Thanks for every ones support.

So John-Paul, tell us a little about yourself.

OK well I’m a stereotypical half Irish/Half Italian raised in the UK and currently resident in Bristol… As a result I love using language and telling stories and telling them with passion. Whether that’s written, drawn or film – I love it all!

At what age did you first become interested in comic books?

From as soon as I could read really, I religiously got the UK He-Man comics and a lot of the UK Marvel output like Transformers, X-Men, Spiderman, Ghostbusters and Thundercats. When money got a bit tight I was rationed down to just one and there was never any doubt – it would be Transformers.

When did you first decide that you wanted to work in the comic book industry?

Well, it was a while before I really realised what the industry was. Because I hadn’t read comics for a while I still imagined they were like comics in the UK you see on the newsagent shelves rather than the incredible and daring books that were coming out. It was really when I realised that a lot of my favourite writers from TV were writing comic books that encouraged me to read more widely. What was important to me was that they were writing them because it afforded them a scope and a scale that they couldn’t get on the small screen.

You first wanted to write is that right? But then you found a more suitable role in coloring, why was that?

It isn’t so much suitable, it started out as a necessity. I’ve always wanted to write screenplays and in particular work on TV shows because I love developing characters and telling expanded stories in that way. As a kid I was always writing and I was always drawing. As time went on it became clear to me that there were a lot of people better at drawing than me, but that my skills with the written word seemed to have quite an impact on people. When I moved to Bristol our local comic shop set up a forum for comic book creators and I met with a lot of other people with different skills. One of the people who was there was part of SCAR comics who are pretty big in the small press comic scene and they produced a Horror anthology called Dead by Dawn which is where I got my first “written by” credit. I also drew a few strips but it definitely isn’t in my comfort zone.

To cut a long story short I started experimenting with the form and comics really gave me a chance to develop stories I couldn’t have done otherwise and I started collaborating on projects. Of the people I knew I knew pencillers, inkers, writers and letterers but no colourists. Deciding that one project I’d done I wanted in colour, I thought I’d try and see if I could. I’d bought a graphics tablet months before but it was still boxed! So my first forays into colouring were just to get my projects finished!

Experimenting artwork by Chris Stevens

Did you have any formal art training or are you self taught?

Completely self taught. I sat down with my laptop, Photoshop and a tablet and just used trial an error. I remember the first panel I ever coloured took me 8 hours! I really struggled at first, and the process took forever but there’s an immense satisfaction in seeing the finished article, even if looking back I cringe at my output! Everything I’ve learned has been entirely through making mistakes, happy mistakes, that taught me new techniques and ways of working.

What comic book artists would you say have influenced your style the most?

Always a tough one this. As far as colourists go the ones I really love are Morry Hollowell who did Civil War, Laura Martin who worked on Planetary, Dave Stewart who worked on Fray and Val Staples who worked on the Masters of the Universe books. Val in particular is an inspiration because he’s also an outstanding writer and works bloody hard and has had success in both fields. As far my own style I tend to be a bit of a hunter gatherer – I’ll find aspects of artists work that I really like and try and incorporate it, deconstruct how they did it.

You mentioned to us before about getting feedback from professionals?

Feedback is a tricky thing. My experience has been that it’s hard to get helpful feedback. Often it’s someone’s opinion as there is no set “right” way to colour so you might get a ton of notes to make something darker and then another person might say to make it brighter. It feels very inconsistent which is why it’s helpful when you get to build a relationship with an editor so you can work each other out.

My slight nightmare story (which I shall leave the names of the players out) was when I went to see the editor of a certain big comic company and I had my portfolio with me and he said “I’m not going to look at all of that” and this wasn’t even a massive portfolio, mainly some pin ups and sequentials. Anyway he starts to look through and then begins to criticise the artists whose work I’d coloured (some of which are pros, but all were pretty awesome). Then he told me that I had no real sense of colour… Eh…

When you ask for feedback you need to have a sense of your own worth and your own skill. I’m not fit to walk in the shadows of the colourists I’ve mentioned but I had worked hard for several years improving and challenging myself and had feedback from other professionals so I knew I wasn’t that bad! But it was a massive knock, and I had booked in for a review with someone who about as big as big can be with colouring and I wasn’t sure whether I should bother or not. But I did and his first comment: “You have a great sense of colour and how to use it”. WHOOP! His feedback was much more about techniques to improve, things I could do to step up. That to me is feedback because it’s constructive. Saying “I don’t like it” is feedback but it’s also useless!

But the key thing is to take it, even if someone is rude or blunt. And you have to be realistic, because if you think your work is brilliant and there’s nothing you can do to ever improve it then you’re deluded and you’ll fail. I improve with every picture because I know I can do better. Every artist or writer I admire has that attitude. You always have to be ready to listen and learn. If someone says it’s crap it doesn’t help you but if they tell you why you have to ask “Is it within my abilities to do this?”.

What was your first project you have you worked on?

Wrath of the Titans: Cyclops

My first was a UK short story called Destroy Bristol which I wrote and did the art for. Looking back it’s OK but I wish someone else had drawn it! My first coloring was ironically for a black and white strip called Shadowplay in Dead by Dawn with linework by Jess Bradley. The first time I had any colouring appearing in a US comic it was a single page Transformers Mosaic strip at the back of the main Transformers book (which I wish I had the chance to do again). My first real big break was doing a full book for Bluewater called Wrath of the Titans: Cyclops based on the Ray Harryhausen films.

How did the position of Cyclops colorist come about for you? Who contacted you?

Through a series of happy coincidences and fortunate occurrences really. Although my time is pretty much accounted for 25 hours a day (as I also have a full-time day job) my passion is Transformers and I have written, coloured and even lettered quite a few of the fan stories over at TF:Mosaic. At one point Matt Frank, an artist who I’d been watching, had asked for a colourist for a Mosaic strip and for a sample which I duly sent. He liked it and I coloured his story which was told partly in flashback which I’d done in a warm, almost golden hue for those sections. Time (quite a bit) passed by and I got contacted by him saying he was writing and drawing a book and he’d like me to colour the second half of the book which would be set at sunset. So I was then in contact with the editor, signed a contract and then was told I’d be doing the whole book! So I owe an immense debt of gratitude to Matt for that first recommendation and I hope to work with him again at some point.

So you got the skills to color, got your first job, will you be taking steps to becoming a full time comic book colorist? If so what steps will you be looking to take?

Yes.

Okay, I’m kidding, yes I would definitely like to write and colour full-time. Steps wise at the moment it comes down to sleeping a lot less and just trying to make opportunities, taking risks and getting my work seen. I’m fortunate that I’m also friends with some people in “the biz” now but that still means you have to work your arse off, it’s just there’s a better chance it may get seen! Be under no illusions, comics are hard work!

Artwork by Casey Coller

Is there a Penciller and/or Inker you would really like to work with?

I’m a massive fan of very clean pencils/inks with just the right amount of detail in to convey expression etc, because then I get to colour. Otherwise it feels a bit like painting by numbers. I’ve coloured a lot of artists I admire but purely for pleasure. I’d very much like to work with Transformers artists Casey Coller and Robby Musso on a full book because their artwork just makes the colouring a joy.

Working with Inkers and Pencillers, is it difficult? How does the process normally work?

The process is usually pretty painless. You get the pencils or inks from a server and then you do your thing and send it back and wait for comments! The hardest aspect I’ve found is if communication isn’t great or the script doesn’t give a specific instruction for colour choice. If you do something red and they wanted it green, it can be a bit of a pain after the fact to change so I always ask for any very specific instructions to be in a script. I’ve even had the time of day missing in some scripts to find I have to change it all from night to day… Not fun! But again, as colourist you’re part of a team and it’s collaborative art, and if in doubt it’s up to the editor to resolve!

How do you think those past jobs and experiences with pencillers, inkers and editors has helped to you develop your skills in coloring?

By not being to precious about my work. My instincts might lead me down one road but then I get told that it needs changed. I’ll always be the first to explain my choices and their meaning, but if a change needs made (even if it seems less effective in terms of colour theory) then that’s what you have to do!

Could you describe the process you use to color? Do you color by hand or with a computer or is it a combination of both?

I am useless, ABSOLUTELY USELESS, with paints and inks. I agonise over every brush stroke and then give up. It’s why I’m always in true awe and admiration of pencillers, inkers and painters who have skills I can’t even fathom.

Therefore I colour on the PC/laptop using Photoshop and a graphics tablet, where I feel I have total control over the image and can deliver it in some kind of realistic deadline!

What tools and software do you use?

I have an awesome little HP tablet laptop I can actually colour directly onto the screen with and a cheap graphics tablet. Unless you’re trying to perfectly replicate paint techniques I feel that expensive graphics tablets are a waste. You don’t need to spend a fortune to be a colourist, some of the best and most successful actually use a mouse!

What advice would you offer aspiring comic book colorist?

Colour EVERYTHING. Things you like, things you don’t. Take your favourite books and track down the black and white art to it and see if you can replicate it. Take images and colour them as day scenes then do them at night. Use every button on Photoshop and see how it works and affects the image. Try and get your own stuff published, it needs to be seen.

Thanks for the opportunity to sit down and talk with you John-Paul! Are there any projects you’re currently working on that you’d like to plug?

You’re welcome. I’m currently colouring a 4 issue mini for Bluewater based on the Alan Quatermain stories, and there’s a few things I’m developing as writer which are too soon to talk about just yet!

View John-Paul’s Deviantart profile and you can also read his own regularly updated blog.

The pencilled art was done by Randy Green and I have to say I appreciate the artist’s in-depth details and pencil shading as it made it very easy for me to know where to ink and how deep/thick the lines should be. I have read reference that sometimes inkers are given a hard time because the pencils are poor or the artist has left the inker with a lot of work to determine light source, thickness of lines and detail. Some artists prefer this it seems as it gives them license to inject their own artistic expertise. In this case the pencils are excellent, simple and a great for the beginner. The pencils are also in blue which is standard as blue will not be picked up by the printers, plus this makes it a lot easier to go over with black.

In the book, four inkers had a go at this particular page using their own particular style and approach to achieve the end result. Unlike the inkers in the book however, I wanted to use digital inking, so using Photoshop CS3 on my MAC OS X 10.5 and an A4 Wacom tablet, I made a start.

The first thing I noticed was the major and annoying problem of not being able to rotate the page. This meant I had to adjust my body quite a lot throughout the inking process which can be frustrating and it was difficult to get a smooth and accurate line. Despite this, I thought the feel of the brush tool was realistic and I was especially comfortable when brushing away from my body at a 45 degree angle.

I started on panel three first as it was an appealing image, small and simple. Using a normal brush tool, point size 8 with pressure tip applied (basically this means that the lighter I press on the tablet pen the lighter my lines are and the harder I press the thicker the lines are).

I was able to discover early on how simple it was, the pencilled lines in this panel were short which allowed me to use simple short strokes. Upon completing this panel, it gave me the satisfaction that (in my own opinion) I did a reasonably decent job which spurred me on to do the next panel.

The forth panel was next and was by far the most fun panel to ink out of the page. I enjoyed inking the full figure of Ghost. The challenging part of this was to get consistent lines on the longer strokes, so it was a case of going over lines to tidy them up.

However a tip for people in digital inking is to work in layers where possible. If you find that you encounter challenging areas like I did with the hair and eyes it is especially helpful to work off a new layer because if you make a mistake or you want to try an alternative method of achieving certain effect, you don’t affect the hard work you have spent hours on. I also did the backgrounds on a separate layer too; this allowed me to experiment without affecting the work on the foreground inking.

However I wouldn’t advise anyone to leave the most unappealing panels until last. If you got several panels on a page, consider inking the more unappealing panels sooner rather than later. This is to keep you motivated right through to the end. So with this in mind I started on panel one and whilst it was easy enough to do, it was also a bit boring due to the lack of detail involved.

In Photoshop there are ‘Line Tools’ which are good to ink straight consistent lines which I used on the pillar to the left of the two characters. Again the background was separate to the foreground characters.

Finally I inked panel two. This was the most challenging for me personally. The toughest part of this to do was the hair and eyes. The eyes are important because that’s one of the first thing readers look at in any panel. So if the eyes don’t look right, then the piece as a whole is very likely going to feel like there is something wrong with it. Consider working on a separate layer again when you’re dealing with eyes.

In total this took me approximately around 5-6 hours. Considering this is my first time at digital inking I thought I did pretty well. Overall, this was a fun page to ink and I was especially satisfied with panel 4 and the background there.

In the book The Art of Comic Book Inking four artist had a go at this particular page and I don’t think there was many differences between the artist’s styles, that’s a token of how well the pencils are drawn and comparing my own work, it’s satisfactory to know that I can at least make my inking similar if not as good as.

Oh and finally, when you’re working, remember to BREATH! Sometimes I’m concentrating on the lines so hard that I’m holding my breath! As Mr Miyagi from the Karate Kid would say ‘Remembaaaaa to breath!! Breath in, breath ouuuuuut!!”

Please leave comments and let me know what you think of my Digital Inking.

The hall was huge, maybe the same size as the London Expo and instantly we were faced with the familiar form of the yellow Bumblebee car from the Transformers movie. This was also at the London Expo a few months back and is becoming a regular sight at these conventions.

As we wandered further in we were able to see the actors from the Twilight movies, Peter Facinelli (Dr Cullen), Alex Meraz (Paul) and Justin Chon (Eric) and as you’d expect were swamped with adoring fans. Also present were Heroes’ stars Sendhill Ramamurthy (Dr Suresh), Jimmy Jean Louis (Haitian). Oliver and James Phelps, the Weasley Twins from the Harry Potter movies were there too signing autographs and enjoying themselves.

Alex Meraz signing autographs at the con

The cast from the Star Wars movies were there. I had to pinch myself when I saw Jake Llyod, the young Anakin Skywalker all grown up. Time goes so fast! The ever present Kenny Baker who played R2 D2 was seated there alongside Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and David Prowse (Darth Vadar). How cool is it to see these guys there signing autographs, I mean these were the guys that launched the phenomenon that is Star Wars… I think I may need a drink and a sit down! phew!

So with the actors out the way myself and Steven wandered around to see what else the convention had on display. You had a great big hall with a lot of stalls selling the same stuff so it got a bit samey after a little while so we thought let’s check out the area in which we find interesting the most – the artist avenue for comic books.

We came upon a few artist here, like Hal Laren who self published: BEX, Diba & Rock and The Elementals from Reaper Comics. Hal was very pleasant to talk to and told us about how he works and his hopes for the future. His comic books are an interesting combination of 3D graphics with heavy Photoshop coloring creating a futuristic style to his work.

We also had the opportunity to talk to John-Paul Bove who is an upcoming colorist who spoke to us about some interesting experiences he had on his journey to become a full time professional comic artist. Wanting to be a comic book writer but decided to make a mark in the industry found that becoming a comic book colorist was easier to get your foot in the door.

Phil Jimenez sketching non-stop at the con

We also got a chance to get a glimpse of artist Phil Jimenez who was incredibly popular with the fans. He’s done pencilling for X-Men, Wonder Woman, Invisibles and Amazing Spider-Man and has won him a renowned fan base across the country.

And finally we got the chance to briefly speak to inker Lee Townsend who was busy sketching for fans. His inking on popular titles such as Spiderman, Batman and World of Warcraft has kept this guy busy over the years. We were really impressed with his quality of work as we browsed his portfolio of work.

Overall it was a pleasant venue, not as good as the London Expo but still neat and a nice day out. The cast of actors on display were pretty decent whilst some were legendary. We came away from the show feeling pretty content with what we’ve seen so having grabbed a few souvenirs, had one last look around we headed home. Till the next convention.

We shall have interviews with artist and writers, finding out how and when they work and what methods work and what doesn’t. We’ll also be talking to new upcoming comic book artist and writers, following their progress and finding out how they see the future of comic books.

Using our research, we’ll be producing tutorials and tips on how to produce professional looking work using various techniques. These tutorials will be easy to follow with plenty of pictures and reference so you can look into more depth concerning the subject in hand.

We’ll be heading off to comic book conventions across the country and other exciting events and we’ll be bringing you the news from those so please feel free to comment and share your experiences.

And finally but not least, we’d love to hear from you, whether you’re new to the comic world or an experienced veteran in comic book publishing, we’d love to talk to you, see how you’re finding working in the field and what you have to offer to our readers. Please kindly leave comments on our posts on your experiences and feedback.

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