SAGA PROCESS

Every so often as an exercise i sit down and thumbnail as many image concepts and compositions as i possibly can. Anything and everything that comes into my head. It's a nice way to loosen up my hand before a big days work, and a good resource to look back on when i'm looking for inspiration or ideas (that is, if i can decipher the scribbles). So when i was thinking of something to draw for the OzComics Saga draw-off a few weeks back i remembered this little rough i'd done and thought it'd be the perfect fit. And it was! Having that third element (Hazel, the baby), added something that was missing from the original composition, that really sets off the image nicely.

I'm a big fan of this series and these characters, so this was a pleasure to draw. Everyone should be reading Saga!

Initial composition sketch

Saga Inks

Saga Colours

100 BULLETS PROCESS

OzComics has reached it's 100th challenge! 100 Bullets, one of my favourite comic series, which artistically has an incredible standard. Eduardo Risso and Dave Johnson? Hard to find artists better at their job than these guys.

I chose Dizzy to work with because, y'know, she's Dizzy, and a simpler composition because i didn't have a huge amount of time to spend on this one.

Pencils

Inks

As you can see i originally had a reflection of Graves in the attache but decided to scrap this as it was too busy and taking attention away from the top of the image too much. Replaced instead with a more subtle typographic element.

Final version

I think i started contributing to OzComics somewhere around the 20th, in the Spider-Man Challenge and I've been pretty consistent in entering since then. Basically because i always have a great time doing it. It's a great excuse to do something more on the fun side, experiment if you want, maybe test out some new techniques or flex some older creative muscles. Anything from a quick sketch to fully finished illustration. So if you're looking for an excuse to do something like that, check it out. Also there's heaps of other great artists contributing each week so plenty of pretty pictures to look at :)

GREEN ARROW

This Green Arrow sketch was one of those nice times when it comes together quickly and easily. I wasn't even intending for it to be the sketch i'd use more just quick practice. But it's got a nice sense of energy and movement (which most of the time you only get from working quickly) so i developed it further into my final illustration.

Original Sketch

Final Illustration

Noticed a little too late that i forgot his domino mask. But i've got the stache and goatee, and that's whats important. I hate that they've gotten rid of it!

VENOM

An OzComics entry from awhile back.

SUPERGIRL

My Supergirl illustration for this weeks OzComics Challenge. I've not read a lot of Supergirl comics, but from what i've seen in animated stuff (JLU, Superman Batman: Apocalypse), i've always liked how much of a regular teenage girl she is. I can imagine her chilling out in the sky catching up on all the books teens are reading these days... at super-speed of course. Couldn't bring myself to put Twilight in there though.

I've got two versions of this one. I was originally working with a textured background with more sky details, but i felt the solid block of colour gave her more of a weight and a sense of "sky" space...

Though now i've kinda gone back to liking the textured version more. Not sure. What do you reckon?

Also thinking of putting some prints of this together for Comic Gong and to sell online, anyone interested?

WOMEN OF DC

Two of my favourite gals from DC comics, both done for the OzComics challenge.

Wonder Woman in her costume from the current Azzarello/Chiang/Akins run, which is fantastically good and you should be reading it.

Wonder Woman

And Harley, in her original Timm costume. Can't stand all her newer costumes. They're all tramped up the yazoo and it's such a pity they seem to be sticking because this original design is perfect.

BILLBOARD

Most of these guys started out as warm up or OzComics drawings, but i've since added some typography and design elements to turn them into posters!

If you're interested in purchasing a print of any of these guys drop me an e-mail.

KILLEROO

So i'm very pleased to be working on a 12 page story for the Killeroo Gangwars Anthology (which you can find out more about here). It's a great story, written by Ryan Lindsay, and he's provided me many awesome things to draw!

Below is one of my early drawings for our hero Rufus. He's a tricky one to get the hang of, still need to draw him a lot more i think, but i liked how this one came out and thought i might give it a colour.

Ink

Ink, Mixed Media, PS

Now i'm off to work on page layouts!

SNIKT, SIX, SPAWN

Here's a few OzComics illustrations i never got round to posting up when i'd done them.

The Sinister Six

Wolverine

Spawn

Wish i had some more time on my hands at the moment, this weeks topic is Aliens!

JOE KUBERT TRIBUTE

I think my first encounter with Joe Kubert's work was in a Justice League of America #200 reprint i had (and still have) when i was younger. Even in an issue filled with so many great artists his work stood out to me and that image of Superman and Hawkman locked in fierce battle, especially sticks in my mind. So much energy and grace in his linework.

I read in an article that he started drawing on the sidewalks of NY when he was young, and his neighbours would buy chalk for him to draw with. That served as the inspiration for this, as Joe himself has served as the inspiration for countless people since he first put chalk to pavement.

Check out a heap of other great Kubert Tribute works over at OzComics.

THE WALKING DEAD

Been pretty flat out the past couple of weeks, but i didn't want to miss out on OzComic's milestone 50th drawing challenge. Plus it's The Walking Dead! Alot of times i find the characters can be scarier than the zombies, so i went for that kind of feel.

Check out the rest of the entries here. Zombies galore!

SUPERMAN

My entry for this weeks OzComics challenge, Superman!

Click here to check out all the entries and "like" your faves!

PUNISHER

My entry for this week's OzComics theme, Punisher. Been working on a few posters of late so  approached this in a similar way. I was originally just drawing him as classic Punisher, but decided half way through to mess with the look a bit. I remembered in Civil War when he was running around in a balaclava, and i thought it made sense for him. Like if there was a bunch of crims robbing a bank he'd appear looking like one of them... until he ruthlessly kills them all. Plus he's bound to have a lot of enemies, so this would keep his identity a bit more on the down low.

All i see when i look at the bottom half is the new dance move sweeping the nation. The Punisher!

Click here to check out the rest of the entries and "like" your favourites!

THE MAXX

My Ozcomics entry for this week. I haven't really read any Maxx comics, i think i had one or two when i was younger, but i can remember drawing him heaps. There's just something about him that makes you wanna draw. Great character design!

I was originally thinking to put alot more detail into the wall with textures and whatnot, but liked the simplicity of just the shadow.

Check out the rest of the entries at OzComics FB page and like your favourites!

THE AVENGERS

The Avengers is this weeks OzComics theme and since i'm gonna be doing a fair bit of digital painting this weekend i drew this as a warm up to get me back in the swing of it. I approached it as a concept art piece because i've been looking at a lot of that work lately. It's great working in that wide screen format.

Check out the rest of the entries here, and like your favourites!

TANK GIRL

It's been a few weeks since i've been able to do an entry for the OzComics challenge (missed some killer themes too). Easter was busy as always, then me and my girlfriend went to Fiji to visit her family, had a wonderful time! But caught the flu on the way back and been recuperating the past week. I did this as a warm up to get back in the swing of things before getting started on the massive pile of work i have to do.

Check out the rest of the entries over at OzComics Facebook page and like your faves. As always, a great variety of work to look at.

STAR WARS COVER

A couple of weeks ago the OzComics theme was to create an illustration as if it were to be an actual Star Wars comic book cover, and the winner was picked by an actual Star Wars comic book writer, Tom Taylor. A great theme already, with a little extra incentive to give it your all.

Originally i didn't want this to look photo referenced or like Harrison Ford, but i still wanted it to evoke his character so i had some images of Han nearby. I think i've ended up in this weird likeness-non-likeness area, if you know what i mean. Needed to spend more time on the face. Overall though, i'm happy with how i executed this.

As you can see by the pencils his grin was even more Joker'esque at this stage.

Click here to go and check out the rest of the entries. There was some seriously stellar work produced that week.

DAREDEVIL & ELEKTRA

Couldn't find the time for an Ozcomics drawing last week, but with this week's theme being Daredevil & Elektra i had to make time. Two of my favourite characters!

Pencilled & inked on paper then coloured digitally. I didn't get to rough out the idea for this first, just started on my final piece so there are a few things in hindsight i could've done different. The hair to sky transition was tricky but in the end i managed to sort it pretty well.

Click here to check out all the other entries, and like your favourites! (here's mine)

TEELA

Another Ozcomics work, this time Teela from the Masters of the Universe. I had a hard time picking a character for this. Looking through google images memories of the show came flooding back to me and i wanted to draw ALL of them! I always loved that Tri-Klops figure of mine. But i think cause i've been seeing a lot of Ross Campbell's Glory art lately, i wanted to draw a kick-ass female! Clearly channeling some Miller 300 also.

I pencilled it onto an A4 page, but knew straight away: Needs more Arrows. So i duplicated them in PS and opened up the composition a bit more, (originally going rectangle, but Shikha suggested square which i think works well).

Click here to check out the other entries so far, and like the ones you like! (Here's mine)

FRANKENSTEIN

Last week's Ozcomics theme was Frankenstein and i got this done quickly before some overdue homework (i justified it to myself as "warming up"). I wanted to do something where i wouldn't be able to get carried away with detail, so i roughed out the basic shapes in pencil and just went for it with my brush pen. Added some colour in PS for that extra sumfin sumfin!

Click here to check out the other entries, and like the ones you like! (Here's mine)