Bored Panda once more reached out to the creator behind “Cooper Lit Comics”, who kindly answered our questions.
The artist mentioned that he uses free writing to stay playful in the creative process, therefore, we asked him to tell us more about this method.
“Free writing does a few important things. One is it clears out the junk that’s spinning in your head so you can get to other things. Another is it forces you to move past the moment of fear at the empty page. You can’t sit and tell yourself you have nothing to say or you’re no good because you’re too busy writing the next word. If you can get ahead of the internal critic, you have a chance to surprise yourself,” explained the artist.
The artist also shared another exercise that works to get out of a slump, and it’s a word generator. He walked us through his experience with the tool: “I just look at the words and see which spark something for me, a memory or image or idea. A word like 'bargain' or 'tombstone' suggests more to me than a word like “utterance". But even less evocative words can lead to good things if you just let yourself be silly or open. Another part of the exercise is to do several comics in a row. Write down 5-10 words and just burn through them. Use your desire to not work to help you work quickly.”
Previously, the artist shared his list of influences: “For comic strips, Charles Schulz, Gary Larson, Bill Watterson, EC Segar, Jules Feiffer… For comics, Mazzuchelli, Trondheim, Kyle Baker, Hernandez Bros, Eisner, Sacco, Porcellino, Kochalka… For fine artists, Picasso, Matisse and Egan Schiller are my top 3. And of course I’m influenced by so many peers working in webcomics today, Lote Vilma, Pierre Mortel, Zip Freeman, Nick Edwoods, Danielle Chennette, Bahij Jaroudi.”
With such a wide range, we got curious about how the artist navigates incorporating them into his unique style. Cooper responded: “I try to suit the style to the content. If it’s just a little gag, I’ll go for a simple cartoony style. If I’m trying for something more poetic, I might take a more painterly approach. I try to make these decisions early in a piece so I don’t have to redraw everything. A great practice many artists do is to find works that move you and copy them. It’s like memorizing a poem. It makes you look more closely and hopefully helps you absorb a little of the technique that worked for you as a viewer.”
Overworking and perfectionism can be significant challenges for any artist. Luckily, the "Cooper Lit Comics" artist shared some strategies that worked to combat these tendencies and keep his art feeling fresh and lively.
“I definitely struggle with these things. It’s important to stay mindful of what you’re going for and not fall into thoughtless obsessive fixing. When I catch myself tightening up, I try to not beat myself up and just urge myself to let go a little, to draw with abandon and not fear (making mistakes, flawed work, being judged…).”
We also asked the artist to share some specific ways that he’d noticed his style evolving.
“I think it’s just a matter of drawing with confidence. I can see it in my work and the work of others if it was made with confidence or timidity. Evolution is so gradual for the most part. Every once in a while, I surprise myself and make something I feel pretty happy with. When that happens, I try to notice what I was doing and how I was feeling when it happened.”
And lastly, the artist added: “Don’t be shy to reach out to a creator you like. I most appreciate it. I love the opportunity the internet gives us to have a back-and-forth, so I’m not just throwing paper into the wind and hoping it gets seen, but never knowing. Encouragement is super helpful, but these interactions can also spark new ideas. I’ve had many stories inspired or improved by the back and forth with my readers.”
