Update - Colors, Barcelona, Paris

I will be posting the final steps for the coloring after I return from Barcelona for the 27th Barcelona International Comic Fair and Paris for the Gallery showing at the Galerie du 9eme art June 4. I will post up some pics from these events as well!

For those of you attending the show in Barcelona I will have some X-Men original art with me for sale - my representive from the Galerie du 9eme art will have the art for sale at their booth.

TD

X-Men Legacy 226 Cover Step by Step 6 Color - Flats

I have already done a color sketch for this cover in my prelim stages - as seen above - so I already know what color palette I'm using before I even start coloring the art.

So, here's the first part of the color - the flats. I have an assistant do this part of the coloring as it is very simple but time consuming to do - then I go back over the flats to correct errors and move the colors closer to my final version.

The flats are saved as part of my channels and I am able to go back and correct any area of the art without having to completely recolor the whole piece. It is an invaluable stage of the coloring .

The use of flats is common in computer coloring so I'm not going to go into any more details about it because there are much better places to learn about it than from me!

td

Uncanny X-Men #514 Cover Art

Here's my solicited colors version of the next Uncanny X-Men cover. The artwork was drawn in pencil on 13 x 19 bristol board, inked by Rachel and colored in Adobe Photoshop CS3. I will post up the pencil and inks plus the finished colors (when they're finished!).

TD

X-Men Legacy 226 Cover Step by Step 5 Inks

Rachel inked this with a Windsor Newton Series 7 #2 Sable Brush, Rapidograph Koh-i-noor .35 tech pen , a Gillott 170 croquille pen and FW Acrylic Black Ink. A note about all the paper taped onto the cover. Rachel will put the paper on the drawing in order to avoid rubbing or smearing the pencil drawings.

Upcoming Appearances

Ok, here's my updated appearances for 2009

-27th International Comic Fair of Barcelona, May 29-June 1

-Galerie du 9eme art Gallery Exhibition, Paris, June 4 (the exhibition will last a few weeks after)

-Comic Con International, San Diego, July 22-26

-Fan Expo Canada, Toronto, August 28-30

Also, another possible east coast show this fall is in the works.

TD

X-Men Legacy 226 Cover Step by Step 4 Final Pencils

Now down to the "nitty gritty" - wrapping up the background - first I went online and found reference for Haight Ashbury, both the sign (which I found a head scratching number and variety of "one" sign)  and a few buildings representative of the area, some pics of Chinatown and finally, some pics of the iconic Transamerica building. No need to show these as I never draw the photo -  I draw the image out of my head and then use the photo to correct details, etc. I prefer designing the composition and drawing the image and then make the reference work for me not vice versa!

Then some busy work finishing the blacks on Rogues costume and hair. 

I ended up tweaking the perspective a little at the end as I didn't like how the HA sign read.

Also, I try to sign the art at this time as it really is part of the composition.

Next up, Rachel's inks step by step!

td

X-Men Legacy 226 Cover Step by Step 3

Alright Stages 4 and 5. In stage 4, I finished Danger. As I wanted the piece to focus on Rogue, I designed a big shadow to be cast over Danger so only a few elements of the character had to be detailed.

Now in Stage 5, I begin drawing in the background that had been roughed in at the previous stages. As I already had my perspective figured out and a grid drew in blue pencil and I knew exactly what the bg would look like, I breezed through this. Also, I started finalizing the blacks on Rogue.

td