Term

Art is a tool that can be used for the expression of different social issues and other important topics. It can take on a diverse array of forms and styles which help to enhance its message and meaning. Notions, which if done effectively have the ability to spark discussion, contemplation and change.

For my project, I am proposing to create a series of short comics following a singular protagonist as they explore a variety of social issues. Each piece will take on a different style that will reflect the mood and atmosphere of the topic at play. In doing this, I intend to experiment with my artistic style, along with working on my character design and composition. First I will begin by creating a list of topics I wish to address and consider how to convey them appropriately. After I have composed my ideas I will establish my narratives by writing out a rough script. Next, I will begin by looking into the different artists I admire and how their approaches could fit with the content of my work. In addition to investigating several kinds of comic formatting and any other information that might be useful. Once I have a general idea of everything, I will then start planning my compositions and establishing the look of my characters. This will all be done using a variety of materials ranging from paper and pencil to digital illustration, depending on the topic of each work.

Through this process I hope to not only learn more about my skills artistically but also by broadening my understanding of these issues and their significance. A process which will be achieved by taking the opportunity to express these topics in a way that is both effective and true to the ideas or concerns they bring up.

Artists Research: Artists I Admire

Droujko, Jackie. Jackie Droujko, Vancouver. https://www.jackiedroujko.com/sk
etches2,

Lusky, Gretel. Gretel Lusky, https://gretlusky.com/,

MS, Tasia. Tasia MS, Johannesburg. https://www.tasiams.com/characters,

Pepper, Stephanie. Twitter, https://twitter.com/stephpeppery
/status/1382127943707619330,

Tapia, Luz. Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/p/CUqX
7GGFIE6/?next=%2Fluztapiaart%2F&hl=en,

Sibylline Meynet is a self taught freelance illustrator residing in France (Meynet). She has done covers and illustrations for books and comics for publications such as Boom! Studios, and character designs for studios such as Disney and Warner Bros (Meynet). Her work has been featured in several exhibitions including, Gallery Nucleus and she has even published her own artbooks, "Osmose" and "Rêverie, the Art of Syblline Meynet" (Meynet). She has also worked in collaboration with Mossery to create a gouache kit, along with selling prints on her online store (Lam). The subjectivity of her work typically centers around women as "[she] is constantly fascinated, motivated and inspired by them (Lam). [She] grew up with strong female representation through different media and [she] remember[s] wishing to be like them when [she] [grew] up -[she] still [does] today" (Lam).

Says she is inspired by work nothing like hers ie Drew Struzan and his poster work for Back to the Future and Harry Potter etc

Droujko, Jackie. "About." JACKIE DROUJKO character design|visual development, https://www.jackiedroujko.com/about-1.

Lam, Samantha. "Artist Collaboration: An Interview with Sibylline / @sibylline_m." Mossery, https://www.mossery.co/blogs/inspiration/artist-collaboration-an-interview-with-sibylline-meynet-sibylline_m.

Lusky, Gretel. "About." Gretel Lusky, https://gretlusky.com/about

Meynet, Syblline. "about." Syblline Meynet, https://www.sibyllinemeynet.com/.

Ms, Tasia. "About." Tasia ms, https://www.tasiams.com/about.

Pepper, Stephanie. "stephanie 🌶." Twitter, https://twitter.com/stephpeppery?lang=en.

Tapia, Luz. "Home." @luztapiaart, https://links.luztapia.com/.

"About Walt Disney." Walt Disney Archives, https://d23.com/about-walt-disney/.

Jackie Droujko is a character designer based out of Vancouver, Canada. She has worked for studios including, Netflix and Dreamworks on projects such as Arlo the Alligator Boy and Cleopatra in Space (Droujko). Her aim is to create simplistic and intriguing designs which draw viewers in with the stories that they hold (Droujko). Elements both seen in her illustrations and personal projects such as her short film, Bang! Bang! (Droujko).

Gretel Lusky is an illustrator based out of Argentina (Lusky). She studied visual arts and began her career in 2015 as a character designer and visual development artist for several movies and television series (Lusky). On top of working with the animation industry she has also done cover art for comic companies such as DC and Marvel (Lusky). In both her personal and professional work, Lusky's illustrations draw upon characters from fantasy and the natural environment (Lusky). In addition to cartoons from the nineties, the main source of her inspiration which sparked her passion for creating stories (Lusky).

Tasia M.S. is a digital artist based in Johannesburg, South Africa who started digital art at the age of thirteen and began her professional career as an artist at the age of sixteen (Ms). While in school she studied both 2D and 3D animation, but realized her real passion resided in her love for aspects of visual development and illustration (Ms). Over her career so far, she has worked producing covers for companies such as DC along with other clients such as Clip Studio Paint and Mubi. At the moment she is also working on creating her own graphic novel (Ms).

Stephanie Pepper is an illustrator represented by Britt Siess who enjoys creating character designs. Specifically men and horses, which often take inspiration from genres such as Greek mythology and fantasy (Pepper). More recently she has begun working with and creating comics (Pepper).

Luz Tapia is an illustrator based out of Argentina who enjoys drawing characters from television, animation and any other subjects they feel compelled to draw (Luz).

Comic Formatting Inspiration

Slice of Life Comic Artists

Hipp, D. (2011). The Way Is Shut. Dan Hipp. photograph. Retrieved October 8, 2022, from https://mrhipp.tumblr.com/post/14120704841/the-way-is-shut.

https://characterdesignreferences.com/artist-of-the-week-13/lorena-alvarez-gomez

McCay, W. (n.d.). Little Nemo. Mr. Blog's Tepid Ride . photograph. Retrieved October 8, 2022, from https://bmj2k.com/2012/02/11/the-saturday-comics-little-nemo-in-slumberland/.

King, Frank. Gasoline Alley. 22 Apr. 1934.

Valero-O'Connell, Rosemary. Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me. 27 May 2019, www.bubblebd.com/9emeart/comics/criti
ques/mes-ruptures-avec-laura-dean-du-rose-du-gris-et-des-etoiles-dans-les-yeux.

Casaros, Enrico. Animation World Network, 2 Sept. 2008, www.awn.com/blog/help-save-totoros-birthplace.

Matt, Joe. Twitter, 1 Sept. 2022, twitter.com/ronsalas/status/1572610
628392751104.

King, Frank. “Little Nemo in Coin-Op Land.” Pinterest, www.pinterest.ca/pin/29027113849450750
7/visual-search/?x=10&y=10&w=480&h=598
&cropSource=6&imageSignature=
433d243d34b7d71f54a4885c81390c99.

Pinterest, www.pinterest.ca/pin/290271138494507546/.

Pinterest,
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/2902711384
94507495/.

Feininger, Lyonel. “The Kin-Der-Kids, Sunday Page.” Prima Di Mickey Mouse: a Francoforte in Mostra i Pionieri Delle Comic Strip, 19 Aug. 2016, espresso.repubblica.it/foto/2016/08/18/
galeria/prima-di-mickey-mouse-a-francoforte-in-mostra-i-pionieri-delle-comic-strip-1.280648#3.

Pinterest,
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/29027113
8494507593/.

Andersen, Sarah. Oddball A "Sarah's Scribbles" Collection, sarahcandersen.com/page/5.

Andersen, Sarah. Pinterest, www.pinterest.ca/pin/290271138494507553/.

Calin, Cassandra. “Plans for the Week.” Cassandra Calin, 2020, www.cassandracalin.com/.

Devir, Yehuda. “Ego.” Yehuda and Maya Devir, 4 Mar. 2020, www.yehudadevir.com/post/__ego.

Softer colors (often neutral in tone)
Somewhat simplistic shading
Stylized characters
Simplified shapes/forms
Balance between lines and blocks of color
Subtle textures
Colored line art
Subtle exaggerations in appendages and facial features
Straight lines versus curves

Rockfeller, Matt. “#2, Wind, from the Crossroads Show @Lightgreyartlab. .” Matt Rockfeller, 2017, mrockefeller.tumblr.com/post/165663226
646/2-wind-from-the-crossroads-show.

Pinterest,
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/29027113849
4507597/.

Puba. “Nick and Eva.” Puba , 2021, www.artstation.com/artwork/b5X28G.

Now that I have a general idea of the styles and comic formatting that I am drawn to, I am going to go ahead and come up with a tentative list of comic and style formats that I would like to apply to my own comic series. From there, I will research some social issues that are significant to me and how they might fit with these different composition.

Maybe figure out a way to make every comic interconnected?

A comic with a simplified page set up ex. square panels and no color palette
A comic without any dialogue or similarly to the piece by the artist Puba, use emojis or other substitutes for scripting (could be used in coordination with the last idea)
Maybe a single panel comic (takes up the entire page)

I don't really know how to describe it, but I can have some sort of format that is comprised of a winding path or more "loose"? paneling, like some of the examples above. Maybe this the one that I decide not to include any dialogue with. I would have to figure it out, but I could also have it that by following the path, the panel eventually becomes flipped upside down (if that makes sense)

Could create one, where it is a panel within a larger panel or background illustration, such as Rosemary Valero-O'Connell. I could also do this by having one giant unifying scene which within it has a bunch of mini panels (potentially overlapping) similar to the one above the person falling, to highlight specific or alternative scenarios that occurring at the same time.
I
I know that I also want to do one piece without any color at all, so I would have to figure out which topic would best suit something like this.

Another thing I would have to consider is style and which styles would help to enhance the message and meaning of each work
A lot of the artists I admire share similar artistic traits that I definitely want to pull from, but it might also want to have a wild card and work in a style that is really outside of comfort zone. I also want to make sure that each style is distinct and does not look too similarly.

Pinterest, https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/290271138
493430636/.

Pinterest,
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/290271138
494507520/.

Martz, John. John Martz , 4 June 2013, johnmartz.tumblr.com/post/52144264523/my-comic-in-the-current-issue-of-lucky-peach.

Pinterest,
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/290271138494
507538/

Pinterest,
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin
/290271138494507494/

Pinterest,
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/290271138494507581/

Pinterest,
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/290271138494
507564/

Pinterest,
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/2902711384
94507588/

Pinterest,
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/2902711
38494507511/

Vargen, Jaden. Tumblr, jadenvargen.tumblr.com/tagged/myart/pag
e/12.

Pinterest,
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/290271
138494507570/

Pinterest,
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/290271
138494507558/

Notes on my own Work

Not really comfortable with color, so my color palette tends to be a bit all over the place and not as well tuned
My shading can range from very simplistic cell shading, to cross hatching and hatching, to no shading at all
My Characters tend to be a bit stylized, as I like to play around with the proportions of the head and facial features. But the rest of it, typically maintains somewhat realistic anatomy
I tend to use lines within my work, as that is what I am most comfortable with (particularly in relation to digital art)

Tentative List of Topics of Interest:

Poverty and Homelessness
Climate Change
Immigration
Civil Rights and Racial Discrimination
Gender Inequality
Ableism
Indigenous Rights
Mental Health Issues

I think that these are some issues that hold significance to me. From this, I think that I want to attempt to create at least four comics that addresses one of these ideas. If I have time, I might add on more.

top Contenders:
Climate Change/Environmental Issues
Poverty/Homelessness
Civil Rights/Racial Discrimination

Narrowed Areas of Research

Climate Change/Environmental Issues:
Climate
Water
Food Supplies
Human Health
Environment → Top contender

Poverty/Homelessness:
Injury
Hunger/nutrition → Top contender
Mental Health → Top contender
Addiction

Civil Rights/Racial Discrimination:
Race → Top contender
Color → Top contender
Sex → Top contender

Further Planning and Sketches

First Comic Panel Progress

Second Comic Panel Progress

Artist Interview/Correspondence

Mind mapping the formatting and stylization of each of my comics.

Designing a lead protagonist that would be featured throughout the different scenarios, settings and topics of each comic. I wanted their outfit to feel like something you would see someone wearing walking around Vancouver.

The initial progress and sketching of my comic pages. In the beginning I had planned to have each page interconnected in some way, but found it would be difficult given our timeline.

Continuation of these initial sketches. Here you can see I am trying to integrate some of the different paneling and comic styles found within my research.

Further continuation of these initial sketches.

Further continuation of these initial designs as midlevel sketches. In these drawings you can see aspect that I later incorporate into my finalized designs.

Last bit of planning for these midlevel sketches.

Here I am trying to plan out my first comic panel but in a smaller more easily achievable format.

In these sketches, I have the same sort of storyline but different perspectives to ensure that each panel doesn't feel too repetitive.

More experimentation with formatting and perspective.

In these sketches of comic two, I am once again trying to plan it out to ensure that I am able to achieve it within the timeline of the project.

Once again, I am attempting to simplify my third comic a bit more, without loosing the look or intention of my piece.

Last little bit of experimentation with my third comic panel.

Initial sketch and paneling for comic one.

Line art and added details.

Line art with colors.

Line art, color, and writing.

Initial sketch and paneling.

Paneling and line art.

Meeting Over Discord

Line art, color and altered writing (color).

After determining each area of interest that I wanted to incorporate into each of my comics, I began researching more information on them, specifically their relationship to Canada, and if possible their impact upon Vancouver. In doing this, I was able to determine things such as statistics pertaining to the homeless population in Vancouver, with regards to their triennial count, the types of people who live in poverty and the causes behind it, along with what homelessness looks like from different perspectives as pertaining to my first comic. My next area of research focused on an article which articulated the false belief that Canada is somehow better when it comes to racial prejudice and abuse of police power in comparison to the United States, by examining two prominent incidences which occurred in Toronto. The first was the case of a woman named Audrey Smith, a visitor in the Country who was stripped searched by police officers in a public area due to allegations she was carrying drugs on her person, which of course wasn't true. While the other example featured a man named Wade Lawson who was shot in the back of the head and killed by police while driving a stolen car. Both cases were cross examined to explore aspects of Critical Race Theory, while also taking a look into statistics such as the amount of high school suspensions of kids from differing racial backgrounds. Lastly I looked at an article which spoke of the ins and outs of turning to more environmentally friendly packaging and why many companies have not yet adopted such materials. Although this reading focuses on this idea as it pertains to Europe, I thought it was interesting and hope to further examine information such as this which has more to do with Canada.

Pinkwug. “batwug.” Pinkwug, 15 Oct. 2020, pinkwug.live/comics/batwug.

Pinkwug. “giving fish.” Pinkwug, 9 Nov. 2020, pinkwug.live/comics/giving-fish.

Introducing myself and asking Pinkwug if they would be willing to discuss with me their process for creating comics.

Meeting over discord and figuring out how we would like to communicate with one another.

Asking Pinkwug my pre prepared questions, which they said they would respond to individually.

Pinkwug responding to my questions.

Pinkwug responding to my questions and asking for clarification on one of my inquiries.

Wrapping up questions and thanking Pinkwug for taking the time to talk with me.

Arranging a date and time to meet with one another.

Pinkwug is a comic artist who brings awareness to important societal issues in an easily accessible format due to their desire to play a role in advocating for topics such as civil and labor rights.

Here I am trying to figure out formatting, with respect to each comic and if they were to be interconnected with one another. In addition to general brainstorming and organizing of my thoughts.

Physical and Mental Health Issues among Homeless Youth in British Columbia, Canada: Are they Different from Older Homeless Adults?

Factors contributing to frequent police contact among young people: a multivariate analysis including homelessness, community visibility, and drug use in British Columbia, Canada.

History of foster care among homeless adults with mental illness in Vancouver, British Columbia: a precursor to trajectories of risk.

Jstor articles
ROOTS OF RACISM
Multicultural and Anti-Racism Education in Canada

Invisibility in the Color-Blind Era: Examining Legitimized Racism against Indigenous Peoples

Canada the Great White North where Anti-Black Racism Thrives: Kicking Down the Doors and Exposing the Realities

Academic Search
Not a Vaudeville Routine: How to Write Comic Dialogue.

Institutionalizing a policy by any other name: in the City of Vancouver’s Greenest City Action Plan, does climate change policy or sustainability policy smell as sweet?

Additional Research (If Time)

Additional Research After Nov. 16th

These are a few different sites I used for research for my third comic. They mainly pertain more information regarding environmental issues which correlate to Vancouver and ways that these topics can work to be resolved in the future.

Climate Change in Metro Vancouver
Over the course of this article, there are discussions as to how climate change has already been apparent in our region and the effects that these conditions will continue to have even if changes were to occur now. It also includes information, including percentages for different sources of green house emissions and plans to make B.C. carbon neutral by 2050.

Environmental Issues in British Columbia|Hachette Group
This is an article which discusses the different ways in which B.C.'s environmental landscape has been affected over the years. Take for instance, how the clearing of the landscape for agricultural purposes has affected the ecology or the clear cutting of forests has impacted old growth forests and by association salmon. At the same time it also highlights the way that the province has been working to reverse these effects including placing restrictions on hunting and fishing or even reforestation mandates.

How we build and renovate|Climate Emergency Plan
This is another article done by the city of Vancouver which focuses on how the construction of a building can cause harm, including emissions which are produced after a buildings formation such as heating and hot water. Additionally providing goals as to how they aim to further reduce these impacts.

How we move|Climate Emergency Action Plan
This is an article by the city of Vancouver which highlights how the different ways that we travel or move can contribute to ecological problems. However, it also reveals the city's plans and suggestions to improve upon these effects including, the creation of neighborhoods which allow for more foot traffic or the aim to have all cars be zero emissions by 2030.

Planning a livable, sustainable city|City of Vancouver
This is a piece which explores the different ways in which the city is attempting to create areas in the city that are more sustainable, including more welcoming urban environments and the incorporation of green spaces.

Beyond Plastics|Surfrider Vancouver Island
TThe overall theme of this article consisted of an exploration into bioplastics and how there has been little in the way of research when it comes to their potential impact on the environment and if they are any better than the actual plastics. Along with highlighting how this term has been misused in order to sell products that are still plastic based.

Top 5 things ruining the environment in Metro Vancouver
This article overviews the top sources of pollution in Vancouver and gives a brief summary as to the ways that say for example garbage, meat farming and urban sprawl are contributing factors in this process.

6 Ways to Reduce Factory Pollution
As evidenced by the name of the article, this is a writing which takes a look into the different ways that factory pollution can be produced. Take for instance how the placement of a factory or the utilization of renewable energy can play a role in helping to reduce these ecological effects.

Ways to Reduce Urban Sprawl
In this article it is explained what urban sprawl is and several different ways to prevent it. Ideas such as the reutilization of older structures such as old towns or cities, as well as ensuring the preservation of natural resources.

30+ WAYS YOU CAN STAND UP FOR OLD-GROWTH FORESTS TODAY!
As the name implies, this is an article which focuses on different ways to take action in order to preserve old growth forests such as sending letters to officials, sparking conversation, and teaching kids about the importance of these forests.

Works Cited

“Climate Change in Metro Vancouver Climate 2050.” metrovancouver, http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/air-quality/climate-action/climate2050/learn/local/Pages/default.aspx. Accessed 28 Nov. 2022.

“Environmental Issues in British Columbia.” hachette Book Group,
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/travel/trip-ideas/environmental-issues-in-british-columbia/. Accessed 28 Nov. 2022.

“How we build and renovate.” City of Vancouver, https://vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/how-we-build-and-renovate.aspx. Accessed 28 Nov. 2022.

“How we move.” City of Vancouver. https://vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/how-we-move.aspx. Accessed 28 Nov. 2022.

“Planning a liveable, sustainable city.” City of Vancouver, https://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/urban-planning.aspx. Accessed 28 Nov. 2022.

“Beyond Plastics.” Surfrider Foundation, https://vancouverisland.surfrider.org/rise-above-plastics/beyond-bioplastics. Accessed 28 Nov. 2022.

“Top 5 things ruining the environment in Metro Vancouver.” DH News, https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/top-things-ruining-the-environment-vancouver. Accessed 28 Nov. 2022.

“6 Ways to Reduce Factory Pollution.” Population Education, https://populationeducation.org/6-ways-to-reduce-factory-pollution/. Accessed 28 Nov. 2022.

"Ways to Reduce Urban Sprawl." bizfluent, https://bizfluent.com/info-8136057-solutions-solving-urban-sprawl.html. Accessed 28 Nov. 2022.

“30+ Ways You can Stand Up For Old-Growth Forests Today!” https://sierraclub.bc.ca/30-ways-to-stand-up-for-old-growth-forests/. Accessed 28 Nov. 2022.

I decided I needed to add a few more panels to get my story across a little bit better, so here I have added on two more panels to my original design.

Here I have my added panels with everything sketched out.

Line art and paneling with added details.

Line art and paneling with shading.

Third Comic Panel Progress

Initial sketch and paneling.

Line art containing sections with adjusted colors in order to help with the minimal line look.

This is a video which talks about the different ways that you can add texture to a digital artwork. I have found that part of what I am drawn to when it comes to digital art and what I want to achieve in my own work is to add elements which are traditional in nature. This is why I thought this video would be helpful.

In this video it talks about different ways to approach line art to make it feel less amateurish. Once again, I used this video to look into to different ways I could reference the look of traditional drawing.

Many of these artists are those who I have found online either scrolling on Pinterest or searching around on Instagram. I think the main reason that I am drawn to a lot of their styles is because they possess many of the traits that I would like to see in my own work, with respect to their stylization, use of color and shading, as well as the content of their work. I also really enjoy their use of texture along with other components which allude to the look of traditional drawing.

Walt Disney and Disney in general on the other hand has had an influence on me since I was very young. I feel as though this is a style that is at the foundation of my work, especially as I began to study the manner in which elements such as the eyes of characters are drawn as I got older. Disney is important to me as it is tied to time spent with my family and so I think that a lot of my art is reflective of this quality even if it is not necessarily deliberate.

Connection to My Work

Walt Disney is an artist and animator known for the creation of animated characters and theme parks. An avid dreamer, Walt grew up drawing and creating stories that he loved to share with others. A passion that would lead to him to pursue a career as a cartoonist and animator after serving in the First World War. However, it wasn’t until moving to Los Angeles that his career would begin to kick off. An act, with the help of his brother Roy would result in the creation of Mickey Mouse in 1928 and the beginning of his legacy as a visionary and storyteller.

Part of the reason I chose to do a comic for this project was because I have grown up and continue to read a lot of comics and graphic novels including Archie and more recently D.C. and Marvel as well. I have only experimented with this format of illustration a little bit, most of which was for school, an experience I have found to be fairly enjoyable. Given the direction of my project and my interest in visual storytelling, I thought this would be a great opportunity to use this layout to practice a medium I have had a connection with since I was young but have not played around with too much myself.

The comics I have here are images I had found as sources of inspiration when planning out my comics

The reason why I chose these topics in particular is due to a general interest that I have had in them but have not take the opportunity to look into too deeply. For instance with environmental issues, as I have gotten older it has become more apparent to me the ways in which we as humans and myself as an individual have been impacting the environment. As a result of this, I have been trying to find ways to improve upon my contribution to this, although I would say I am not always the most prudent in keeping up this effort. Therefore I thought it would be fitting to look into the ways specifically my involvement in this crisis plays a detrimental role to my home province.

As I live outside of Vancouver, homelessness hasn't always been super apparent to me, but as I have come to study in person at Emily Carr I have begun to notice it more and more. I know there have been instances where I have been swayed by the stereotypes used to portray the homeless community and so I wanted to counteract this train of thought by looking beyond these stereotypes and into the kinds of individuals and the circumstances in Vancouver which have led them to be in this position.

In terms of looking into information pertaining to racism in Canada, this is a subject matter which I have become increasingly interested in, especially in light of the Black Lives Matter movement and the death of George Floyd. When this horrid event occurred it made me realize how ignorant I have been and since then I have been attempting to educate myself more on matters such as this. Consequently, I thought that with a project such as this, I thought it would be another good opportunity to educate myself more on important matters relating to this, and the specific ways it pertains to Canada.