Jhomar Soriano

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Tell me a little bit about yourself, about your life? Where did you go to school, and what classes did you study? What helped prepare you to become the artist that you are today?

I'm a father of three, married for 10 years. I stand 5' 11" tall and weighing in at 220lbs. I have 34 wins, 32 of those victories by way of knock out haha. Seriously, I took Advertising at FEU for two and a half years and then dropped out for maaany reasons.

During my college years, I was really into the "Seattle Sound", our own band, writing songs and playing them onstage in my hometown in Laguna. And back then, I really thought it was in the music business that I'll end up in because I never thought much of comics in my youth and also because embarassingly I had classmates in FEU who really displayed prowess when my own illustration skill sucks haha, but it's odd that I don't hear about their names in the comics scene nowadays... life is strange.

What inspired or convinced you to become an Artist?

I was already working as a textbook illustrator for four years when that dawned on me. And it was when I first came across Hiroaki Samura's Blade of the Immortal seven or eight years ago, I thought to myself childishly "This is what I want to do, mangaka's rule!" because textbook illustration sometimes gets to be so formulated and repetitive that it doesn't feel like it comes from the heart anymore.

So at age 25 and my second kid on the way, I studied and taught myself human anatomy for the first time (which explains why my work back then was so horrible), tried to understand how panelling works and after a year of self-studying I was blessed to have won Third Place over 5,000 contestants all over Southeast Asia on AXN's "Anime Hero Drawing contest" and then a First Place on the "Mutant Hero Drawing Contest" sponsored Comic Quest for the first showing of the X-MEN movie years ago, winning both character design contests was very encouraging for a family man who started very late and now I'm so grateful to God that I was able to work with people I was only reading about years ago and if the Lord is still willing, hope it continues on.

What is a typical day for you, and who are the people you work with?

I usually get up around 11am and work till 6am the next day. It's really terrible work hours and I'm still struggling to get it to normal. In between that, there's wrestling and playing zombie with my kids on my break, talking to my wife about her soaps now being "Full House" and playing from lots to very minimal MGS3: Snake Eater.

I work with most of the guys from Culture Crash at Seven Seas Entertainment, Mark Navarro with the weekly Ragnarok comics, Jamie Bautista & Joel Chua(?) with CAST and Dark Horse manga editor, Philip Simon with Rumble to Kaga, my one-pager comedy doujin.

What are some of the things that you have worked on?

I did a series of illustration/painting for the late National Artist for Literature: Nick Joaquin on his 2003 novel, "Batlake" serialized in Philippine Graphic, had a comic strip in Manila Times' "PTYK", headed by also the late Nonoy Marcelo T_T.

How do you go about illustration, what goes through your mind, from start to end?

Well, there's got to be an idea first and then I make a few thumbnails. And from the thumbnails I choose which one I like best then I proceed to making a final size rough sketch. On the lightbox, I make a pencil clean-up version on another paper and then I ink on that. After I'm done inking I erase all the pencil lines and that's it, ready for scan and send.

I couldn't get used to inking on enlarged blue print-out copies because I like the feel of a professional looking "clean" final illo, where all one can see is the inked art. The remaining blue lines from the print-out makes it look dirty, at least to me.

Could you talk about your process in coloring your art (if at all), as well as the types of tools or media that you use?

Normally, I use acrylics on watercolor paper but I haven't done that since I started working for Seven Seas and now I'm on my second title there which is "Arkham Woods". I guess there's just so much to do when a book starts, leaving very little time to paint. Plus, the regular works, family life... gaah, I just realized how much I missed painting.

What are some of the things that you do to keep yourself creative?

Besides my regular doodlings there's reading an interesting manga, a good movie, BOTI re-reads and some Command & Conquer: Zero Hour). I try to keep the inspirations accessible and affordable if not free or already owned by me so I can get to them quickly if I find myself in a slump.

What is your most favorite subject to draw, And why?

Jidaigeki and women with swords (contemporary or period). I do guns and mecha sometimes but I think swordfight art is my home or at least I think it is haha!

Who are the top illustrators whose works excite you the most?

Hiroaki Samura and then Tsutomu Nihei, Travis Charest, Sean Phillips and Eduardo Risso.

I used to be a huge fan of Masamune Shirow and J Scott Campbell's female drawings but the recent changes they made to how they do it doesn't appeal to me anymore, which is sad because they were one of my early heroes.

What are some of the neat things you have learned from other artists that you have worked with or seen?

Oh its the digital process, resolutions, painting programs and such. I used to work a lot traditionally and have other people scan and edit my works so yeah I'm still learning my ropes with computers... babysteps!

What are some of your favorite websites that you go to?

Sean Phillips' Blog, he's awesome! and my DA (devianART) page. I would love to be all over my favorite mangaka's official website if I can find one and if it isn't completely in Japanese.

What wisdom could you give us, about being an Artist? Do you have any tips you could give?

Persistence and devotion, I heard my share of people who talk about "oh I wanted to be good at sequentials" or "how I wish I was as good as this and that artist" and sometimes most of those same people spend their time doing something else and not honing their craft. So I think my advice or maybe a dare is if you wanted to do be better, work on it. And second, be genuinely nice. I mean I've seen and worked with some jokers in the past who thinks that just because their a little better than a handful of people or because one of their works got published gives them the right to be arrogant a**holes which is really wrong and a pain to work with.

If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?

By email, jhomar.soriano[at]gmail[dot]com or through my deviantART account at http://scruffyronin.deviantart.com/

Finally, do you have any of your art work for sale (sketchbook, prints, or anything) for fans of your work can know where and when to buy it?

I do commissions if I'm not so busy but I don't think I'll be selling my old traditional paintings. It's part of my personal collection which I tend to feel like their my children as well.

Thanks!

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How has your family and your being a father steered your direction as an artist?

Wow... a lot of pressure, less artistic playtime and collateral damage.

I just joke about it but really the pressure is tremendous. Because if I screwed up or spent too much time doodling and experimenting to let creativity flow, I not only have myself to suffer but them as well. Which is probably why a lot of artists I know aren't married haha but then, I love my wife and my kids so absolutely NO regrets there, man.

Sachi

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Tell me a little bit about yourself. Where did you go to school, and what extra-curricular activities did you take up? What helped prepare you to become the artist that you are today?

Skipping this question. ^_^

What inspired or convinced you to become an artist?

When I was a kid, I loved doodling. In school, Art was a subject I enjoyed a lot, though I didn’t particularly excel at it, and I wasn’t totally serious about it at the time. When it came to choosing paths,I decided on art school because I figured it would be worth studying something I've always enjoyed.

What is a typical day for you, and who are the
people you work with?

Skipping this question. ^_^

What are some of the things that you have worked on?

I have designed for print, basically promotional material for small organizations and designs for retail, though I've also done corporate identity for companies, art for websites, storyboards and graphics for television, props for stage...

Everything I post online is stuff I draw for leisure.

How do you go about an illustration, what goes through your mind, from start to end?

While working, I try not to think about anything other than the image I want to draw. If I'm careful enough,the initial idea and the final result match, but when I get carried away, the results come out differently.

Could you talk about your process in coloring your art (if at all), as well as the types of tools or media that you use?

I start by sketching in HB pencil on 200 gsm sketchbook paper. If the illustration needs to be colored, I work on a tough surface with grain, like watercolor or acrylic paper, or an illustration board primed with gesso. I work on the same surface from the sketch to the final artwork, so if I end up making an irreparable mistake, I get a new sheet of paper and start all over again. (It’s idiotic, but I can’t do it any other way.)

When I have the basic line art done, I add flat washes of color to it, then build up both the subject and the background until I hit a point where I feel it’s done (or until I lose interest). Sometimes I scan the illustration then add final touches to it digitally.

What are some of the things that you do to keep yourself creative?

I look at a lot of children’s books, sites owned by professional and amateur artists, online photo archives, random old photographs in curio shops,design folios found in booksale carts, Japanese light novel illustrations, manga, comic books.

I still look at the books with the illustrations I loved as a kid (mostly Richard Scarry, Disney's How It Works series,and the Nick Joaquin's Pop Stories for Groovy Kids set), and I also try to keep a regular reading habit,because fiction helps me come up with ideas.

Sketching at least once a day also helps keep the fingers busy.

What is your most favorite subject to draw, and why?

Most probably...romance. Especially the bubbly waffy young kind. I have absolutely no idea why, but it's always fun to draw something in that vein.

Who are the top illustrators whose works excite you the most?

Brett Helquist, who illustrated Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events", has an incredibly mesmerizing hatching style. Hayao Miyazaki's drawings are amazing, of course, and Kuroboshi Kouhaku has always been a personal favorite. I am also very fond of Takeda Hinata's illustrations for the GOSICK series (Takeda's illustrations are so richly detailed and colored). Gorgeous work. I also like Uesugi Tadahiro's work a lot.

For local children's books, I try to collect everything by Pepper Roxas and Jason Moss. I actually had quite a collection until a kid asked for them, and I figured children's books should go to children, so...

What are some of the neat things you have learned from other artists that you have worked with or seen?

I've picked up several tips on digital coloring,mostly how to work with filters and transparency to achieve softer lines and tones, though the most interesting tip I've picked up so far -- when it comes to traditional media, that is -- is, stain white paint with tea or coffee or whatever it is you have on hand, before applying on paper. I got that from Yamada Akihiro, in one of his interviews in a Comickers book.
(I'll have to point out that working with coffee isn't exactly a new thing; I knew some people who used to paint with that, but I digress.)

What are some of your favorite websites that you go to?

I always visit artists' blogs and websites to see what they're up to (people like Kuroboshi Kouhaku, Yoshida Kenichi,Yasuda Akira, etc.) I also frequent some communities on livejournal, like kidpix and vintage ads.

I also love reading Dinosaur Comics.

What wisdom could you give us, about being an artist? Do you have any tips you could give?

Learn at your own pace. Don’t try to let anyone rush you. And always try find a way to make even the dullest thing fun for you, because if it only makes you miserable, then it’s not worth doing at all.

If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?

Please mail me at sachiattn[at]gmail[dot]com.

Do you have any of your art work for sale (comics, prints, or anything)? If so, for fans of your work can know where and when to buy it?

I have plans to sell postcard-sized prints and take on commissions for fan art and original artwork, but those aren't final yet.

Thanks!

    
   

If someone gave you a billion dollars, what would you do with it?

I would put half in the bank for safekeeping, give a quarter to my family, and use the remaining quarter
for household expenses, bills, and other important stuff.  If I have a bit left over I think I'll buy the
stuff I want.  I would also love a good cup of fine coffee.

Wilson Tortosa

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Tell me a little bit about yourself, about your life? Where did you go to school, and what classes did you study? What helped prepare you to become the artist that you are today?

When I was 5 doctors found out that I had a congenital heart disease, I was regularly getting sick so they forbid any sports or overexertion. I studied in Philippine Cultural High School(the first Chinese school in Manila)where I skipped one year of Chinese classes in the afternoon due to my conditon. So I guess all that free time got me started on doodling and drawing. Later I took up Fine Arts(majored in Advertising) in UST, simply because I don't like Math. When I found out that it's the only course that had Comic Book Illustration for a thesis I took the drawing and illustrating thing seriously hehe.

What inspired or convinced you to become an Artist?

Watching a lot of Saturday morning cartoons helped a lot, but I think if it wasn't for my ma's constant encouragement even when I was a kid(she would even show my doodles to guests) I would have never started off in the first place. =)

What is a typical day for you, and who are the people you work with?

I normally wake up late in the mornings, and after lunch and a few hours of cable I start working around 3 PM. I leave my PC online while I work in case my agent or other artists contacts me. Around 11 or 12 midnight I take a break and watch cable again for an hour(there's always something good on Animax around that time)before I resume till around 3 AM. Usually I handle all the lineart because I do tight pencils but when I do work with an inker like Ernest Jocson I send to him all the penciled pages digitally which he
prints out in blue ink. If the inker isn't based here in Manila I have it sent in batches by courier.

What are some of the things that you have worked on?

I started off with a few titles from the now defunct Chaos! Comics, then a few Exposure issues on Avatar. I have worked on titles for Top Cow like the Battle of the Planets series, Tomb Raider, and City of Heroes. I've also done manga for Harcourt Publishing's Impact Graphic Novels, a lot of layout work for TokyoPop and for various other publishers. I'm currently working on the Exoforce animated webcomic for LEGO.

How do you go about illustration, what goes through your mind, from start to end?

Well I start off with a particular mood or emotion that I want to capture in the drawing. I don't want it to just look "pretty" or "cool" I want it to somehow stir people's feelings when they take a look. Also, I try to add a bit of storytelling in there. As a comic book artist you have to be able to handle sequential art. but I find it more fun and challenging to be able to tell a story with just a single illustration. I emphasize facial expressions and body language a lot, I think it makes the characters more believable and easier to connect with.

Could you talk about your process in coloring your art (if at all), as well as the types of tools or media that you use?

Well, I'm no colorist, but I'm trying out tones using Manga Studio EX. As a tight penciler(meaning the lines are crisp and dark as possible) I use an F pencil for sketching and render with a 2B 0.5 mechanical pencil. I clean up my pages in Photoshop 7.

What are some of the things that you do to keep yourself creative?

I try to catch a movie if I can, it helps me imagine shots and angles among other things. I watch a lot of anime and read a lot of manga especially if my fave creators are involved. I surf the net a lot, too.

I also try to meet other artists, I learn a lot from their views and helps me see stuff from a different perspective. I have to admit I love window shopping as well hehe.

What is your most favorite subject to draw, And why?

I think it would have to be a mother and daughter piece. I think it's the most beautiful thing in the world. I also love drawing similar relationship themes like an odd couple or a brother and sister.

Who are the top illustrators whose works excite you the most?

Oh in my book there are lots, like Leinil Yu and Whilce Portacio. Gerry Alanguilan and Arnold Arre are a source of inspiration and have made invaluable contributions to the local industry(and continues to do so.) For foreign artists I think the visual styles of Yukito Kishiro, Akira Toriyama, Hiroaki Samura, Masamune Shirow and Katsuya Terada(among others) influence me a lot.

What are some of the neat things you have learned from other artists that you have worked with or seen?

I've learned that you can be so flexible that you can work in any style or genre yet still keep your own unique element present, like your own style of storytelling, or attention to detail, or maybe the way you do facial expresions or use body language.

What are some of your favorite websites that you go to?

DeviantArt, Youtube, Wikipedia and -I have to admit- 2chan and 4chan imagboards XD

What wisdom could you give us, about being an Artist? Do you have any tips you could give?

There really isn't a "right" way to draw, and it's normal to emulate a style, but try to also learn and understand the basics first. That way you'll know what rules to break, what shortcuts can be done, which can be exaggerated and so on. You'll eventually be able to develop your own style. But style isn't always enough because you have to be able to tell a story. You have to also give an effort in storytelling and characterization.

An artist's style is like an actor's physical beauty. It can get you noticed and help you get there. But an artist's storytelling is like the actor's acting talent. it will determine his effectiveness as an actor.

If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?

They can visit me at my deviantART page http://batangbatugan.deviantart.com and leave a comment or drop me a note. They can also email me at wtortosa[at]yahoo.com or chat with my username wtortosa in YM.

Finally, do you have any of your art work for sale (sketchbook, prints, or anything) for fans of your work can know where and when to buy it?

You can visit www.glasshousegraphics.com where you can find some including other artist's works, or they can contact my agent David Campiti through davecampit[at]aol.com

Thanks!

Thanks a lot man! If you need any more info ask away =

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Why haven't you married the girl of your dreams yet?

Uh, it's either she's too young or too unreachable?
LOL Or perhaps I haven't met her yet XD