Comic Artist

A Passionate Comic Artist - Nadrah Insyirah

Background

Ques: As a Comic Artist, can you talk about the training you had received?

Ans: I had no training before comic making. It was entirely self-study and I had improved after some months of experiences on my own. As of now, I am still trying to improve and find better ways to make comic-making more time-saving and artistically better. I had watched tutorials and looked up manga (Japanese comic) for references and tried to understand how it could be made.

Current project

Q: What is the most critical project that you are doing right now?

Ans: As of now, the project is confidential. The comic is better served as a surprise.

Challenges

Q: In the course of pursuing comics, what is the biggest challenge you face related to the project?

Ans: Unfortunately, the biggest challenge I faced is burnouts and it happened too frequently for me. When wanting to complete a comic, I always had some progress done on it every day. Though, it will always come to a point where my mind is tired of doing the same project each day and there is a sense of dread lingering in me when, wanting to continue it. I could force myself to make progress but I would end up feeling worse and made little to no progress. It is hard but I am learning to take breaks when my body needs and I cannot mistake a break as ‘lazy’.

Intention

Q: What are the purpose and message you intend to tell the world if you have the opportunity?

Ans: It's right to upload originality in the Singapore scene especially, in a comic context. Artist creates new draw from existing franchises project is accepted in the industry. But new original creations and new concepts are not supported by the locals and preferred the familiar content from the existing franchises for better sales. I am not against fan arts, but it is a shame that the local storytellers are not supported and ought to deserve a chance. If the locals' community is more supportive, the original comic works certainly will reach new heights with their stories, and it is something Singapore could be proud of the creation.

Current project

Q: What is the most critical project that you are doing right now?

Ans: As of now, the project is confidential. The comic is better when it comes as a surprise.

Challenges

Q: In the journey of pursuing comics, what is the biggest challenge you face related to the project?

Ans: Unfortunately, the biggest challenge I faced is burnout, and it happened too frequently for me.

When wanting to complete a comic, I always had some progress daily. Frequently, come to a point where my mind is tired, doing the same project every day with a sense of dread lingering in me when I still wanting to continue. I force myself to make progress, but I would end up feeling worse and made little or no progress. It is hard, but I learned to take breaks when my body needs them, and I did not confuse a break as lazy.

Inspire



Q: What has inspired you to the path you have chosen?

Ans: Fulfilling my childhood’s dream of becoming a comic artist. I was naïve and full of hope when I dreamt of growing up to be a comic artist one day. I feel proud that the younger me understands that I am trying my best to achieve my dream.

Motivation

Q: What motivate you when you encounter resistance to your creativity?

Ans: I always think of my reader's excitement waiting to read the next part of my comic. This thought of receiving the next chapter after waiting for so long is a motivating thing to imagine.

Rewards

Q: What form of reward do you personally pursue?

Ans: I would like to inspire the talented locals to create their original comics and convince others to support them. Right now, it is a handful of them do not stand out in Singapore’s context.

Artist and Skill

Q: Advice to others who want to achieve similarly

Ans: Strategize before going head in.

Many people started on a comic project that ends up unfinished. They did not think it through about the process and the banes of beginning. Once it started, you have to be consistent till finished. Otherwise, it will just be another unfinished comic.

Working alone, best to keep to story short. Personally, working over a long period will result in burnout. It is easy to finish a comic of a manageable size by one artist, but if there is a dedicated team, it will add more freedom to make the comic longer.

Keep the story simple where everyone can understand. But if readers do not understand, an explanation is needed, and the story might have problems that need to fix.

Make the comic project suitable within a deadline. If there is less than a week, keep it short and vice versa.

If wanting to draw mecha in a futuristic story context, there is a need to research how to draw. It goes for every other possible genre. Best to change the story to suit the drawing skills.

Lastly, do not be afraid to share the story you have completed. It is a lot of hard work put into a comic that people should read it.

Nadrah,