Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Best.
Hi Ryan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been an artist as long as I can remember. From an early age, I would try to copy the comics I read and the superhero cartoons I watched on TV. I would say my passion for art grew out of that initial interest. My parents really encouraged me as I grew up to follow my interest in art. My father was an artist himself and would show me how to draw or use certain materials. I took AP art in high school and I then went to college for art with a concentration in illustration. After I graduated, I started getting work doing storyboards and designs for music videos and commercials. About a year after I graduated, I had the opportunity to intern under an artist working for DC comics. I put a portfolio together and went to San Diego comic con and from there, I was hooked into doing comics as a career. Since then, I’ve become a full-time comic book artist while also taking on various side projects.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I definitely had struggles and still do. As a freelancer, you only know so far out in advance what work you’ll have. So I am constantly looking for jobs, applying for gigs and trying to network. The actual job of a comic artist is very intensive as well. I have to be good at drawing everything, not just fun action scenes. I need to be able to draw cars, kitchen tables and everyday mundane items on a regular basis. The time it takes to draw comics is also an issue, especially with deadlines. I’ve routinely had to pull all-nighters to get things done on time.
Also as a work for hire artist, I need to be able to take feedback and implement changes my clients need or want, regardless of whether I think it’s appropriate. So I have to find a balance between putting myself into my art but also being able to change and modify things as requested.
And lastly, I had had to fight to get paid before. Even with contracts, sometimes it’s hard to get people to pay in a timely manner and that has been a struggle I’ve had to account for and overcome throughout my career. It doesn’t happen often, and thankfully now I’ve developed a clientele I trust and love to work with. But every now and then something comes along that brings this up.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a comic book artist, concept artist, and illustrator.
I specialize mainly in interiors for comic books. This ranges across multiple genres but I love to do Sci-FI and fantasy books. I feel like I have the most amount of fun and get to unleash my creativity in genres and stories where I get to create worlds, creatures and characters straight out of my mind.
I am really proud of the skillset I’ve developed over the years. For a long time, comic book artists had very specialized jobs. Either being a penciler, inker or colorist. But almost every book I’ve worked on I’ve done every job. And I feel I’ve created a distinct and unified look and style to the books I do.
My interests and skills have also allowed me to do some character design work and storyboarding for independent films. I’ve also worked on some music videos and it’s an amazing experience to see your illustrations translated into 3d.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I think risk is necessary to growth and success. Obviously, I think there are limits to the extent of how risky an endeavor should be, but I feel like you can’t change your position in life without pushing your boundaries and expanding beyond what you currently know and do. And when you venture into the unknown, it inherently carries risk. But the reward is either success in your particular goal, or you learn a valuable lesson that you can use in the future.
I moved to Boston several years ago. And I had only been freelancing for a few months full time. I moved without any other job lined up and only a month or two of work scheduled. But I managed to make it work and in that time eventually gained enough clients to support myself. Some of whom I still work with to this day. It was definitely a ‘sink or swim’ time in my life.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: ryanbestart.com
- Instagram: ryanbestart
Image Credits:
Austin Macasieb
