f.a.q.
Here are some of my frequently asked questions. I'll try to keep this updated if people ask me stuff in the comments section.
First thing's first, my name is Cassandra and I'm a 24 year old comic penciller from Australia. (Tasmania to be exactly, you know, with the devils.)
I live just outside the city in a tiny house with my fiancé Rowan (who helps me out at Conventions because he's such a sweetie) and our two goldfish Daigoro and Shiroyuki and our two cats, Peach and Pudding. It's a squished but comfortable home.
Do you draw comics?I most certainly do. I’m working on a few small projects right now and got my first gig colouring but hoping to land some bigger stuff soon.
What materials do you use?Firstly I don’t do that much digital stuff, I prefer pencils and markers but when I do I use an old Wacom tablet and Photoshop. As for the rest I use standard drawing pencils and erasers
0.5 mechanical pencils,
Micron and Copic multiliner inking pens of various sizes and colours
Copic markers
Copic opaque white paint
Prismacolor colouring in pencils
11 x 17” Canson or Eon Productions premium smooth comic boards
Mustek A3 scanner (Hooray for no longer having to scan my large comic pages in pieces. The Mustek is a great A3 scanner for the price.)
Any advice about breaking into the comics industry?I’ll tell you when I get there!
I’d suggest getting your stuff out there, grab a scanner, create yourself a blog or a DeviantART account, or even join a forum like Digital Webbing or Pencil Jack and get posting. You may not get work but you’ll improve your art and make contacts, I’ve gotten a lot of work through people on different communities. This is especially a good idea if you’re in a situation like me and cannot make it to big U.S. based Comic Conventions, the only way I have to get my art out there and seen is online.
I notice you drawing lots of sketch cards, how did you get into that?After trying to sell my own hand drawn sketch cards for years I was about to give up when I discovered the Scoundrel Sketch card forums:
[link](I highly recommend this forum for people looking to get into doing sketch card commissions or in a professional capacity.) With-in a month of posting there I had learned a lot and had job offers for official sketch card sets.
How much to sketch cards pay?As for personal sketch cards on commission you decide your own price as for official sets it can be anywhere between $1 to $5 a card. The idea is that the artist makes their money back selling commissions on the official card set stock and on artist ‘return’ cards. (An artist may receive a couple of these each for every set they do.) Most companies will let you know up-front how many returns and blank commission cards you’ll get before you sign your work contract.
Did you attend any special Art Schools?I did spend a few years studying at the Tasmanian University of Fine Arts but dropped out because comic art wasn’t considered ‘real art’ and I wasn’t learning anything there I didn’t already know.
So where did you learn to draw?I’m pretty much self taught; I’ve always loved drawing and would spend hours locked away in my room growing up doodling. It’s amazing how much you improve at something by doing it every day for years and years!
Any advice on how to stay motivated with art?Not really, in my mind if you don’t love then don’t do it. I’m pursuing an art career for purely selfish reasons, i.e. I love drawing so I want to get paid to do it all day. I’ve had other jobs being a shop clerk, waitressing and office filing and none have been as fulfilling as drawing. I will say this though, early on in my career I did have quite a bit of trouble keeping myself at my drawing desk. I’d get tired very quickly or get headaches and after a few hours of drawing or even reading emails I’d need a nap. I had an eye test and it turns out I needed glasses and my lack of energy was a result of me trying to read and draw and seriously straining my eyes. (I’m short-sighted in one eye and far-sighted in the right so my vision is always blurry no matter what I’m looking a unless I close one eye.)
Do you prefer doing digital or traditional art?I personally prefer traditional media. It’s just personal taste though, I can see the merits of both and really admire people who use programs like Photoshop beautifully. I haven’t quite tackled the beast well enough yet and find it faster to sketch, ink and colour using traditional media.
Where do you work?I’m currently working full-time from home on my art. I share an office with my fiancé and two other friends / colleges who are all game designers / programmers. We’re all sharing an office space while we work on an iPhone game for release at the end of the year. They spend the majority of their time on the game but since I’m only the character designer and cut-scene artist I don’t have nearly as much work as they do. I personally love sharing a working environment with others (and especially lucky that I share it with my partner) because I’m not the solitary artist type. I adore company and being able to get instant advice on my work if I need it. Working my own hours is also great, I usually start work in the late morning and finish in the evening.
What comics do you read? Any recommendations?I'm currently really into the current Batgirl and love anything by Gail Simone, I always pick up Secret Six and Birds of Prey when they come in. Greg Rucka's Batwoman is a fantastic read and I'm also a big fan of Spiderman Loves Mary Jane. (I'm so sad it's cancelled.) I also love Marvel's Hercules comics and highly recommend Runaways.
and 
Humor 
Artistic 
I missed a local Con because I was rather sick, figured it was best to stay home and recover than to spread my Con-plague all over the place.
Happy 
Joy 
Mesmerized 
will be crashing with me, neither of us will have booths this year but we will be around the Con the entire weekend. I will however be on the Womanthology panel on the Thursday afternoon from 4 - 5pm. They haven't announced what room the panel will be in yet, but I'm sure the information will be available when the final events programme goes up. Hope to see you all there! 
Exhilarated 
Sta.sh
Sympathy 
Bliss 
Zest 
Content 
Zeal 
Cheerful 
Affection 
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