This page from Marvel’s “Fear Itself” shows three stages of comic coloring (from left to right): line art, flattened art, and rendered art.

Fear Itself, issue #4, page 8, penciled by Stuart Immonen, inked by Wade Von Grawbadger, and colored by Laura Martin. © and TM Marvel Entertainment, LLC.  Used with permission.

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Coloring Comics

Laura Martin talks about how coloring became her career

November 2011

Scholastic Art: What is your job?

LAURA MARTIN: I am a comic book colorist. I create mood, depth, and focus using color. Other jobs in comics are: writer, penciler, inker, and letterer.

SA: How did you get started?

LM: In college, I studied graphic design. Then one of my friends got a job as a colorist and said it was awesome. So, for my senior project, I made a comic book. Then I built a portfolio and got hired!

SA: How do you color a comic book?

LM: I start with the script and the line art. I choose the color palette and “flatten” the pages, meaning I fill in each space with a color. Then I “render,” which means I put in the highlights and shadows, make shapes look three-dimensional, and make surfaces look shiny, rocky, or metallic. Sometimes, I also add in “special effects” like glows, blurs, and energy blasts.

SA: How do you decide on the colors?

LM: There are cues in the script and in the artwork. In the page from Marvel’s “Fear Itself” (below), the characters are angry. I chose the limited color palette of reds to heighten the sense of danger in the scene.

SA: How do you use technology?

LM: My job, unlike other comic artists’ jobs, is done digitally. I use Photoshop and a Wacom tablet to mimic everything from airbrushes to paintbrushes and pencils.

SA: What makes your job challenging?

LM: Deadlines. I am at the end of the creative line, and everyone else before me may be running late. I have to make sure the pages still get to the printer on time.

SA: What is the best part of your job?

LM: Meeting fans at comic book conventions. That makes me feel like all the long hours are worth it.

Career Profile

Comic Book Colorist

Salary:

Comic book colorists are usually freelancers. First year colorists earn an average of $75 per page, depending on location, project, and experience.

 

Education:
Most comic book colorists have a bachelor’s degree in the liberal arts, painting, drawing, or graphic design.

 

Getting Started:
Read comics! Pay attention to how the colors affect the story.

Color! Practice using color theory to set a mood.

Go digital! Become a pro at using Photoshop.

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