The Bombshellter: March 2016

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Emerald City Comic Con is next week!

and Rachel and I will be there!

Details to come...

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Bats vs Supes!

So here's how the Batman and Superman #50 Midtown Variant Covers look together!

The Original Sketch

Rachel Dodson's inks combined into the final Line Art

Coloring in Photoshop

Before the final merging - the clouds and Supes cape...

The final.

And you can connect them yourself!

See the complete making of the cover art

Superman COLOR

Superman Line Art

Batman COLOR

Batman Line Art !

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Batman #50 Variant Cover Step by Step Part 2 Color

Here's a look at how we made the cover to Batman #50 guest starring Supergirl - this time dealing with the colors!

This was done for Midtown Comics and my DC editor was Mark Chiarello!

The book is out in stores now.

Flats

The first stage of color is called flats - flatting allows me to choose an area to color at any point throughout the coloring process.

Generally, I hire someone to do this for me - a "flatter".

At this stage I go and adjust the colors to their medium value or imprimatura - I use this as the starting point for the piece.

I've already colored the adding Superman cover on the left so I knew to add some more clouds and to grab some colors from that cover.

Initial color rough in

I colored this on my Cintiq 13 HD using Photoshop CS3 after I scanned the original line art.

I use a Pencil to rough in at 100% of color then use lower % to add lighter and darker values.

Detail

Next level of rendering, using the pencil tool plus the gradient tool to smooth out anything that looks odd.

Use a Custom "Cloud" brush to rough in the background. Plus the Gradient tool to break up some of the flatter areas.

Detail

Begin converting Lineart to Color.

Detail

Just about done...

Add some "glow" to the moon and clouds with the Gradient tool.

Here's a detail look at the colored line art.

Final colors.

The Printed cover.

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Batman #50 Variant Cover Step by Step Part 1 Lineart

Here's a look at how we made the cover to Batman #50 guest starring Supergirl!

This was done for Midtown Comics and my DC editor was Mark Chiarello!

This is an interesting assignment as it lines up with the Superman #50 Variant so I had to design them to fit together ...

Roughs were drawn at 2 x 3" in my sketchbook using Warm Grey Copics then colored in Photoshop CS3.

Pencils drawn in Light Blue and HB lead on 12 x 18 Bristol Board

I roughed in while drawing in the Superman Cover at the same time so it lined up correctly and then it was pretty simple to finish up.

Detail

First time for me drawing this Supergirl outfit - lots of double checking...

Not a lot of intermediate steps on this one - really up against the deadline here so just going as fast as we can...

Detail

Rachel inks over my pencils with a Windsor Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable #2 Brush and Higgins Black Magic Ink to ink the covers with.

Next - COLORS!

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Batman #50 Midtown Variant - also out this week!

Also out this week, Batman #50 Midtown Comics Variant Cover from DC Comics.

And a step by step making of this is coming as well!

Star Wars #17 - out this week

Rachel and I did the cover art for Star Wars #17 - out this week from Marvel Comics.

A detailed step by step making of coming soon!

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

I love Brussels

And they love comics!

CENTRE BELGE

DE LA

BANDE DESSINEE

Superman #50 Variant Cover Step 2 Color

Here's the 2nd part of how we made the cover to Superman #50 guest starring Batgirl - this time dealing with the colors!

This was done for Midtown Comics and my DC editor was Mark Chiarello!

The book is out in stores now.

Flats

The first stage of color is called flats - flatting allows me to choose an area to color at any point throughout the coloring process.

Generally, I hire someone to do this for me - a "flatter".

At this stage I go and adjust the colors to their medium value or imprimatura - I use this as the starting point for the piece. - the first part of coloring.

Based off my sketch, I knew almost exactly what I was going to do with one...

Initial color rough in

I colored this on my Cintiq 13 HD using Photoshop CS3 after I scanned the original line art.

Used a big Pencil to rough innate 100% of color then used lower % to work to add lighter and darker values. Used a Custom "Cloud" brush to rough in the background. Plus the Gradient tool to break up some of the flatter areas.

Detail of same shot

Began Batgirl - keeping her more "cuts" as opposed to rendering. Moved to the next level with Supes and Background...

This cover matches up with a Batman cover (see Step 1) so I began adding the Blue elements from that cover in on the right side, plus the next level of rendering on Supes.

Converting Lineart to Color.

Adding Reflective color.

General cleanup.

Detail of Lineart colored...

Final colors.

Pushed the contrast on Batgirl.

Cleaned the Background.

The Printed cover.

Next time, the Batman side....

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Superman #50 Variant Cover Step 1 Lineart

Here's a look at how we made the cover to Superman #50 guest starring Batgirl!

This was done for Midtown Comics and my DC editor was Mark Chiarello!

This is an interesting assignment as it lines up with the Batman #50 Variant so I had to design them to fit together ...

Roughs were drawn at 2 x 3" in my sketchbook using Warm Grey Copics then colored in Photoshop CS3.

and to work on their own.

Now, I was leaving to go to a SCAD Comics Art Forum for a week so I HAD to finish these pencils so Rachel could ink while I was gone because both this and Batman cover were due the following Wednesday. We were really up against on this one..

Pencils drawn in Light Blue and HB lead on 12 x 18 Bristol Board

I actually drew the bulk of the Batman Cover at the same time so it line up correctly (plus I wouldn't have much left to pencil when I got home...)

And now Rachel's inks ---

Since I was out of town while Rachel was inking - she sent me step by step of the inks!