BRIAN STELFREEZE Artist for JONAH HEX
DON'T BRING A KNIFE TO A GUNFIGHT.

Do not include pinups when you're showing your portfolio to an editor. There are very few jobs in comics that require you to do a pinup, so it is waste of the editors time. You should only show pages, and preferably consecutive story pages. Most editors are looking for people who can do interior story pages, so show them you are willing and ready to do exactly that. I would not even include cover illustrations in a portfolio. Once you get a job doing the interiors it is much easier to get the job doing covers.

JAMAL IGLE – Artist for SUPERGIRL
PATIENCE IS MORE THAN A VIRTUE

Every young artist is impatient. It doesn't matter the discipline or the tools, every young artist wishes to blossom fully formed, with their style established and their stamp on the world having the largest, maximum impact it could have. The problem we forget at that stage is that, art and the study of art is a life long journey. I'm always looking for advice and critiques on my work to see if there is something missing. Seek out the advice of others occasionally, to get a fresh pair of eyes and a different perspective on your work. I know, it's hard not to want to explain what you're trying to achieve, but as an editor once told me: if you have to defend it, you didn't do it right. So in the end, the key to art, as in life, is patience.

TOM FLEMING Fantasy Artist
THAT'S JUST TACKY!

Occasionally I use frisket film when airbrushing. Most film is higher tack than I would like, even the "low tack" advertised stuff. To remedy this problem, I cut the size of film that I need and press it against my shirt. Lint will stick to the film decreasing the adhesive, but not enough to lose the tack, and then I don't have to worry about the film pulling up paint or fibers of my watercolor paper.

KARALYN JOHNSON Fantasy Artist
BE GENTLE!!

The core of colored pencils can shatter when treated carelessly. When storing colored pencils upright, use cotton or wadded tissue to cushion the bottom of the container to protect the pencils from any unnecessary stress of impact when you place them back into storage. Place the sharpened tips upright with the flat ends into the cotton.