Drawing Session: Recent Episodes
Kristina Zakhozhai
As I am navigating an ever-changing world with more tools available to people to create, I find myself wondering about the definition of Art. What makes something a piece of art? It is about the time or effort spent, the skill needed to create it or smth else or none of that?
My Comic "The Book of Contradictions": https://www.thebookofcontradictions.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSPEk0b2xBFsh9RPv4oWag
My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_book_of_contradictions
Creating a comic can be very time-consuming. What can take a paragraph in a book, might take weeks of drawing. Creating a comic is always a long project, no matter how long your story is. Let's discuss how we can optimize our process to create our comics faster.
My Comic "The Book of Contradictions": https://www.thebookofcontradictions.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSPEk0b2xBFsh9RPv4oWag
My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_book_of_contradictions
"Problematic" is a word thrown around a lot nowadays, especially as it applies to stories. Whether it is a movie, TV show, novel or a comic - it could be either called problematic or have problematic elements. The same applies to authors, artists and directors. Once a creator is deemed problematic their art is at risk of inheriting the label. Let's talk about what is going on, what makes stories problematic and if it is even possible to avoid problematicism.
My Comic "The Book of Contradictions": https://www.thebookofcontradictions.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSPEk0b2xBFsh9RPv4oWag
My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_book_of_contradictions
With an abundance of reviews on the internet and the overall online distribution of media, we are exposed not only to comments and reviews of our own work but also to big productions. And negative reviews seem to be very common and often very detailed. It seems like any story can be taken apart, even when it is objectively not a bad work. What can we learn from it as consumers of stories? And what should we do as artists who create them?
My Comic "The Book of Contradictions": https://www.thebookofcontradictions.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSPEk0b2xBFsh9RPv4oWag
My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_book_of_contradictions
One of the most awaited movies of our time is here. Avatar: The Way of Water is cashing out at the box office. Stunningly beautiful the movie has people divided about the story itself. As visual storytellers, let's discuss the new entry into the world of Pandora and see what we can learn and apply to our works.
My Comic "The Book of Contradictions": https://www.thebookofcontradictions.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSPEk0b2xBFsh9RPv4oWag
My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_book_of_contradictions
Content creation is an interesting type of job. It is especially peculiar when you create content about art itself. It is a circle of creativity that one must navigate smartly to enjoy. The second half of 2022 was slow for my content on YouTube and here. I was evaluating what I want to talk about when it comes to art. But now I am back, and these are my thoughts.
My Comic "The Book of Contradictions": https://www.thebookofcontradictions.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSPEk0b2xBFsh9RPv4oWag
My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_book_of_contradiction
The comic is a visual medium, and as such, we as comic artists get an opportunity to use visuals to tell the story, present our characters, and expand our worlds. Clothes are something that appears on every page of our story with every character that enters it. Every time it happens, there is an opportunity to add to your world and your story.
In this episode, let's talk about what to think about when designing clothes and how doing so well can enrich your storytelling and bring you a lot of fun.
My Comic "The Book of Contradictions": https://www.thebookofcontradictions.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSPEk0b2xBFsh9RPv4oWag
My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_book_of_contradictions
Comics have almost no limitations when it comes to visuals. Most of what is possible in Movies/TV shows, live-action or not, is possible in comics (with an exception of the animation). Artists are able to communicate almost anything visual. However, when it comes to sounds, the comic becomes very similar to novels, where it is up to the reader to use their imagination to fill in the gaps.
However, sound or rather identification of a sound can still be a useful storytelling tool. In this episode, let's talk about using sound in the comic to add to the narrative.
My Comic "The Book of Contradictions": https://www.thebookofcontradictions.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSPEk0b2xBFsh9RPv4oWag
My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_book_of_contradictions
A bit of a heavy topic for today. This topic however is very relevant for artists, as we are the people who are called upon to comment on Social and Political Climates, to use our art and platform to "help" the cause and to be the front line for positive change. Artists are held to higher standards of morality. Off comments and non-mainstream opinions are held against our art. It is difficult for artists to make a mistake, change their minds or have any unsavoury opinion without having our careers jeopardized.
In this episode, I will share my own very subjective thoughts and opinions on the matter. I am opening up on how certain current events affected my way of thinking and where I chose to stand as an artist.
My Comic "The Book of Contradictions": https://www.thebookofcontradictions.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSPEk0b2xBFsh9RPv4oWag
My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_book_of_contradictions
Creating a Comic is a big undertaking. It can take months or years for the project to be completed. There are hours of hard work behind every page and every chapter. In this episode let's talk about how to keep going.
My Comic "The Book of Contradictions": https://www.thebookofcontradictions.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSPEk0b2xBFsh9RPv4oWag
My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_book_of_contradictions
Some of us choose to write long stories, stories that would take years if not decades to create. During the time working on such stories, we will inevitably change as people. Our values, our beliefs and even our attitudes towards storytelling might change. In this episode let's talk about how to accomodate your story to match your new perspective.
My Comic "The Book of Contradictions": https://www.thebookofcontradictions.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSPEk0b2xBFsh9RPv4oWag
My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_book_of_contradictions
Burnout is the biggest enemy of every artist. It is something that can turn our biggest passion against us and make us dread hours spent with our art rather than enjoy them. In this episode, we will talk about ways burnout can manifest itself. We will discuss ways to prevent and come back from it.
My Comic "The Book of Contradictions": https://www.thebookofcontradictions.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSPEk0b2xBFsh9RPv4oWag
My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_book_of_contradictions
Creating a comic is only a first step. The next step is putting it out there for your readers. Internet is a vast space offering unlimited opportunities for connecting your work with the right people, however, there are at times too many options to chose from. In this episode, we'll discuss some of the options of putting your comic on the Interner and getting the eyes of people on it.
My Comic "The Book of Contradictions": https://www.thebookofcontradictions.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSPEk0b2xBFsh9RPv4oWag
My Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/the_book_of_contradictions
As artists, we know that some of our work is more successful than others. It is normal for ebbs to ebb and flows to flow. Arguably it helps us grow. However, what do you do when working on a comic, a series of images that make a story? Not all imaged might look the same in quality, especially if you are just starting? In this episode, the topic for which is kindly provided by one of my Instagram followers, let's discuss how to handle BAD PAGES in your comic
The story has two speeds. The speed with which the story is happening and the one with which it is being told. Both are crucial tools at the artist's disposal to create the experience for the reader. In this episode let's talk about why would you want to control the pacing of your comic, how does the pacing affects the experience of the reader and specifically how to create pacing visual storytelling.
My Comic "The Book of Contradictions": https://www.thebookofcontradictions.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSPEk0b2xBFsh9RPv4oWag
My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_book_of_contradictions
Art career is like no other. It is unique in a lot of ways. It might be the biggest dream for a creative to support themselves financially with their skill alone. However, a career like this has its pros and cons. In this episode, let's talk about some of them to see if being an artist professionally is right for you.
My Comic "The Book of Contradictions": https://www.thebookofcontradictions.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSPEk0b2xBFsh9RPv4oWag
My Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/the_book_of_contradictions
Productivity is a tricky idea in art. And it is especially true in the comic creation field. How fast is fast enough, and how many pages drawn is a good amount? And once that's figured out, you have to hit this time or page volume. In this episode, we will talk about how to be more productive. We will discuss finding time to work on your project and speeding up while working.
My Comic "The Book of Contradictions": https://www.thebookofcontradictions.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSPEk0b2xBFsh9RPv4oWag
My Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/the_book_of_contradictions
There is no right or wrong way to create a comic. Having worked for years in the VFX and 3D animation industry, I shamelessly stole some technics used in production pipelines. I added to this a lot of small tricks that I've discovered, trying to draw faster without compromising on quality. And there you have the process that I am sharing with you today: from conceptualizing the comic idea to the last digital brush stroke.
My Comic "The Book of Contradictions": https://www.thebookofcontradictions.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSPEk0b2xBFsh9RPv4oWag
My Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/the_book_of_contradictions
As a writer, you might decide to add adult content to your stories. You can add gore, swearing, nudity, sex and more. However, with everything we choose to add to our work, there is a question of "for what purpose?". We might be trying to enhance our stories, make them edgier or direct the tone. In any case, adult content is something we need to consider carefully as an ingredient for our work. Let's talk about how, why and when to add it while trying not to confuse adult content with adult themes.
My Comic "The Book of Contradictions": https://www.thebookofcontradictions.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSPEk0b2xBFsh9RPv4oWag
My Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/the_book_of_contradictions
There are so many art forms out there. You can tell one story in a million different ways. In this episode, let's talk about comics as a form of storytelling, why I settled on it, and why you might want to as well.
My Comic "The Book of Contradictions": https://www.thebookofcontradictions.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSPEk0b2xBFsh9RPv4oWag
My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_book_of_contradictions