Description of Work

Alone: A Series of Autobiographical Comics - 2021 - Digital Illustration - Not for Sale

Artist's Statement

2D character art has inspired my work for as long as I can remember. Illustrations from cartoons and graphic novels have always fueled my creative passions. I am extremely interested in the combination of narrative, realism, and cartoonist styles. During the planning process of this project, I also became interested in the idea of a comic without words. After some thought, I decided that my BFA thesis would take the form of an autobiographical comic. These comics are reliant on imagery, the only words involved being the individual titles of each scene.

My thesis displays various experiences I have had while living alone for the first time, as I moved into my first apartment a few months before starting this project. Though I have always valued alone time, being completely left to my own devices like this has definitely been a new and interesting experience.

People reveal their true selves when they are alone, and I am no exception. With this piece, I portray myself as honestly as possible. Living alone has been a journey of self-discovery for me and this project allows me to reflect on who I am. I am an introvert that thrives when I am given space, but I am also prone to intense loneliness. I struggle with fatigue and mental illness, but I am also a hardworking person who persists through difficulty. I am a cautious person who reacts to unexpected knocks at the door with suspicion. I feel emotions intensely and I have a witty sense of humor. I am a young woman who is endlessly growing and self-improving. These comics show only a handful of experiences in which I have exhibited these characteristics.

In addition to seeing how I act when I’m alone, I believe that anyone who views this open and honest project will also be able to see themselves within the pages.

MATERIALS AND PROCESS

Comics are not the type of art that I usually make, but it became a second nature of sorts once I figured out a process that worked best. I worked on one page at a time, starting each with rough sketches to work out my initial ideas and refining the sketches afterwards. Once I had a general idea of the page’s content and layout, I created the panel shapes and began drawing the line art. Once the lines were complete, I laid out the flat colors before finally adding shadows. 

I strongly prefer using digital interfaces to create my work. I chose to use Adobe Photoshop to illustrate this project because this program easily allowed me to create my comic pages from the rough sketches to the final stages. The text in this project was laid out using Adobe Illustrator, a very precise program that is suited for such a task. The book itself was laid out using BookWright and printed using Blurb.com. Finally, I used Microsoft PowerPoint to lay out the project in video form.

Artist's Website: https://allisoncandraw.artstation.com/

If you wish to purchase any of these pieces, please contact the gallery director, Jacqueline Nathan (jnathan@bgsu.edu.)