Pinay comic book artist Lizz Buenaventura's colorful journey

Getting into the international comic book industry isn’t as simple as taking a pen, pencil, or paintbrush and letting your creativity spill out on paper. Much like any other professional field, it takes years of perseverance and practice – and a certain level of skill, of course – to break into the mainstream comics scene.

 

For every superstar comic book writer or artist currently churning out a monthly bestseller, there are perhaps hundreds or even thousands of aspiring creators waiting in endless lines at conventions and talent searches, hoping that their portfolio would be more than enough to make the executives in charge of scouting give them even just a second glance.

 

This is why, for aspiring creators dead-set on starting an illustrious career in comics, “no” could be the hardest answer to swallow. Many give up the dream, opting to pursue a different path rather than work harder by either practicing more or finding a different area in the field where they can excel.

 

Thankfully, Liezl “Lizz” Buenaventura chose the latter option.

 

 

 

A colorful journey

 

“Comics are my passion,” says Lizz, who works with her husband full-time as a designer of web and mobile applications for an IT company. “They’ve always been my passion, ever since I was a kid.”

 

The talented Manila-based colorist was introduced to the realm of comics by her brother, who collected Spider-Man comic books as a child. As time went on, Lizz took a liking to the X-Men, and eventually developed a preference for more serious, non-superhero titles, such as Preacher, Sandman, and other books under the Vertigo banner.

 

Lizz proudly reveals that she has all 75 issues of Sandman. She completed her collection by painstakingly tracking down all the single issues at comic book stores and in bargain bins. It is a testament to Lizz’s patience and determination – the same reasons why she is currently enjoying a rising career in the comic book industry as a colorist.

 

“When I was a kid, I knew I would get into art,” professes Lizz. Unfortunately, her first attempt at breaking into the industry as a teenager didn’t turn out as well as she had hoped; after attending a seminar held by GlassHouse Graphics, Lizz came to a realization. “[M]y figure drawings weren’t strong enough for sequentials – for storytelling.”

 

However, the initially negative feedback she received was not enough to bring her down.  “I was able to find my niche – I was good in painting, I was good in coloring.”

Getting into coloring was not something that Lizz just sat down and decided to do on a whim, either. “I’ve always loved colors. My thesis was actually about color theory,” says Lizz, who holds degrees in Painting and Visual Communication from the University of the Philippines.

“Comics is pretty much telling stories through colors,” she says.

 

 

 

A rainbow of storytelling ideas

 

According to Lizz, the process of coloring comics involves getting a good understanding of the narrative – what it wants to say, where it wants to go, and how best to convey its message through reds, blues, and yellows. “I read the script, and then I try to tell the story according to what the writer was saying. I try to match whatever story I’m trying to tell.”

 

After determining the path she wanted to pursue, she continued to attend seminars and honed her skills by downloading penciled artwork and pages from popular artists to color in. Lizz got her professional career off the ground by working independently on a few pages and uploading her artwork on the Internet. “I did ten pieces, started showing people, and started getting paid for that.”

 

Lizz works with international creators solely through email and online communication, and also has agents who secure projects for her. “I have one agent here in the Philippines and one agent in the States. My agent (in the US) went to SDCC and brought a few samples of my work. Now I get work solely through (my agents).”

 

Lizz tried turning comics coloring into a full-time career in 2009; however, she eventually switched back to having a day job and fulfilling colorist duties on the side.

 

“I wasn’t making much money [from my colorist career], but I was doing it because I really enjoyed it. I actually learned a lot.”

 

 

 

(Color) wheel of fortune

 

Lizz believes that she is privileged to get the opportunity to work on two unique comic book series: “No Tomorrow,” a dark and gritty story under Zenescope’s “Grimm’s Fairy Tales” banner written by Raven Gregory and illustrated by JG Miranda, and “Last West,” a crowdfunded book penned by Evan Young and Lou Iovino and penciled by Novo Malgapo.

 

“’No Tomorrow’ is a very dark book,” reveals Lizz. “(Regarding coloring,) they were like, ‘Go crazy, do whatever.’ But it was dark and gritty, so I thought, ‘Okay, that’s kind of my wheelhouse.’ It’s about the goddess of death, and she kind of goes crazy. What happens – what are the repercussions in the real world? She went on to kill a bunch of people who weren’t supposed to be dead yet. I think, so far, that’s my best work.”

 

“Last West,” on the other hand, is a “smart, thinking book,” says Lizz. “It happens in the ‘40s, then shifts to the present day. The book interweaves these plots across generations, (and the) challenge was to make it dated, but not dated - to make it interesting, color-wise.” “Last West” began as a Kickstarter effort that successfully made $ 20,000. “Publishers can’t really put all their money into a (non-superhero) book like that, so (the creators) went to Kickstarter.”

 

 

 

How to get work 'within the lines'

 

“In general, I think comics are doing okay right now,” says Lizz, referring to both the local and international comics scene.

 

In the 1990s, the mainstream comic book industry was nearly killed by a combination of endless merchandising gimmicks, economic instability, and dangerously inaccurate industry speculation. “When there was a recession (in 2008), it was bad. But these days, it’s okay.”

 

Lizz has simple but useful advice for aspiring colorists: “Put your best work out, then put your price.”

 

According to Lizz, online forums for comic book artists are great venues to get your work out and get noticed. “I went to forums. If there were ads that said ‘We want a colorist,’ you did tests, normally going up against 20 people. Of course, you’d never get picked, but it’s a great learning experience,” shares Lizz with a smile.

 

Comicartscommissions.com is one of the best places to start, says Lizz. “DeviantArt is okay, but it’s now ‘pro’ territory.”

 

Despite the fact that Lizz is steadily making waves in the industry, she believes that her journey is far from over. The Pinay colorist aims to someday work on a mainstream superhero book – X-Men and Batman are her top picks. “I’d love to work with Neil Gaiman, too!” she laughs.

 

With her persistence and ability to—as Gaiman himself would put it—“make good art,” it’s only a matter of time before her goal transcends Morpheus’s realm and becomes a reality.

 

In full color, of course. — TJD, GMA News

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The final chapter of the ten-issue series “Last West” is expected to hit shelves in December. The first volume has been collected, and may be purchased at your nearest Comic Odyssey outlet. Check out Lizz's awesome work at http://www.liezlbuenaventura.com/