The banner's image origin - Red

In case anyone is curious about the illustration in my banner- it's from this variant fanart of the yugioh monster "slifer the sky dragon"

+slifer the sky dragon by =slifertheskydragon on deviantART

I felt like i need to talk about it because of how I chose a predominant red theme. My favorite color is red, i'm not too sure why but I think it's the aesthetics of the color- red's association with romance, love, anger, rage, etc. Red is I think, the only color able to achieve such a broad range of emotions. This journal has a red-black theme because I felt it matched better than the dark red-black banner with a white background. Plus, i'm not one for bright screens...

the original design of the dragon can be seen (also drawn by me):

- Slifer the Sky Dragon - by =slifertheskydragon on deviantART

notice how the dragon itself has primary colors (blue: orb,tongue Yellow: eyes (it uses thunder-based attacks, so those are yellow) Red: skin, etc) and coincidentally if you take what i've talked about in the superman-action heroes and colors post, the monster is the main character's key card. In fact, aside from the first time it was introduced, only the main character has used this monster. It seems the strength in the use of the primary triad lies with the overall unity that the colors create, but also accenting a predominant primary (i.e. red in this case) with the other primaries achieves a similar effect.

The use of black/white (sharp contrast) also compliments the contrast given by the primary colors to create more accentuation and brings attention to the "belly" of the dragon with the black/white. The primary colors help to bring attention to the dragon's face.

This dragon shows the use of color to bring attention to key areas- a good idea to keep in mind when thinking about what colors to make your newest creation.

Primary vs Secondary colors in comics

In general, primary colors are reserved for heroes, because they are colors that are basis of all other colors aside from the primaries in the color wheel. They are gestalt within themselves, the "perfect form" of a color. When we see all three together, we also get a sense of unity and our minds are at ease. In the comic book world, the best example?


Superman by ~DocShaner on deviantART

Superman. His costume is nothing but the primary colors. Such bright primary colors that aren't off tone give you the sense that "this guy is the hero and seems like a nice person" especially when combined with his facial expression, he has a "boy scout appearance" There is a sense of unity and harmony in the use of the primary colors, and our eye likes it.

Contrast this to a character whose wardrobe is based on secondary colors (and his face clashes)-

Joker by ~luli44 on deviantART
The Joker. His wardrobe is an off-green and purple, two secondary colors, and purple, if placed on a monochromatic scale, is a "dark" color, green is "neutral" but because of its contrast with the Joker's red smile, such contrast, like Christmas colors create discord for our eyes. His manic sickly yellow (note how i associated "sickly" with yellow) and pale white face show us this person isn't healthy, and the fact that he carries a gun makes him an immediate "villain" archetype.

The use of predominant primary colors in comics is generally reserved for heroes, a short list-
DC: Superman, Old school Batman (he was blue/yellow), wonder woman (primary), the Flash (red/yellow), Static Shock (blue/yellow)
Marvel: Spiderman (red/blue), Wolverine (yellow/blue), Cyclops (yellow/blue)
Japanese comics: Yugioh (red/yellow hair, blue clothes), Ash Ketchum + Pikachu (red hat, blue clothes, yellow pet)

The use of predominant secondary colors in comics is generally reserved for villains, though these colors are usually off-color, resulting in a pale or "washed out" color scheme-
DC: the Joker, Lex Luthor (purple/green)
Marvel: Magneto (magenta/purple)

From the above list we can see that such use of the primary and secondary colors helps divide the "good and evil" characters apart, and makes it a "standard" so that we can almost immediately categorize characters by color alone.

Your color, choose a side

When you see the color red, what do you think of?
Love? Roses? Blood?
What about blue?
Sadness? Blue? Water?

Why do we associate colors with emotions or objects immediately?

Our minds try to find reason, truth, and when it does it feels good, content.

We use such associations for colors in design to convey emotions, or perhaps trigger memories of a place, person, or thing. This is a psychological compensation called "color constancy" where we think that grass must be green and the sky must be blue.

In the comic book world, colors are used to help "determine your side"- Hero or Villain.

An excellent use of the color spectrum, combined with facial expressions can be seen in DC's "Green Lantern" series:

BlackestNight: Tales by `Bakanekonei on deviantART

In this case, the colors of the person (and subsequent corps) reflect an emotion:
"In DC Comics, the emotional spectrum is divided into the seven colors of the rainbow, with each color corresponding to a different emotion:
rage (red),
avarice (orange),
fear (yellow),
willpower (green),
hope (blue),
compassion (indigo),
and love (violet)." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_spectrum)

The "warm" colors are considered the villains and the "cool" colors are "heroes". Green is the "middle ground" though in general is a "hero" group.

Why is this?

I think it is because warm colors have a kind of "life" in them, they excite our eye, give off a kind of "energy", where as "cool" colors try to calm us, they "bring us down" instead of "excite" us. In this sense, the colors tied with their respective emotion is based on this, and our already conceived view of that color. Though yellow if we think about it, usually represents happiness, or the sun, but in WWI, it represented fear and death (the mustard "yellow" gas) and also represents sickness (decay, like in rotting teeth). It is in this context that we must be careful to choose our colors wisely, and use them alongside the context from where they are placed to communicate through design properly.

Alternative Press Expo

Myself with Joanne Matte (http://rufftoon.deviantart.com/)

I meant to post this earlier to when the event ended, but due to other scholastic-related commitments have been unable to do so... until now.

The Alternative Press Expo (APE) is a comics convention for self-publishers, independent publishers and alternative cartoonists to showcase their art and works. The recent event, held in the Concourse in San Francisco showcased about 100+ independent comic artists and publishers to showcase alternative comic and artwork. In today's art and design world, getting your name and work out there is key. Venues such as APE allow for artists to put themselves out on the market, without having to compete against the big corporate faces such as DC comics or big-time established names to show their work and hopefully get their work out to generate interest to become "viral". Viral networking isn't limited to just the computer, it is a tool to help us get out there in real life, and with the help of events such as APE, artists are allowed to "viral" their works, free pamphlets, selling printed material, etc, these are the venues to spreading your work outside of the internet.

I was fortunate to meet Mrs. Matte, whom outside of her professional job as an animator/storyboard artist enjoys her time creating fan comics as well as self-publish her own original stories and ideas to share with fans and enthusiasts alike. When I asked her what it took to become successful in such a field, she said it was to "never give up, and if one company doesn't like the idea, refine it and take it to another" and to keep going, but if it all fails, then take time and rework it, or come up with something even better. It's this "trial and error" process that I mentioned in the "designerific method" idea in my last entry that I think is the key to success in any field.

APE is an excellent venue to go to check out alternative comics and get opinions and critique from other artists, many of which are veterans/seniors in the field and can provide excellent feedback.

for more information, visit their website at http://www.comic-con.org/ape/