Comic book colorist unlocks art students’ superpowers

MANITOWOC – “Listen closely,” art teacher Barb Bundy-Jost told students gathered at Wilson Junior High. “You might find that this will change your life.”

The lights in the auditorium dimmed as comic book artist Brian Miller took center stage — eager to show the art students tricks of his trade.

“Don’t be afraid if the first mark you put down isn’t perfect,” he said, brushing his stylus across an iPad screen. “It never is.”

Miller, who founded the art studio Hi-Fi Colour Design with his wife Kristy, provides colorists to the comic book industry and has worked on Green Lantern, Justice League, SpongeBob SquarePants, Doctor Who, X-men, Star Trek, and Star Wars — among others.

“If you can think of it, we’ve probably worked on it at some point,” Kristy Miller said.

Last week, the duo from Arizona were in Manitowoc teaching students — and the gathered public at the Rahr-West Art Museum — about their craft.

iPad artistry

As pioneers in coloring comic books digitally, the Millers were early adopters of utilizing the iPad to produce comic book and pop culture artwork. The two have presented panels and workshops focused on creating comic book art with the iPad and are authors of children’s books and art instruction books, including titles focused on creating art with the iPad.

“The iPad has turned out to be a professional quality device. When we started out, we didn’t think so,” Kristy said. “Apps have really come along. A lot of comics we have done on the iPad.”

On Thursday, Brian worked with a small group of advanced art students at Lincoln High School and taught professional digital coloring techniques.

“There is no words for this; this is just fabulous. This is something I could be very passionate about,” senior Michael LeCaptain said as he practiced the techniques on his own iPad. “I knew (art) was a viable (career) path, but it was never something I looked into doing myself. Now I could see doing it to make money.”

Motivating students

The Millers described comic book creation as a team sport in which everyone works together to finish a project — and stressed that each step in the process is a career students could pursue.

“There are people that do penciling and people that do the inking, then there are colorists,” Kristy Miller said. “All those people, you have to know how to draw, but you have to know how you color. Most people don’t do both. You can find your niche of what you’re really good at in this art world.”

Brian encouraged the students to focus on what they are good at and, if interested in a career in comics, to collaborate with friends and start making their own comics now.

“Maybe one of you is better at writing or character creation and the other one is the better artist or is better at coloring and painting,” Brian Miller said. “The three of you could get together and that could be better than if one person tried on their own.”

“The important thing is, whatever type of art you are into, start doing it now and don’t let anyone tell you ‘it’s not important,’” he continued. “Just like if you want to be an athlete, it is about practice. Just do it more and more. Before you know it, you’ll be light years ahead of the people who talked about being artists, but never did it.”

Enthusiasm

The students’ passion for the medium was obvious. Many of the approximately 15 students donned Marvel or Dr. Who themed T-shirts as they followed Brian’s directions on their own iPads.

“I’ve always wanted to try drawing comics, but there never was a decent opportunity besides doodling in my notebook,” junior Melissa Mundstock said. “I like to bring art into everything.”

Senior Mollie Stiefvater, wearing a Spiderman T-shirt, said she had never considered digital colorization as a potential career, but was inspired by the experience Thursday.

“I was thinking of going to school to be an art teacher,” Stiefvater said. “But I kind of want to do this now.”

Art instructors watched from the side of the classroom, excited to see their students make make real-world connections with potential careers in art.

“People think art is fluff, but as far as I’m concerned it should be a core area, because art pushes your brain to think beyond the obvious,” Bundy-Jost said. “I always say you can’t be ‘smart’ without a-r-t.

By Phillip Bock: (920) 686-2966, pbock@htrnews.com, or @bockling on Twitter