Get to know the artists behind Spectrum Noir Advanced Discovery Kits

Do you dream of creating your own characters and concocting your own comic book world of colourful heroes and dark villains? Well, Nicola Yau is here to help! Nicola is the artist behind the Spectrum Noir Advanced Discovery Kit - Comic Book Heroes which invites you to leap feet first into the wonderful world of comic book art with everything from cute Manga characters to dynamic superheroes!

Part of the new collection of Spectrum Noir Advanced Discovery Kits, in this set you can learn how to create and colour in an authentic comic book style. As well as premium Spectrum Noir Classique and Illustrator Markers, this expertly curated set includes original colourable designs and step-by-step instructions from Nicola.

A creative soul, Nicola has been drawing and creating since childhood, and now's our chance to get to know her a little bit more, find out how she discovered her style and pick up a few comic book tips!

Name: Nicola Yau

Advanced Discovery Kit: Comic Book Heroes

Based in: UK

Instagram: @NicolaYauArt

How long have you been interested in art?

I've been interested in art for quite a long time. I used to draw pictures as a child and I think this is something that stuck with me through to adulthood! Though I've taken time away from art I always tend go back to it, especially when I get inspiration from something like a video game or comic book and I feel the need to draw once again.

What made you start creating art?

Hm, I think it stemmed from the things I enjoyed watching or playing as a kid that made me feel like drawing pictures. However, when I got a little older, when I was around 13 maybe, I read a lot of manga and comics. I would draw comics myself and make them into a little magazine by stapling the pages together for my brothers and sisters to read!

What do you enjoy about it?

For me art has always been a way of telling a story, whether it's through making a comic or just designing a character or environment. A picture can say a thousand words as the saying goes! I've always been very fond of storytelling and I used to do a LOT of reading and creative writing myself. Sometimes it just feels like there's something that brews inside of your brain that you want to convey, and art is a really good way to form it.

How long have you created art in this particular style?

That's a difficult question. When I was younger, I used to like drawing more of a manga or cartoon style but as I got older I developed other styles as well, especially when I started getting more serious about art instead of the bits of drawings I would do here or there. Now I think I dabble in quite a lot of different styles and actually really enjoy learning a new style. At times, things I pick up from one style can be merged into another and experimenting with art is a lot of fun!

Please tell us about your Comic Book Heroes kit

The kit was created as a way to help people with learning how to colour with the marker pens and the fineliner, both are which integral to traditional comic book and manga art. It's not so much a how-to-draw book than it is a way of learning how to complete your own drawings. I think this is really important as everyone draws differently, and it makes for a great exercise. Also, I try to encourage those that use this kit to build on what's there and draw their own backgrounds or writings in the speech bubbles. My goal is to help people who use this kit to become more comfortable with making their own. The smaller kit that I helped to produce last year is a little more of an introduction, with a smaller area to work with whereas this larger kit will hopefully be a little bit more of a push.

Which is your favourite drawing in your kit?

My favourite drawing of the kit? That's a difficult question. If I had to choose though it would probably be the fourth image which is the one of the man pulling open his jacket. I like this one in terms of the drawing itself but if I had to choose one that is fun to colour, I'd probably choose the Kimono lady close up, as there's a lot of detail to fill in.

What can people expect from the kit?

As mentioned above I think one of the main things is to pick up ways to colour and use the fineliner. The kit is made up of nine images for those using it to play around with. Some even conjoin together to make up a whole picture, which I think is quite fun. The kit comes with a variety of marker pens as well which is a tool that a lot of manga and comic creators use.

What is your top tip for creating art using your technique?

I guess my top tip for using the marker pens to colour would be to work diligently on each section, rather than attempting to colour multiple areas at one time. The inks are best used while still wet for a blended look! As for using the fineliner, don't push too hard on it, let it glide as much as possible. I hope these help whoever is reading this!

What made you want to partner with Spectrum Noir and why do you like their products?

Spectrum Noir is a wonderful company- not only are the people who work for it lovely but the products themselves are affordable and good quality too, which I really appreciate! I also like how innovative they are with things, their Tri-Blend markers being a great example of that.

What's your favourite colour combination in the kit?

Personally, I'm a fan of fairly saturated colours so I like the look of the Navy Blue and Cocktail Pink beside each other. It's a gentle but punchy alignment and really stands out!

In the kit:

Spectrum Noir Classique Dual-Tip Markers x 5 - Silk, Dandelion, Pale Tan, Saddle Brown, Blue Grey 2
Spectrum Noir Illustrator Dual-Tip Markers x 5 - Leaf Green, Navy Blue, Violet, Amethyst, Cocktail Pink
Spectrum Noir Artliner - Black 01
Printed line-art sheets x 9
How-to guide
Comic Book Heroes Tutorial

Spectrum Noir Advanced Discovery Kits are the perfect way to discover, enjoy and develop a passion for Art and Colouring, why not take a look at the full collection and try something new?

If this post has inspired you to start creating and colouring we’d love to hear about it!
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