Lean Into Art

How does the relationship with your readers change when you make your webcomic an explicitly part-time job? Over the last decade there has been an implicit contract made between a webcomics author and their intended audience. "I update regularly, and in exchange you support me through encouragement, word-of-mouth advertising, and purchasing merchandise." Because this contract is implicit, however, the commitment between author and audience is a bit fuzzy. If the cartoonist feels that the project has run its course or that it's not reaching the intended goals, they can retire the project without much fuss. After all, everyone was getting it for free. As more cartoonists use Patreon or Tapastic's Support Program to subsidize their webcomic, the contract becomes a lot more explicit. Introducing support tiers and rewards creates an even more clear commitment to an audience. You're saying "This webcomic is now my part-time job, and (maybe) I hope to make it a full-time job." But a traditional part-time job, even one you take on just to make some extra income, usually promises a well-defined amount of payment. With services like Patreon and Tapastic you're making the commitment to show up for the job, but there is no promise of any specific amount of pay. So to whom are you committing? Are you committed to reaching a certain monetary goal first and foremost? Or are you committing to servicing an audience with the hope of reaching a goal? And if you fail to reach that goal, how do you navigate the friction of quitting when you've already made an explicit promise to that audience? Join us for a Lean Into Art Cast with guest +Brandon Dayton. Brandon has been navigating these concerns with his new Green Monk webcomic, and together we'll explore how things change when you make your webcomics intentions a lot more clear to the public. Rob has the week off, but he'll be back next episode! Note about this episode - normally we have a video to share with the audio version of the podcast - I'm sorry we don't have that this time. Technical difficulties made video recording impossible, and for that we apologize! Links mentioned: LIA Cast 99, where we talked with Jon Rosenberg about Patreon Planet Money podcast about determining what is a Public Good On the Media podcast about the difficulties in monetizing content Kim Holm Neil Gaiman's keynote at the 2013 Digital Minds Conference Patreon's report on how creators are making money Buzzfeed's article on Brandon's Pokemon Presidents Green Monk on Patreon Brandon on Twitter Brandon on Instagram Boulder and Fleet: Adventurers for Hire Lean Into Art Workshops Page Lean Into Art Books Page Special Thanks to our top 5 Patreon supporters: Greg Horvath Mushingirl Tim F Gail Buschman Dave Seah Connect with Jerzy and Rob [Jerzy on Instagram15 [Rob on Instagram16 Lean Into Art on Twitter Support the show via Patreon Lean Into Art Patreon

Do you doodle while at meetings, watching a show, or even at a conference or in a class? This week on Lean Into Art, Rob and Jerzy discuss some recent examples of such doodle note-taking when Rob was at a conference about art, data, and design called Eyeo. Sponsors for this episode Science Comics: Rockets This Panda Needs You Lean Into Art Workshops Thanks to our top 5 Patreon supporters Robert Clemmons Brandon Dayton Good to be Curious Bouncy McFluffFluff Casey Snipes Links Mentioned Rob's post on the Observe, Collect, Draw workshop Rob's Experience Inventory Eyeo 2018 Sketches and Doodle Notes Eyeo Festival LIA Cast 130 - Reflecting on Eyeo 2015 The Sketchnote Handbook Connect with Jerzy and Rob Jerzy on Instagram Rob on Instagram Lean Into Art on Twitter Support the show via Patreon Lean Into Art Patreon

The 2018 Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival is behind us, and the 2018 edition of Sketchbook Summer is upon us. Brandon Dayton joins Jerzy and Rob for a reflection on A2CAF as well as some thinking on how they might approach Sketchbook Summer this year. Sponsors for this episode Science Comics: Rockets This Panda Needs You Lean Into Art Workshops Thanks to our top 5 Patreon supporters Nathan Seabolt Jesse Kauffman Espree Devora India Swift Myrjam Links Mentioned Sketchbook Summer Brandon's YouTube Channel Connect with Jerzy and Rob Jerzy on Instagram Rob on Instagram Lean Into Art on Twitter Support the show via Patreon Lean Into Art Patreon

A common thread through many Lean Into Art Casts is advocating for your art in addition to making it. But how do you find the places or events where you can be of service? If you can’t find the places to be of service, how do you create an event of your own? Rob and Jerzy are joined by Becca Hillburn for an exploration of finding your place in an art scene or making one on your own. Sponsors for this episode Boulder and Fleet: Adventurers for Hire This Panda Needs You Lean Into Art Workshops Thanks to 5 Selected Patreon Supporters Retro Outro @ctrlaltlee Espree Devora @wearelatech Spencer Hallam Gail Buschman Metal Witch Sketchbook Project Links mentioned 7" Kara Becca's art tool reviews Art Snacks v Sketch Box video series A2CAF Becca on Patreon Connect with Jerzy and Rob Jerzy on Twitter Rob on Twitter Lean Into Art on Twitter Support the show via Patreon Lean Into Art Patreon

How well do you work with others? How do you know whether the contributions you bring to a project enhance it or cause friction? How do you negotiate to bring out the best in one another? When is it time to argue, and when is it time to let your collaborator take the lead? Zack Giallongo fills in for Rob this week to talk about a project he’s teamed up with Jerzy on--a new mini-comic called Dinosword. Together they explore how their partnership works and what it’s taught them about working with others. Sponsors for this episode Science Comics: Rockets This Panda Needs You Lean Into Art Workshops Thanks to our top 5 Patreon supporters Mike White Jesse Kauffman K Shauni Redfearn Brandon Dayton Links Mentioned Zack's Patreon The Galaxy of Super Adventure podcast Zack on Instagram The Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival Connect with Jerzy and Rob Jerzy on Instagram Rob on Instagram Lean Into Art on Twitter Support the show via Patreon Lean Into Art Patreon

Big projects and deep learning usually require chipping and experimentation--which means long-term investment, and sometimes, an experience of trickling small gains. This time Jerzy and Rob look at Creative Marathons in order to ship a thing, put a big dent in a project, or take a deep dive into learning new skills. Does such an endeavor run against the grains of self-care? How can one sustainably engage with this? Sponsors for this episode Science Comics: Rockets This Panda Needs You Lean Into Art Workshops Thanks to our top 5 Patreon supporters Angela Mitchell Olivia Birdton K Marshall Couture Cameron Callahan Links Mentioned Drw Stronger: Self-Care for Cartoonists & Visual Artists 24 Hour Comics Day Mini-Comic Day Art Soundoff Connect with Jerzy and Rob Jerzy on Instagram Rob on Instagram Lean Into Art on Twitter Support the show via Patreon Lean Into Art Patreon

What sorts of things can we make with the Twine app? Rob has been exploring this tool lately for new game research and as part of a workshop. Join Jerzy and Rob discuss some Twine story examples and on creative exercises to help others get started with branching stories built with Twine. Sponsors for this episode Science Comics: Rockets This Panda Needs You Lean Into Art Workshops Thanks to our top 5 Patreon supporters Jonathan Wornson Casey Snipes Angela Mitchell Marc Faulk Dave Seah Links Mentioned Twine Hunt the Wumpus Snoozing A2CAF Connect with Jerzy and Rob Jerzy on Instagram Rob on Instagram Lean Into Art on Twitter Support the show via Patreon Lean Into Art Patreon

Striving to refine and grow our skill sets is often the focus of any creative journey. This week on the Lean Into Art Cast, Jerzy and Rob look in the other direction and celebrate the earlier stages of a creative endeavor, full of ambiguity and uncertainty--being a beginner. In this episode we set out to answer the question: when should one self-teach, and when is it time to take a class? Sponsors for this episode Science Comics: Rockets This Panda Needs You Lean Into Art Workshops Thanks to our top 5 Patreon supporters Metal Witch Sketchbook Project Todd Lauzon Rachel Ross Chris Watkins Jodels Pox Links Mentioned Conversational Design, by Erika Hall Just Enough Research, by Erika Hall Connect with Jerzy and Rob Jerzy on Instagram Rob on Instagram Lean Into Art on Twitter Support the show via Patreon Lean Into Art Patreon

Originally Broadcast January 29, 2015 We've talked about interactive storytelling in the form of games, and we've spent plenty of episodes exploring the storytelling affordances of comics. But this time we're joined by Kasey Van Hise for an exploration of another kind of interactive fiction--the Visual Novel. How does your writing and design approach change when you're creating something that's meant to be interactive? How does character development work when you have to consider every possible path of development? How does your thinking about plot change when considering reader decision points? Kasey Van Hise, writer of the Hustle Cat visual novel, helps us navigate these concerns and offer tips on writing a visual novel of your own. Thanks to our top 5 Patreon Supporters Gail Buschman Metal Witch Sketchbook Project Spencer Hallam Kelly Ishikawa Jodels Pox Links mentioned: Hustle Cat Hatoful Boyfriend Virtue's Last Reward 999 Twine An interactive story example in Twine Ren'Py KiriKiri NScripter Scrivener LIA Cast 20 - Working in CSS Scott McCloud's Zot! online Ashley Knapp Owen Jollands Winters in Lavelle Paracite Knights Hatsune Miku Connect with Jerzy and Rob Jerzy on Twitter Rob on Twitter Lean Into Art on Twitter Support the show via Patreon Lean Into Art Patreon

Join Jerzy and Rob for a live demo on some digital coloring strategies, followed by a discussion on how one might think about seeking more efficient ways to make things. Sponsors for this episode Science Comics: Rockets This Panda Needs You Lean Into Art Workshops Thanks to our top 5 Patreon supporters Becca Hillburn Owen Jollands Marc Faulk India Swift Casey Snipes Links Mentioned Brandon Dayton's video on coloring Clip Studio Paint Connect with Jerzy and Rob Jerzy on Instagram Rob on Instagram Lean Into Art on Twitter Support the show via Patreon Lean Into Art Patreon

How do you think about what moments to show in a story? How does viewing angle, gesture, and composition contribute to the emotions conveyed in the images? Join Jerzy and Rob for a demonstration of one of Jerzy’s classroom activities that explores moment choices in comics. Sponsors for this episode Science Comics: Rockets This Panda Needs You Lean Into Art Workshops Thanks to our top 5 Patreon supporters Mike White Jesse Kauffman Shauni Redfearn k Brandon Dayton Links Mentioned Zack Giallongo Jerzy's He-Man redesigns Connect with Jerzy and Rob Jerzy on Instagram Rob on Instagram Lean Into Art on Twitter Support the show via Patreon Lean Into Art Patreon The page Jerzy used for th e exercise in this episode, and the resulting page reimagining.

Congratulations! You’ve written and drawn a mini-comic. The next part is to get it printed, and on this episode of the Lean Into Art Cast Jerzy and Rob spend some time thinking about Imposition, or arranging the pages so they can be printed efficiently. Sponsors for this episode Science Comics: Rockets This Panda Needs You Lean Into Art Workshops Thanks to our top 5 Patreon supporters Owen Jollands Bouncy McFluffFluff Shane W Smith k Myrjam Links Mentioned LIA Cast 215 - Celebrating Mini-Comics LIA Cast 136 - Using Composition Narratively, with Dan Mishkin Connect with Jerzy and Rob Jerzy on Instagram Rob on Instagram Lean Into Art on Twitter Support the show via Patreon Lean Into Art Patreon

Is grit as simple as "butt in chair" and forcing yourself to see the project through? Is endurance all grunting and frustration? What happens when you create a little distance between you and the work? This week Jerzy and Rob are joined by guest Gregg Schigiel for a continuation of the discussion on sticking through and shipping big projects. Sponsors for this episode Boulder and Fleet: Adventurers for Hire This Panda Needs You Lean Into Art Workshops Thanks to our top 5 Patreon supporters Becca Hillburn Bouncy McFluffFluff Tim F Chris Watkins Kelly Ishikawa Links Mentioned Headspace app Pix Stuff Said Cruisin' Together Chris Giarrusso Connect with Jerzy and Rob Jerzy on Twitter Rob on Twitter Lean Into Art on Twitter Support the show via Patreon Lean Into Art Patreon

How do you know when your project needs outside help, and how do you go about hiring collaborators? How do you find the people right for the job, and how do you think about your working relationship with them throughout the project’s life cycle? Jerzy and Rob are joined by Jon David Guerra, creator of the comic Nightmare Pro Wrestling. His new project: Nightmare Pro Wrestling: Belly of the Beast involves contributions of 6 other artists (including Jerzy). Together they’ll explore what one thinks about when hiring on collaborators. Sponsors for this episode Science Comics: Rockets: Defying Gravity This Panda Needs You Lean Into Art Workshops Links mentioned Nightmare Pro Wrestling Jon on Instagram Jon on Twitter Thanks to our top Patreon supporters Olivia Birdton K David Seah Jodels Pox Angela Mitchell Connect with Jerzy and Rob Jerzy on Instagram Rob on Instagram Lean Into Art on Twitter

Do you need to pay top dollar to make things at a professional level? Maybe, maybe not. Join Jerzy and Rob for some demonstrations and discussions on free software they use to make art. Sponsors for this episode Science Comics: Rockets: Defying Gravity This Panda Needs You Lean Into Art Workshops Links mentioned Medibang Paint Krita Inkscape LIA Cast 203 - Old Gear, Open Source, New Purpose Thanks to our top Patreon supporters Angela Mitchell Mike Ben Odgren Kelly Ishikawa Becca Hillburn Connect with Jerzy and Rob Jerzy on Instagram Rob on Instagram Lean Into Art on Twitter