Life of an artist in 2024

It's been a while since I regularly sat down with the intention to create new artwork. Strange, considering the fact that I present myself as a professional artist. Although being a modern day commercial artist means not only creating art, but also doing all the jobs surrounding the sale of the art. This includes: initial market research to help decide what might be popular with customers; promoting art via social media and other channels; creating sales pages online for each product; attending shows and events to connect with customers back in the real world; or packing, posting, and resolving issues with online orders.

Basically the business of selling art takes up so much time that creating art becomes secondary. This doesn't seem right. People don't become artists because they like selling and performing admin jobs. Most artists create art because they have ideas they want to express or to share their own aesthetic sense with the world.

Who values the artist?

The trouble is, the world doesn't properly acknowledge and reward creative types. When a best selling book is written, the publisher earns more than the author. When a chart-topping song is released, the record label takes the lion share. When art is sold in a gallery, typically the gallery takes a 50% commission, yet the artist pays for the materials used to make the piece. When a collaboration between talented writers, musicians, and artists creates a box-office smash movie, it's the producers and studios that cash in. Am I wrong in thinking people with money make money by exploiting others' creativity? Do movie studio shareholders care where the money comes from? Or about the comparatively starving artists paid an insignificant sum to generate them a huge pay day? Does anyone care?

It's true that there are creatives who made big bucks. Michael Jackson, Pablo Picasso, and Agatha Christie are listed as all-time best sellers in their respective fields. Each generating hundreds of millions of dollars. And many creatives alive today are comfortably living off of their artistic endeavours. Although I'm not sure people realise that for every success story, there are thousands who tried and failed through no fault of their own. I've personally met hundreds of them.

Why am I mentioning this? Because I hate injustice. Why become an artist and spend years devoting one's life to a creative pursuit, perhaps sacrificing luxuries or even basic needs? It would make far more financial sense to pursue a job requiring far less skill and time investment. Of course, if you're creatively inclined, money isn't the goal. But if artists weren't undervalued and could at least pay the bills, that would be great. And in my case, I'd love to be able to afford paying a team to run the admin side of my creative enterprise, allowing me time to do the job I signed up for. Perhaps I'll get there eventually?

I don't want to sound bitter. Instead, I hope to raise awareness about the plight of the many skilled artist friends I have who bring beautiful creations into the world yet aren't adequately compensated. Also, I'm a realist who thinks it's useful to make a counterpoint to the typical go-getter 'you can do it' advice other successful artists will espouse. Sure, that's what people want to hear. It's optimistic and inspiring, but naive. Making a living from one's artistic endeavours is tough, and for some, it will be an impossibility. Let's not pretend otherwise. 

With that said, I am an artist, so I need to create things. I have 🙂

Three things I've been working on:

For the most part, I've been thinking about anime fan art. I'll be attending a few upcoming comic conventions and wanted to offer up some relevant character art. I thought it would be cool to show a few progress shots, going from the mid-way point to the final, finished article.

Here's Senku from 'Dr Stone'. It's one of the greatest shonen manga / anime series ever made. Also it was originally drawn by artist Boichi, who's got perhaps the most bad-ass style in all of manga. My typical workflow starts with sketch, which I then ink to replace the sketchy drawing with smooth, neat outlines. These are filled with flat colours. Then I indicate where the shading will go with a darker tone, which gives it an animation cel look. I could leave it there but I always want to add smooth rendering to really make things pop!

Here's Gon and Killua from 'Hunter x Hunter'. As with Dr Stone, Hunter Hunter is top-tier shonen anime/manga. And I'm not the only fan- did you know the original author of Hunter x Hunter Yoshihiro Togashi gained over a million followers on X the day he opened an account! Often the term "fan art" is simply used to refer to art created by other artists of existing characters. The "fan" part isn't always true of some artists, but I truly am a huge HxH fan, so was happy to pay tribute to such a masterfully created story.

Nami from probably the most popular anime series to date, One piece. After having watched 1100 episodes (yes, a crazy amount), I thought it was about time I created another One Piece artwork after Zoro. I tried to incorporate Eiichiro Oda's style, and at the mid way point I was concerned with it. Maybe it just needed more purple (my favourite colour)? 😁 I continued refining the shading regardless and am now happy with it.

When I was a kid I loved air brush art. Maybe it was something to do with being an 80s baby? All the book covers and video game covers I loved back in the day had that smooth blended 80s airbrush look. When I found out you could recreate it using Photoshop back in the late 90s, it became my go-to art style of choice. Even when I experiment with different line styles, or face styles, I think the smooth, gradients and blends at the rendering stage help tie my digital portfolio together.

What is Berserk?

Berserk, crafted by the late Kentaro Miura, is a masterpiece manga that plunges readers into a nightmarish medieval-inspired world. At its heart is Guts, the "Black Swordsman," a lone mercenary marked by trauma and tragedy. Miura's storytelling delves into the complexities of human emotion, portraying guts as a deeply scarred individual navigating a brutal and fantastical realm filled with supernatural horrors and human malice.

Guts’ journey, from his mercenary days in the Band of the Hawk to the traumatic Eclipse event, unfolds against the backdrop of a world teetering on the edge of despair. Miura weaves a narrative that transcends typical fantasy boundaries, exploring themes of destiny, friendship, and the pursuit of identity. Guts’ relationships with characters like Griffith and Casca add layers of nuance to the story, revealing the fragility of human connections amidst overwhelming adversity.

Berserk's world is a character in itself—a grotesque and captivating backdrop mirroring the psychological and physical struggles of its inhabitants. From towering apostles to the ethereal realm of the God Hand.

Berserk's success lies not only in its evocative art but also in Miura's ability to elevate manga storytelling. The series is a visceral journey through the darkest aspects of the human soul, challenging readers to confront the brutality of existence and the indomitable will to persist in the face of insurmountable odds.

It's more than a manga; it is a literary and artistic masterpiece. A legacy which endures through Guts’ epic saga.

Ben Krefta is on a journey to becoming an artist worthy of creating a Berserk fan art tribute

Berserk left a lasting impact on Ben, inspiring his creative journey and leading him to eventually create this artwork. His artistic growth mirrors Guts' relentless spirit, a character known for his resilience in the face of tough challenges.

Decades ago, when Ben first got into the dark world of Berserk, he was hooked on Kentaro Miura's storytelling. But back then, Ben admits he wasn't skilled enough to capture the depth of Guts' character. In fact he could barely draw at all! Despite many frustrations, his determination to continually improve, led to years of practice and honing his skills. Deciding to document his progress, Ben created these progress images and time-lapse video below showcasing the stages of shading and rendering. This wasn't just about the final artwork; it was a nod to the countless hours spent perfecting his craft, a visual journey paralleling Guts' struggles in the pages of Berserk.

[caption id="attachment_7089" align="aligncenter" width="714"] Initial Line Art[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_7088" align="aligncenter" width="714"] Planning Colours[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_7090" align="aligncenter" width="714"] Main Shading and Rendering Complete[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_7091" align="aligncenter" width="714"] A few final notes before completion[/caption]

The Video

The time-lapse video below reveals the evolution from an initial sketch fully rendered finished art. Ben uses Photoshop with his trusty Wacom graphics tablet to add colour, depth and texture to Guts' worn appearance. Each shading layer is a deliberate choice, using his signature comic book airbrush style to add contrast and vibrance into the artwork. The video captures the gradual refinement of details and subtle nuances breathing life into the two-dimensional drawing. It's not just a showcase of technique; it's a visual narrative echoing the arduous journey of artist and character.

Ben hopes that sharing the creative process, the struggles, and triumphs of Ben's artistic journey will inspire others, in the same way Guts and Berserk did to him. The final stages of rendering mark a personal triumph. The last brushstroke isn't just about completing an artwork; it's overcoming self-doubt and creative hurdles.

Wanted to try out another portrait framed by hair and including splatters and drips, this time going with a cute anime style or 'Moe' anime style. Sometimes it's good just to focus on a head rather than feeling the need to produce full body posing images every time- It gives me a chance to play around with facial styles which is a lot of fun, and without needing to pour in 100s of hours every time I create a new bit of work. Having said that, making some nice, neat line art and smooth colouring still stakes a few days compared to messier painterly styles. I think I did this one over the course of 3 or 4 days?

At the moment I'm using a Wacom Cintiq 27QHD graphics tablet to work on, which is also a lot of fun.

Also thought I'd experiment with a few different colour variations- Dark skinned anime girl with red lily and light hair anime girl with pink lily. Any Preference? Let me know which version you like best :)

My latest tutorial book The Artist's Guide to Drawing Manga is now available for humans to buy.

It primarily covers basic to intermediate techniques for creating manga style characters and artworks. I'd been wanting to create a new replacement to my first book The Art of Drawing Manga, and managed to revamp every aspect of it. The written content was doubled, the artwork quality increased, the tutorials and examples more relevant and the book's layout upgraded. The Artist's Guide book was designed to compliment Digital Manga- a book which details the digital process in more detail.

Why do I need another how to draw book?

Every artist has a different take on how they create art work and every teacher has a different approach to breaking it down and explaining how it's done. I hope that aspiring manga fans can read through the book, gaining new insights, inspiration and understanding of how it's done. Or at least, how it can be done. If you've never picked up a how-to-draw book before, I'd recommend checking out the Artist's Guide. I want to help people become awesome artists and I'm happy for anyone to email me about the book's contents if they need extra help or explanation :)

Instead of learning manga, shouldn't I be learning fundamentals to improve?

The book's ultimate aim isn't to force students to replicate stylized versions of people. It's main aim it to ask students to consider things like: using guide lines, basic shapes to plan proportions, how to break down complicated images into easier to understand sections, to sketch before refining details, to think about how to visually communicate by adjusting a character's pose, expressions, actions, clothing and also hone in on what makes the anime style so special and unique.

Yes, spend time life drawing and studying the real world. Learn to draw all sorts of things- not just manga, but if you want a book to motivate you to try out some artistic ideas in a style you appreciate, or even if you just want to draw a few manga characters for fun, consider the Artist's guide to be your manga-flavoured medicine.

Why should I buy your book and not just use online tutorials?

I have a lot of faith in the book... I know what I'm talking about, having created manga inspired artwork for years for dozens of clients. Check out my portfolio- I'm teaching readers how to achieve a similar vibrant and professional look to their artwork. I'm no stranger to creating 'how to draw manga' books- I have refined my process of communicating my knowledge over the last decade and put together a package which will advance one's ability much quicker than if they were to try pulling tutorials from various sources online.

Art still takes a ton of time and practice to get better, but if my 1000s of hours of instructional book-writing experience can bring a reader's skills up a notch or two for a reasonable price, I'd like to think that's worth it.

Online tutorials can be a bit hit and miss. I spent days researching what's already online. And while there is some excellent stuff, it can be hard to find and there's also a lot of confusing, poorly written instruction out there. All these tutorials are scattered across the web in various locations while The Artist's guide to Drawing Manga houses 124 pages of info in one place. - That info has consistency. It's written by the same author, so you know you wont be getting confused by trying to follow different ways of doing things from different teachers.

Even if you read a lot of tutorials and have other art books, there's always room for another. I'd be very surprised if a reader didn't learn at least one new, useful technique from the book. If that one technique saves hours of time and trial and error, isn't that worth paying for?

And if you've read it already, let me know what you think in the comments below :)

I spent the weekend adding two new projects to Benkrefta.com's Projects page.

The Artist's Guide to Drawing Manga, which is my new tutorial book due out in two or three weeks time, as well as my G7 Leaders character art - promotional illustration I worked on for Save the Children. Like all the projects on the site, they're more or less quick overviews or case studies of some of the client work I've completed over my artistic career which I hope visitors will find interesting :)

Both of these took way longer than I'd anticipated. Some days consisting of 16+ hour stretches at the computer to get things done before deadline or sleeping over at the studio, so it's a relief to have them all done and dusted. Here's one of the G7 illustrations I produced and given a black and white manga screen-tone overlay:

It had been a while since I drew any fanart. I did the pencil line art for this Death Note pic a few years ago, but only recently got around to inking and colouring it. Time permitting I'd love to draw up artwork for dozens more of my favourite anime :)

I have created a book!

My Photoshop tutorial book Digital Manga is currently available in the Shop.

It primarily covers Photoshop CS6 and CC, although most if it can be applied to earlier versions such as CS5 and CS4. I'd imagine a large chink of it could technically be applied and translated to other software such as Paint Tool Sai or Clip Studio Paint.

It details every little trick I've learned and implemented over the last dozen years of producing digital artwork by demonstrating a practical use on character art.

It's something I'm proud of and hope it can be as useful to aspiring digital artists and my other how-to-draw books have been for manga enthusiasts.

"Why Photoshop? It's such expensive software compared to alternatives"

Beginners might opt for cheaper software as their digital tool to start, and I wouldn't blame them. Something like Sai is great! I like it for inking and I've seen incredible results achieved with it.

Although alternative software tends to have limits, and it's hard to argue a case against Photoshop's power and versatility.

It's a tool students will eventually need to get to grips with once they go to Uni and Adobe programs are set up on their university or college computers. Then after graduating, you'll find most in-house film, animation and game studios are still favouring PS for 2D art creation.

If you want to be a professional and aren't taking advantage of PS's blending modes, Plug-ins and brushes, you could be doing your artwork a disservice or making things harder on yourself in the long run.

Also, once you get to grips with PS, learning other software in the Adobe family becomes a little easier. Illustrator, InDesign or even Dreamweaver share a similar interface and are designed to be cross-compatible. Learning PS for my manga art later allowed me to get employed as a full time web and graphic designer for several years. Other art or comic design software wont easily allow that kind of transition.

Why should I buy your book and not a different digital art guide or just find online tutorials?

1. I have a lot of faith in my book, Photoshop skills and breadth of knowledge. I'm experienced and confident with what I'm talking about. I've been using Photoshop since Version 4 back in the late 90s and experienced close to a dozen versions of the software. Don't take my word for it- check out my portfolio. The colour work is smooth, clean, detailed and expertly rendered. I'm teaching readers how to achieve a similar deep, vibrant and professional look to their artwork.

2. The book covers the latest version of Photoshop- books published several years ago may cover out of date software. I've tried to make Digital Manga backwards and forwards (as much as is possible) compatible.

3. Digital Manga's tutorials covers a lot, and in-depth. The aim is to bring a novice up to a similar level to myself as quickly as possible. Art still takes a ton of time and practice to get better, but if I can bring a reader's colouring and rendering skills up a notch or two for a reasonable price, I'd like to think that's worth it.

4. Online tutorials can be a bit hit and miss. Before writing Digital Manga, I spent a long time researching what's already online. While there is some excellent stuff out there, it can be hard to find everything a beginner might need. There's also a lot of confusing, poorly written instruction to contend with. Where as I'm able to draw upon my years of teaching experience from tthe previous how-to book's I've had published in order to deliver detailed, yet concise information.

5. Online tutorials are scattered across the web in various locations while Digital Manga houses 160 pages of info in one place. - That info has consistency. It's written by the same author, so you know you wont be getting confused by trying to follow different terminology or a different way of doing things from a variety of different teachers. With digital art, there are multiple ways to achieve the same result so I'd say be consistent and get the basics down before exploring other methods.

6. Even if you read a lot of tutorials and have other art books, there's always room for another. One should never stop learning. And I'd be very surprised if a reader didn't learn at least one new, useful technique from the book.

7. Line art and assets contained in the book can be downloaded for readers to practice on and follow the rendering tutorials Step-by-Step.

8. I want you to become better! I'm happy to offer assistance with any aspect covered in the book, so feel free to email me if you're having difficulty with something and I'll do my best to assist.

And if you've read it, let me know what you think in the comments below.

I Did a thing

Here's a little compilation of characters I'd created from my tutorial book 'Drawing Manga - Step by Step'.

It's a relatively short how to draw guide book I worked on years which and had been re-released more recently. The idea being to create a cast of characters, teaching how they can be drawn. For those still learning how to create a character artwork, this book offers initial guidance and step-by-step instruction.

I get nostalgic looking back at previous projects I'd worked on :)

Learning to draw (Manga and Anime)

Learning to draw anime and manga characters is both useful and fun for several reasons. Firstly, it provides a creative outlet for self-expression. Anime and manga styles allow artists to convey emotions, tell stories, and create unique worlds through distinctive character designs. This fosters a sense of accomplishment as artists bring their imagination to life on paper.

Moreover, mastering anime and manga drawing techniques enhances overall artistic skills. Artists learn proportions, anatomy, and dynamic poses, honing their abilities to capture movement and expression. This foundational knowledge is transferable to other art forms and styles, contributing to a well-rounded skill set.

The anime and manga community is vast and global, making it a shared cultural experience. Learning to draw in these styles allows artists to connect with a diverse audience, share their work online, and participate in a vibrant artistic community. Collaborating with fellow enthusiasts, attending conventions, or even creating fan art fosters a sense of camaraderie and belonging.

Additionally, drawing anime and manga characters is a gateway to understanding Japanese culture and storytelling. It provides insights into different artistic traditions, narrative structures, and character archetypes prevalent in Japanese media. This cultural exchange broadens perspectives and enriches the overall learning experience.

In essence, learning to draw anime and manga characters is a fulfilling and enjoyable journey that combines artistic growth, cultural exploration, and the opportunity to connect with a global community of fellow enthusiasts.

Commission for Tegan

This was made as a gift for a Dad's daughter, Tegan. She's a fan of Japan, Dragon Ball Z and Card Captor Sakura, so it was cool to get a few references in there with her portrait.

I think this must be one of the few times I draw a seated pose, and I like the colours with this one. Looking back, my only regret is that the shoes should be closed-toe, but like with every picture, you do what you think is right at the time.

Commission for Jessica

This commission was drawn for a friend of Jessica. She needed to look like she meant business and went with a foreshortened perspective with this. I don't know what the dinosaur bone is about? I'm sure it has some significance.

I'm not a caricaturist by trade so adapting the art I do to look like someone specific but with a manga vibe is always a challenge. Is it possible to convert real people's features into a simplified and stylized manga form (such as Pokemon, Dragonball) while managing to retain a likeness?

Birthday cake

This anime style portrait illustration was created for a a young family's twin daughter's Birthday. Made with the intention of being printed on a birthday cake. I wonder how it looked in the end? Or how it tasted?

I've worked as a manga inspired/influenced/style artist for years. Although a large percentage of people I meet don't really know what manga is! Let alone understanding the differences between it an anime. Older relatives, or those completely removed from popular culture often need educating. For most people who are unfamiliar, I'll usually just say I draw "Japanese style comics and cartoons". However, I don't think the answer to "What is manga?" or "What is anime?" is a simple 'one description fits all scenarios' sentence. With a little help from Wikipedia I thought I'd try my best at summing it up these definitions.

What is the difference between Anime and Manga?

Anime is a term to describe animation created in Japan. In the west, the term is “anime” is defined as a style and genre of animation typically originating in Japan, and can often feature detailed, colourful imagery, unique, in-depth characters and action orientated plot lines either set in the past, present, future or often within a fantasy setting. The meaning of the term ‘anime’ can sometimes vary depending on the context it’s used in.

Manga is a term to describe comics created in Japan, or produced by Japanese Manga Ka (artists), primarily for a Japanese audience. The style was developed in Japan though the mid to late 19th century with heavy influences from western and American comics combined with the long and complex history of Japanese art and wood-block prints. In the western world, the term is often defined as a style of drawing originating in Japan and many western artists have adopted this style and refer to themselves as Manga artists.

We could summarize, that typically:

Anime = animation in a typical Japanese cartoon style. Often in full Colour.
Manga = comics in a typical Japanese cartoon style. Often in black & white and with grey tones.

How would you describe anime and manga to the uninformed?