Ambush: A Junior Visual Narrative Comic by Kevin Lopez (2017)

Before this project, I did not feel I could produce something at a greater potential. Creating this project has allowed me to improve upon skills I thought were sub-par. When creating the original artboard, I thought my drawings were at a level of a non-artist. For example, anyone can draw a human head by mapping out a simple ellipse versus drawing the head with a higher level of detail. As I spent more time with this project I began to realize how my art differed from that of a basic level. Sometimes doubting the quality of my work presented many problems. In the program, I had to make multiple modifications to a single object in one of the panels. I feel that the story could be elaborated to make the comic easier to understand. At the basic level, this is a story about a kid that is about to be taking from his home, but manages to fight off the bad guys. When looked at a deeper level, this story is meant to illustrate the unseen nightmares some families have to go through. Families are forced out of their homes to be taken elsewhere without consent. With the current issues surrounding the country, this story portrays a scenario that many people are fearful of. This project has opened my eyes and changed the way I see others’ art. Art can always be admired from what is seen on the surface. The true beauty, however, is found hidden within, a deeper meaning. At first, I seemed to only admire the art on the surface, which didn’t allow me to enjoy it as much as I wanted to. I have learned to apply this mentality to things I do in life.