Call it esoteric, niche or even NSFW, Manga is a revered form of art that’s unique in both style and execution. In Japan, it’s almost a way of life. Elsewhere around the world, and people, businesses and certainly fans are catching up to the manga fever.
If you’re here, you’re probably searching for and looking to hire a manga artist. It’s a tough prospect, I tell ya, but in this guide, I detail all you need to hire a skilled and proficient manga artist or mangaka as they’re called.
The hiring pitfall
Excellent manga artists are hard to find, especially if you’re searching from a place outside manga ground zero – Japan. I’d say it’s still a developing field of art with many amateur artists trying to find their footing. When you try to hire a manga artist the conventional way as you would maybe a cartoonist, you’ll most likely land at the doorstep of an amateur, budding manga artist.
Getting through to the skilled professionals requires a deft hiring process. You’ll need to understand what defines a skilled manga artist and what to look for to land a professional.
The qualities of the ideal manga artist
There’s a lot to look out for when hiring a manga artist, and if you’ve hired an artist before, you should be familiar with some of them. I’ll focus on the most important traits but remember the final complement of qualities is tied to your needs. If you need a manga artist for black and white commissions, for instance, it makes no sense to set mastery of colors as a hiring factor.
Creativity
Manga, like any other art form, needs a creative mind to execute. The bulgy eyes, disproportionate body physique/eccentric proportions, fancy styles and all of what makes Manga unique can only come together through the paintbrush of an artist flowing with creativity.
How to test this
Creativity is something that’s easily felt with the eye. The best way to assess the creative abilities of a manga artist is to go through their portfolio. Specifically, you want to check;
How varied in terms of context, presentation and style their commissions are. A manga artist who’s able to spin through different scenery and imagery with their artwork most like has their creative juices flowing down from a fountain.
If their commissions tell a story or evoke a feeling. Creativity is expressing emotions and thoughts through a medium. For any manga artist, that medium is Manga – do their artwork evoke any imagery in your head, or is it just boilerplate girl with vanity eyes stuff.
Passion
The best manga pieces come from mangaka who are passionate about their job, and it is easy to see why this is the case. As an art, Manga requires dedication and utmost attention to detail to produce. Anything short of that, and you get Manga without character and depth.
How to test for this
Similar to creativity, passion as a trait of a manga artist is best assessed through their work. Here’s what to look out for;
- How detailed (complex, complicated) is their work?
- Have they created full-on manga storylines, comics or motion picture before?
- How distinct is their work from the typical manga artwork?
Additionally, you could stir up a conversation with a potential hire and gauge their enthusiasm. Usually, this is something you’d do at the interview phase of hiring a manga artist. I’ll talk more about it when I address interviewing a manga artist for hire.
A strong work ethic
One editor at Shonen Jump best describes what it takes to do manga’ nerves of steel, a very strong stomach, and the ability to work for days without sleep, cash, or food.’
While there’s a little bit of hyperbole in that statement, it is true in saying that Manga requires a strong work ethic. Why this is true is subject for another discussion, but to assess this trait in your potential hire, you need to ask some very important questions.
How to test it
- How long have you worked on a project before? What kind of project was it, and what was the finished product?
- How many hours are you available to do Manga?
- What manga piece was your most difficult to create and why?
The idea with these questions is to assess how persistent the artist was with projects that stretched them. The longer, the better, as that suggests they’d be willing to go the extra mile with your project to get you the results you want.
At this point, it’s important to note that not all manga artists will have the time or the care to answer these questions. Skilled manga artists are a rare breed, and the best ones have clients on their waiting list and not the other way round.
If you meet one, their samples will do all the talking. And speaking about meeting one, where can you find manga artists.
Where to find manga artists
Most manga artists available for work set up shop as freelance artists. Hiring them is a function of locating their online shops and taking it from there.
Online places where you can hire a manga artist can be broadly divided into two categories.
- Specialty sites like Deviantart and Artstation
- Freelance websites like Upwork and Fiverr
Hiring a manga artist on Deviantart
If this is your first time hearing of Deviantart, fret not, it felt alien to me at one point too. Deviantart is basically a social network/community website for art aficionados that doubles as an art gallery and portfolio sharing website. On DeviantArt, you’re going to see a lot of artists with very varied styles and interests but, Manga (and anime) art is one of its major exports.
Despite its subjective complexity finding a manga artist on DeviantArt is relatively easy. Here’s how to go about it.
Finding a manga artist on DeviantArt through search
DeviantArt has a pretty powerful search algorithm so let’s start there. A simple ‘manga’ search should do the trick but don’t be afraid to tailor your search according to your needs. If you need manga art with long-haired characters, for instance, something in the lanes of ’long hair manga’ should work.
Your search will return results spread into four categories; all, deviations, groups, artists, and collections.
- All for all the results available for that search
- Deviations which is another term for artworks on DeviantArt.
- Groups are, well, groups dedicated to a specific manga/art subtype on DeviantArt
- The artist filter brings up a list of artists who have worked on whatever you’ve searched
- Collections are body of works related to the search term you inputted.
Any of the four works to get you to an artist behind the Manga, but I prefer just using the Deviations tab since it allows me to sort the results by artwork. When I see what I like, I simply click then navigate to the authors’ page.
From the author/artist page, you can simply reach out to the artist by clicking the chat button or see what services they offer through their shop tab. Now a huge chunk of artists on DeviantArt are there to make sales, so you’ll most likely see how to order a commission on their shop page.
Still, don’t be afraid to use the chat button to ask if they’re up for a commission regardless of whether they have their Shop page set up or not. Of course, you need a DeviantArt account for all of this, so the first step is actually creating an account on the platform.
Finding a manga artist on DeviantArt using DeviantArt forums
DeviantArt also runs something of a social network, and you can use this to find and hire a manga artist.
- Start by navigating to the DeviantArt forum and then locating the Job offers subforum.
- On the job offers subforum, you can create a post detailing the kind of manga work you need done and everything else that’s important.
- Forum members who’re mangaka will reply to your post with bids for the job. It is your duty then to screen and select from those who’ve applied.
- Again you need a DeviantArt account to get through with this.
Screening the candidates
This is where all that I described about the qualities to watch out for in the ideal mangaka comes into play. But to recap
Look out for creativity, passion and skill by assessing their portfolios. Most applicants will bid on the job with a link to their portfolios. If they don’t, just ask and get on from there.
Assess their work ethic in the manner I described earlier on.
Why DeviantArt
An artist first platform with a huge number of talent to choose from
DeviantArt is arguably the most fully-fledged Manga and other alternative style art platform. It houses probably the largest number of these artists, and because the emphasis here is on art first before business, there’s an abundance of talent to pick from.
It is beginner-friendly
Despite its sometimes convoluted feel, DeviantArt is designed to make reaching out to a manga artist as easy as possible. There’s the chat button, the shop tab and various other ways to connect with the people behind the art you love.
All the manga art styles you want
NSFW, long hair, short hair, small eyes, whatever manga styling you want, however niche/peculiar it is, there’s a guarantee you’ll find an artist on DeviantArt who can satisfy your art needs
The drawbacks
DeviantArt is art first, not hiring first, so while it’s easy to connect with an artist getting them to do commissions might not be so easy. In fact, most of the top talent on DeviantArt either take commissions on a special basis or have long waiting queues for commissions.
You can get scammed
Unlike freelance platforms like Upwork, there’s no integrated payment and escrow service on DeviantArt. An artist can default on the job terms and walk away with your money which is why it’s absolutely necessary to use payment platforms like Paypal that offer dispute mediation services.
Hiring a manga artist on ArtStation
Artstation is a portfolio site, digital art market, and digital tutorial site all bundled into one. It’s something of a LinkedIn for manga artists, so many fully-fledged professional manga artists will have an Artstation profile.
Finding a manga artist on Artstation through search
The process of finding a manga artist on Artstation is pretty similar to that of DeviantArt, with a few handy differences.
Artstation has a marketplace for digital art, a print shop and a Studios segment, all of which are searchable.
You could simply start your search for a manga artist from the homepage or navigate to these individual segments and then search. I really like the studio segment as it connects to full-on art studios that are capable of handling complex and extensive art projects. However, searching for a manga art studio only returns two results for now, which is not that much, but it’s definitely something that will improve in the future.
Any search you run will return results, and from there, it’s just a case of navigating to the artist’s profile and using the send a message button.
Alternatively, if you searched through the ArtStation marketplace and found a manga piece you want, Artstation allows you to purchase it directly.
As always, you’ll need an account for all of this.
Why Artstation
Easier to hire a manga artist
Artstation is more marketplace oriented compared to DeviantArt, so it’s easy to hire a manga artist or, if you like, purchase a piece on there.
More professional service
Artstation doesn’t have the bigger pool of professionals on DeviantArt, don’t get me wrong, but the platform itself is more professionally oriented with full-on moderation as opposed to DeviantArt, which is more community-run.
The drawbacks
The marketplace is smaller
At least compared to DeviantArt. Since Artstation is more professionally oriented for sales and commission, a huge bulk of the enthusiast talent you might find on DeviantArt are unavailable here.
The style palette is smaller
In the same vein, the variation in style for Manga is not that large. Artstation is a full-on art platform with several subcategories of art. Manga is just one subsection. If you’re looking for very niche stuff, you’ll have more joy starting your search on DeviantArt.
Hiring a manga artist on freelance sites like Upwork and Fiverr
Freelance sites like Fiverr and Upwork operate much like Artstation. They’re marketplaces where you can find and hire manga talent, but unlike Artstation, the focus is entirely on mangaka and not already made mango pieces.
Finding a manga artist on freelance sites like Fiverr
Fiverr (or Upwork) is a fully-fledged freelance site with several subcategories. Manga is just one. Although each site has dedicated subcategories, your best bet is to use the search functionality because most of them have very powerful algorithms
Search algorithms on platforms like Fiverr return results of freelancers based on their performance over a defined period. When you search for any particular service, you’re almost always getting the best selection of talent available at that period for hire.
Search also allows you to double down on a specific kind of mangaka. So If you need someone who’s well versed with Shonen, you could type in Shonen manga artist and get a list of mangaka specialized in the Shonen style.
Check reviews
Freelance sites offer a unique and valuable feature unavailable on the other options – the ability to check reviews from past clients. Reviews provide a way to assess the skillset and expertise of a manga artist and what it feels like to work with them. Here’s how I treat reviews on platforms like Fiverr and Upwork.
Pay less attention to the five-star reviews
Remember I said most of the mangaka you’ll see are those with the best performance on their performance. One way that performance is graded is through the number of five-star reviews. Anyone you see topping your list will have an excess of five-star reviews; no need to waste time here.
Focus more on the less than five-star reviews
Specifically the three, two-star reviews.
Do they highlight any issues that might apply to you? For instance, do they complain about the communication skills of the manga artist. For example, if you’re planning to run a full-scale comic book, you’ll know that communication with your artist is key.
How did they respond to criticism? Was it standoffish, or did they address the complaint made? You want an artist who understands their mistakes and seeks to improve, not someone who lashes out and puts the blame on others.
Are there more than four one-star reviews, and if so, is there a pattern with the complaints in those reviews? Too many one-star reviews is a red flag, more so when they seem to hint at the same problem.
Ask for portfolios
Once you’ve sorted through the reviews, you should’ve narrowed down your search to two, maybe three, potential candidates. The next step would be to ask for portfolios or samples. Many manga artists on these sites will give you a link back to their DeviantArt or Artstation profiles, and I tend to correlate that as a good sign of their skill and passion. Others might just send you a few samples as direct messages.
Ask them for their DeviantArt profile (or any other portfolio site for that matter, it doesn’t matter which). If they don’t, you should only proceed with such an artist if the quality of their samples is exceptional.
I’ve already outlined the basics of what you should be looking out for in portfolios in the qualities of an ideal manga artist section. But basically, you want to:
- See how creative their samples are. Does it tell a story? Does it invoke imagery?
- Assess the level of detail in each piece. Is everything a simple sketch, or do you have some complex characters and scenery? Of course, it has to be fun and pleasant to look at, no sense in creating a complex mess.
- Their passion in creating Manga. How many manga art pieces do they have on their DeviantArt (or any other portfolio site) profile? Do they tell stories with their artwork?
At this point, you should have a manga artist that stands out from the rest. You can offer them a contract to start work. I’ll cover that and all the remaining steps you need to take later in the interviews section of this guide.
Why freelance
It’s way easier to hire a manga artist on freelance platforms like Fiverr.
Freelance sites are for hiring freelancers and nothing else. The added complexity of sending a message waiting for a reply, or joining a waiting list is pretty much absent on these platforms.
Most times, you could search for a manga artist and provided they match your taste, you could immediately place an order and have your artwork delivered to you in the specified timeframe.
There’s a large pool of talent
Although not as large as what you’d get with places like DeviantArt but still large enough to have a huge selection of manga artists who can create different styles and forms of Manga.
More professionally-oriented
Platforms like Upwork (not so much for Fiverr) are staffed by a very professional set of freelancers. So you get the benefit of smooth communication, adherence to deadlines, and an overall fluid experience.
The drawbacks
Might lack some form of skilled manga artists
For niche concepts like Manga, the best talents are better found where talent hang out; that’s on sites like DeviantArt. This is especially true if you’re looking for a very particular form of manga art.
You might be overcharged
Freelance sites take a cut from artists’ earning, and most artists will factor that cut into their rates. On other platforms like DeviantArt and Artstation, you’re dealing directly with the artist, with no intermediaries.
Which is the best?
Of the three, which should you go for? Well, it’s all dependent on your needs.
If you wanted professional work done and didn’t want to go through the stress of searching, finding, messaging and maybe getting put on a waitlist, simply hop on a freelance site like Upwork. There’s an abundance of skilled manga artists there ready to take on commissions on short notice.
If I wanted a niche artwork and I’m being particular about style, concept and execution, then any of DeviantArt or Artstation would do. But you need to have patience with these platforms as the best of the bunch there might not be available on short notice.
Finishing up hiring
Now, if you’ve gone through portfolios and screened reviews, you should have a solid candidate for hire. Sometimes, however, there’s a need to finalize things up with an interview – especially when the project is significant, say, maybe you’re looking to commission a full comic book or series.
Interviewing a manga artist
From their portfolio and reviews, you’re already well in tune with their skills and creative ability. Interviews should be about determining if they’re the perfect collaborative fit for your person and your needs.
What do I mean? Interviews should be about gauging their soft skills, things such as communication skills, workplace culture, and everything else that might not be apparent on the first instance. Of course, the actual course of the interview depends on your preferences but here’s my preferred way of going about an interview with a manga artist.
- Describe my needs to the potential hire
- I start telling them what kind of work I need done. If it’s a comic book, a painting job, or a black-white picture etc.
- I explain my style preferences, then add any other necessary details, including things like my preferred ETA, how often I’d like to communicate and that kind of stuff.
- Then I ask them how they’d like to proceed with the job. I want to get a succinct overview of what they’d do, how they’d do it and the timeframe for completing the objective.
Their explanation should provide insight as to how they approach each job which in turn should give a clearer picture of their workplace skills. How well they understand your description and how fluidly they’re able to express their solution should shed more light on their communications skills.
Finally, how good the entire solution as presented by them sounds should tell you if they’re the best possible collaborative fit. Got it?
Signing a contract
Once it’s all said and done, you need to create a contract. If you’re hiring off sites like Upwork and Fiverr, there’s an inbuilt contract functionality that allows you to set one up snappily. If you’re using either DeviantArt or Artstation, you might need to do it manually. Here’s a sample to get you started.
With your contract, you want to be as explicit as is possible. Outline every term you negotiated with the manga artist, including the deliverables, pricing, payment structure and timeline of delivery. This is important to serve as a reminder for both parties and as a legal document in the case of any dispute.
Conclusion
If this is your first time hiring a manga artist, then this might all come off as kinda complicated to you. Don’t worry; it’s not. Most of the portfolio and review screening you’ll do will be over in a matter of seconds – once you see a skilled artist, you’ll know.
Where you need to take care is making sure to outline everything as per your agreed terms in the contract document. Manga artists are notorious for following their own creative drive as opposed to the project brief. A well-drafted contract in place reminds them of what’s needed while serving as evidence to win disputes in the case that they don’t follow the requirements. The good thing is once you’ve found a manga artist that works for you, you don’t need to go over these processes again.
