Recently, I've come to appreciate how much good art really sells and enhances the story (ironically, comic art is one of the reasons I've been embarassed about being a comics fan in the past - but that's a subject for another time). Pardon me, then, while I share a few of my favorite artists with you.
Skottie Young
Website: http://www.skottieyoung.com/
Noteworthy Book: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
A lot of mainstream comics have recently been shooting for a photo-realistic quality to their artwork, which, you know, is kinda cool. However, I've found that, when I read comics, I want something a little more stylized. That's where Skottie Young delivers.
Most of his work comes with this scratchy, almost sketch-like linework around the edges. I've seen it in a couple of artists, and I've tried to emulate it myself at times. The finished product has a rough feel to it, but it's calculated and precise - rather than coming off sloppy, Young's artwork feels relaxed, like a cruise liner.
Plus, his character designs are just superb. Who WOULDN'T love that li'l Scarecrow guy?
Mike Mignola
Website: http://www.artofmikemignola.com/
Noteworthy Book: The Hellboy Series
I first stumbled across stories back in my prudish days, when I couldn't even SAY the word "hell" without blushing at the swears. Now that I've given the stories a fair shake, they've wound up surprising me quite a bit.
Mignola's artwork is subtly atmospheric - kind of a big surprise for a guy who writes about a demon from hell punching monsters in the face. He covers his characters in heavy black shadows to give everything that creepy, mysterious sensation. Mignola also enhances the sense of place in his works by occasionally slipping in extra panels showing details from the architecture around where the action's taking place.
The man's best known for Hellboy, but The Amazing Screw-On Head is also worth the read. Also, you should note that the man knows how to draw a mean monkey.
Jill Thompson
Website: http://jillthompson.blogspot.com/
Noteworthy Book: Beasts of Burden
Jill Thompson actually may be most famous for her work on The Sandman, but I'm probably the only comics reader who doesn't care for that series. Rather, I've highlighted her work on Beasts of Burden, an absolutely fantastic story about mystery-solving animals (think Bunnicula, except actually scary). I don't see much watercolor work in comics, but what I've seen is remarkably effective. I seriously don't know how else one would draw ghosts without them.
Like Mignola, Thompson creates some wonderfully atmospheric pieces, taking full advantage of the palette of colors available to her. When the mood darkens, so does the color. She also has a neat trick of swirling in words into the background on occasion - a trick I've always loved.
I've actually not yet checked out her other most famous work, Scary Godmother, but I'll be sure to do so soon.
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