Transitioning to Copic Markers



My first experience with coloring a comic was not the best foot forward I could have made. I had seen very well-done comics with greys done digitally, and I wanted a piece of that. Not only did I (as I do now) think that greys lend more emotion to the comics, but the tone of Axolotl and its setting benefits greatly from grey tones, especially when there are an enormity of grey tones. Axolotl takes place in an older time but more importantly, a place where many different peoples mingle. I wanted to properly capture the various skin tones, hair colors, eye colors, the colors of their outfits. With an arsenal of so many greys, I could better emphasize the diversity of Ao Lai with more than just different facial features, although that's good fun. But about the coloring style...

I had done numerous digitally colored pieces before the start of Axolotl's first coloring, at least a hundred easily. So I thought coloring greyscale would be just a lot of the same thing. I was very, very wrong. Not only was the process more involved, meticulous, and reliant on correctness than I originally foresaw, but it was time-consuming and immensely draining to have complete 24 pages with nothing but grey grey grey... When I had finally finished it, I knew I could never do that again.

Earlier that same year, I believe, or maybe the one before, I had tried copic markers for the first time. Being proficient in pencil shading, I took to it very easily. I was pleased with the soft, natural look of it as well as the ease and speed at which I was able to use it. Also important was its traditional style of use: because it was an actual tool and not a Photoshop tool, I had a more natural connection with it and was even able to work with it pretty much where I wanted. After an exhaustive process of getting the first Axolotl episode colored, I decided it was time to go back to traditional methods and use the copic markers to color Axolotl.

Here are some coloring tests I did for the four main characters I have so far for Axolotl. I had intended on the ease of this newer method, and I was not at all disappointed there. But I hadn't counted on an added bonus. The markers, at least the way I'd done them, have a sort of faux-watercolor look to them. The slightly blotchy look to them, the irregularities, the very soft accents. I think it adds to the old-timey feel of the comic. It also emphasizes the very round, bold style of my lineart.

I also get the feeling that a traditional tool inherently, and perhaps to the audience, subconsciously, allows for a wider margin of error. Maybe it's because of the implied permanence of the medium, but maybe because its (usual) lack of perfection lends something to the personality of the art. It may be due to the great deal of digital art floating around us nowadays, the appearance of something that has clearly seen the human hand is refreshing. I think so. It's not as if I hate digital art; I love a well-colored digital piece. It's just that that extra mile done traditionally means so much more to me.

The portability and versatility of the copic markers is an especially important factor to me. I only have one Adobe Photoshop Elements installed on one computer, so I can only Photoshop when I'm home and at my computer. And if the power hasn't blown out. With copic markers, I can use them during a blackout and away from home, provided I have light, something not as much of a hassle to find. This also means that I can lounge somewhere and color while I watch something. I can be physically comfortable and more relaxed while working as opposed to sitting in pretty much the same position to color for several hours. And what would come from being more comfortable but having more fun? And having more fun may lead to a more expressive and fun art style.

Naturally, I'll have to be aware of the expensiveness of the copic markers I use, and I do use quite a few. As they're about eight bucks or so a piece, my arsenal of about 12 costs about $96. Thankfully, I use them out of proportion to each other, so they die at varying times of the process and not all at once. But $8 a marker is a lot, and I'm not averse to looking for a substitute good.

Protecting Fuzen

Here we have a new picture finally. Sheldon protecting little Fuzen from the ever sadistic Flyin Psi. I actually imagined this picture with only Sheldon and Flyin and with both of them being against a completely white background. But as I drew more, I thought, "Hey, what would it look like if I added Fuzen?" I liked him there, so I added color once I scanned it. After some deliberation, I decided the white wouldn't cut it, and I revisited a photo editing/drawing site someone put me to: Sumo Art. After playing with it for about an hour, I made the flooring you see here, only I changed the color in my preferred photo editing software, Adobe Photoshop Elements. With some Hard Light, some leaves on the wall, and lots of work to make sure the chibis interact with their surroundings, we have today's product.

The idea behind the pink crystal light things on the ground is that Sheldon and Fuzen are in Flyin's domain, therefore in her power. Plus, it also let me play with lights and find ways to tie the characters into the landscape.

Fuzen and Sheldon are pretty good friends (not in continuity with their own stories). While their relationship has many levels, they typically take on a big brother-little brother way of treating each other. Flyin, on the other hand, does not get along with Fuzen and Sheldon at all. Sheldon because he's an easy target as he's emotionally (and often physically) vulnerable, and because she doesn't like his "girly tendencies" such as large capacity for compassion, sort of low competitive drive, and soft-spoken nature. Fuzen because of his small size and childishness. While Fuzen is not easily scared by many things, Flyin can easily find a way to scare him. But though Sheldon is more easily frightened than Fuzen, he would try to keep any kid safe, especially one he cares about like Fuzen, even though he could suffer consequences. Despite that, you can still see a bit of apprehension in his face. I may draw a normal picture of them like this. You know, un-chibied.

I hope you liked the picture and the text that went along with it.

This picture is also on deviantART.
Protecting Fuzen on deviantART
GenreChowderStudios's deviantART homepage

Later.