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Author Topic: Looking For Artists for Multiple Demo Manga/Comics [Paid]  (Read 3624 times)

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Offline TheEndisNotThere

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Looking For Artists for Multiple Demo Manga/Comics [Paid]
« on: August 03, 2022, 10:08:29 PM »
I am looking for an artist or pair of artists to draw about 5 demo manga/comics based on their preferred art style.  The demo manga/comics will be between 5-10 pages each and will be in the darker medieval high fantasy setting.  These will be used to start a kickstarter/patreon to see the interest in the projects.

I am looking to pay the primary artist $100 per page with a reimbursement for materials.  For the assisting artist I will be looking to paying $50 per page with the same reimbursement opportunity.  If the artists prefer to be co-artists rather than primary and assistant, I can do $75 per page with the reimbursement for each.  I would also prefer the artists to know each other or have worked together at least once, so there isn't any issues.

The reimbursement will be up to $100 per month for any materials used for this project.  This will include the cost of digital subscriptions and physical items.  If you have any questions please feel free to let me know.


Offline Robin Rain

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Re: Looking For Artists for Multiple Demo Manga/Comics [Paid]
« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2022, 04:55:32 AM »
A few questions. (may add more)

Can we hear a little a little more about the project?
Are you wanting black and white? Color?
Is there a specific timeframe/deadline for each page?
Do these demos have completed scripts?
Do you have completed character references or is concept art involved?
Are the artists in charge of everything from storyboards to word bubbles?
What method of contact will be used?

I worked with a few artists here several years ago for a brief time, but with MR slowing down, I suspect they, and anyone else who has collaborated, may not see your offer.

Offline Suuper-san

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Re: Looking For Artists for Multiple Demo Manga/Comics [Paid]
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2022, 07:51:30 AM »
I second those questions and add my own:
  • How/when will the payment be sorted/will there be an "official" contract etc?
    Especially as you mention "several" manga one-shots that you're after.
    i.e. paid per page every time a page is completed, or what.
  • And also, what exactly is the expected workload difference between main artist and assistant? I assume that will vary somewhat on their specific skillset and what they want/are comfortable doing. (Hence your mention of co-artists as an option)
  • As a second option, can an artist be both main and assistant? as someone who has single handedly worked on a comic and also worked in a team, solo is much more preferable. (Also extra pay for doing 2 jobs  :tongue:)
  • Do snacks count as (disposable single-use performance enhancing) equipment? (semi-serious)

I am definitely interested, although the timeframe is the biggest issue for me as I am redecorating at the moment, so am not available for at least the next few weeks, but afterwards I am much more free. But still the amount of time I can set aside weekly isn't infinite either. A fully drawn high level page can take a minimum of several hours, let alone planning, approval and design iteration steps which slow things down massively.

While I haven't properly worked with anyone here on MR (actually the VN probably counts) I think those that are still active know each other through our normal interactions and chit chat well enough to have a relatively frictionless working relationship. probably :P
« Last Edit: August 04, 2022, 08:39:50 AM by Suuper-san »
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Offline TheEndisNotThere

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Re: Looking For Artists for Multiple Demo Manga/Comics [Paid]
« Reply #3 on: August 04, 2022, 10:59:20 AM »
Can we hear a little a little more about the project?
Are you wanting black and white? Color?
Is there a specific timeframe/deadline for each page?
Do these demos have completed scripts?
Do you have completed character references or is concept art involved?
Are the artists in charge of everything from storyboards to word bubbles?
What method of contact will be used?

Thank you for the interest in my offer.

The project will be 5 opening chapters for stories that take place in the same world, but vastly different places so they will not impact each other.  These stories are:

The Devil of Murkwood - A father/daughter story diving into the divine and profane influences on their world.
The Iron Bear - A rescue story that looks into the Spiritual aspects of the world.
The Knight of Stone - A finding strength story focused more on the learned/acquired magics of the world.
The Deadman's Search for Redemption - A revenge story looking at the relationships between species of the world.
The Star Trader - A debt repayment story diving into the nondivine outside forces that impact the world.

As for Black and White vs Color, that depends more on the artists.  If they are more comfortable with manga styles then Black and White is fine as there are typically different things being emphasized with manga.  If they prefer more of a Comic style of drawing, then color is preferred.

As for a timeframe/deadline per page, obviously I would like faster results, but I know this stuff takes time for quality.  Faster completion means the artists get paid faster, and I can find out if there is any interest for the project sooner.  Ideally, I would like to see about 1 page per week, but as long as at least 2 high quality pages are done per month, I can live with that.

I have posted some of the story ideas in the manga ideas section of the forum, but I do have scripts for the demos.

Unfortunately I do not have any completed references.  However, I can provide images for reference/jumping off points.

The story boards can be done by the artists if they choose, but I know the beats and main points that I would like to hit with the stories.   The word bubbles will be up to the artists.

Contact methods will be based off of whatever works best for all parties, so that all can be included in discussions and possible meetings.  Voice calls over things like discord or skype and email are preferred.

I second those questions and add my own:
  • How/when will the payment be sorted/will there be an "official" contract etc?
    Especially as you mention "several" manga one-shots that you're after.
    i.e. paid per page every time a page is completed, or what.
  • And also, what exactly is the expected workload difference between main artist and assistant? I assume that will vary somewhat on their specific skillset and what they want/are comfortable doing. (Hence your mention of co-artists as an option)
  • As a second option, can an artist be both main and assistant? as someone who has single handedly worked on a comic and also worked in a team, solo is much more preferable. (Also extra pay for doing 2 jobs  :tongue:)
  • Do snacks count as (disposable single-use performance enhancing) equipment? (semi-serious)


Thank you for your expressed interest as well.

Payment will sent as soon as the completed page is received, and the reimbursement is paid at the end of the month based on any receipts sent during the month.  There will not be an official contract, but the artwork is not to be sold by the artists.  However, the artwork can be used as reference or included in the artists' portfolio after the project is completed and presented.

The workload difference for manga between the primary and assistant should be the primary artist does the base drawings while the assistant does things like touching up, cleaning up lines, adding effects, or generally adding on the finishing touches to the work.  For comics the primary artist does the base drawings while the assistant focuses on the coloring, touch ups, and other finishing touches.

If you are confident in your skills to be able to do it all yourself, I am more than happy to pay you $150 per page, as long as the quality is still there.

Snacks unfortunately do not count as equipment as it needs to be directly used when working on the project.  However, if you need something like coffee or an energy drink to help you maintain focus while you work, then I will consider that as something directly involved in the project.

Any other questions please feel free to let me know.

Offline Suuper-san

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Re: Looking For Artists for Multiple Demo Manga/Comics [Paid]
« Reply #4 on: August 04, 2022, 01:46:12 PM »
That's partly why I was semi-seriously asking since coffee and energy drinks are generally involved in my large projects :P
tbh the cost will be somewhat minimal even if I did count them in :D

I think all those answers are pretty clear and fair. I've not done any projects like this other than unpaid hobby projects with people I know so I'm somewhat clueless as to how things work out.

2 pages a month minimum is definitely within my ability I'm sure, although target quality will determine how long each page takes. I would definitely like to see any sort of artworks that show the style you are after.
Basically what manga do you want these to look like? Slome example names or series would be a handy reference.
I'm somewhat style-less at the moment, or rather, still finding my style, so I consider myself rather flexible when it comes to style. But I prefer black and white manga to full color comics.

Because of the generally large time constraints, I've only ever worked at lower than my best for personal manga projects, so I can't say my portfolio is great, would you like me to compile a portfolio of my fantasy style works? I'd rather be shot down quickly if I'm not at the quality or style you're after :D
You can always glance at my manga topics in my signature, anything in the last year is my current ability, but most are draft sketches rather than finished pieces. Even my manga are draft quality really /(T_T)\

oh another question, are you intending to carry on the series that get the most interest? i.e. is this a potential long-term serial project? or that's too far down the line to even say?
« Last Edit: August 04, 2022, 05:26:08 PM by Suuper-san »
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Offline TheEndisNotThere

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Re: Looking For Artists for Multiple Demo Manga/Comics [Paid]
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2022, 06:09:11 PM »
In terms of references to other manga I would say there are three for different reasons.  Fullmetal Alchemist and Mashle: Magic and Muscles for character designs and their expressions and quality.  The third is Berserk more for the inclusion of shading and backgrounds as the locations the stories take place in should play a role in the feeling it gives the reader, as well as the setting being quite close.  I don't expect the same level of quality as Berserk, Kentaro Miura was in a league of his own.

If there is interest in the project I will do things such as polling to determine what story has the largest interest, and work on that story as the next chapter.  I will rerun the poll after each chapter is completed until each story has hit the end of the story line.  So yes, this will be a long-term serial project if there is interest.

Offline Robin Rain

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Re: Looking For Artists for Multiple Demo Manga/Comics [Paid]
« Reply #6 on: August 04, 2022, 07:12:26 PM »
Quote
As for Black and White vs Color, that depends more on the artists.  If they are more comfortable with manga styles then Black and White is fine as there are typically different things being emphasized with manga.  If they prefer more of a Comic style of drawing, then color is preferred.

I ask because there's typically a large difference in the price between the two. Your budget would appear to lean more toward the side of B&W side of things.

Quote
Unfortunately I do not have any completed references.  However, I can provide images for reference/jumping off points.

Will the concept art be a paid project in addition to the pages or are they included as part of the page budget?


And another question, do you have prior experience working with artists?

Offline TheEndisNotThere

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Re: Looking For Artists for Multiple Demo Manga/Comics [Paid]
« Reply #7 on: August 04, 2022, 08:55:47 PM »
For the concept art, the price can be discussed to make sure the amount of work required for it feels amicable.  I know the price for doing concept art can vary depending where the artist lives, so I want to make sure we can all find a reasonable price to work with.

I have worked with an artist before, but that was around 2017.  It was for a different project, and we worked together for a few months.  Unfortunately I had a medical issue that caused me to lose my stream of income, and left me disabled for a few years.  However, I have recovered and resumed working, so I can now pursue this venture.

Offline Robin Rain

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Re: Looking For Artists for Multiple Demo Manga/Comics [Paid]
« Reply #8 on: August 04, 2022, 11:38:06 PM »
I have prior and current experience working as a comic assistant, and since I have my own projects to work own, the assistant position is what I would probably be interested in. I have done character color flats and shading for the previous assistant work. I use Clip Studio Paint Ex so I can do word bubbles and other things.

I do need to ask if it's negotiable to have at least 50% of the pay up front and have the reimbursement added to the base amount (per every 2-3 pages depending on what's decided) as most artists working digitally already have all the tools and programs they need so it's not much of an incentive otherwise and most artists take payment up front.

Offline TheEndisNotThere

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Re: Looking For Artists for Multiple Demo Manga/Comics [Paid]
« Reply #9 on: August 05, 2022, 02:06:56 PM »
I am willing to negotiate some up front pay, but that would require additional stipulations as I could just end up losing money paying like that.  ie. I am told that 3 pages will be done for the month.  Pre-pay $150 to the primary artist and $75 to the assistant, but at the end of the month only 1 page is actually completed due to a family/pet/medical/random emergency.  Does that mean I just lose the extra $75 I already paid, plus if I am paying upon completion of the page, I pay another $75 between both artists?  That would mean that I lost $150 for that month.

I am willing to change the reimbursement to a completion bonus, so if the page goal for the month is reached, each artist will get paid the extra $100.

Offline Robin Rain

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Re: Looking For Artists for Multiple Demo Manga/Comics [Paid]
« Reply #10 on: August 05, 2022, 03:02:06 PM »
The opposite is true as well. We, the artists, could do a whole months of work and then you could just disappear or suddenly be unable to pay Then we would be losing that same $. It goes both ways. That's why 50% tends to be best in situations like this.

Offline Operative13

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Re: Looking For Artists for Multiple Demo Manga/Comics [Paid]
« Reply #11 on: August 05, 2022, 05:12:21 PM »
I use third-party services such as Upwork to arrange contracts. The money is put into escrow so both sides are guaranteed they don't lose it for work put in (or lack thereof). You also have options to set up milestones so you can pay part of the contract as the work progresses. Of course with every third-party service, there's a fee attached to them. For Upwork, it's 5% for both freelancers and commissioners, but that's the price you pay for safety and security.
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Offline TheEndisNotThere

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Re: Looking For Artists for Multiple Demo Manga/Comics [Paid]
« Reply #12 on: August 05, 2022, 06:47:40 PM »
I understand that time for an artist is important, which is why I am willing to do money upfront.  I'm not saying that 50% is too high either, but I would need to change how the payout would have to happen to ensure there is an incentive to complete the pages suggested.  This way, both the artist can protect their time, while I protect my capital.  Also, I made sure to save all of the money this project requires, including extra, so not being able to pay should not happen unless banks start going under.

An example would be, if the goal was 2 pages for the month, pay 50% the 2 page cost ($100 and $50) at the beginning of the month.  Then upon completion of the 2 pages, pay the other 50%, and if before the first of the next month, add the extra completion bonus of $100 to each artists' pay.  If not, then the extra is just lost.  Then I would probably have a meeting to find out what happened, and determine what the goal for the new month should be.

I would also like to include an incentive for going beyond the goal as well.  Like after completing the month's goal, if an other page is completed, I would pay an additional 50% of the page cost as a performance bonus. ($150 and $75 for the page)

Upwork sounds interesting, I could take a look into it.

Offline scruffyronin

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Re: Looking For Artists for Multiple Demo Manga/Comics [Paid]
« Reply #13 on: September 14, 2022, 08:38:12 PM »
Interested.