Ultimates #1 - Step by Step Part 2 - Inks

Here's a look at how we created the Variant Cover  for Ultimates #1  out this week from Marvel Comics.

Rachel Dodson inks directly over my pencils on the  12 x 18 Bristol Board.

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

Detail of Black Panther

Check out this beautiful feather lines on Captain Marvel

Next time, colors!

TD

Ultimates #1 - Step by Step Part 1 - Pencils

Here's a look at how we created the Variant Cover  for Ultimates #1  out next week from Marvel Comics.

My initial sketch I sent Editor Wil Moss at Marvel.

Knew exactly what I wanted to do and Marvel was happy

 The sketches are drawn at 2x3 inches in my sketchbook in pencil and pen and then cleaned up and colored in Photoshop.

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

Refining

Finishing

Done!

Detail of the pencils!

Next time, Rachel Dodson's inks!

TD

Sleeping Beauty Sketch Step by Step

Here's a Sleeping Beauty sketch for a Disney-themed sketchbook - drawn at New York Comic Con 2015.

Initial rough in  on 11 x 14 Sketchbook with Col Erase Scarlet Red Pencil, Pigma Micron 1 and Copic Warm Grey 1, 2 and 5 for the robe.

Detail

Squirrel!

Detail

Love drawing horses and was amused by the idea of him being so engrossed in the story he is eating all his feed!

Detail

Added Owl and Popcorn munching Bunny - why not!

Finishing with Pitt F Black Pen, Copic Warm Grey 3, 4, 5, 7, White Prismacolor Pencil and Molotoy White Pen.

Some shadows for effect.

Detail

Thanks for the request, Olivia!

TD

Judge Anderson from NYCC 2015

Here's a Judge Anderson (of Judge Dredd fame) that I drew at New York Comic Con October 2015.

Initial rough in  on 11 x 16 Canson Mi-Teintes Paper with Col Erase Scarlet Red Pencil, Pigma Micron 1 and Copic Warm Grey 1, 2.

Finish with Pitt F Black Pen, Copic Warm Grey 3, 4, 5, 7, White Prismacolor Pencil and Molotoy White Pen.

Detail

Thanks, Joseph!

TD

RED ONE Book 2 - Initial Flat Colors

The coloring for RED ONE Book 2 ( RED ONE issues 3 and 4) has commenced!

Here's the "flat" colors for two pages.

Coloring in Photoshop with a Cintiq 13HD.

Out in 2016 from IMAGE Comics!

TD

Emma Frost NYCC 2015 Stay Frosty!

Emma Frost Sketch from NYCC, October 2015.

Initial rough in  on 11 x 16 Canson Mi-Teintes Paper with Col Erase Scarlet Red Pencil, Pigma Micron 1 and Copic Warm Grey 1, 2.

Detail

Final

Detail 

with Pitt F Black Pen, Copic Warm Grey 3, 4, 5, 7, White Prismacolor Pencil and Molotoy White Pen

Snow flakes were Rachel's idea!

Thanks for the request, Vincent!

TD

INKTOBER - Giddy Up!

Drawn on Bristol Board with Col Erase Scarlet Red Pencil, Pigma 01 Pen, Copic Warm Grey 1, 2, 4, 6, Pigma 08 Pen, Molotow White Pen

Detail

TD

Spider-Man from NYCC 2015

Spider-Man from NYCC, October 8, 2015

Initial drawing.

Detail

Final

Drawn on 9 x 12 Canson Mi-Teintes Paper with Col Erase Scarlet Red Pencil, Pigma Micron 1, Pitt Pens S and F Black Pen, Copic Warm Grey 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and White Prismacolor Pencil.

Thanks for the request, Robert!

TD

Harley Quinn from NYCC 2015

Here's the first sketch from NYCC 2015 - Harley!

Drawn on 9 x 12 White Paper with Scarlet Red Col Erase, Pigma Micron 01 Black Pen, Pitt F and B Black Pen, Copic Warm Grey 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 Pens, Molotow White Pen

Detail

Thanks, Melissa for the request!

TD

Page size comparison

Check out this comparison of the Live Art area between RED ONE Book 2 Page 4 and PRINCESS LEIA Issue 5 Page 14.

 I drew the RED ONE significantly larger as it's printed in the Larger European "Bande Dessinée" Format compared to the Regular US Comic Book Format for LEIA.

And if you add in Bleed Art, the size is 14 inches width for  the RED ONE page and 10.5 inch for the LEIA page - as the Eurpean format is much wider.

TD

New York Comic Con October 8-11

INFO

I'm returning to New York City for NYCC 2015!

WHERE/WHEN

I will be at Artist Alley Table D18. I will be at the table most of the show.

Friday at 11AM I will be a guest at Star Wars: A Galaxy of Fandom Panel - Room 1A24

SCHEDULE/APPEARANCES

I will be at Artist Alley Table D18. I will be at the table most of the show.

Friday at 11AM I will be a guest at Star Wars: A Galaxy of Fandom Panel - Room 1A24

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

twitter.com/TerryDodsonArt

SIGNING

I will be signing books/comics/statues/etc at my booth.
IF you want over a certain amount signed, I will charge $1 a signature.

COMMISSION SKETCHES

I will take sketch requests from the start of the show Thursday until the end of the day.
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!

NYCC is a VERY busy con so I will only be producing between 5 and 10 sketches TOTAL.

Sketches are $400 each for 11 x16 and $250 for 9 x12 and $150 for Blank Sketch Covers. 

RED ONE

I will have copies of the 80 Page Book 1 Hardcover.

ORIGINAL ART

I will be selling original art from 

Star Wars: Princess Leia

RED ONE
 AXIS
 Songes/Muse
 X-Men
Avengers
 Catwoman
 Vampirella
The Defenders
Uncanny X-Men
Wonder Woman

 and selected covers, pinups and sketches!

PRINTS/POSTCARDS

I will have all my prints and postcards including some of my limited edition SAN DIEGO PRINT.

NEIGE SKETCHBOOKS

I will have a few copies of this Artist's Sketchbook. This blank sketchbook contains 48 pages waiting to receive your illuminations and creations. The book is comprised of140 GSM woodfree stock paper which works well with pen and pencil. It features a durable and flexible protective cover with a wraparound illustration by Rachel and I. 

RECAP

I will post pics and updates before during and after the show here and 

at via twitter

twitter.com/TerryDodsonArt

See you there!

TD

RED ONE Book 2 Word Balloons!

DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME

Here's a look at how I make the WORD BALLOONS for the RED ONE Book 2 pages. I actually place the balloons on the the original art. I leave the lettering (apart from Sound FX) to the professional - Clayton Cowles!

So here's my roughed in page of RED ONE and sitting on top of it is my Balloon Template I use to determine the proper balloon size. 

Drawing RED ONE Book 1 I really had to guess at the proper balloon size, but for Book 2 I was able to see what worked and what didn't in Book 1 and I made a Template  

using standard Ellipse Templates. I count the number of words in each line of dialogue and match that up to the proper size Balloon. 

I use Ellipse Templates to draw the balloons and then either ink those shapes with the template or Freehand depending on the type of balloon. There are wide variety of balloon types I use (Normal, YELL, Phone, TV, Off Panel, etc) but this gives me the ballpark size to make each balloon. 

I try to error on the small side as I can easily increase the balloon in Photoshop - going the other way means drawing more - not good!

So, this is what the balloons look like before I ink them. I usually ink them after I pencil in the page JUST in case I decide to make a change.

I love drawing the balloons myself as they feel like they are such a huge part of the storytelling and design.

TOOLS

12" x 17" Strathmore 500 Series 2 Ply Bristol Board Vellum

Col Erase Light Blue Pencil

08 Micron Pigma Black Pen

30 35 40 45 60 Pickett Ellipse Inking Templates

Learn more about RED ONE at

RED ONE

and 

IMAGE

Find your local comic retailer 

You can have your local retailer order you a copy through DIAMOND also 

Plus through major online retailers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble

TD

Star Wars Shattered Empire #1 Variant Cover Step 2 COLOR

Here's a look at how we created the Variant Cover  for Star Wars Shattered Empire #1  out now from Marvel Comics and Lucasfilm.

Step Two 

COLOR

Flats

The first stage of coloring is to have the art "flatted".

Flatting allows me to choose an area to color at any point throughout the coloring process.

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.

Initial Rough In

This went pretty quick- just used the basic Pencil tool between 100% to 50% at Normal to break the initial rendering and then Gradient tool in the background. 

I use  Photoshop CS3 and a Wacom Cintiq 13HD to color with.

Added stars and started work on the Luke's Lightsaber.

Starting to turn the lineart to color lines and taking the colors to the next level of refinement on Leia and Luke.

Rendering of Ewoks, Lando and Nien.

Worked more on background - added more stars and worked on rendering ships.

Plus more rendering on Leia and Luke.

Reduced Leia's right forearm size.

Final Art

And here is the "bagged" and print version of the comic -

PART ONE

LINE ART

TD