Ask Me Anything: Finding My Art Style

I get this species of art question so often that I now think it's worth making a blog post to answer it (for posterity). The question usually goes something like this:

"How did you find your style of art?"

Which is a valid question. Unfortunately, this is a question with extremely vague and mundane answers. Note: these answers are very rooted to my particular development as an artist, though bits and pieces can be applied generally.

(more…)
FULL POST

Comics as Poetry

A cornucopia of random thoughts on things I plan to do - related to approaching future comics as poetry. (more…)
FULL POST

Passion and Work and Adulthood

TWIDI will celebrate its 10th birthday in March. A few months after, it'll be callupish's 16th birthday. That's how long these two passion projects have been with me. Currently, both of them are on the backburner. There's a thought loitering in my head for the past two years. The thought of how my relationship with art has changed since it became a career. Don't get me wrong. I'm still able to find the love and joy that fuel my art-making. So far I've kept as true as possible to what speaks to me most, as a young adult and an artist. But going professional has made it clear to me how important it is to my soul to maintain that integrity, and to keep it from being swallowed by jadedness and cynicism. And there's been a lot of those shadows lurking at the edges of the last two years (though I'd argue they existed some time before 2016). (more…)
FULL POST
Reimena Yee talks about political action

Politically Around

For the past few months I have been thinking about my political role as an artist. It is very strange to be at the point (both maturity and career-wise) when I must assert my intention as a person who tells stories and produces images/words for the world at large. I believe words and images have meaning, therefore they have impact. But what does impact mean on my own terms? (more…)
FULL POST

Relatable is Not Empathy (Thoughts on Empathy as a Writer)

One of the guiding principles of my storytelling is empathy – empathy as both the creative factor and the takeaway. It's a hot topic in publishing nowadays: everyone talks about how books are key to helping one understand or see others in this world, how one can see the other is just "a person like them". This is all very important and a goal worth pursuing, and I do see it as part of my responsibility as a writer. Yet I think I operate from a different conception of what empathy is, as a writer and reader. This is what today's post is about. (more…)
FULL POST

Inspiration and Calling

"Where do you get your ideas from?" "How do you choose which book to do?" The short answer is, I don't know?? Or rather, I can't explain it. Or RATHER, I don't think the real answer will be helpful, or even make sense, to anyone else except me. (more…)
FULL POST

Bahasa: Malaysian Code Switching in Comics Form

I recently published a mini-comic for Malaysia's Independence Day (or Merdeka, as we natives call it), which can be read here. Besides the standard raw emotionality that has become a trademark of mine, it was my first attempt at code-switching and bilingualism in comics – a bilingualism that is key to the understanding of the story and emotionality of Bahasa, rather than a mere translation of one language into another. (more…)
FULL POST

History for Granted, or When a Marginal Voice Tackles The Main Text

Some of you may know I write historical fiction. Some of you may also know I've been chipping away on an Alexander the Great graphic novel. (Which this concept art is for) My role as a historical graphic novelist has been stewing in the back of my mind for a while now. Actually, the stewing began when I first thought of The Carpet Merchant of Konstantiniyya, but I already know my insights from that project. Be actively thoughtful. Be self aware of how your own biases and societal context influence your storytelling. Recognise the people before and around you. Use your power to bring up voices. Understand that the work of being a responsible author lasts beyond the final page of your story. (more…)
FULL POST
Onion Method for Outlining Graphic Novels

How I Outline a Graphic Novel: The Onion Method

Writing a graphic novel is hard. There are a lot of things to juggle; afterall, you're making the equivalent of both a film AND a novel! Fortunately, now there are a lot of resources, suited for different genres and needs. Back then, in the olde Wild West days, when I was a newbie, I didn't have any tips that explained how to make the kind of graphic novels I wanted to make. So I made my own, deliciously called the Onion Method. (more…)
FULL POST

How I Do Research For a Graphic Novel (tips and advice)

How does a comics creator do their research for a graphic novel? Well, nobody quite knows tbh – unlike thumbnails or scriptwriting, the research process (collecting and turning information into a story) is rarely talked about in comics. Unless you hang around academic circles, or work in a genre like science or historical, you wouldn't think about research as a concern. While not necessary, learning how to do research well is a powerful and important skill to have. I believe that when creators obtain better research skills, their storytelling benefits. It's not just about knowing where to find sources... it's about critical thinking, increased awareness of self and society (and how both impact the stories we value), transparency, and thoughtfulness of intent. (more…)
FULL POST

Reimena Yee is a graphic novelist, artist and flamingo enthusiast.

She writes and illustrates quite a few webcomics and graphic novels. When not making books, she lulls away her time with essays on craft, life and experiences in the publishing industry. Some of her thoughts of art and life are rather unstructured and will evolve over time as this blog matures, as they should be.

Currently committed to being Alexander the Great's death doula. Is a nerd for all things spooky and historical.

Melbourne / Kuala Lumpur

Upcoming Events

PCAF, July 29 – 30

Papercuts Festival, September 17

Australian Cartoonists Association, October

Follow My Blog

Pop your email in the box below and be notified of my next post.

Categories

Archives

Twitter