Comics Around The World Part 3

Welcome once again to Comics Around The World!  Today, I have the great pleasure to chat with French artist Ood Serriere.  She’s a great natural talent that honed her skill studying architecture and has brought that to comics.

Bob Francis: What is your background?  Did you study art in school, or are you self-taught?

Ood Serriere:  I am self taught : I read French and US comics since I was young. I always wanted to draw illustrations; I love to imagine stories across comics. Reading the content of differents forums like Deviant Art,  Cafe Sale, etc, helped me to understand some hints and secrets about techniques of drawing. The second thing that was really important was the meeting of several cartoonists in French comics conventions; they help me to understand this art. I think that other people view on my production helped me to see my draw mistakes. Every day I try to do my best to increase my drawing level.

I come from an architectural background: a school named Ensas based in Alsace, France. I have learned to draw the structure of thing, perspective, 3D vision.  It’s really different of the comics approach.

BF: Who are your influences?

OS: My first influences were the us comics books, like Tomb Raider, Fathom, Withchblade, some old Superman and Batman from my father,etc. Frazetta was my first reference in illustration. The Art of Loisel, French artist, inspired me a lot, like Skydoll, Sillage, Alim le Tanneur, etcNow, I look the art of the amazing Chris Sanders, Adams Hugues, J. Scott Campbell, and Dean Yeagle. I watch a lot of movies, like “How To Train Your Dragon”, “Lilo and Stitch”, Pixar movies, and the Dreamworks universe.

BF: What got you into comics?

OS: My father drew since I was young. I always liked this universe. In my childhood home, there are piles of comics book, it was natural for me to develop a great interest for this Art.

BF:When did you decide to become an illustrator?

OS: At the end of my long studies, I decided to take the road of this Profession. I had a choice to make: become an architect or try to do my passion, cartoonist?

BF: Tell us about your work and current projects.

OS: My first edited book was named Sweety Sorcellery. It’s a collective book, with several French artists, and I drew the main part. After that I worked on Thalulaa, fantastic Polynesian story. In the same time, I worked on Citadine, an illustration book.

I’m working on several projects. On my table, you can find some pieces of Thalulaa 2, Polynésian piece. And my new project named Alkhemia, a story of super heroine in science fiction world. I worked now on the Story board.

BF: What are the differences in the comics scenes in France and the US? I feel that the US scene is pretty focused on superheroes and comics still have a “juvenile” stigma where France is much more open to different genres, styles, and mature stories and art. What’s your opinion?

OS: There is difference between our two cultures. You respond to the question, and you are right on your vision. Here we have different styles and themes, for differents ages: Girly, Celtic, Historical, Erotical, Fantastic, etc. So, we see a big panel of different peoples in convention.

BF: What are your tools of the trade?

OS: I usually work with Inking Pencils and sketch pencils, layout paper. For Illustrations, I use watercolor technics, which demand a strong paper – Arches Paper. I used to draw on computer with Wacom tablets : I make color of my lines.

BF: When not drawing comics, what do you like to do?

OS: I draw.[laughs]

Seriously, I cook, and I play video games. I love to decorate, and I go to the cinema, and shopping of course.

http://ood-serriere.blogspot.com

Bob Francis

Comics Around The World Part 3