Boom Talk
This is the chapter where I became more confident in my comic creation skills.
This is the first issue in which my entire comic process was done digitally, aside from the script. At this point, I was using Procreate daily, not just for my work but also for my current day job. In this comic, I started to play with more dynamic storytelling. I asked myself on every page I worked on, “How could I make this more dynamic?”
This pushed me to begin to find the color language for Boom Kid. The version of these pages in this post was actually updated with a new saturated blue in both the background and overlays. When I started Boom Kid, I was playing it safe. I had some fear and it came through my work. But as I continue working on new chapters and feel my confidence growing, I can feel my work getting bolder. Therefore, I want the colors to be as vibrant as the characters in my story.
These were the best pages of comics I believed I had created when this came out. I could see all the growth from my previous trials and errors manifest within the pages of this chapter. I took time to dwell and savor that feeling of content and humble pride. I knew I couldn’t stay in that feeling for long. I developed a craving to better my comic storytelling. To better the areas I knew I was struggling with. Most importantly, I needed to figure out a process that would allow me to be more dynamic quickly.
This meant addressing my coloring process. I struggle with it, and it’s my least favorite part of comic creation.
Today, I think I’ve gotten better. I’ve taken a few classes on color theory and found some amazing reference videos on YouTube. While working on this chapter, I made more conscious decisions about coloring, lighting, and background. It became evident that color theory and strategy must be planned early in your storytelling process. The moment you lock in your idea and outline it, think about your colors as well. It’s crucial.
Here are three questions I ask myself when starting a new project:
Will this project be black and white, spot, or full color?
Will I be coloring it or outsourcing the process if it is full color?
What will be the color language of the story?
I now know that answering these three simple questions will save me tons of time, avoid burnout, and, most importantly, thrive in the areas where my skills are strong.
YES!