Work-for-Hire Pencillers, Inkers, Toners
Submissions From Pencillers
The penciller leads the visual team and defines the look and feel of the project. Our ideal artist not only needs to be competent, disciplined and have an appealing style, but he or she needs to be familiar with the visual storytelling conventions of manga. The pencilled pages must stand on their own, enabling a reader to understand the action and emotion -- even in the absence of any text or dialogue.
Panel Layout and Pacing
The penciller is the entrepreneur of the manga and is the one most responsible for the success of the visual storytelling. Remember that the key element to layout is visual pacing. The rhythm of manga is sometimes more measured than syncopated. But the story may stop to take a breath as well. Cinematic cutaway shots, looking around at a scene, can seem to make time stand still. Manga frequently uses full-page and double-page panels to good effect. In general, keep the momentum going with consistent pacing unless a specific story situation calls for an abrupt deviation. There are usually few panels per page to support a faster, smoother flow. While the pace is more fluid, manga panel structure is conversely more dynamic and unrestrained. With a few exceptions, most American comics use a grid-style layout. By comparison, manga layouts generally use an unconventional panel layout with characters breaking out of the panel borders and scenes bleeding off the edges. We like to see pencilled submissions that demonstrate you've looked at a lot of manga and understand the layout style. Keep in mind that it's not just for show. Every art technique you use should support the story you're telling. It needs to flow and at no time should our beloved reader be confused about what's happening. Good-looking art panels and strong storytelling go hand in hand.
Rendering
Your skill at transferring manga concepts to the blank page can only improve with repeated and rigorous practice. Be aware of the aesthetic nuances that give manga its unique feel, but also don't be afraid to challenge the established parameters of the medium. Because of the faster pace, manga rendering should favor simpler and cleaner line-work, and not be bogged down in excessive detail. A result of this is manga's relative greater dependence on characterization to drive the story--therefore the rendering must have superior character design, body language, and all the variations of expression. To be successful, a character's interaction with the environment needs to be as visually convincing as the design. Make sure your backgrounds reflect the mood, pacing, and action of characters -- thus enhancing your storytelling.
Anatomy
While manga is highly stylized, it is important to remember that the human body follows rules of physics -- an elbow bends at a certain point, a neck turns only so far, a foot should look like ... a foot. If you don't know how the body works, you will not be successful at using the most important language of visual storytelling: body language. Whether you are portraying an ancient demon slayer or a high school girl with dreams of becoming a newscaster, anatomical expression tells what a character is doing and thinking at a given moment. In a well-drawn manga, the reader will be able to understand the action and emotion without reading the text.
This kind of attention to detail helps bring forth the emotions that are driving the story. When you're drawing manga you're directing a movie and your characters are the actors.
Perspective
Getting it right brings a reader into the environment of your story -- and there is nothing more distracting (or unprofessional) than objects out of perspective. Take a walk downtown or to a park and bring your sketchpad. Sit down and start drawing the street in front of you or the trees around you. See how perspective continuously plays a role in your visual environment.
Backgrounds
Your backgrounds can be simple or they can be highly detailed. Use whatever serves your style and storyline. Filling your panels with too much information is distracting; but a significant building, car or plant in the background brings your reader into the world of your story. Don't shy away from including background objects necessary for the story, even if they are hard for you to draw. Practice on the things that stump you until you get them right.
Inkers
We're looking for inkers who understand the nature and distinguishing characteristics of manga inking. Inkers should develop a broad repertoire of inking techniques and learn to work with a range of pens, brushes and markers. Variety in line weight is crucial. However, whether the line weight is light or heavy, the line still must maintain a sense of confidence. It's that balance between a feather touch and a confident line that we're looking for in our inkers.
Line Weight
One of the biggest differences in Western and manga inking is the line weight. In manga, the line work varies in weight more than in any other comic form. In general, lines are more delicate than those in most American comics. You'll notice a wispier feel in the hair, a lighter, thinner outline around the characters and a more sparing use of cross-hatching and spot blacks. Varying the width of your lines will add dimension and depth to the underlying pencils; it will also increase the fluidity of the panel and page layout. If you use the same line weight for everything, you risk flattening the image.
Depth
Evoking a sense of depth is one of the more difficult aspects of inking in a manga style. Cross-hatching, spot blacks or other shading methods should generally be minimized. Toning is what will accentuate depth. Plan ahead for toning when you ink and work closely with the toner if you're not going to be toning the art yourself.
Tests for Inkers
While a general portfolio is valuable for initial evaluation purposes, the best way to convince TOKYOPOP that you have what it takes to ink a full-length manga is to show us that you understand the aesthetics and style specific to the genre. To help you do this, we have provided inking test samples for your use. You will find that each one allows for a range of inking possibilities.
Inking Test Sample #1
Inking Test Sample #2
Print out, ink and scan these inking test sample files. Then e-mail a JPG to us at mangaka@tokyopop.com with INK SAMPLE at the beginning of the subject line, followed by your name. Include your contact information and professional experience in the e-mail.
Toners
The toner completes the manga page, adding depth and texture to the finished line art. Because of the variety of styles and genres in TOKYOPOP manga, our toners should have a broad repertoire of toning methods. Our toners use Photoshop and other software to apply digital grayscale coloring and digital screen tones. Occasionally we work with manga-ka who use traditional sheets of tone, but we prefer the digital process, as we find it more cost-effective and easier to manipulate.
Digital Screen Toning
Tones and patterns add depth, lighting and texture. They can also help tell the story by setting the mood. Remember to use toning judiciously; be sure to resist the impulse to tone every inch of the art.
Digital Grayscale Coloring
Some of our manga uses grayscale coloring instead of screen toning. This is a technique that works well with certain projects, although it is not our preferred method.
Toning Teamwork
A good toner is in synch with the penciller and inker. Often these other artists will give toning suggestions and leave out details or black areas, counting on the toner to fill them in.
Technical Note
To avoid moiré patterns associated with resizing toned artwork, TOKYOPOP requires that you apply digital tones to a scan that is the exact size for reproduction in our books.
Tests for Toners
While a general portfolio is valuable for initial evaluation purposes, the best way to convince TOKYOPOP that you have what it takes to tone a full-length manga is to show us that you understand the aesthetics and style specific to the genre. To help you do this, we have provided toning test samples for your use. You will find that each one allows for a range of toning possibilities.
Toning Test Sample #1
Toning Test Sample #2
Tone the file, preserving the size and 600dpi resolution of the test samples. If you use grayscale coloring, save the file as a grayscale jpeg. If you use screen tones, save it as a one-bit tiff or psd. Then e-mail the file to us at mangaka@tokyopop.com with TONE SAMPLE at the beginning of the subject line, followed by your name. Include your contact information and professional experience in the e-mail.
The penciller leads the visual team and defines the look and feel of the project. Our ideal artist not only needs to be competent, disciplined and have an appealing style, but he or she needs to be familiar with the visual storytelling conventions of manga. The pencilled pages must stand on their own, enabling a reader to understand the action and emotion -- even in the absence of any text or dialogue.
Panel Layout and Pacing
The penciller is the entrepreneur of the manga and is the one most responsible for the success of the visual storytelling. Remember that the key element to layout is visual pacing. The rhythm of manga is sometimes more measured than syncopated. But the story may stop to take a breath as well. Cinematic cutaway shots, looking around at a scene, can seem to make time stand still. Manga frequently uses full-page and double-page panels to good effect. In general, keep the momentum going with consistent pacing unless a specific story situation calls for an abrupt deviation. There are usually few panels per page to support a faster, smoother flow. While the pace is more fluid, manga panel structure is conversely more dynamic and unrestrained. With a few exceptions, most American comics use a grid-style layout. By comparison, manga layouts generally use an unconventional panel layout with characters breaking out of the panel borders and scenes bleeding off the edges. We like to see pencilled submissions that demonstrate you've looked at a lot of manga and understand the layout style. Keep in mind that it's not just for show. Every art technique you use should support the story you're telling. It needs to flow and at no time should our beloved reader be confused about what's happening. Good-looking art panels and strong storytelling go hand in hand.
Rendering
Your skill at transferring manga concepts to the blank page can only improve with repeated and rigorous practice. Be aware of the aesthetic nuances that give manga its unique feel, but also don't be afraid to challenge the established parameters of the medium. Because of the faster pace, manga rendering should favor simpler and cleaner line-work, and not be bogged down in excessive detail. A result of this is manga's relative greater dependence on characterization to drive the story--therefore the rendering must have superior character design, body language, and all the variations of expression. To be successful, a character's interaction with the environment needs to be as visually convincing as the design. Make sure your backgrounds reflect the mood, pacing, and action of characters -- thus enhancing your storytelling.
Anatomy
While manga is highly stylized, it is important to remember that the human body follows rules of physics -- an elbow bends at a certain point, a neck turns only so far, a foot should look like ... a foot. If you don't know how the body works, you will not be successful at using the most important language of visual storytelling: body language. Whether you are portraying an ancient demon slayer or a high school girl with dreams of becoming a newscaster, anatomical expression tells what a character is doing and thinking at a given moment. In a well-drawn manga, the reader will be able to understand the action and emotion without reading the text.
This kind of attention to detail helps bring forth the emotions that are driving the story. When you're drawing manga you're directing a movie and your characters are the actors.
Perspective
Getting it right brings a reader into the environment of your story -- and there is nothing more distracting (or unprofessional) than objects out of perspective. Take a walk downtown or to a park and bring your sketchpad. Sit down and start drawing the street in front of you or the trees around you. See how perspective continuously plays a role in your visual environment.
Backgrounds
Your backgrounds can be simple or they can be highly detailed. Use whatever serves your style and storyline. Filling your panels with too much information is distracting; but a significant building, car or plant in the background brings your reader into the world of your story. Don't shy away from including background objects necessary for the story, even if they are hard for you to draw. Practice on the things that stump you until you get them right.
Inkers
We're looking for inkers who understand the nature and distinguishing characteristics of manga inking. Inkers should develop a broad repertoire of inking techniques and learn to work with a range of pens, brushes and markers. Variety in line weight is crucial. However, whether the line weight is light or heavy, the line still must maintain a sense of confidence. It's that balance between a feather touch and a confident line that we're looking for in our inkers.
Line Weight
One of the biggest differences in Western and manga inking is the line weight. In manga, the line work varies in weight more than in any other comic form. In general, lines are more delicate than those in most American comics. You'll notice a wispier feel in the hair, a lighter, thinner outline around the characters and a more sparing use of cross-hatching and spot blacks. Varying the width of your lines will add dimension and depth to the underlying pencils; it will also increase the fluidity of the panel and page layout. If you use the same line weight for everything, you risk flattening the image.
Depth
Evoking a sense of depth is one of the more difficult aspects of inking in a manga style. Cross-hatching, spot blacks or other shading methods should generally be minimized. Toning is what will accentuate depth. Plan ahead for toning when you ink and work closely with the toner if you're not going to be toning the art yourself.
Tests for Inkers
While a general portfolio is valuable for initial evaluation purposes, the best way to convince TOKYOPOP that you have what it takes to ink a full-length manga is to show us that you understand the aesthetics and style specific to the genre. To help you do this, we have provided inking test samples for your use. You will find that each one allows for a range of inking possibilities.
Inking Test Sample #1
Inking Test Sample #2
Print out, ink and scan these inking test sample files. Then e-mail a JPG to us at mangaka@tokyopop.com with INK SAMPLE at the beginning of the subject line, followed by your name. Include your contact information and professional experience in the e-mail.
Toners
The toner completes the manga page, adding depth and texture to the finished line art. Because of the variety of styles and genres in TOKYOPOP manga, our toners should have a broad repertoire of toning methods. Our toners use Photoshop and other software to apply digital grayscale coloring and digital screen tones. Occasionally we work with manga-ka who use traditional sheets of tone, but we prefer the digital process, as we find it more cost-effective and easier to manipulate.
Digital Screen Toning
Tones and patterns add depth, lighting and texture. They can also help tell the story by setting the mood. Remember to use toning judiciously; be sure to resist the impulse to tone every inch of the art.
Digital Grayscale Coloring
Some of our manga uses grayscale coloring instead of screen toning. This is a technique that works well with certain projects, although it is not our preferred method.
Toning Teamwork
A good toner is in synch with the penciller and inker. Often these other artists will give toning suggestions and leave out details or black areas, counting on the toner to fill them in.
Technical Note
To avoid moiré patterns associated with resizing toned artwork, TOKYOPOP requires that you apply digital tones to a scan that is the exact size for reproduction in our books.
Tests for Toners
While a general portfolio is valuable for initial evaluation purposes, the best way to convince TOKYOPOP that you have what it takes to tone a full-length manga is to show us that you understand the aesthetics and style specific to the genre. To help you do this, we have provided toning test samples for your use. You will find that each one allows for a range of toning possibilities.
Toning Test Sample #1
Toning Test Sample #2
Tone the file, preserving the size and 600dpi resolution of the test samples. If you use grayscale coloring, save the file as a grayscale jpeg. If you use screen tones, save it as a one-bit tiff or psd. Then e-mail the file to us at mangaka@tokyopop.com with TONE SAMPLE at the beginning of the subject line, followed by your name. Include your contact information and professional experience in the e-mail.
