David, as long as you weren't winded from the effort. ;-)
TL;DR - have a go at drawing if you feel inspired.
Something that can work is either commissioning artists for specific pieces that you may require (such as front covers!) and making offers to (particularly upcoming) artists to get their work published by drawing your characters, especially if depicting scenes from the story, in exchange for using their picture to be published in the book. The work you get may not be JMH standard, but is likely to get you some affordable artwork that will help you build credibility as a writer and someone who gets books published. This is along the lines of what Bernard Doove (aka Chakat Goldfur - inventor of the species) has sort of done with some of his books; More Terrible Than Chains being one that particularly comes to mind. I suspect he may have paid for all the pictures that went into the book, but the promise of artists gaining fame and reputation through publishing can draw allure and discounts. Something to consider - look for the win-win.
We can thank (or blame) JMH for me getting into drawing. My first attempts at really trying to draw anything since leaving school all those decades ago was as a fanart for Jim (some of which may still be on the Skunkworks site). I look back at that piece and the "OMGWTF was I thinking" comes to mind, but we all have to start somewhere. Because of gaining that interest, I went on to take up airbrushing, meeting many interesting people, including my subsequent drawing mentor, Rod Tokely, ex-Marvel colourist, storyboard artist for movie Queen of the Damned (sorry!) and regularly published artist (Live to Ride Magazine) and art teacher. Giving myself goals, I started regularly submitting to (now ceased) South Fur Lands magazine, published by Bernard Doove and assisting him with assembling the magazine. Subsequently I had quite a few of my pictures published, with skill improving as I went along.
The point I am trying to convey is you are the only one who can really see the image in your head. Learning the skills to get them onto paper takes time and motivation - something JMH has sunk in by the shipload. My circumstances changed. South Fur Lands ceased publication, the fellow I used to get together weekly to do drawing nights decided he didn't want to any more, I retired from engineering and moved to a caravan park (trailer park for those in the USA) about 1.5 hours (_at_70mph) from where many of these people live (which used to be nearby). But seeing Jim produce more work occasionally makes me want to pick up the pencil again. I've still fanfiction (we're talking tens-of-thousands of words already typed) still waiting for me to complete and maybe add some illustrations.
Scrapper, Black Dragon, no longer chained to a desk, so not as frequently on email.
>________________________________
> From: David <vulpine_at_mac.com>
>
>Ok, here comes another long-winded comment from the old fox.
>
8< SNIP!
>Unfortunately, I have no artistic abilities and have to rely on prose to paint my pictures. I keep hoping to find an artist with enough interest in my stories to help me develop them as graphic novels for sale, but so far the ones I've talked to either want all the money up front--not relying on their art to sell the story, or unwilling to put in the effort it will take to make the story appealing to the eye.
8< SNIP!
Received on Tue Aug 13 2013 - 15:32:52 CDT