TWCL

[Eve Z.]

Younno, one of the things that would motivate me to draw and keep my comic is to receive fan art. And I keep on checking my mail every now and then to find... nothing.

And here's the mighty question: what do you guys do to get fan-art for your comics.

I need tips.
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[Uncle Greedy]

Without any garantee, but I propose it is similar like getting feedback, meaning an exchange of giving and getting. So if you like to get some fan-art, maybe you start producing fan-art for others and wait if something comes back. (Maybe you already did, I don't know. It doesn't work that way always, but it is a fair attempt.)

[iaviv]

When I needed fan art for a book edition of my comic (to fill up some blank pages), I just asked on my blog, letting people know I needed some help in that department. There was plenty of fan art to go around very quickly after that. I suppose getting a free copy of the book was a good incentive, though.

[Dutch]

To me that sounds like a selfish reason to be making your comic - because you want fan art to motivate you to keep going. First and foremost you need fans, and on top of that you need fans who like to draw, and on top of that you need fans who THINK they can draw, which are even fewer, and on top of that you need all those things with the added bonus of fans who have time to draw.

I think I can count my unlooked for fan art on the fingers on one hand - most of what I have were from silly forum games or stuff and I doubt most of those people were reading my strip anyway.

Try giving out fan art of your own - I've only done it a few times myself, and not a whole lot has come of it, but you never know.


Otherwise you can just ask for it (which I do around the strip's birthday week) but then you should be calling it guest art instead.
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[Novil]

To get unsolicited fanart regularly you need a super hit or a comic that drives a niche audience to go bonkers. We have around 30,000 readers and only get a couple of pictures per year.
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[Sylvia]

You could try having a fan art contest. I've never done it, but I've seen it done successfully. Well, actually I did do it for my Lifehouse fan comic, but I had a pre-established audience of enthusiastic fans.

There are also various exchanges, especially around Christmas time. Like, I think the Webcomic Beacon is having one.
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[Eve Z.]

Dutch wrote:

To me that sounds like a selfish reason to be making your comic - because you want fan art to motivate you to keep going. First and foremost you need fans, and on top of that you need fans who like to draw, and on top of that you need fans who THINK they can draw, which are even fewer, and on top of that you need all those things with the added bonus of fans who have time to draw.

Well, thing is, I'm not making a comic only to get fan art from it and it's not like only this would keep me going. But... getting a random piece of work from an anonymous does make me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.

This isn't a personal topic, just curiosity, as it's a part of a webcomic artist's loot after all.

I did get several with SL when I ran it and they made me happy.


Is the Secret Santa still going on? I know it did 2 or 3 years ago, but I don't know now... :/
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[vulpeslibertas]

Dutch wrote:

To me that sounds like a selfish reason to be making your comic -

Isn't self-fulfillment a selfish motivation?

As for fan art, I've only got a little. Some from webcomic exchanges, some from discussions with other artists, and one which was just completely random out of the blue.

You could just tell your readers that you like fan art and ask for some.

"PLZ UPDATE IT DYING TO KNOW" <- I bet this fan would draw you some fan art if you told them the next comic was dependent on it.

You still have 5 days to join this Secret Santa Exchange: http://wcss.deerme.net/
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[smbhax.com]

I haven't tried it, but from what I've read, heard, and seen (and like iaviv has said worked for him), you just ask.
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[Meggyc]

When I want to see "fan art" of my characters, I usually just open myself up to art trades. If you want to get something, give something, I say. (Though I guess that's cheating in that it's not necessarily "fan" art)

I always thought of fan art as being something very precious though. I mean, it's a sign that someone loves a work so much that they just REALLY have to draw it. I don't think that's a switch that people can just turn on and off. And I don't think that just because people aren't throwing fan art around doesn't mean they don't really love something. Not every fan can draw and not every artist/fan has free time to draw.

Maybe it's just me and my approach to making fan art, but I really really REALLY have to be into something and just itching to draw it before I can make fan art. (But even if I don't make fan art for something, that doesn't mean I don't love and adore it.)

Anyway... I rarely ever get fan art. But when I do, I feel like it's something to be truly grateful for. It really says that someone cares enough and perhaps loves my comic enough that they were itching to draw. And that's special - really special!
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[Cope]

vulpeslibertas wrote:

You still have 5 days to join this Secret Santa Exchange: http://wcss.deerme.net/

...and four more to join the comic genesis secret santa.
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[Eve Z.]

Thanks a lot vulpes for for the link! I just got added to the list.

And well, thanks Cope, but I'm not planning on going back to CG anymore.

I believe my best solution there is to get fan art is continue on drawing and move on with the story so I can gain reader's interest more... ^^ Getting it out of teh blues is better than asking for it.
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[Gual-kun]

Dutch wrote:

To me that sounds like a selfish reason to be making your comic - because you want fan art to motivate you to keep going. First and foremost you need fans, and on top of that you need fans who like to draw, and on top of that you need fans who THINK they can draw, which are even fewer, and on top of that you need all those things with the added bonus of fans who have time to draw.

I don't think wanting some fan work is something selfish. Plus, I don't think that's Eve's reason for doing the webcomic, it's only something she would like to see.

For me, trades are nice. Then, you will see sporadically some unexpected nice present; fact . It's like hey said before, giving and receiving... Another nice plan is to post here... could work... wait, you already did that

[Dutch]

No, I'm not saying it's her only reason for doing the webcomic. I've no doubt she does it mainly because it's something she enjoys. I'm never going to argue that side of the debate. The way she presented the original topic though, it read as though the need for fan art to motivate herself to keep going, not just for the strip itself.

I... may join that other Secret Santa Exchange this year. I haven't had much luck with those. I've jumped into the CG one again, but I've only managed to get Secret Santas once or twice from the six or seven of those sorts of things I've joined so far.

Yeah... I seem to even have trouble getting fan art from exchanges!
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[Gual-kun]

Dutch wrote:

I... may join that other Secret Santa Exchange this year. I haven't had much luck with those. I've jumped into the CG one again, but I've only managed to get Secret Santas once or twice from the six or seven of those sorts of things I've joined so far.

What secret Santa? ·_·

Dutch wrote:

Yeah... I seem to even have trouble getting fan art from exchanges!

Don't worry, keep trying and you will see