Black Hammer Justice League #5 Variant Cover

Had such a blast with this cover!

Pencils

Inks by Rachel Dodson

Colors

TD

Justice League Odyssey #2 - #5

Inks by Rachel Dodson

Pencils/Color Me

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

Wonder Woman 34 Justice League Variant Cover Step by Step Part 2 Line Art

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

Here's how we made the cover.

Part 2

Rachel Dodson's initial start on the line art on this cover.

Rachel inks directly over my pencils.

Rachel inks with a Windsor Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable #2 Brush and Dr. Martens Hi Carb Ink.

Again, this is the movie version of the WW costume so had to do a lot of double checking on all these details!

After Rachel nails down the foreground figure...

she moves on to the background characters

Flash and Cyborg

And almost done

Final line art

Artwork is scanned into Photoshop at 800dpi Gray full size. I then go in and convert to Bitmap and clean to prepare for...

COLOR

Next time in

PART 3

And

PART 1

PENCILS

TD

Wonder Woman 34 Justice League Variant Cover Step by Step Part 1 - Pencils

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

Here's how we made the cover.

Part 1

PENCILS

COVER SKETCH

The cover concept I sent into DC Comics for approval. 

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

INITIAL PENCILS

Drawn in Light Blue on 12" x 18" Bristol Board 

Quickly roughed in the drawing making sure the composition still help.

I draw with Col Erase Light Blue Pencil and Staedtler HB Lead Pencil.

Detail

So, as you may have guessed, these are the Justice League movie versions of the characters.

I drew a combination of my Wonder Woman and Gal Gadot - her eyes are steel grey in the line art stage.

FINAL PENCILS

And the final pencils, all ready for Rachel Dodson to ink...

Next time, 

INKS 

in 

PART 2

TD

Justice League vs Suicide Squad #2 Cover Step by Step Part 1 Pencils

Our variant cover - out in stores now!

Here's a look at how we made it!

Part 1 

Pencils

Cover Sketch

My initial sketches for the cover submitted to DC Comics.

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

Initial Pencils

Quick rough in drawn in Light Blue and HB lead on 12" x 18" Bristol Board .

Initial Detail

Initial Detail

Intermediate Stage Pencils

Refining drawing.

Finishing Superman

Detail Enchantress

Almost done.

Detail

Final Pencils

Super Detail

Enchantress Detail

Next time-

Part 2 

Line Art

TD