Posts Tagged ‘Jim Lee’

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Interview with Ian Hannin a professional comic colorist

by Jason Brubaker on December 14, 2009 at 11:30 am
Posted In: Making Graphic Novels

An interview with Ian Hannin, a professional comic colorist with many high profile titles under his belt including:

  • Batman
  • Superman
  • Spider-Man
  • X-Men
  • Spawn!

JASON BRUBAKER – Hey Ian.  Thanks for taking the time for this interview. 

To start things out, How did you become a comic colorist?

IAN HANNIN - No problem, Jason. I'm a fan of your work- especially, the colors!

Let's go back to 1995. Wow. I was a comic book fan, and a Photoshop enthusiast working at Kinko's in downtown Orlando, FL. On one of my weekly scheduled trips to the comic book store, I found myself with the latest issue of Wildstorm Production's, WildC.A.T.s, drawn by my favorite, the legendary Jim Lee. And to my astonishment, there was an page in the back devoted to their talent search! They were looking for writers, pencilers, inkers and colorists. I figured I'd give it a go since I'd had some traditional painting experience, and was fresh out of Ringling School of Art and Design of Sarasota, having learned Photoshop 2.0! I crafted a resume, collected some of my photoshop work, and dropped it all in the mail to La Jolla, CA. A few days later, I received a call from Wildstorm- a truly life-changing day. I will always be indebted to Alex Sinclair- pioneer in the biz, and Jim Lee colorist to this day, for giving me the opportunity. Within a few short weeks, I had moved to La Jolla, settled into a small studio apt, and begun coloring Jim Lee's comics- with the man himself just down the hall. And by the way, he's still my hero, and a great guy.

JASON BRUBAKER – What a great story.  I remember picking up that same issue of WildC.A.T.S. and spending the next 2 weeks perfecting 4 penciled pages for a submission.  They told me I wasn't chosen but I was second on the list.  Oh well.  So since my blog is about making comics and graphic novels I'll try to get really specific now of your process.

When you color, do you use any photo reference or do you just pull it all out of your head?

IAN HANNIN - If I need photo reference, it's usually for background elements. With deadlines looming, sometimes I'll search online for photos of things I'd have a tough time starting from scratch. A cloudy sky or some ripples in the surface of a pool. Maybe a nice moon with craters and gashes across the surface. In any case, I tweak it heavily- adding contrast, blurring, smudging, adding my own details, and of course changing the hues. By the time I'm done with the reference, it's no more a photo than a Monet is.

JASON BRUBAKER – It seems like that is a pretty common practice now days.  About half the artist I work with manipulate photos for their visual development paintings.  They also make a lot of custom brushes in Photoshop.  Is this something you do as well?

IAN HANNIN - I do have some custom brushes, but I use them sparingly. I'm a big believer of less-is-more. I try to keep the colors simple and clean. Too much rendering is too much to look at. I mean, come on, the reader is READING. If I need some blood splatter, or some rust, then I'll go for the custom brushes. But I don't care for coloring with textures everywhere. Just because you can make blue jeans look real in Photoshop, doesn't mean you SHOULD.

Ninety-Nine percent of the time, I'm using the lasso tool and the airbrush to render the lighting set up by the inker. That's it.

JASON BRUBAKER – I see.  Do you have someone flat out your pages before you start?

IAN HANNIN - I flat my own pages. There's nothing more frustrating for me than to have to clean up someone else's flats before I can get to work.
 
 
JASON BRUBAKER – How long does it take you to color a page?
 
IAN HANNIN - Well, I sure don't claim to be the fastest colorist in the biz. But, the time I spend on a page completely depends on who drew it, and what's happening in the scene. I'm coloring Tony S. Daniel's BATMAN right now. He's a great mix of detail and simplicity. A page of Batman brawling with a foe might be 6 panels with capes and bombs and all kinds of background location. That's probably going to take me at least 4 hours after it's flattened. But I have a French Bulldog who regularly interrupts me to play, so… I blame her.

JASON BRUBAKER – Wow, 4 hours seems really quick to finish a page.  Do you throw down color and then adjust it later?

IAN HANNIN – I generally finish as I go, rather than tweaking things constantly as I work the whole page. When I feel like I'm wrapping it up, I'll give the page a good long look and make some final adjustments, but they are minor. Maybe some contrast here and there, to pop the foreground from the background. I keep an alpha channel of my flats so that I can easily select anything that needs adjusting.

JASON BRUBAKER – And how long does it take you to flat your pages?

IAN HANNIN - It depends on the artist and the level of detail, but anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. Again, French Bulldog…

JASON BRUBAKER – Do you work in CYMK or RGB?

IAN HANNIN - I work in RGB and then change modes to CMYK for the printer. The painting modes just don't work the same in CMYK. Especially "screen" mode which is pretty crucial. Of course, you will see some of your colors transform slightly when you change modes, but if you are conscious of "illegal" colors, nothing should turn to mud.

JASON BRUBAKER – Coloring Batman!  That must be every childhood boy's dream job.  Do you feel like you are at the top of your game now or is there still something that you need to do to feel like you've made it, so to speak.  Or what's your dream job?

IAN HANNIN – I'm a Batman fan. So yeah, I'm honored and excited to be coloring the comic book. In that personal sense, I kind of feel like I've "made it", but I'm not gonna retire early doing this gig. The dream job is making movies. Writing, story boarding, acting, pushing a dolly, whatever. When I'm not coloring Batman, I'm putting a feature film together with a group called UNTAMED CINEMA.

JASON BRUBAKER – I'll definitely have to keep my eyes open for your film projects. I'm sure working in comics helps when it comes to making movies.  In animation, a color script is planned out before production begins to figure out the colors of the scenes.  Do you make a color script before you start coloring a comic?

IAN HANNIN – Wow. I'd love to see a color script! That's a great idea! So, no, I don't do that. I deal in 22 page stories. I can say though, that as I'm progressing through the book, I'm conscious of the need to change palettes from scene to scene. Color is absolutely imperative to letting the reader know they've entered a new location- or even a new situation in the same location!

JASON BRUBAKER – How hard is it to switch styles between books?

IAN HANNIN – That can be tough. But I think there's a switching curve. Once I've figured out what I'm doing differently, the speed increases.

JASON BRUBAKER – Do you think about how to lead the eye around the page with your colors?

IAN HANNIN – Always thinking about that. With panel to panel stuff, that's not always easy, or even possible. Maybe I think about how to lead the eye around the PANEL with my colors.

JASON BRUBAKER – What advice could you give to someone trying to get into your field now days?

IAN HANNIN – Assuming this person already has an understanding of not only Photoshop, but how light and color works, and if I thought I could vouch for them, I'd put them in touch with some of the editors I've worked with. But from what I understand, the only other way is to send samples to the publishers, or show them in person at a convention if the opportunity presents itself. The editors usually have time set aside for meeting pencilers, inkers and colorists. Break a leg, future comic book colorists!

JASON BRUBAKER – And if someone were to show an editor their work…What does it take to get noticed as a colorist?  Or to stand out.

 

IAN HANNIN – I would guess a certain level of dynamism… is that the right word? Dynamic-ness (laughs) is crucial, but also an understanding of psychology. Colors are psychological. Using the right colors in the right places can knock people out of their socks. And finding a way to add something cool to the art… casting a shadow across the hero's eyes for that Noir feel, or planting a bold primary color somewhere ballsy. Sure, it's risky- they could tell you to do it over. Or, they could go apesh*t over your brilliance.

JASON BRUBAKER – Okay, and now for all the self-publishers out there.  I'm not sure if this question is right for you but I figured I'd ask.  What advice can you give me and others trying to make a graphic novel?

IAN HANNIN – To paraphrase one of my heroes, there is no "try". You are DOING it. You're making your graphic novel. To those reading this who's work I haven't had the good fortune to see, I would say only this: Make it your own and do it in a way we've never seen before.

JASON BRUBAKER – Very good advice. And now for the most important question…If you were a color which one would it be?

IAN HANNIN – That would change from day to day, but sitting here right now I'd have to say C 65, M 85, Y 0, K 30.

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Graphic Novel / Literary Agents.

by Jason Brubaker on March 4, 2010 at 6:00 am
Posted In: Making Graphic Novels
Finding an agent may not be the first thing an artist like yourself may want to do. I mean, don't agents take a cut of your profits? Don't they push you around? Jim Lee or Todd McFarlane never had an agent, did they, and look at how big they got!
 
Those are the common thoughts about agents among artists I think.  But I have a few reasons why I want to find a good one for my graphic novel work. You see, I have a tiny history with art agents. One good and one bad.
 

A bad agency story:

 
In 1995 when I was 20 I went to conventions showing my comic art around to anyone who would give me the time. Any offer was a good offer I thought. One of the offers was with a comic agency called (Name withheld because I can't remember it). They seemed legit to a 20 year old from Idaho so I signed a contract.
 

(WARNING: VENTING SPREE)

 
They never got me any work. Wait, they got me work but never paid me. Let me explain.
 
They set up a gig with (a famous rock star, seriously) to do half an issue of one of his stupid comics. The rock star called me and gave me a sentence to describe each page he wanted me to draw. I spent the next 2 weeks working the best 11 pages I ever penciled (at the time) and returned copies to my agent by mail.
 
Never heard back from the agent. Never heard back from the rock star.
 
I called the rock star and he kept playing hard to get, I mean what is he, some famous rock star or something? I didn't care, I worked hard for him and wanted answers and money. I kept calling and finally he picked up. The conversation went something like this:
 
The Rock Star – Hmmm yeah. I got your pages.

Me – Oh good. What did you think?

The Rock Star - Well, they aren't dynamic enough. All my comics are really dynamic.

Me – Oh okay. Can you explain what panels might need to be more dynamic? And how I can make them more so.

The Rock Star – Have you ever seen one of my books?

Me - Yeah.

The Rock Star - They have blood and sex and, you know, their more DYNAMIC!

Me – So if I add more blood and sex then it's more DYNAMIC?

The Rock Star - Yeah.

Me - Okay I'll make the changes.

 
Obviously "dynamic" meant a different thing to me then it did to the rock star. But I tried to add more blood and chunks and whatever he was looking for. I sent the pages to my agent and never heard back. I was ignorant of what to do, trusting everyone was honest in the business world.  About a month later after hearing noting, I decided to call my agent again and get to the bottom of it all. When I called, my agent was long gone. He quit or got fired or something. Nobody knew I existed. Nobody knew I drew pages for a rock star either. I never got a call back from the agency.  I never got a new agent to take over the last looser. And I was still under contract with them to give them a percent of everything I made. The rock star never paid me or returned a phone call from that point on.
 
Months later I found the issue of the comic I worked on in the comic store and my art was nowhere to be seen. I don't think the art was more dynamic either, unless you count more blood and pointless shots of female anatomy dynamic. The rock star didn't even tell me he wanted a female in it. I guess I'm just suppose to assume I have to draw naked women hiding in the bushes to add to the story arc. Later I saw this (short) rock star in a comic book store in LA and I wanted to kick him.
 
The moral to this story is: A famous rock star still owes me $2200 dollars for 11 penciled pages and a pin-up. That's $3,184.02 with inflation.

(VENTING SPREE OVER)

 

A good agency story:

 
Later on in 1996, I ran into another agency called Famous Frames. I moved out to Los Angeles to become a storyboard artist represented by Famous Frames and let me tell you, they got me solid work for about 6 years. If anyone wants to be a storyboard artist for commercials, music videos, film or TV for directors or ad agencies then this agency is legit! It's pretty hard to get in though. I was just in the right place at the right time. If I'd let them, they would've had a new job for me every day of the week.  My main problem with storyboarding is how mentally demanding it is. I would be hired to go to a random company at 9AM to draw 50 frames for a taco bell commercial that was shooting the next day. I'd get home at 7 and have a message on my answering machine for the next job in the morning that was 2 hours away for an ad agency or something. My record for the amount of boards I did in one day was around 140. It was a draining job but a good start to a professional career as an artist.  To this day I'm still grateful to them for having faith in a 21 year old from Idaho. I'd probably still be a starving artist if it wasn't for Famous Frames.
 
I've moved on since then but I definitely learned the value of a good agent. I can't tell you how many posers I've been approached by claiming they could be my agent. Random people who never even worked in the film, animation, comics, or artist industries. Shoot, I could be THEIR agent!
 
"So why do I want to get an agent now?", you might be thinking.
 
Simple. I want to get a contract with a major book publisher like Scholastic or Random House. You need to have a literary agent to submit anything to them.
 
To sum up my thoughts, I want a good agent who will take a cut of everything I make so that they will want to get me the best contract they can. I want a good agent so I can approach big book publishers and not just comic publishers. I want a good agent because all the people who I respect in the comic world have a good agent backing them.
 
I'd really love tons of opinions and advice here. This is one of the parts to all this graphic novel stuff that I'm still having trouble with. Part of me thinks I just need to publish reMIND first before I worry about an agent. But wouldn't it be great if an agent could help make reMIND a homerun instead of a bunt? Oh, what to do!!!
 

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