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Just like last time, Bored Panda reached out to Ren for a chat as the artist, popularly known as "kampingchicken", offered us some interesting insights based on her distinctive approach to comic creation.
When asked about how slice-of-life comics or family storytelling styles have influenced her approach, Ren said, "I enjoy comics that have a lead-up and a punchline at the very end, so I sometimes use that in my own work. There's something fun about the unexpected. Making a mix of slice-of-life comics and comics that are a little silly and out there are a lot of fun because they both work really well for coming up with twist endings in a comic.
Growing up in a family where people are joking around a lot, I think that I just laughed a lot more when I didn't see the joke coming, and it has made me appreciate whenever I hear a clever pun. I think some of my sense of humor comes from that. Other comics have absolutely had an impact on me as well, from growing up reading different serializations in the newspaper and a lot of manga like Yotsuba&!, and now, because I follow so many webcomics on Instagram. While I can't name them all, some of the many webcomics that I look up to include Relatabledoodles, Artbymoga, Litterboxcomics, Dippy.doe, Libeartycomics, and Catandcatcomics."
On her method of selecting ideas for comics, the artist shared, "I write and sketch down a lot of ideas that just come to me, and I keep them in a box. I actually keep some in notes on my phone if I think of something when I am out on errands now too. I don't have much of a method for choosing which ideas for comics though.
I usually read a lot of them back and I'll choose one if I have a good idea for how I would pace the dialog or if I feel like there is a really fun way to draw the idea. Usually, something will stand out and I start there. Although my ideas are usually all over the place, I really enjoy making comics that loosely relate to my own life, or I really enjoy making comics that are purely silly so I can make up new characters."
Regarding balancing the joy of creation with the pressures of social media, Ren admitted, "I think that I am still finding that balance for myself. I feel very fortunate to be able to draw comics as a hobby, and I have the creative control to just make art that I enjoy. I try to keep my focus on making comics for myself and my audience. Sometimes when I feel like there are too many pressures in my offline life or when I start worrying that my social media engagement will drop if I don't post I still get overwhelmed. I have taken a few breaks from posting recently, and that has helped me keep more in touch with myself and what kind of art I want to make. Even when I post less regularly, the people who follow my work are incredibly kind and supportive."
Reflecting on her desire to evolve her artistic style and her perception of beauty in comic art, the lovely comic artist stated, "I try to keep myself open to evolving, because sometimes I come across ideas that I want to draw but either feel that I lack the skill to do my idea justice, or I will sometimes feel limited by the style I'm currently using. I don't draw noses on my characters, for example, so sometimes I really have to puzzle out how I want a character to look from different angles. Overall, I really think that beauty in a comic has more to do with how it connects with its viewer than with the style it is drawn in. The diversity in styles is what I love the most about the webcomic communities online. It is beautiful to connect audiences with the art and get an idea across, but it's really beautiful when a comic can evoke an emotion in someone who reads it. That is the type of beauty that I would like to achieve some day."
