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For The Love Of Movies... Can We Talk?The Impressive Profile of French Film Storyboard Artist and Painter Elizabeth Colomba
For those of you not familiar with storyboard work, Colomba is hired by film production companies as a professional illustrator; she creates comic-book like drawings or sketches, which filmmakers use in order to help visualize the story's narration.
Although she may be hired to sketch individual or particular scenes in films, according to a 1998 interview by tipjar.com, her work for a film like Rick Famuyiwa's The Wood demanded her to draw almost every frame. Colomba says, "My partner Kasia Adamik and I had to storyboard the whole movie. They had the money for a month, so we did everything we could. We didn't finish it, but there was a lot of work. There were action scenes. Even simple scenes were drawn. You could read the whole story from the storyboards."
Quick Bio...
Colomba is of Caribbean heritage (Martinique); she was born in Epinay Sur Seine, a suburb in Paris. Her passion for painting started at the age of six. She achieved a first class high honors degree upon graduating from college in Paris. She obtained work in the late nineties at an advertising company. However, she was disappointed with the lack of creativity and control over her work, so she moved to L.A. to pursue a career in painting and storyboarding.
Colomba credits Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Edgar Degas, Johannes Vermeer and Diego Velazquez' works as inspiration and influence over her works.
We rarely celebrate the work of those behind the scenes, especially Black artists. I love her Victorian-age paintings and the artists' works she has been influenced by. I've always wished I had the talent for painting like this. Oh well. :)
Visit her official site at www.elizabethcolomba.net to see some more of her works and to read their very interesting back stories.
While you're at it, check out her imdb for a full list of projects she has worked on as a professional illustrator.
16 Comments
Shelley Thunder | April 11, 2012 3:49 AM
Wow, these paintings are stunning! Love that they're all portraits of the black female experience! Thanks for sharing.
Ben H | April 10, 2012 4:37 AM
I've only just discovered Elizabeth's work.
Beautiful on all levels.
urbanauteur | April 6, 2012 11:00 AM
Thanx V for this article;-)
Donella | April 4, 2012 1:12 PM
Octavia Butler's estate recently searched (2009, I believe) for an illustrator to create graphic novels of some of her works. I don't believe they were successful in locating someone, but it may still be an opportunity today. Merilee Hefeitz at Beacon Press is the contact.
thgth | April 4, 2012 12:42 PM
she's gorgeous. that's the only color i see.
Micah | April 4, 2012 8:49 AM
Thanks for posting this. I appreciate it when you highlight a people with other jobs in film beside directing. If there are young ones that read the blog it helps to give them a well rounded view of what they could do in the industry. This woman is truly beautiful and talented.
Pedro Perez-Ortiz | April 4, 2012 7:40 AM
Great reporting on the reality of our modern Afro-centric artists. I love her work and her socio-political perspective it is a pity that our diaspora does not celebrate her work, especially her beinga Balck woman.
Geneva Girl | April 4, 2012 7:37 AM
Thanks for sharing this. Nice to know. The francophone world LOVES bandes desinees (graphic novels). I'm wondering if that influenced her to get into the business.
B. Nicole | April 4, 2012 12:05 AM
Very talented! Thanks for sharing her work with us.
Norman Kelley | April 3, 2012 9:32 PM
Wow! Real talent, and beauty. It's always interesting when you see a real artist as opposed to the schlock that Andy Warhol inspired. I lived in NYC for year and saw an incredible amount of bad art. This woman is an artist.
Nadine | April 3, 2012 9:16 PM
Soo.... apparently I'm going to end up purchasing her work. Thanks Vanessa for messin' with my wallet.
sandra | April 3, 2012 8:39 PM
I'm going to look her up. Beautiful work.
blaqbird | April 3, 2012 7:45 PM
Wow...beautiful paintings! Thanks for sharing!