Wonder Woman 34 Justice League Variant Cover Step by Step Part 3 Color

The cover to Wonder Woman #34 by Rachel Dodson and me - ships this week!

Here's how we made the cover.

Part 3

COLOR

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.

I try to adjust the colors to their medium value or imprimatura - I use this as the starting point for the piece. 

Beginning slightly tweaking colors

INITIAL COLOR (ROUGH IN)

I colored this on my Cintiq 22 HD using Photoshop CS3 .

Using the GRADIENT Tool I put in the sky and using the Pencil Tool at 100% to rough in the clouds, as this background is kinda important to the FEEL of the piece.

Next....

I rough in quickly all the medium lights and darks on the figures and cast initial shadows.

Using the Pencil Tool at 100% to knock those in.

I also use the Pencil Tool at about 40% Yellow for the Rim Lighting on the left side of Diana

REFINING THE COLORS

Using a custom brush I added depth to the clouds and refining the shadow in the background using the LASSO tool for the shapes.

COLORING THE LINE ART

This is the icing on the cake step of the process.

I colored a lot of the characters black lines, notice the lips, flesh outline and the rocks and clouds in the background.

REFINING MORE...

You can see I pushed the color of the lineart...

more into the details and the rim light on Dianas hair...

FINAL COLOR

I turn Diana's eyes to brown and voila...

done!

Previously

PART 1

PENCILS

PART 2

LINE ART

TD

Songes Tome 2 Célia Cover Step by Step Part 3 Color

The final art for the Songes T2 Cover. 

Part 3 

COLOR

So this is the line art ready for color

INITIAL ROUGH IN

Coloring is done in Photoshop CS3 using an Intous Tablet.

Figures nailed down

I created a Klimt-esque background for the Arabian scene that I dropped in at the bottom...

Polishing

-reflection of sky on water

-lilies

-more depth on selecting figures

Final Color

- add light coming through the umbrella


-more detail to background brush

--next level of detail on the water reflection

-refine lily pads

 

- mostly the sky reflecting over the figures

-drew in more "grasses" in  foreground and background

PART 1

FALSE START

PART 2

REVISED LINE ART

TD

Bombshells United #1 featuring Wonder Woman Cover

Rachel Dodson and I doing covers for the new Bombshells United comic featuring Wonder Woman from DC Comics.

Here's a close up look at a Bombshells Wonder Woman image -

Colored in Photoshop CS3 with a Wacom Cintiq 22HD.

I'll post up a step by step making of this cover - including video of Rachel inking!

Bombshells United #1 by the Marguerites - Bennett et Sauvage - out in September from DC Comics!

TD

Wonder in Progress

Here's a look at a Bombshells Wonder Woman image I'm working on - inks by Rachel Dodson...

Coloring in Photoshop CS3 with a Wacom Cintiq 22HD.

Cover for Bombshells United #1 - out in September!

TD

Songes Tome 2 Célia Cover Step by Step Part 2 Revised Line Art

The final art for the Songes T2 Cover. And here's a look at how I made the line art for it!

So, after rejecting the first version of the cover as discussed in PART ONE, I decided to make some changes and corrections to the line art.

The first thing I did was to firm up the characters in the reflection.

Next, I redrew the boy.

Then I redrew Coraline's face/hair and corrected bits of the drawing overall.

Most importantly, making sure she caught YOUR eye!

The art was then scanned and cleaned in Photoshop.

So, now I reassembled it all in Photoshop and added in the background digitally - just to give myself something to work off of.

And upside down without all the lilies and background.

The art is converted from Grayscale to Bitmap  (I discuss how I scan and prepare my art for Photoshop ...)

HERE

Next time in Part 3, 

COLORS!

PART 1

FALSE START

TD

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story #1 Cover Step by Step Part 3 Color

Our variant cover for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story #1 from Marvel Comics

Check out how we made it.

COLOR

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.

I try to adjust the colors to their medium value or imprimatura - I use this as the starting point for the piece. 

INITIAL COLOR (ROUGH IN)

I colored this on my Cintiq 22 HD using Photoshop CS3 .

Here I rough in quickly all the medium lights and darks on the figures and cast initial shadows.

Using the Pencil Tool at 100% to knock those in.

I also used the Gradient tool to give the light to dark orange glow.

And a Custom Cloud Brush to rough in shapes in the background.

ADDITIONAL ROUGH IN

I went on the rest of the figure and face and knocked the next lights and darks using the pencils tooling at 70-80%.

I go to the next level of darker darks and lighter lights

COLORING THE LINE ART

This is the icing on the cake step of the process.

I turn the black lines in select places to color line - note Jyn's face and the buildings in the background.

FINAL COLOR

And done!

And for PART 1

PENCILS

PART 2

LINE ART

TD

Inhumans Vs X-Men 1-4 Covers

Here's the first FOUR variants that we've done. 

Out in stores now from Marvel Comics!

See the Step by Step making of the covers below!

TD

Ms. Marvel Inhumans Vs X-Men #3 Cover Step by Step Part 3 Color

Inhumans Vs X-Men #3 Variant Covers featuring Ms. Marvel.

By Rachel Dodson and Me.

Out now from Marvel Comics.

Now for Part 3 of the Step by Step -

COLOR

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.

I try to adjust the colors to their medium value or imprimatura - I use this as the starting point for the piece. 

BACKGROUND

First thing I did was to get the background figured out - notice the right side is not completely done but the PATTERN is figured out.

INITIAL COLOR (ROUGH IN)

I colored this on my Cintiq 22 HD using Photoshop CS3 .

Here I rough in quickly all the medium lights and darks on the figures and cast initial shadows.

Using the Pencil Tool at 100% to knock those in.

RIM LIGHT

Next I come in at a variety  from 50- 100 % pencil hitting the medium lights and darks over the imprimatur color.

I add in the bright RIM lighting on a separate layer sometimes, so I can make sure the dark that meets is at it's maximum - the dark on the background layer, the bright light on the upper RIM layer.

COLORING LINE ART

This is the icing on the cake step of the process.

Starting to color the line art - mostly the face and some of the rim lighting.

FINAL COLOR

And to review-

 PART 1

PENCILS

PART 2

LINE ART

 TD