Talent is something that a lot of people have. When you have a talent for something, a natural talent, usually you don’t have to work as hard on it as most people. Whether it’s sports, drawing, or singing, you can get by on just talent alone for a while. But you know the saying. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. You can only get by for so long on just talent. But, there are some people who have talent that isn’t purely natural. A talent that is worked on, meticulously crafted through hours of practice and struggle. It’s a combination of natural talent, persistence, skill, and that special “it” factor. When people like this come across your view, be happy. Rejoice. Because you’re witnessing history in the making. A legend on the rise. A star being born if you will.
Welcome to another installment in our Lift Off series. Lift Off is a series where we highlight up and coming artists. This is our fifth Lift Off piece. Last day of October, we’re cutting it close we know. We hope you are well and getting through these times however you can. Today’s artist is well worth the month-long wait though. We’re extremely excited to welcome Salomée LUCE-ANTOINETTE to the site today. She goes by Saly on social media. The above paragraph may seem like a hyperbole. But when you look at Saly’s art you can’t help but think this is a person destined for greatness in whatever they choose to do.
There are a lot of words to describe Saly’s art. But one word that comes to mind is flavorful. No, bold. No, charismatic. You honestly can’t go wrong with how you describe her work. That “it” factor is present no matter what piece you’re looking at. There’s pop in each image, there’s culture, there’s a flare you simply can’t teach. Take a look at some of her work below. You won’t find too many images of Ororo Monroe aka Storm that beautiful and powerful. Each of Saly’s images tells a deeply complex story. A story of power, of confidence, of pride. This is an artist that is using their talent to the best of their ability but getting better each and every time they put their work out to the public. That mix of talent and hard work is unstoppable.
Saly also illustrates some of the best Static images circling the internet. Static, a superhero from the Milestone universe, is returning next year with a graphic novel as well as an ongoing series. All as a part of the Milestone universe relaunching. The people in charge of Milestone would be smart to contact Saly for some variant covers.
"My biggest influences are in what I read, like comics and manga.
For comics it’s especially Olivier Coipel’s work, he’s one of my favorites of all time. He’s from the same little island in the Caribbean as me and that alone gave me hope that one day I could succeed in art. For manga it’s Yukito Kishiro and his work on Gunnm, I fell in love with Gunnm as a kid. Those two artists really changed my vision.
I also find inspiration in film soundtracks. Music is a big part of my creative process.
I choose to do this piece with my OCs because I’ve been drawing them since middle school, they mean a lot to me. “Daft Quest” is the title of their story and someday I hope to draw and publish it."
The piece Saly turned into Lift Off today as she said above, is a personal piece. Creators have a ton of influences on their work. And as you can see in Saly’s work, she’s extremely versatile and has a number of influences like comic artist Olivier Coipel. There’s something special about creating your own characters though. Building your own worlds. Developing a style that is uniquely your own. The piece above are characters from a story called Daft Quest. One that Saly hopes to draw and publish one day and one she’s been working on since middle school.
One of the first things you see when you look at this piece is the color. The characters are surrounded by a yellowish and orange backdrop standing on a city street. It’s intense but also inviting. It’s overpowering but also calm. That sense of balance is a common theme in her work.
This crew is incredibly diverse as well. Saly is an artist who does justice to popular Black characters, like Static and Storm, but here, we get to see her style with her own characters. Each of them is stylish and unique, with their own look and vibe. Sometimes, modern comics don’t focus too much on clothes of characters. Or they don’t use them to tell a story of culture or someone’s background. Whether Saly is drawing Static or one her OC’s, fashion always seems to be a highlight. And that’s without a doubt one of the coolest things about her art.
And then there’s the logo. Right in the middle of the page, just as bold as the colors and characters are. What’s the story about? What’s the genre? Who are these characters? Are they enemies? Friends? A lot of questions come up from this, but all of the elements really work together. If Saly publishes this story one day, it won’t be one to miss.
We’d like to thank Saly for inviting us into her world today. You can follow her on Twitter @LockheartSaly. You can also follow her on Twitch. She regularly does streams of her process. So go look at the next dynamic piece she’s cooking up. Twitch.tv/salylock
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