In developing a relationship with your artist(s), you are first going to have to meet. Fortunately, with the advent of the Internet this process has become much easier. However, let me first start off with some traditional methods. Two places I have had success with in the past are posting notices and/or talking with people in comic book stores and local art colleges, (though any institution that offers art instruction might be helpful). These places are good for finding new talents who are either starting out or are not familiar with the popular comic book related websites on the Internet. The other benefit of finding artists this way is that the artist is local to where you live, making building a relationship and working together much easier.
Admittedly, finding artists on the Internet is the easiest way. There are three basic areas where you can find artists. One is posting messages of newsgroups and appropriate mailing lists. Another place are web portfolio sites where a group of artists are showing off their artwork. This place offers the benefit of allowing you to view the artwork and find a style that is suitable for you story. However, it is worth noting that the most talented artists on these sites tend to be the busiest, so unless you have a paying gig they may not be interested and/or available. The best places though, are sites specifically setup for posting talent searches. A properly worded ad here stating what you are looking for could garner several replies. You can find several of these places listed on my web site within the Talent search links section. http://www.members.shaw.ca/creatingcomic...
Once you have found an artist to work with developing a working relationship is the next important step. Having common interests is important, but may not always be necessary if the artist is professional enough. The important factor is that you both believe in the project and the direction you want to take it. For example, if you are self-publishing a comic and know you cannot pay the artist until after the first issue is out and you want to have three issues complete before publishing, then you have to make sure that the artist is willing to work under these conditions. Any sort of misunderstanding or lack of communication could spell disaster for the project, and force you to find another artist.
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