for Colorist of the Year (beating out the Marvel and DC colorists).  And the person who presented that award to me was none other than...Raven Gregory.  Who game me a chance in the bigger leagues.

My first book with Zenescope:

 

"Be Like This Guy"

Lets be honest.  When you first start out drawing, coloring, inking or writing, you have to admit that you look at your favorite artists and try to mimic them.  Which is ok.  That's been going on since the beginning of time.  That's how we evolve.  That's also how you evolve as an artist.  Just as long as you don't "COPY" them exactly.

I don't have any schooling of art whatsoever.  Just what I may have learned in high school and maybe the one semester in community college.  So the only way I thought would be best to learn is picking up my favorite comic books and teaching myself how to color.  I did try to contact a few other colorists on MySpace when I first started out, but, like I had mentioned before in another blog, not one of them got back to me about any kind of advice.  So comics were the way to teach myself.

I picked up every comic I could, that Michael Turner, Todd McFarlane, Stephen Platt and a few others worked on and taught myself.  I wasn't looking too much at the illustration, but the coloring styles.  I told myself "I can do that".  Which, of course I couldn't do it exactly what those colorist who worked with them could do, but found my own style while teaching myself.  While I was posting my own pictures on my MySpace profile, I had a couple of artists contact me to do some coloring for them.  I was shocked  I had just started teaching myself and all of a sudden I had a couple of people contacting me to work with them on prints and to build my portfolio.  Naturally I agreed and everything started from that point.

Many years go by which brings us to just a few years ago (maybe 2012).  I've never said this before, but I think it's pretty important.
I had an opportunity to color some samples with Marvel.  Just like any kid in a candy AND toy store, I was stoked and bouncing off the walls.  The person (who I'll keep nameless) who I was working with there had sent me a few comic pages to color up as samples to he can see my work.  After a day I got all 6 pages in (yes, 6 pages).  He liked the pages, but sent me a couple of updates to work on for the pages.  No problem, I worked on them and returned them that same day.  He complimented me in getting the pages back to him in a very quickly.  After these "fixes", he sent me 10 other pages of an X-Men book.  I got them done in about a day and a half.  He emails me back and has me work on more fixes.  I worked on them, sent them in, but then didn't hear from him right away until about a week later.  When he did get back to me, he sends me more pages of other books to work on as samples.  Now I'm thinking this is a little odd. I've already colored 16 pages as samples and now he sends me (a total of) another 20 pages w/ references of the same pages that are already colored up and published.  We emailed back and forth for about a week (called him a couple of times and talked over the phone) and asked him why so many sample pages?  He said, "you want to work for Marvel,  you have to put in the time".  That didn't sit well with me.  But I started working on the next batch of pages (ALL FREE MIND YOU like the first 16 pages) and I get an email from him.
He says to me, and I quote "color like this".  As I open the pages, I see the pages I'm coloring are already colored by another colorist who I know.  I said ok, I'll do what I can.  He said, "NO, color how she colored these then you'll be good to go".

Right there, I stopped and asked him "do you want me to color exactly, mimic exactly like this other colorist?"  He said yes.  We went back and forth over the phone and emails for a couple of days.  In the back of my mind I was pretty upset.  I had my own style I've worked on in comics already at that point, and now I have a Marvel person telling me to "COPY" another colorist to look exactly like her coloring?

After about a week, I turned him down and gave him an earful.  I knew this colorist and I'm not going to take her style.  That's NOT what an artist does.  So, I turned down Marvel.

That took a lot for me to do that, but, as an artist.  I just couldn't do that.  I'm my own artist.  I'm not going to copy or mimic anyone else to get ahead.  You're going to like me for MY work.  Not copying someone elses work.

Standing up for yourself has it's own rewards.  I mentioned this incident to another artist and their bf.  She stood up and clapped while we were having dinner and gave me a hug.  Her bf said "are you stupid?  Why wouldn't you just copy the work?  It's Marvel". 
Not long after that, they broke up..lol!

So be yourself.  Looking at how others create is one thing.  Copying and mimicking them and their art is another.  Do what's right.  Do YOUR own artwork.

Wolverine Colors: Jeff Balke (me)

HOW DO YOU BREAK IN??

One of the biggest and most popular questions I'm always asked is "how do you break into the comic industry?  What's the secret?"  OH ALL THE PUSHING AND STABBING YOU HAVE TO DO and the NO FOOD FOR A YEAR you have to deal with.  NO...lol!  I don't think there's a secret or even just one way to get in.  It's based on each individual artist.  It's like running.  Everyone has their own pace, and sooner or later, you'll get to the finish line.

What I tell people all the time is, to get in, you need to be dedicated to art and drawing everyday.  Even when you get so sick of it, you just want to throw up.  You have to keep pushing.  And if you are just looking for a paycheck, I can tell you, this is NOT the industry to get into.  Overnight success takes YEARS.  The comic book industry you have to work at it.  You have to want to do it and you have to love it. 
I can remember when I was posting my own artwork on MySpace (yeah, going back a few years), I'd try (and I stress the word "TRY"), to ask artists how to break in and who I can show my work too.  I didn't hear back from anyone.  So I figured I'd just post my work on my page and see where that takes me.  Then I started getting questions about doing some colored work.  People who I've never talked to before or met wanted to see some colored work (which I didn't have any until a couple days later after people started asking).  I posted a few pieces I colored digitally on my page and people really started commenting and liking the pictures.  So I just kept drawing and coloring and posting it to my page.  About 4-5 years later (2006), I was contacted by a smaller comic publisher (After Hours Press) about coloring a book for them cover to cover.  Once that book came out, I found out it was a lot easier to talk to some of the creators and for sure the editors.

Of course, now being a colorist, I wanted to learn how to color digitally.  I had started teaching myself about 2002-ish by picking up my favorite comics and seeing how the colorist colored, where to place highlights, shadows and even how to create some of the cool effects.  However, I learned the hard way that you need to work on a tablet vs coloring with a mouse.  OH, did I forget to mention that my first comic (FoxWood Falcons), I colored using a mouse???  Yes, it was (now you want a copy huh..lol).  So it's time to research these "tablets" and see which one I need and which one the comic colorist are using.  That took a couple of months because they were pretty pricey at the time and I didn't have the money.  But to keep coloring digitally with the mouse, I downloaded a couple of pages from a comic book talent search and just kept teaching myself, trying to master the mouse (just in case I couldn't afford the tablets).  Thankfully I found one that was smaller and decently priced at a store going out of business.  I still have that table today and works great.  So it was well worth the investment.  Since then I did upgrade twice, and currently using that 3rd upgrade (Intos 4 Wacom Tablet).  I love it.

But I did almost anything to learn how to color.  Everything from asking other colorists (who never responded to any of my emails or comments), looking through books (which there really weren't any at the time) to even picking up my favorite comics and teaching myself (which again, was the best way I learned).

You can ask everybody how they got in.  Ggood, ask them and listen to their stories if they choose to share with you.  But, really the bottom line is, you have to WANT to do it.  You have to WANT to be that artist who's going to stick out.  Not by personality and being a jerk, but, with your talent.  Don't let people tell you HOW you need to get in (not even editors).  It's different for everyone.

A website I give people all the time is: www.digitalwebbing.com
This site is a good stepping stone to get yourself started.  In finding projects, or even if you have a project of your own and you're looking for artists to help create it (illustrators, writers, inkers, colorist and so on) post about it on the Forums page. I even got a couple of gigs off there when I was first starting as well.  But we'll save that for another blog ;)

This is an older set up from a few years ago (can't even remember the show)