Kristyna Baczynski

When did you start making comics?

I started making comics, or intentionally sitting down to make them, at art college and university. But drawing stories and making crude books was a hobby throughout my childhood before then, and I'm sure some of those crayon drenched pages could be classed as comics too.

What do you like best about the comic format?

Comics blend image and narrative together in a unique way, where you can be author, designer and illustrator all at the same time. They are both immersive - creating a world which is limited only by what you put on the page - and involving - as the reader is an integral part of the story, filling in the gaps between panels as they read along.

Where do your stories come from?

It's quite hard to pinpoint their origin. I suppose they appear like a lint ball, with a grain of an idea at the centre, picking up detritus from the surrounding world and growing into a thing of substance (I could have likened them to pearls, but lint and detritus will do just fine). I like to translate personal experiences and true events into other-worldly tales, where the characters and stories are heightened and surreal, but the origin remains true.

What’s the process of making a comic, from start to finish?

My ideas start in sketchbooks. I draw for entertainment as much as for work, and use my sketchbooks to collect characters, moments, anecdotes and imagery into one place. I use them as a bank of material, which I reference when working on bigger projects. I also tend to make lists of words when starting a comic - emotions I want to convey, key themes, objects, places and colours. I then draw and draw again using a 0.5mm mechanical pencil, many versions and alterations, until a final design emerges which I then refine into pages of comic thumbnails. I ink these with Micron pens on a home made lightbox, then scan the drawing and finish with digital colour.

Who is your comic hero?

Lynda Barry is a huge inspiration. I love her comics anyway, but particularly her book "What It Is", which has been a source of encouragement and reassurance as well as an insight into the creative process of writing and making comics in all its frenetic glory.

What are you working on at the moment?

Comics-wise I'm working on a new short story comic due for publication in October, which I want to extend into a longer format involving a publisher. It's about village life in Ukraine, family anecdotes and ancient creatures that might still inhabit the surrounding forests. I also have a group exhibition in Leeds (The Bowery, 13th Sept - 17th Nov) with the Girls Who Draw collective. Our new postcard book 'Masquerade' is being launched this month, with new prints and handmade items being released alongside. 




Kristyna's work will feature at the Illustrate exhibition as part of the Northern Design Festival.