Author Archives: Nick Smith

Apr 14 2012
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Comics, Fan Art Gallery

Batman

This week’s OzComics.com challenge was Batman. How could I pass up this opportunity?

I started sketching in the old drawing pad, searching for a look that I liked. Having come up with this angular design I then set upon the task of designing my version of the Batmobile and could think of no better car to base it on than the classic over the top ’80s supercar, the Lamborghini Countach. Being a rather angular shape already, it leant itself well to the ride of choice for this particular Dark Knight.

Drive was not the movie that I though of aping at first. I did toy with the idea of doing a version of the Beverly Hills Cop cover with Batman sat casually on the bonnet of his motor. I was halfway through this one and on the brink of redesigning when the whole Drive thing sprang to mind, which was a relief.  Having spent a lot of time on the Star Wars cover I was quite keen to keep this one to a more manageable timeframe. And because Drive is a cracking movie.

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Apr 12 2012
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Wideguys Gallery

Speed Trap

Part of the Wideguys lineup, I initially wanted to do a cop car conversion of the 2009 Dodge Challenger. This was one of the American muscle car re-imaginings I really liked from a few years ago, other examples of which are the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro.

From there I developed the idea of it being part of a speed trap scene, and that it would be cool to have the cop a female, so that I could use her long hair to accentuate the draft created by the unseen perpetrator speeding by. The criminal in question was originally going to appear to the right, having gone round a bend left and driving off into the distance. Ultimately I preferred the idea that you don’t see him, just his wake.

This image was created by drawing and inking the car and the cop separately with a pen and pad, then scanning and comping them in Photoshop. The dust cloud effect was created using the Colour Halftone filter.

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Apr 12 2012
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Fan Art

Star Wars Cover update

Just posting to say that unfortunately I didn’t win the Star Wars Cover challenge on OzComics.com. It was a great challenge to enter and I was very pleased with my effort, as well as the kind words from the judge, Dark Horse writer Tom Taylor. Here’s what he had to say:-

—– From Tom —–
There is nothing between some of these. There are about five or six entries that could easily grace the cover of a Star Wars book.

However, I have to give it to Sacha Bryning as I’m a writer and, for me, as well as being very accomplished, that one tells the best story. Sacha Bryning Link

I’m not going to do a second and third as any of the ones I’m mentioning could easily be the winner.

The two ‘Also could have won” – Nick Smith’s great entry, probably the best composition seen in this week’s entries. The perspective is brilliant and the subtle trail of smoke leading the eye from Darth’s severed hand past Luke up to the Emperor is very clever. Nick Smith Link

And the next ‘could have won” has to go to Porkins (by Dean Rankine). I like funny and this narrowly, narrowly, beat out Exogorth’s lonely in space. Dean Rankine Link

Have to acknowledge the brilliant work of Wade Gregory Clarke, Jan Filippelli, Dane Madgwick and… this too hard.

Well done everyone!
—–

 

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Apr 10 2012
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Portrait Gallery

Dani

A portrait done as a commission for a friend. It took about four hours using coloured pencil and black PITT pen. The original photograph was a nice composition, which always helps.

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Apr 04 2012
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Pin-up Girl Gallery

Paris je t’aime

A piece drawn for a friend’s wedding present. It was created using coloured pencil, black PITT pen and a dab of gouache paint. Everyone loves pin-up girls, but I’ve never seen one dressed as a mime. This was partly inspired by the work of comic covers artist Adam Hughes. Check his work out at justsayah.com

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Apr 04 2012
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Inspiration

Tribute

Slick motion graphics video. So well done. It inspires me to do my own…

“We are proud to introduce you our short video made for comic-book event “Komiksofon”
This is a tribute to our friends, drawers and comic-book creators from Wroclaw.
Turn up a volume and full screen mode, buckle your seat-belts and enjoy it!”

Video made by Division48 crew:
Katarzyna Niemczyk
Marcin Przybyś
Grzegorz Przybyś

Music: Michael Hunter – Soviet Connection

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Apr 02 2012
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Rugby Tubs Gallery

Cass and the Burnley Boys

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A friend of mine commissioned me to do a digital painting of him playing rugby for Burnley RUFC in Lancashire, England. I was also instructed to have a couple of his mates in there as well, in support of his run to the try line.

The whole job took me about 17 hours to do from scratch. I started with a sketch and proceeded to block in the characters with tones, having roughly gone over the outlines. I then went through and rendered each of the characters, before moving onto the sky, the grass and finally the background elements.

After tidying up the characters once more, I flipped the image to check the balance and decided I preferred the image the other way round, with the characters coming towards the viewer from left to right, ending with the man of the moment looking back the other way as he hands off his would be tackler.

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Mar 27 2012
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Comics, Fan Art Gallery

Star Wars Cover

This week’s challenge on OzComics was to do a cover for a Star Wars comic complete with title, publisher details and contributors. There are so many iconic scenes from the series, especially the original trilogy, but I chose the moment Luke beats Darth Vader to the ground and severs his hand.

With this image I tried to capture the power that Luke now has over Vader, but also Luke’s shock at the realisation of what has just happened, finished off with the sinister Emperor looking on.

The image has come out well. I’m especially fond of the composition. The background is a bit simplistic but it serves its purpose. The judge of the competition is a writer for Dark Horse comics called Tom Taylor. Fingers crossed he likes it. The entries are pretty strong this week. Wish me luck!

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Mar 27 2012
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Wideguys Gallery

Wideguys

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Here’s a trio of images that form a collection of characters I call Wideguys. These are a take on some fat little dudes I first created while at university. The lowrider culture was the main inspiration for these, with the cars shape altered to fit in and compliment the little dudes. Another aspect I was trying to make key are the designs, of the tattoos and motifs on the cars themselves.

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Mar 27 2012
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Comics, Fan Art

The corruption of He-Man

This is my entry for the weekly challenge at ozcomics.com. I’ve tried to develop my screen tone style with this one, introducing colour.

I always try to give the viewer something to think about with my images, try to allude to a bigger story within the image.

As with most of my more successful pieces, this one was thrashed out in pencil before being scanned and elaborated on in Photoshop.

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