I often get asked art questions from aspiring artists, so thought I'd share some answers from time to time. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll answer them on the next post :)

Does scaling down an image result in quality loss?

I know that if you resize images to make them larger the quality of that image is either blurred or not the best quality and loses detail.
What if you wish to scale down? Would all the details/quality look blurred? I have been asked by a client to produce art at only 1900x900 pixel dimensions. I would really like to draw on a larger sized canvas but if I size down my image It'll lose any detail?

Yes. You will lose detail if you down-scale since you're lessening the pixel information you have in an image. However There is no noticeable quality difference between down-scaling to say 1900x900 and working with those dimensions to begin with.

What I would do is work at the largest dimensions possible. Save a copy which you then down-scale to fit. You'll then also always have a higher detail version if needed.

How do I create an interesting Manga story ?

What are the basics? Is it okay to take reference from other stories (movies songs and so on). I know many stories are based on something else but I am afraid of making it to easy to recognise. How should a good story start ? How do I plan it?

Ask yourself what would you like to read about? What kinda stories inspire you? It's fine to borrow ideas. There are loads of time travel stories for example, but each one is told in a different way with a different cast of characters and different scenarios.

For manga I like stories about everyday life, where the hero starts as a loser and progress to greatness, usually with the help of something, someone or a special item or power that other people don't have. So far as I'm concerned if people stick with a basic premise like that they can't go wrong :)

Start by considering a chapter (20-30) pages and how you would convey your premise and introduce your main characters.
Start with rough draft or written script before finalising by moving on to the pencil and ink work.

Photoshop or Paint Tool Sai?

I really want to take my art to the next level and to get into digital painting and I'm not sure which program is better for that. I've only had brief experiences with both programs so I'm not that familiar with either. I also want to go to art school for animation and graphic design so if either of these programs could help me with that in the long run, that would be great as well.

1. Most companies or universities wont have Sai available or teach it.
2. Photoshop interface is similar in programs like Illustrator and Indesign which you'll use if you also get into graphic design.
3. Photoshop can be used much easier for things like photo editing and texture creation for animation.

Sai is an awesome program for art and illustration, but having said that, 4 outta 5 people who recommend it do so on the basis of: "it's easier for beginners", "That's what I've always used", and "It's cheaper". That's fair enough for hobbyists but it has more limitations than advantages over something like PS.

I wonder how many professionals in the art, design, animation and illustration industries exclusively use Sai? Probably not that many.

~~~

If there's a question you'd like answered relating to art, or digital illustration, feel free to contact me or leave a comment.

Frequently Asked questions...

I'm now at a point where it sometimes gets tiring re-writing the same answers to the same questions week after week. Despite answering the same questions on social media so often, they they still keep coming up again and again. Unfortunately that makes me suspect this post might go unnoticed also!

I don't want to ignore messages and comments, so will always courteously reply, but I'm sure I'm not the only artist who's bored of answering the same old questions like "Can you draw me a picture of X?" and "How much do you charge for art?".

I'll answer the questions with the same response I give to those who have asked in the past as well as comment (or perhaps moan is the right word? ha ha) on the question itself in italics.

How much do you charge?

I'm honoured to know you like my work enough to want to commission me. I will need to know exactly what you want created before I'm able to give a price. For example a pencil sketch of a head will take considerably less time and therefore cost less than illustrating an entire book or creating 6 months worth of video game assets. The Hire Me page on this site was created to answer this question and give customers an understanding of how to commission artwork from me.

Please appreciate this question gets handed to me at least once a week so can't help let out a sigh every time! Imagine asking a builder "how much do you charge?" to build a house. It could be inexpensive if you only want it for your kids to play in or dog to lay in, or it could cost tens of millions if it needs dozens bedrooms of and 20 bathrooms! Or what about walking into a restaurant and asking "how much do you charge?". There's going to be a big difference between a side salad and lobster dish, so surely most people would at least ask if they have a menu if not specifying, for example, "how much do you charge for a salad"?

I appreciate it might seem like a genuine query and perhaps wrong of me to expect the potential customer to consider an artist's services don't carry a single value e.g. £100. And, unlike a restaurant, a menu of prices is difficult to create when you're an artist like myself who posts/ advertises/ is able to create a wide range of different types of art. However it has become evident that the vast majority of potential customers asking little more than "how much do you charge?" aren't particularly serious about commissioning work to begin with and/or wouldn't be prepared to pay my prices anyway. The serious ones have already done the sensible thing of researching me on this site (perhaps arriving here via the link in my bio on social media sites) which can answer most preliminary questions before continuing to contact me. When clients write an introduction, a brief and specifics with politeness and etiquette I'll sit up and give the request the attention it deserves :)

What materials do you use?

Mostly Photoshop CC software with a Wacom Cintiq 27QHD graphics tablet. I'll occasionally use pencil, ink and markers for traditional work.

1. I've likely already posted #photoshop and #cintiq in the description on social media art posts, yet people still ask on these posts what I use. I do wish people would pay more attention.
2. I think a lot of people are looking for expert insider information with this one to help give them the edge, but does it really matter what I use? You can achieve similar results to most things I create with dozens of different software or traditional media, so much of the time it comes down to personal preference and my methods may not suit other people. It's strange that most other artists also list this as a most frequently asked question when there are so many other important or interesting questions that could be asked.
3. I've written art tutorial books which discuss tools of the trade in far more depth than I can cover in a reply online, so better just to buy those- they're reasonably priced and not going to break the bank.

Can you draw me a picture for free?

Sorry. I'm too busy with work and commissions.

There's a few reasons why I wont do this:

1. I feel it's disrespectful to ask an artist or any professional to work for free. It's like walking into a hairdressers and asking for a free haircut. 
2. Like most creatives, I have so many ideas for things I'd like to create that I don't have time or want to devote mental energy to focusing on someone else's project (unless compensated).  I especially wouldn't have time if I'm spending vast amounts of my life drawing pictures for anyone who asks.
3. Giving away freebies would be unfair to customers who have happily paid me to have artwork created for them in the past or will do in the future.

Does anyone ever actually say yes to this request? I would imagine every artist gets asked this question all the time and I'm sure we all face-palm every time.

How long have you been drawing?

I'm in my mid thirties so quite a long time. Read my Backstory for more info.

Can you give me some art tips?

I'd rather aspiring artists buy and read my How to Draw Manga books (in this site's Shop or via Amazon) which gives hundreds of tips. If you've read my books cover to back I guarantee you'll learn something new and anything needs more clarifying, let me know and I'm happy to help as much as I can.

I know everyone's looking for a free education, but sometimes putting your hand in your pocket and investing just a small amount in a tutorial book can be such a time saver. I also think if you've paid for information, you're more likely to take on board what's being said plus I'd feel happier to see people using what I teach in the books than me handing them some general advice on social media which wont stick or be sufficient to make people want to sit down, try a new technique and feel inspired to create.

Can you tell me how to become a pro artist?

I don't have a good answer to this one. Every artist will need to find their own way to success. I'm not deliberately trying to be vague, but it would be impossible for anyone to replicate what I did to established myself. Why? The internet was still in it's infancy when I started out. Opportunities to promote yourself online were quite different than they are today. Plus luck had a lot to do with it.

For now I'd advise just working hard on improving your portfolio and skills, start small and work your way up. So far as Social Media goes, I will say, unless you're work is phenomenal, simply creating a Facbook page or other social media account and posting up art once a week isn't going to be enough to secure any work on it's own.

You'll need to devote a lot of time and energy to marketing yourself and making others aware that you and your awesome, unique art exists. That might involve interacting with other people's content, liking, following, sharing and being a good online-citizen in hope of reciprocation, or finding a use for your services within communities you're involved with, both on and offline.

New How-To Manga book in the works!

For those that don't know, I'm currently working on a new How-to-Draw Tutorial book relating to manga and character art. 113 pages down with another 15 to get done by the end of the year!

My first book 'The Art of Drawing Manga' came out 12 years ago. I still have people come up to me or message to say how much it helped them when they were starting along their artistic journey. Even though back in 2003 I didn't feel I was at an artistic level to be teaching how to draw, I always hoped that it might at least inspire a few beginners to give it a go and I could provide a few words of wisdom and tips and I'd picked up along the way. I'm glad it could help so many :)

For 2016 I'd like 'The Artist's Guide to Drawing Manga' (TAGTDM) to help a new generation of fans learn some useful techniques to create their own manga inspired artwork. Unlike with Youtube tutorials or tutorial web pages in general, my latest book provides the opportunity to detach from the internet and take some time to read through a dedicated resource housing several key learning guides or chapters all in a single package. TAGTDM allows users to either flick through, dip into, or follow from start to finish.

It's better to read a book than browse online

While researching parts of the book via the internet I found a lot of free manga art content online, some of it totally awesome! Although there's also a far more poor quality information which isn't very concise, well written or explained, and so much is scattered throughout the web at different locations. I might find a great tutorial on how to draw a manga eye, but then might need to spend a fair while looking for a tutorial which shows how create a full manga page, then more time finding tips on how to ink or colour my work digitally, or answers certain questions I might have.

Web tutorials are often given by different artists who have different approaches to their work, making things confusing for newbies. And they may not have the time to be particularly concise, or have their words copy-edited by someone else.

Along with my near 30 years of love for games, comics and animation, I'd expect that if any beginner were to follow TAGTDM from start to finish they'd definitely level up and increase their skills and knowledge. I'd imaging even artists with some experience would be able to gain a few insights also.

Even if people already own a how-to-draw book, or 10, a fresh reminder of how it can be done or reading a different professional artist's take on it can always help :)

Recently finished a 2 day comic con stint at the NEC. People stopping by at my table and taking an interest in my work is always very much appreciated. It was interesting to see what artworks fans were interested in- with 20+ different prints, there weren't many that didn't get either a positive comment or purchased, so not sure how I might better cater for shoppers in the future. For now I'll just continue offering as much variety as I can :) A good experience sampling both this and the London Con last month, and expect to attend some more shows in 2016.