Adriana De Los Santos Interview

Today I have a very special guest with me.   

Colorist Adriana De Los Santos is based out of Rosario, Argentina.  For the last two years, she has contributed her outstanding efforts to YI SOON SHIN: WARRIOR AND DEFENDER.

I am very pleased and honored to finally interview her.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I proudly present the talented Adriana De Los Santos!

OKP: I think a lot of us are curious to know just how you go about coloring.  When Gio’ sends you inked pages, do you see them colored in full or focus on individual sections that pop out at you?

ADL: Whenever I receive an inked page, I look at the full layout and try to capture the mood of the page.   This helps me determine what sections require immediate attention.  From there, I shift my focus until I cover each panel.

OKP: What is your average turn around time per page? 

ADL: Well, the greatest challenge for this book is capturing the realism, particularly in the uniforms.  I need to pay very close attention to all of the details, which always takes a lot of concentration and time.  On average I would say I color one page every three days. 

OKP:  There have been cases where you’ve been forced to color pages within a very short period of time.  Right before we finished Issue #2, you colored Pages 22 thru 24 in less than a week and they turned out wonderfully.  So tell us how you manage to remain consistent around the clock.

ADL: I really don't now!  Just kidding.  That was a very short time span, but I was extremely focused on the pages and never gave up on my desire for producing the best quality of work.  And most importantly, I knew that people were counting on me, people who always do their best, so I did what I had to do.  There was no other option.

OKP: I’ve always said that you and Gio’ are a perfect pair for sequential storytelling.  How do you feel about working together with an artist who lives in Italy?

ADL: Gio' is a great artist and no matter where he lives, I feel like we’ve established great communication, which is a key component of teamwork. I respect his ideas and take him very seriously.

OKP: So when did you decide to pursue a career in comics?

ADL:  I always liked comics so six years ago, I decided to become an illustrator and quickly discovered that I liked coloring the images more than drawing them.

OKP: What do you enjoy most about coloring?

ADL:  The beauty of color is that it is so personal and subjective. We all have ways that certain colors make us feel.  There is so much emotion and the power to evoke so much reaction.  To me, that is what makes comic book coloring so special and unique.

OKP: What else have you worked on?  Is there a place where people can go to purchase your other works?

ADL:  I am actually working on a book called VIRGIN WOLF (written by Alverne Ball with Quality Quill).  People can also visit my blog and see my other works; http://delossantoscolordigital.blogspot.com/

OKP: And finally, we’re beginning production on YI SOON SHIN: WARRIOR AND DEFENDER #3 in August 2010.  Tell us, what you’re looking forward to as the series continues.

ADL:  A new book is always a new challenge.  Yi Soon Shin is a great hero and I hope that my coloring will help to tell his beautiful story of honor and justice.

OKP: I couldn’t agree more.   Adriana, it’s been a sincere pleasure!  Thank you so much for sharing your time with us.

ADL: Anytime!

Wow.  Now that was cool!

Next week, I will be chatting with our very dedicated letterer, Joel Saavedra.  He is the heart and soul of this entire team and pretty soon you'll find out why!

Thanks for joining us and we’ll see you next time!

Best Regards,

Onrie Kompan