Peace on Earth Step by Step "Color to Print"

After scan is completed, I did all the coloring in Photoshop CS3 using a Wacom Intuos Graphic Tablet circa 2000.

The initial stage of colors - "Flats" - done by me to make it easy to select and change my coloring as I go. I usually hire a "flatter" to do this for me.

Boom! Done! - lay down a light medium orange to harmonize the whole piece

Quickly drop in the local colors - keeping everything very orangey-Muchaesque

Start on the next layer of finish - adding lights and darks for volume and depth - I actually did a couple of "balls" a little bluish and greenish.

I also began turning the lineart to a Muchaesque dark red/brown and making the interior lineart even lighter.

A couple more tweaks - tried the dress in green but didn't like it.

Added more shadows and volume especially to the main "Ball" and Ribbon".

I kept the coloring very simple as I printed this out on my home printer for speed...

Here's my template for my Holiday Card.

Et voila - the finished product - this is why I didn't get too crazy with the coloring as I've yet to get my printer to match my on screen coloring but I think it has it's own charm.

I will end up doing prints or postcards of some sort of this image so I can have a more accurate coloring  but this was fun to do!

Happy Holidays!

Terry and Rachel

Peace on Earth Step by Step "Lettering"

So here's I how I did the lettering for this. 

I knew exactly the drawing I was doing and I knew I wanted lettering on the big ornament in the foreground. I thought something along the lines of "Happy Holidays" but after the events after the last week here in the US, I thought "Peace on Earth" might be most appropriate.

 I printed out a full size version of the area I was lettering while Rachel inked the original. I knew I wanted a flowy-nouveau-y style of lettering and so just roughed it in quickly - thinking more about compostion than the actually letters.

 I elongated the "P" and moved the "on".

I had the lettering figured out more so I began unifying all the letters into a similar style and borrowing from the more successful ones. Really pushed the "P". Found the "E" in the Mucha Art Nouveau style guide.

So, traced over this version with a Pigma Micron 08 black Pen.

Scanned and cleaned up in Photoshop.

Dropped into the finished lineart in Photoshop.

Next, the colors.

TD

Peace on Earth Step by Step "The Lineart"

This is the process for how Rachel and I came up with our Holiday card. We talked about a number of ideas  for a while and finally Rachel mentioned "wings" and then I just ran with it.

 Initial sketch drawn with Red Col Erase and Copic Mulitliner in my sketchbook. About 8 x 12". If you look to the left of the big drawing you will see a little sketch - about 2 x 3"- that is the initial sketch. The circle is drawn in Photoshop onto the scanned artwork.

 I enlarged the drawing in Photoshop to print out in blue on 11 x 17 " Bristol Board. Then using a light blue col erase pencil and HB lead proceeded to nail down the drawing. Once I was happy with the basic drawing, I nailed down the face as that was the key to the piece.

 Now I proceeded to work out all the rest of the anatomy and begin the clothing. I also reduced some of the hair and flowers/foliage.

 Finished the hands and started finishing the fabric.

 Finalized the balls and added the ribbon to the ornament and the gown for some extra movement, dynamics and depth and this is the artwork I gave to Rachel to ink.

Here is Rachel's inks over my pencils, she used a Windsor Newton Series 7 #2 Sable Brush and FW Acrylic Black, except for the balls and border with a tech pen.

More to come...

TD

Songes T2 Page 34 Step by Step

 This is the storyboard for pages 32-35. These on 4 per 8.5 x 11" paper with pencil, pen and copies. I send this to the writer, Denis-Pierre Filippi, to make sure we are on the same page before I start...

 the lineart. Drawn in pencil on 13 x 19" Bristol Board with Pencil, then scanned, darkened and cleaned in Photoshop. The Steampunk Robot Harem Guard was fun to create!

Colored in Photoshop CS3. I was inpired by Aladdin and Edmund Dulac for these color schemes. I created the glass block background you see in panels 1, 4, and 5 as a single file and then manipulated in  Photoshop for each panel. Color assist by Rebecca Rendon.

TD

Heroes Initiative Fantastic Four 600 Cover

Heroes Initiative Fantastic Four 600 Cover Featuring the Invisible Woman is in
up in the files and the auction has commenced -

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hero-Initiative-Fantastic-Four-600-original-cover-by-TER\
RY-DODSON-/290827372525?

Drawn on a blank Fantastic Four #600 Cover using Pencil, Copic Black and Warm
Grey Markers!

Proceeds go to a great cause!

TD