We wanted our attendees to get to know the incredible talent in the Artist Alley a little better, so we asked each of our artists to answer a couple questions about themselves and their art.
Napua Ahina is a digital illustrator and colorist. She creates cute “Pixel Pinup” art and does collaborative work with the Hawaiian Comic Book Alliance. You can find her colors in Sam Campos’s new Pineapple Man graphic novel “Old School Lock Up” and Free Isabelo’s “Steam Royals” series.
What was the first thing you made/wrote/drew?
The first pinup I colored was a Dejah Thoris drawing by Randy Green. He had uploaded a large scan on Deviant Art and it inspired me to try and learn how to color digitally.
Tell us about your creative process, from the beginning of a typical piece to its completion.
I start with a high resolution scan of a black & white drawing and adjust the color balance and contrast levels to end up with alias (aka jaggies) line art. Then I add flat colors under the lines. The next step is the fun part- shading/ highlighting/ texturing! The last thing I do is some color adjustments to help set the right emotional tone and any extra special fx. I use many layers in PhotoShop…sometimes a finished piece is made up of almost 200 layers.
Who or what are your influences?
Alphonse Mucha and Adam Hughes are my biggest influences for coloring. The women in their art are always so beautiful.
What plans do you have for the future of your art?
The best part of what I do is working with local artists and helping to bring their drawings to life. I hope to continue collaborating with more artists.
Do you have any good advice for emerging artists?
Digital media is a great way to try new techniques and explore your own personal style. There’s no mistake that ctrl+z can’t undo! So you can experiment more without the anxiety that comes with the “permanence” of traditional media.
What do you hope people get out of you artwork/writing/etc?
There are 2 things I mainly hope to express through my art… 1) colors can help tell a story just as much as a drawing can, and 2) female comic book characters can be beautiful AND strong at the same time.
To date, what works of yours are most satisfied with?
I absolutely love working on Pineapple Man! When I collaborate with Sam Campos I can really showcase the beauty & diversity of Hawaii and its people in an authentic way.
Will you have any convention exclusives or deals available at CCH?
For CCH, I will have new art from my 2016 “Pixel Pinup” series available. I will also have some pinups from the 2015 series available (while they last!).
Make sure to stop by Napua Ahina & Robert Jacob’s booth in the Comic Con Honolulu Artist Alley July 29-31, 2016!
