Catwoman #30 Step by Step - PART ONE - Pencils

Here's a look of how the cover to Catwoman 30 was made…

The ideas for this cover was to feature the start of a "Race of Thieves" so I decided to play up the racing angle using the black and white checkered flag, Red Flags , and Trophies.

My cover sketches I sent to Editor Rachel Gluckstern at DC Comics for approval.

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.

Sketch A was picked.

Also, one of the villains on the cover, ROULETTE,

 hadn't had new 52 redesign done yet so I did it in order to keep the cover on the schedule.

Sketches done in my sketchbook and then "colored" in PS.

Rachel G. liked this but suggested a little more modern hairstyle - like Mako Mori from Pacific Rim

And we are off..

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

This cover went pretty quick so essentially just tightening things up... 

 Nailing down the background… 

And finally spotting the blacks on Catwoman's blue "catsuit"... 

The clock is ticking so I hand off to Rachel Dodson to ink before I add the BLACK AND WHITE flags.

The cover is out now!

You can find this comic at your local comic book retailer

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

And digitally at Comixology 

https://www.comixology.com/Catwoman-2011-30/digital-comic/91289

Enjoy!

TD

Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo April 25 - 27

 I will be attending Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo .

Here's all the details 

The official site -

www.calgaryexpo.com

WHERE/WHEN

 I will be seated at Table X-19

Show hours are -

April 25 - 12:00PM to 8:00PM

April 26 - 10:00AM to 7:00PM
April 27 - 10:00AM to 5:00PM

I will be at the table at approximately those times but I will update via Twitter more exact schedule-

https://twitter.com/TerryDodsonArt

@TerryDodsonArt

SIGNING

I will be signing books/comics/statues/etc at my table the whole show and for free.

COMMISSION SKETCHES

I will take sketch requests all day Friday.

I will write down all names however I will be choosing myself who's sketch I'm drawing and if you had a sketch recently I won't be doing you a sketch so I can try to get sketches down for fans who I haven't done sketches for.

I will only be producing about 5-10 sketches.

Sketches are $300 each for a single figure and $150 for a bust and sketch covers. 

ORIGINAL ART

I will be selling original art from X-Men, Catwoman, Songes/Muse, Avengers, Avenging Spider-Man, The Defenders, Uncanny X-Men, Wonder Woman and selected covers, pinups and sketches.

PRINTS/POSTCARDS

I will have the Rose City, Down Under, New York, San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, Paris and Seattle prints for sale. I will also have postcards of all available.

BOMBSHELLS 7

I will have these available.

See you there!

TD

X-MEN #13 Cover - Making of PART THREE - Color

 Here's a look behind how the cover of X-Men #13 was created (out in stores this week from Marvel Comics - written by Brian Wood with art by Clay Mann).

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.

My initial rough in of the colors, done in Photoshop CS3 with a Wacom Intuos Graphics Tablet. 

This is pretty simple piece so in no time I moved to finishing details, such as turning all the black lineart of the fleshes and yellows to color lineart. I added more texture and color to the background. 

Just a bit more polishing - note Jubilee's left forearm, her glasses, and her and Shogo's faces.

And the comic in print.

You can find this comic at your local comic book retailer

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

And digitally at 

hhttps://www.comixology.com/X-Men-Vol-4-13/digital-comic/90020

TD

X-MEN #13 Cover - Making of PART TWO - Inks

Here's a look behind how the cover of X-Men #13 was created (out in stores this week from Marvel Comics - written by Brian Wood with art by Clay Mann).

Rachel Dodson's inks on the cover

Rachel uses Windsor Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable #2 Brush and Higgins Black Magic ink to ink the covers with.

Detail of Jubilee's face - all brush. Rachel uses an electric eraser to lighten some of the facial lines. Rachel uses Pro White for corrections.

More detail on the fabric and how the "greys" are created in the fabric.

Detail of Shogo's face.

The scanned artwork cleaned and "Bitmapped" - ready for coloring in Photoshop.

Next - the colors…

You can find this comic at your local comic book retailer

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

And digitally at 

hhttps://www.comixology.com/X-Men-Vol-4-13/digital-comic/90020

TD

X-MEN #13 Cover - Making of PART ONE - Pencils

Here's a look behind how the cover of X-Men #13 was created (out in stores this week from Marvel Comics - written by Brian Wood with art by Clay Mann).

The first step is to send in cover sketches to X-Men Editor Jeanine Schaeffer. The idea was to have Jubilee protecting SHOGO. 

Drawn at 2x3 inches in my sketchbook in pencil and pen and then cleaned up and colored in Photoshop.

It was decided to zoom in really tight and "E" was picked.

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

Did some corrections digitally on the figure as my drawing looked a little off and sometimes I can see the errors better on the computer.

Implementing those corrections on the actual artwork.

The final pencils...

Next INKS by Rachel Dodson!

You can find this comic at your local comic book retailer

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

And digitally at 

hhttps://www.comixology.com/X-Men-Vol-4-13/digital-comic/90020

TD

GHOST #3 Cover Step by Step

Here's how I created the cover to Ghost #3, out this month from Dark Horse. Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Christopher Sebela and Geraldo Borges.

First thing was to come up with a cover sketch. These are sketches I submitted to Editor Patrick Thorpe at Dark Horse - drawn at 2x3 inches in my sketchbook in pencil and pen and then cleaned up and colored in Photoshop.

I started penciling the cover  with light blue and HB lead on 12" x 18" Bristol Board.

Almost finished pencils.

A few more details and cleaning up - final pencils.

Rachel Dodson's initial inks on the cover

Rachel uses Windsor Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable #2 Brush and Higgins Black Magic ink to ink the covers with.

Rachel's final inks…then the art is scanned and cleaned in Photoshop.

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 proces

My initial rough in of the colors, done in Photoshop CS3 with a Wacom Intuos Graphics Tablet. This is about a half hour.

I used warm foreground colors and the cool greens in the refection to separate.

Refining colors and begin turning black lines into color lines.

The final colors - I added Ghost's reflection to the window and turned the villain from Black to Dark Green to help the illusion of depth.

This ended up being my favorite image of Ghost I ever drew and as it's the last cover I'm doing (for now) - I was very pleased to go out on a high note!

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

Enjoy!

TD

ECCC 2014 Black Cat Sketch

 Black Cat sketch from Emerald City Comic Con, Seattle, 2014.

Initital drawing on 11 x16 Canson Mi-teintes Paper,  with a Col Erase Scarlet Red Pencil, Pitt XS pen, Warm Grey Copics for value.

More Warm Grey Copics for values, then Pitt F, Copic .05, Pigma 1 Black Pens to finish the drawing and highlights with White Prismacolor Pencil.

Detail

TD

ECCC 2014 Rogue Captain Marvel Sketch

Yep, you read that right - Rogue in the new Captain Marvel costume (don't ask me, ask Amber, who I drew this for…)

Initial drawing on 11 x16 Canson Mi-teintes Paper,  with a Col Erase Scarlet Red Pencil, Pitt XS pen, Warm Grey Copics for values, then Pitt F, Copic .05, Pigma 1 Black Pens to finish the drawing and highlights with White Prismacolor Pencil.

Detail

After I double-checked with Amber about which Ms Marvel costume, I finished up the drawing :-)

Had a lot of fun with this one...

TD

ECCC 2014 - Colossus Sketch

 My Colossus sketch from Emerald City Comic Con, Seattle, 2014.

Drawn on  11 x16 Canson Mi-teintes Paper,  with a Col Erase Scarlet Red Pencil, Pitt XS pen, Warm Grey Copics for values, then Pitt F, Copic .05, Pigma 1 Black Pens to finish the drawing and highlights with White Prismacolor Pencil.

Detail

More to come…

TD

ECCC 2014 - Ramona Flowers Sketch

Some pics of  the making of my Ramona Flowers sketch at Emerald City Comic Con, Seattle, 2014.

Drawn on  11 x16 Canson Mi-teintes Paper, I rough in the drawing with an Col Erase Scarlet Red Pencil. Then I go straight to "inking" the outline of the drawing with a small tipped (Pitt XS) permanent pen (to avoid bleeding when I later use the Copics greys).

Then I rough in the values with Warp Grey Copics at this point, #2 and 3.

Nailing down more values with the Copics.

The final piece finished with a White Prismacolor Pencil.

Detail.

More to come.

TD