Amazing Spider-Man #1 Variant Cover Step by Step - PART ONE - Lineart

Here's how we made the variant cover for Amazing Spider-Man #1 (out in stores now from Marvel Comics by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos) - 

The first step is the cover sketch,

I was given the simple dictate of drawing Spidey, Black Cat and Deadpool - the rest was up to me. 

SO I came up with a couple different ideas in my sketchbook - 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.

I then send in cover sketches to the editors at Marvel. 

Sketch A was chosen...

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

Closing in and refining

The clock is ticking (again) so I hand to Rachel to get going on the inks…

Rachel Dodson's initial inks on the cover. 

Rachel begins inking with the foremost element in the piece and then works her way back.

Rachel inking heroes are Dave Stevens and Frank Frazetta and also Mark Schultz and Kevin Nowlan.

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

Deadpool!

While Rachel is inking the cover, in Photoshop I draw the background in digitally and then print out 

And trace off and redraw some on the inked cover

And voila. After Rachel inked the background, I used white out to add more white spots and do some of the background details.

Detail

Details

Details

Next step, color!

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/Amazing-Spider-Man-2014-1/digital-comic/92654

Enjoy!

TD