X-MEN 11 Cover Step by Step

Here's a look behind how the cover of X-MEN #11 was created - out in stores now from MARVEL COMICS and Brian Wood and Kris Anka and Clay Mann.

The  cover sketches I sent to Editor Tom Brennan at Marvel Comics for approval. This cover features the X-MEN villains  the Sisterhood, and introduces new look Selene and Madelyne Pryor (yes, it's legal to go ahead and GOOGLE these )

The sketches were

drawn at 2x3 inches in my sketchbook in pencil and Pitt/Pigma pens and Copic Grey Markers and then cleaned up and colored in Photoshop.

Kris Anka's design sketches of Selene and Madelyne.

Pencils - drawn in Light Blue and HB lead on 12 x 18 Bristol Board.

Detail of Madelyne pencils.

Rachel Dodson's inks - Rachel uses a Windsor Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable #2 Brush and Higgins Black Magic ink, plus a little tech pen and croquille for the straight lines.

Close up of inks.

Colors -  I use Photoshop CS3 with a Wacom Intuos Graphics Tablet to color the art.

Detail

My favorite part of the cover..

Print version.

You can find this comic at your local comic book retailer

http://www.comicshoplocator.com/Home/1/1/57/575

Or digitally at

https://www.comixology.com/X-Men-Vol-4-11/digital-comic/74214

TD

Hero Initiative X-MEN 100 Project Cover Step by Step

Here's how I created the Storm drawing for the  Hero Initiative X-MEN 100 Project Cover.

Drawn on a Blank Hero Initiative X-MEN 100 Project Cover

Roughed in drawing with Col Erase Scarlet Red Pencil and then started adding value with Copic Warm Grey 1

This is about a 1 minute of drawing time - I sat and looked at it for a couple of minutes before deciding what I was going to do then - BOOM - drew!

After adding more greys to all flesh with Copic Warm Grey 1 and 2, "drew" in face and hair with Copic Multiliner .1 Pen

Continued 'drawing" in the rest of the figure with Copic Multiliner .1 Pen

Detail

Finished initial line drawing

Used Copic Warm Grey 3 and 4 to establish values and correct drawing

Used Pro White on Storm's hair to cover logo.

Let dry overnight.

End of stage 1

Elapsed time - about 15 minutes

Now that the Hair is dry I start drawing - I used a .8 and 1 Micro Pigma pen that could draw over the white out,

I also did started added some white highlights, secondary light source and corrected the hair with WHITE OUT. 

Boldened up the outline of the figure with Pitt F pen and Copic Warm Grey 4

Started roughing in the background values with Copic Warm Grey 3 and 4

Detail

Continued detailing background and added some more little X-Men with Plane and signed name

Added a secondary rimlight to the backside of Storm plus SFX on clouds with clouds.

Final Piece.

Elapsed TOTAL time - about an hour

The artwork will be available for auction for the Hero Initiative.

For more info go to -

http://www.heroinitiative.org

TD

CATWOMAN 28 Cover

Here's the cover Rachel and I did for Catwoman 28 - out in stores now! Catwoman v Catbird!

You can find this comic at your local comic book retailer

http://www.comicshoplocator.com/Home/1/1/57/575

And digitally at Comixology 

http://www.comixology.com/Catwoman-2011-28/digital-comic/76264

I will be posting a step by step of this soon…

Enjoy!

TD

SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #2 Modern Age Variant Cover Step by Step - Color

Here's how I colored  the  SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #2 variant cover  featuring the John Byrne Modern Age era Superman (the only Superman comics I read regularly).

Flats

The first stage of coloring is to have the art "flatted".

Flatting allows the colorist to choose an area to color at any point throughout the coloring process.

I knew pretty well what I wanted this one to look like from the start which is nice..

Initial roughing in of color - I use Photoshop CS3 with a Wacom Intuos Graphics Tablet.

Initial shadows and tweaking colors slightly. Add slight gradients to flat areas.

Refinining Superman and starting in on Clark.

Really fun to color this as ideally Superman is in full light and Clark is in shadow.

Really start punching up the difference between Supes and Clark with a cast shadow.

Finally, the icing on the cake, turning the black line art into and color lines.

And how it looks in print (go check it out - some guys named Scott Snyder, Jim Lee, Scott Williams and Alex Sinclair worked on ;-)

http://www.comixology.com/Superman-Unchained-2013-2/digital-comic/43728

http://www.comicshoplocator.com/Home/1/1/57/575

Thanks!

TD

SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #2 Modern Age Variant Cover Step by Step - Sketch to Lineart

Pretty fun assignment for DC COMICS, a variant cover SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #2, featuring the John Byrne Modern Age era Superman, the only Superman comics I read regularly.

The  cover sketches I sent to Editor Chris Conroy at DC COMICS  for approval. Two ideas - one Clark turning into Supes and then one with Supes, Jimmy and Lois. Cover A was picked! 

They were

drawn at 2x3 inches in my sketchbook in pencil and Pitt/Pigma pens and Copic Grey Markers and then cleaned up and colored in Photoshop

Initial pencils - drawn in Light Blue and HB lead on 12 x 18 Bristol Board.

Was trying to figure out a crisis for Superman to react to outside the store room window.

Working out the cape and details.

Editor Chris Conroy got back to me with Brainiac and so I roughed him in here.

Finally got him down here in the final pencils.

Rachel Dodson's initial inks on the art.

Rachel likes to start with foreground elements and then work backwards.

Rachel uses a Windsor Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable #2 Brush and Higgins Black Magic ink, plus a little tech pen and croquille for the straight lines.

The inks finished and cleaned up in Photoshop.

Ready for color…

next time!

TD

X-MEN #11 Cover

The cover of X-MEN #11 featuring the Sisterhood by Rachel Dodson and me.

The comic out February 19 MARVEL COMICS and Brian Wood, Kris Anka and Clay Mann .

Selene and Madelyne Pryor redesigned  by Kris Anka

My favorite bit - Lady Deathstrike's pants and boots!

TD

New Harley Quinn Collection out soon

The final collection of my Harley Quinn run will be out in stores soon! Featuring Harley and Ivy's trip to Metropolis!

Written by Karl Kesel, inks by Rachel Dodson and colored by Alex Sinclair and edited by Matt Idelson and Nachie Castro!

We had a blast working on this and it's great to finally have it in print!

Find it at

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Harley-Quinn-Metropolis-Karl-Kesel/dp/1401245951/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392233333&sr=1-9

and 

you can find this comic at your local comic book retailer

http://www.comicshoplocator.com/Home/1/1/57/575

TD

X-MEN #10 Making of the Cover

Here's a look behind how the cover of X-MEN #10 was created - out in stores this week from MARVEL COMICS and Brian Wood and Kris Anka .

The  cover sketches I sent to Editor Jeanine Schaefer at Marvel Comics for approval. These covers feature the X-MEN dealing with the Sisterhood  storyline.

They were

drawn at 2x3 inches in my sketchbook in pencil and Pitt/Pigma pens and Copic Grey Markers and then cleaned up and colored in Photoshop

Initial pencils - drawn in Light Blue and HB lead on 12 x 18 Bristol Board.

Final Pencils

Rachel's in process inks - Rachel uses a Windsor Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable #2 Brush and Higgins Black Magic ink, plus a little tech pen and croquille for the straight lines.

Final inks

Initial colors - I use Photoshop CS3 with a Wacom Intuos Graphics Tablet to color the art.

Final colors - mostly cleaning and refining special effects!

You can find this comic at your local comic book retailer

http://www.comicshoplocator.com/Home/1/1/57/575

Or digitally at

http://www.comixology.com/X-Men-Vol-4-10-NOW/digital-comic/69811

TD