Colorists fill drawings with color for comics and other products. They work digitally on computers using complex software and must be able to work well under pressure. They use shading and color blending techniques to create three-dimensional shapes and have a strong understanding of color theory. Many are freelance designers with art degrees.
A colorist fills the drawings with color before they are published in products such as comics. These professionals are artists with experience and training in their field, although the experience and education required varies for colorist jobs. A colorist once worked primarily with drawings on paper and coloring pens, but today most colorists work digitally on computers.
Professional digital coloring software is often complex. Colorists must master the software programs needed to complete each digital coloring job. Coloring software can be used with a tablet and pen, a pen-like instrument that the colorist applies to the tablet allows the work to appear on the computer screen. There are many different types of artist coloring programs that colorists use in their work.
The work that a comic book or comic book colorist does takes place during the last step of the creative process. Captions and basic line drawings are filled in first by other professionals such as pencil, ink and letterer. The designer is the first artist to work on a comic book; he or she presents the page and draws the characters. The inkwell applies ink or contour graphics to pencil work. The letterer adds the words into speech bubbles – manually or using digital computer software.
After the other three artists have completed their work, the spaces left for the colorist to color in can be blocked off in some way for easy identification. The colorist adds color to the artwork. Since colorists are the last creative professional to work on the comic or other project before publication, they often need to finish coloring quickly to keep everything on schedule. For this reason, colorists need to be able to work well under pressure.
A colorist does not simply apply a basic sweep of color to drawings. Instead, he uses art techniques such as shading and color blending to create three-dimensional looking shapes. Colorists understand how to create shadow and light effects in their work. They also have a strong understanding of color, such as using cool and warm colors to create a definite mood in comics or cartoons.
A colorist is very much an artist. Many colorists have an art degree or education that includes a strong focus on color theory. While they may have a full-time job with a publishing company, colorists are often employed as contract graphic artists or freelance designers. They use computer or print portfolios showing their work to market their services to potential clients.
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