CATWOMAN #27 Cover Step by Step

Here's a look of how the cover to Catwoman 27 was made…

My cover sketches I sent to Editor Rachel Gluckstern at DC Comics for approval. These covers feature the Gothtopia  storyline and Catwoman is the Catbird character - a Robin type of sidekick to Batman.

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

c2 is approved.

My  pencils, drawn in Light Blue and HB lead on 12 x 18 Bristol Board.

A close up look.

Rachel Dodson's inks  - using 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.

Rachel started with the foremost element and then worked background.

After Rachel finished up, I lettered in the logo on the Garbage bin and added details to the background buildings.

The art is then scanned and cleaned in Photoshop.

I use Photoshop CS3 with a Wacom Intuos Graphics Tablet to color the art. I stuck really close to my approved sketch.

The cover is out in stores starting today!

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-2011-27/digital-comic/66872

Enjoy!

TD

X-MEN #9 out now

Out in stores today -  X-MEN #9  - from MARVEL COMICS - written by Brian Wood with art by me, Rachel Dodson, Jason Keith. 

This is my final issue of interiors until late summer - you can see me monthly on the covers  of X-Men, plus those of Catwoman and a number of others here and there. I'm working on a creator owned book that will be launching later this year.

You can see a preview of this at 

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=19884

You can find this comic at your local comic book retailer

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

And digitally at 

http://www.comixology.com/X-Men-Vol-4-9/digital-comic/67847

Enjoy!

TD

X-MEN #9 Cover Step by Step

Here's a look behind how the cover of X-MEN #9 was created - out in stores this week from MARVEL COMICS - written by Brian Wood with art by me, Rachel Dodson, Jason Keith .

The first step is to send in cover sketches to X-MEN Editor Jeanine Schaeffer. Here we have X-Men's Psylocke versus THE SISTERHOOD.

C2 was the winner.

My  pencils, drawn in Light Blue and HB lead on 12 x 18 Bristol Board.

Detail of my pencils…

Rachel Dodson's inks with  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.

Details of Rachel's inks.

The art is then scanned and cleaned in Photoshop and then we go to color...

My initial colors...

and my final - can you see the differences? Enlarge and compare…

Detail of my colors...

 I use Photoshop CS3 with a Wacom Intuos Graphics Tablet to color.

TD

X-MEN 9 Out this week

Coming out this week is X-MEN #9 - written by Brian Wood, inked by Rachel Dodson and colored by Jason Keith - from Marvel Comics.  This is the last interiors you will be seeing from me until late summer 2014. I'm doing the covers regularly for this book and Catwoman plus some others.

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/comics-series/9992

I will be posting a step by step from this issue and an original art price list soon.

TD

CATWOMAN 29 Cover Work in Progress Colors

This is the in progress cover art for CATWOMAN 29. It is my first stab at the coloring, just a quick pass in order to get it solicited in advance for DC COMICS.

Drawn on 12 x 18 Bristol Board with Pencil, and inked with Brush by Rachel Dodson.

Colored in Photoshop.

TD

X-MEN #7 Page 9 Step by Step

A look behind the making of  Marvel Comics X-Men #7 Page 9 (out in stores now).

Script by Brian Wood.

This page was drawn on 12 x 17 Marvel stock bristol board, using a Col Erase Light Blue and Staedtler HB Lead pencil. I rough in all pencils quickly and bear in mind perspective, etc as I everything will be off if it's not correct at the beginning. Knowing the perspective actually makes drawing the panels a lot easier to draw to boot!

 A lot of times I  start with the "easiest" to draw elements first, to give myself a mental lift of having a page "almost" completed at the beginning :-).

There was very little  character storytelling, so I got that done as the rest of the page was very mechanical to do.

The finished page.

Rachel inking directly on my pencils, using a Windsor Newton Series 7 #2 Sable Brush, Higgins Black Magic Ink plus a croquille and tech pen for some details.

The artwork is then scanned and cleaned in Photoshop - I adjust the panels so they all fit and have proper borders.

 Then I put it on the Marvel Server for the colorist.

TD

Catwoman 26 Cover

Here's a look of how the cover to Catwoman 26 came together.

My cover sketches I sent to DC Comics for approval.

My  pencils, drawn in Light Blue and HB lead on 12 x 18 Bristol Board.

Rachel Dodson's inks  - using 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 art is then scanned and cleaned in Photoshop.

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

The cover is out in stores starting today!

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-2011-26/digital-comic/60138

Happy New Year!

TD

X-Men #7 Page 12 - Script to Line Art

A look behind the making of  Marvel Comics X-Men #7 Page 12 (out in stores now).

Here's Brian Wood's script for page 12 from X-Men #7. I print this out on 8.5 x 11 paper. I drew the page layout right on the script - loose but I knew exactly what I was going to do. 

This was a decent way into the issue so I already had a good idea of what the page would look based on the scene I was drawing so no need for a real tight layout. This entire issue was drawn at about an 8 page a week pace as opposed to my more comfortable 4-5 pages a week so I was really flying - optimizing shortcuts over details. So, I really try to prioritize storytelling and solid drafting over everything else in this situation.

This page was drawn on 12 x 17 Marvel stock bristol board, using a Col Erase Light Blue and Staedtler HB Lead pencil.

 I started with the "easiest" to draw elements first, to give myself a mental lift of having a page "almost" completed at the beginning :-).

Storytelling wise, the 5th had the most to convey "acting" wise so felt I really needed to nail that next.

Finishing that panel.

The storytelling and rough in did all the work for me, I'm just putting lead to page at this point to get the page drawn.

Detail of the 3rd panel.

And voila, the last of the details down, I ink the cars myself with Copic Multi Liner pens.

Rachel inking directly on my pencils, using a Windsor Newton Series 7 #2 Sable Brush, Higgins Black Magic Ink plus a croquille and tech pen for some details.

A close up look at Rachel's inking.

The artwork is then scanned and cleaned in Photoshop - I adjust the panels so they all fit and have proper borders. Then I put it on the Marvel Server for the colorist.

TD

X-Men #7 Page 10 - Script to Line Art

I haven't done one of these in a long time - a look behind the making of a page of comics. This is for Marvel Comics X-Men #7 Page 10 (out in stores now).

Here's Brian Wood's script for page 10 from X-Men #7. I print this out on 8.5 x 11 paper. On the right side you see my little sketches for the panel layouts.

This was a decent way into the issue so I already had a good idea of what the page would look based on the scene I was drawing so no need for a real tight layout. This entire issue was drawn at about an 8 page a week pace as opposed to my more comfortable 4-5 pages a week so I was really flying - optimizing shortcuts over details. So, I really try to prioritize storytelling and solid drafting over everything else in this situation.

This page was drawn on 12 x 17 Marvel stock bristol board, using a Col Erase Light Blue and Staedtler HB Lead pencil.

 I always get the figures drawn first so as not to waste time fussing with background details - I will do this last as time allows - however the backgrounds and perspectives are are roughed in lightly.

Tightening in on the characters.

In the 3rd panel, I need more space to get Karima all drawn in correctly so the drawing goes outside the border - but as a happy accident,  I think I will leave it to enhance the storytelling.

A close up look at my pencils.

                                                    

Here's the final pencils. I ink the vehicles myself as Rachel Dodson hates inking cars and I know exactly how I want them to look.

Rachel inking directly on my pencils, using a Windsor Newton Series 7 #2 Sable Brush, Higgins Black Magic Ink plus a croquille and tech pen for some details.

A close up look at Rachel's inking  - that's all brush!

The artwork is then scanned and cleaned in Photoshop and put on the Marvel Server for the colorist-

And here's the final colors by Andrew Crossley.

Et voila - comic book page!

TD