Becoming a comic book artist can be difficult, even for talented artists. Breaking into the comics business is challenging, but by fulfilling the right requirements, success is possible.
Education
While not strictly a requirement, holding a degree or certification from an art school shows dedication to the craft, and will provide an excellent foundation. Consider a program that specializes in sequential art.
Portfolio
The portfolio will be the major point of focus for potential employers, showcasing pieces that prove an artist can draw action scenes, expressive faces, and clear, linear storytelling. Maintain a web portfolio if possible.
Conventions
One of the tried and true ways of breaking into the biz is meeting with publishers at comic book conventions to showcase a portfolio; if a publisher likes the work, he will usually request additional samples, marked as "requested submissions".
Submissions
Send unsolicited submissions to those publishers that will accept them; each publisher has different submission requirements.
Key Personality Traits
The best comic book artists have similar traits: a great personality, a winning temperament, the focus and dedication needed to complete at least a full page each day, and the ability to work both collaboratively with editors and writers and independently as a solo talent.
