Professional Practice

During the 1980’s when graphic novels were first becoming popular, there are a couple of illustrators often credited as creating some of the first graphic novels. One such artist is Art Spiegleman; the man behind “Maus”, which was originally released in the early 80’s and centres the story of Spiegleman’s father as a holocaust survivor. Another incredibly influential illustrator from this era is Dave Gibbons, who worked alongside writer Alan Moore on “Watchmen”.

While these artists and many others are approached by writers and publishing houses to help bring stories to life in the form of graphic novels and comics, this is not always the case. In recent years, self-publishing comics has become an increasingly more viable and accessible option, and many illustrators with their own passion projects have opted to do just that. Working on a project this way means that these artists are in complete control of the story as well as their general process.

For those who are approached by a writer who is interested in working together on a graphic novel, the artist is provided with an outline for the story they will be working on. Graphic novel illustrators are typically paid based on the number of pages they are requested to illustrate, much like other book illustrators. When being commissioned, the artist is also usually provided with descriptions of the events taking place, so that the artists involved has an understanding of the story and pacing that needs to be reflected in the panels.