Comic Artist - Volume 3 2016

PRO SECRETS

LEAVING ROOM

FOR CHANGE

When building a

consistent working

process, it can be

difficult to keep the

results feeling fresh.

Often, once the piece

is nearing completion,

I’ll apply adjustment

layers and effects,

such as Curves, and

experiment with

dramatic changes

on the graph to see

how I can affect the

image. I usually

focus on shifting

the hierarchy of

the values.

GIVE TINTIN THE

FABLES TREATMENT

NIMIT MALAVIA combines traditional and digital media as he develops

an engaging Tintin cover, painting the familiar while finding his own voice

D

eveloping artwork for a cover

is rarely simple. You must

maintain the fundamentals

of a standalone image, such

as a strong composition with

an interesting palette. But the cover also

has to engage the reader so that it’s not

only appealing to look at, but also brings

them into the story. Having seen some of

my covers for Vertigo’s Fables series, the

ImagineFX team suggested I take a swing

at another established character: Tintin.

Working on famed properties such as

this is exciting, but it brings a challenge

of interpreting the figure in a way that

enables me to paint an image that satisfies

my creative needs while also remaining

true to the character’s original spirit.

This workshop will focus on showing

the choices I make in conceptualising the

Nimit Malavia

LOCATION: Canada

Nimit has

produced art

for several

major comics

publishers such

as DC/Vertigo,Marvel

and Dark Horse. His

personal work has

appeared in galleries

in the US and Europe.

http://www.nimitmalavia.com

piece. It will give you a full process

breakdown of the technical aspects of

creating this image: touching on the

different stages of roughs and approval;

working up the image with traditional

media; building the colours and values

using an excessive amount of layers in

Photoshop; title design; plus some

personal techniques I use to re-inject

some mystery into the final art.

1

NARROWING THE FIELD

For character-based projects, I often begin by

researching their entire history, trying to find something to

connect with. In the case of Tintin it was understanding that

throughout his life he has been our gateway to unknown

worlds and adventures. A perfect canvas. Once that ball

was rolling, the ideas couldn’t be stopped. In Photoshop,

using a customised Round brush that emulates a ballpoint

pen, I develop eight black-and-white thumbnails, each with

its own unique story and setting. I can’t decide which one

to go for, so I send them all to the editor for a decision.

Workshops

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