Get Graphic: Arianna Pisani And The Color of Fantasy

Art by Arianna Pisani

Interview by Troy-Jeffrey Allen

From the pages of The Untamed comes the first Tale in this anthology series about the world of Asunda. One of your tour guides through this world is colorist Arianna Pisani.

In the following interview, Arianna takes us inside Tales of Asunda and explains her philosophies on color and beyond.

Firstly, what is your name and where do you hail from?

Hi, Troy. First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Arianna Pisani and I am the colorist for two issues of Tales of Asunda.

I am an illustrator, a colorist, and a complete artist in the world of comics. I am Italian and currently live in a small town in Tuscany, in the province of Florence.

How did you get involved with Stranger Comics?

I started working with Stranger Comics pretty much at the beginning of my career as a colorist. Matteo had suggested that I send some work I had done with other American independent publishers to Stranger Comics. They took me on for two issues and here I am

What tools do you use to color?

I work digitally, but that doesn’t mean it’s less complicated. Let’s say that compared to traditional work it’s more performant in this telematic world. I started out working with ProCreate and then moved on to somewhat more professional software — as Clip Studio Paint can be.

What made you want to focus on coloring?

Coloring is a world that accompanies and determines the page being made. A good colorist can elevate a drawn page and can totally ruin it. I believe our craft is still undervalued, which is why I chose to be a part of it. Color is everything! It’s the atmosphere and mood — it allows you to completely immerse yourself in a scene. It’s empathetic in a way — an empathy tool — and I really like that.

How does character factor into how you color a comic?

Actually, for the colorist, the real main character is the atmosphere that I have to be able to convey to the reader. So everything within a scene — including the character — has to be consistent in terms of color with the world around him. It is the one that conveys what is going on. So to answer the question, the character certainly matters. It has to come out with the lights and shadows to make it consistent but prominent in relation to the surrounding background — to the atmosphere. The atmosphere tells so much about a situation, and colors are crucial in communicating to the reader the mood of the characters in the scene.

What is your goal when it comes to bringing colors to the page?

Making everything coexist. If you stop and think about it, what you read in a comic book is created by different hands, minds, and inspirations. The colorist must be so skilled that he or she can give the impression that everything was done by one hand. And you don’t always succeed, especially being at the beginning of your career, but that’s what my goal is. To make the page harmonious, it’s adherent to the scene.

What do you listen to when coloring?

What I listen to depends a lot on the comic that I’m working on: music is important if it’s about immersing yourself in a well-defined world. I love soundtracks, so depending on the mood of the comic.

For more of Arianna’s work be sure to pick up Tales of Asunda from your local comic shop. Available to preorder now with PREVIEWSworld Pullbox.

You can find Arianna Pisani online on her Instagram.

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Troy-Jeffrey Allen is the producer and co-host of PREVIEWSworld Weekly. His comics work includes MF DOOM: All Caps, Public Enemy’s Apocalypse ’91, Fight of the Century, the Harvey Award-nominated District Comics, and the Ringo Awards-nominated Magic Bullet.