AnnaMaria Bryant: The Art Of Adler’s Watch
Adler’s Watch is a bewitching webcomic both for its phenomenal design and its very original script.
AnnaMaria Bryant opens the door of her studio for an exclusive overview of the Art of Adler’s Watch!
Impressive and beautiful.
Hello AnnaMaria, welcome on Art of Webcomics!
What time do yo wake up and how do you start your day?
My sleep schedule rotates a lot, haha. I need like 12 hours minimum for a good night’s rest. I always start my day with a cup of coffee and some kanji studies, then some breakfast. On a good day, I’ll follow that up with drawing!
Any specific daily schedule?
Nah, I used to have a very rigid schedule with Adler’s Watch back when I started, but that was before bills and life stuff got in the way. I just work when I can now.
Do you need a particular environnement or music to be inspired?
I actually have my own playlist on Spotify just for Adler’s Watch inspiration. It contains a lot of movie scores and compositions. I can’t really focus on the story in my when lyrics are influencing me. And I like the cinematic ideas that I get listening to scores. My favorite inspiration works are by Olafur Arnalds!
What about your workstation, your lab!
Up until recently I had to have two workstations. One was a slanted desk for drawing on 11×17″ comic papers. Then I scanned the inks and colored everything on Photoshop. Around the beginning of issue 7 I switched to all-digital after I was finally able to buy a Huion tablet monitor!
What are the main steps of your creative process?
I think the most important thing for me is music. Without that, I have a hard time really brainstorming stuff. I like to sit or lay somewhere quiet, listening, contemplating what needs to happen in the story, and the how comes to me after a while. Then I have to sketch things out. If I’m making a new character or monster, that can take a hefty amount of sketches. If I’m doing a page, I like to do thumbnails and draw up different angles and sizes for each panel until I’m happy with the layout. From there it’s pretty straightforward. I draw, I color, I letter, and post.
Click to enlarge images
Do you use a 3d assistance or photographic documentation?
Once in a while, yes! When I lived in or visited the areas in my comics, I would take photos for inspiration and use those as background references. If I didn’t take a pic of the right spot, I might use google maps as reference, but I prefer to get my own angle on stuff. Sketchup has also been an incredibly helpful tool for drawing vehicles and some objects that are a little harder to understand in all angles.
How do you light a scene?
I used to be soooo bad at lighting, and I’m definitely still not the best. But I have learned a lot throughout my work on Adler’s Watch! I like to keep things more grey around sad moments, red around horror moments, and light around well-to-do moments- regardless of whether we’re focusing on “heroes” or “villains”
Your Secret Weapon?
I’m not sure that I have one of those! But I do wonder if I do anything unique without realizing it haha
How do you deal with daily loneliness of the webcomic artist?
I don’t find it very lonely, honestly. I feel in touch with my characters, and my focus isn’t really on whether anyone is around or not when I’m working. In fact, I work a lot better when I’m left alone.
What is the rule according to you for good dialogues?
I like to imagine I’m there, is this conversation organic? Does it sound forced? Can you imagine someone actually saying that and the other person responding that way? Those are questions I like to ask myself, but I think sometimes I still write it a little oddly.
How do you know that the page is finished?
The amount of times I’ve had to go back and edit pages that I’d already published… I don’t think I ever know lol
What relationships do you have with your readers and fans?
I don’t have a very big fanbase. I think at the beginning Adler’s Watch was doing well, but I fell off the wagon a bit and people sort of forgot about it. I always do notice my fans though. I get excited when they leave comments or become a patron, and I’m always grateful when they share my work with others. I usually end up feeling very fond of them and sometimes end up following them on Twitter just to see what they’re up to. It’s fine to call me creepy! I just want to be friends with everyone but I’m shy I guess.
Your motivational mantra?
One page at a time!
A big bunch of Thanks to AnnaMaria Bryant!
Series: Adler’s Watch • Writer/Artist: AnnaMaria Bryant • Country: USA🇺🇸, Fort Collins
www.adlerswatch.com 
