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MellowPebble
Sep '23

Hello! I’m a writer and am looking for artists to commission or collaborate with on an original story. I was surprised at the amount of artists both in these forums, and online places like r/hungryartist that are willing to work (in some cases for free!), and so I’d like to ask anyone who has collaborated with someone online about their experiences. Anything from how you met the writer/artist, to what the work-flow was like in your experience. I’d love to hear about it!

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    Sep '23

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    Sep '23
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Todoyama
Sep '23

I will write a tiny summary for you, as a experienced user on this platform:

If you don't pay the artist, the artist won't put you on their priority list, meaning that in some months, maybe BUT MAYBE they will write back.

Don't get excited about meeting a new cool artist, they will probably bail on you mid-way, if your story sucks.

In my opinion, you will have to empty your credit card if you want a good and hardworking artist for you(meaning you need 500$+, not less.)

Feel free to argue with me, these are just MY experiences, maybe somebody else has a better life, idk.

Lensing
Sep '23

Here is my experience:

Short time collabs can work really well but only when everyone can do what
they are into.

Unpaid long time collabs don´t work for many reasons, I could write a book
about why they don´t work.

Short time collabs examples from this forum
-comic jams
-creating one page together
-easter basket

DiegoPalacios
Sep '23

Hey there, got a really positive working with professional artists so i got some tips that can help.

1-Choosing an artist:

Personally i prefer to work with people i know, because that way i am more certain about their skills and work ethics, but if you plan to work with an artist you don't know, make sure to check their portfolio and to see their work ethics.

2-Compensation:

If you want a committed and skilled artists you must be willing to pay them and ideally to avoid any delay in payment.

Personally i recommend paying in cash. Going with percentages in revenue is way harder because you would need them to prove the potential of your project and because many can't afford the longterm wait for compensation.

Build a budget to pay your artist. I have some savings that are exclusive to pay the people i'm hiring, sometimes you can avoid some unnecessary expenses to save cash for an artist's service.

This may sound obvious, but it's always good to mention it just in case, "exposure" or any equivalent is not a real currency.

3-Working with the artist:

Make sure you have a clear idea about your project's story and key concept before hiring someone. You wouldn't buy a carriage if you don't have a horse after all.

On fewer words, make sure you know what you want so you don't waste their time and yours. Also, make sure you explain what you want well.

When you are paying you have the last word, but be willing to listen if they come up with a suggestion/idea about art. Some may come up with ideas that enrich the story like a touch that enhances a character design or a better way for panelling.

4-Final notes: Communication is key when working with others in any field, be honest, be clear and be polite. The level of formality when speaking or texting may vary depending on who are you working with and how close you two are.

Hope this helps!

NickRowler
Sep '23
1

I had a bad experience trying to collaborate with someone who used to be my friend (we don’t talk anymore).

I guess they liked the idea of having a webcomic without being 100% sure what they wanted. I felt like I was doing all the work to come up with ideas and sketches. They told me it wasn’t what they wanted but didn’t tell me why or what they wanted instead. I ended up just dropping the project because I can’t create a comic if you are giving me nothing to work with.

I feel like I seen other people deal with stuff like this especially in game development. Someone wants to create a project with no plan or roadmap and ends up just wasting everyone’s time.

I guess my recommendation is if it’s your story, have a clear vision of what you want not just a vague idea.

powerplantanimations
Sep '23

You REALLY got to live up to your promises when doing collabs. I got lucky with payment and posting physical copies of the comic after pulling some strings. I recommend you make your artstyles like... really, really easy to draw though. I got so many requests when I pitched TSFI before settling on Burd.

Another thing I recommend is skill/connection trading but... you have to have big connections to drive interest.

Finally, be sure the person is on the same groove with you. My best friend Konai and I are working on a webcomic/novel thingy and we've reached the point where we act as second brains to each other.

Overall though, just be nice and fun.