A burst of flavors explodes as you indulge in the mouthwatering goodness of silky, smoky salmon with sweet rice, contrasting with the dynamic creaminess of spicy mayo and Kewpie mayo. The velvety consistency of buttery richness melts in your mouth, releasing satisfaction to the brain. I present to you the one and only infamous platter of sensations: Sushi Bake. 

Sushi Bake is a versatile dish, whether it be a healthy, quick meal on the run or a unique dip for gatherings. Don’t be stuck in confusion again, because Sushi Bake will always be the solution! 

Growing up: sushi was always ordered as a side dish at family gatherings, like dinner celebrations. Whether it be the shrimp tempura roll or the salmon roll, that was how me and my family ROLLed. I have always felt a close connection with delicate, rich meals like sushi due to the intimate connection between me and my family. As I have gotten older, events that were once at restaurants have suddenly shifted into house celebrations. However, I thank my parents for this change. Having food made with love and family embrace is another feeling out of this world. But that meant missing out on the meals I once had at restaurants, like sushi. Therefore, when my cousins started incorporating sushi bake into the family rotation, I felt an automatic, loving connection with sushi bake. It’s the warmness of the rice enlightening you, along with the smokiness of the salmon engulfed with mayo—similarly, the nostalgic feeling of collectiveness. 

With Sushi Bake on my mind, I decided to make a comic about one of the few comforting meals I enjoy. Coincidentally, while drawing the graphic, I fell sick and was trapped on my bed, which is one of the primary reasons I decided to put extra time and dedication into this one-pager comic. I wish to increase my portfolio and experiment with various art styles to get involved in communities, with an interest in supporting various artists. 

For background, I recently joined a community of service, assisting with drawing graphics to attract an audience and help promote volunteering opportunities in our community. As an artist striving to improve, I decided to treat this assignment as a way to test my ability to see how far my talent could go. During the process, I used Procreate with the round and monoline brushes—a few of my favorite default brushes for smooth strokes and coloring—to achieve a simplistic style. I decided to make the color palette of the comic full of warmth and golden-honey-like colors to give off the expression of coziness and comfort one may feel around the people they love dearly. Furthermore, even a cozy restaurant with warm, ambient lighting and fresh food steaming onto your face achieves a similar feeling. It’s this feeling I’m trying to impose to help gravitate the reader to feel the same admiration for Sushi Bake that I do. Additionally, each subject presented on the panel seems to have an illusion of enlightenment due to the contrast between the light and dark backgrounds created by the Add Layers feature.

Drawing this comic made me reflect on my earlier days of art in my youth, especially when COVID-19 began and digital art became popularized. I remember so many artists and editors blossoming with talent during such difficult times during the pandemic. I was heavily influenced and inspired by the talents of people and started to draw as much as I could. Improvement goes a long way, and I’m proud to say I have come a long way, yet it is still not the end of my journey. I hope you guys reading this will find yourselves making Sushi Bake, too!