Picked me up some sweet brush pens the other day after seeing the work of this guy. Having inked over some previous sketches , I’ve found them to be a very controllable medium which allows you to create a variety of marks. Detailing is a little difficult at this stage, but they are great fun to use.
Art Nuggets
The Concept Art of Nick Smith
Tag Archives: Comics
Killeroo
Sequential Challenge #4 was based on the character Killeroo, created by Darren Close, who runs OzComics.com and so kindly sets up the challenges and supports the local comics community. I’m pleased to have been able to get this one done to show my appreciation for what he does. If it weren’t for him and his challenges I would not be so far down the comic artist road.
This was a fun strip to do, although I must say I loathe drawing motorcycles. I’d hoped to get it coloured but time ran out. Better to make sure the inks and lettering and such are finished off well, than rush the thing.
This will be my last entry into the Sequential Challenges for a while. I’m going to put my efforts into my own strip, so stay tuned.
Batman: Year Fifty
Having been away at the CDW Wellington last week, I didn’t get the opportunity to contribute to the OzComics.com challenge in time. Nevertheless, the script was there and I didn’t want to let it go to waste. The writer Matt Holcomb created a vivid image of what he wanted and even went so far as to supply imagery from which us artists could gain inspiration, varying from German expressionist cinema, to Citizen Kane and Alex Ross.
With this one I wanted to stick to just the penciling and inking, and forego colour in order to speed up my process. However, as I started adding more texture and tones it ended up taking about the same time as the previous two challenges. Perhaps I need to be more disciplined, but I really like the film grain quality the mid tone texture gave the images. It feels a lot more of a 1940’s style noir movie.
SEQUENTIAL CHALLENGE SCRIPT #03 ‘Batman: Year Fifty’
By Matt Holcomb
PANEL 1:
EXT. WAYNE MANOR – PRE-DAWN
On the other side of the tall, gothic gates of Wayne Manor, a familiar and iconic silhouette — cape, cowl and tall ears — makes its way toward the dark, castle-like mansion, perched on a mountain of mist. (CK ref. #3)
PANEL 2:
INT. WAYNE MANOR – BRUCE WAYNE’S BEDROOM
WIDE ON Bruce Wayne’s bedroom — vast and expressionistic, a giant fireplace cut into the wall on our right (CK ref. #4), old gym equipment to the left. Batman’s imposing shadow is cast over Bruce Wayne, the bed he’s sitting up in, and the wall behind.
CAPTION: He visits me every day, always before dawn — a spectre in shadow form.
PANEL 3:
The iconic Bat-Signal in the sky, projected onto clouds high above Gotham.
CAPTION: Not unlike the signal Jim Gordon would throw up to the sky for Batman whenever help was needed.
PANEL 4:
Batman and Jim Gordon back in the day, on the rooftop of the Gotham City Police Department — good friends deep in conversation.
CAPTION: Or whenever Jim needed someone to talk to.
PANEL 5:
MCU of Bruce sitting up in bed, shirtless and brooding, draped in Batman’s shadow. The octogenarian Bruce is still a beast of a man below the neck. (TH ref. #1)
CAPTION: Like Jim, perhaps Batman needs the company. And what better person than me — the one who created him.
PANEL 6:
Bruce is standing by his bed, scarred back to us, putting his black silk robe on, Batman’s shadow next to him, now smaller on the wall behind the bed. (AR ref. #1)
CAPTION: Abandoned him.
PANEL 7:
Bruce, silhouetted, silk robe flowing like Batman’s cape, is framed inside the door frame as he exits the bedroom, the door frame cutting into Batman’s shadow — it’s like Bruce is walking through Batman.
CAPTION: But I have nothing to say. Nothing to apologise for.
PANEL 8:
WIDE ON Bruce, who stands inside a narrow, slanted shaft of light in an otherwise shadowy Batcave. The vehicles. The lab, computer and surveillance equipment. The memorabilia: animatronic T-Rex, giant Lincoln penny, oversized Joker playing card — all covered in white drop sheets.
CAPTION: All I can do is continue to give Batman’s shadow a place to visit.
———————————
AUTHOR’S NOTES
I have compiled some reference images for the script, some of which I’ve specifically cited. The original PDF document I sent to OzComics includes all reference images, but for some reason Facebook doesn’t allow for PDFs to be posted. So for anyone who wants to view the images (not fussed if you refer to them or not), then just copy and paste this link to download the original PDF:
The Incredible Hulk
This is my second entry for the Ozomics.com sequential challenge and stars The Incredible Hulk. It was written by Emmet O’Cuana and featured a couple of challenging panels, namely panels 4 and especially 5. I’ve tried a different approach from that used in the previous Shazam Challenge and it has yielded a higher level of finish. It still took quite some time to complete, however, so I am now thinking of doing only the inks for the next challenge, leaving out the colours in the hopes of furthering my understanding of the medium of comics.
As well as the finished page, I’ve included the pencil sketches I started will, for those interested. Below is the script:-
SEQUENTIAL CHALLENGE SCRIPT #02 – HULK
ONE-PAGER
Written by Emmet O’Cuana
OVERVIEW
The main action concerns the HULK in free fall, but with three panels at the top and three at the bottom which overlay the main image which extends to full bleed, drawing attention to what is happening in the shifting mind of BRUCE BANNER/HULK.
———————————
Panel 1
A single eye expanding beyond the frame, pupil fully dilated and iris strained through with green.
CAPTION: Did you ever have a dream…
Panel 2
A hand forming the shape of a claw as the fingers lengthen and swell, the metastasizing cells transforming the skin colour to a dark green. A glimpse of the blue sky can be seen in the background.
CAPTION: …so real you couldn’t tell it was a lie.
Panel 3
Mouth pulled back in a roar, teeth jutting forward, the visible skin also darkening in the same way.
CAPTION: Who is dreaming my dream?
Panel 4
Splash Panel, BANNER/HULK is halfway through the process of changing, his body a mass of straining muscles and bones jutting through flesh. Seconds away from fully becoming the Hulk, this is the moment when he is poised exactly between the two states. The tattered remains of a prison uniform are still visible. Evidently Banner had been captured and is now being used in a battle situation.
The air itself is full of fighter jets, explosions and debris. Banner has been tossed out from a great height in the middle of the battle, a reference to Millar/Hitch’s Ultimates #13.
CAPTION: This is what I was born for.
Panel 5
Cut to years before, in a coffee shop. YOUNG BANNER as a preppy young college student without glasses, wearing an open-necked red plaid flannel shirt, tousled hair, eyes vacant with a polite smile.
Opposite him is BECCA, wide-eyed and gesturing furiously. She has large hoop ear-rings dangling, her hair bunched up in a winding tower, bright purple eye-liner and a mismatched tie-dye green shirt together with a purple velvet jacket. She is resting one elbow on a stack of books on the table-top. Two large, bowl-like cups of coffee are in front of each of them. Becca’s has long gone cold, whereas Banner has obviously guzzled his down just to stay alert.
YOUNG BANNER (CAPTION): Just smile and nod at the pretty lady, smile and nod.
BECCA: “it just opened my mind. I realized I had this part of me, deep down, for so long.”
YOUNG BANNER: “Uh – huh.”
Panel 6
Close up on Banner’s face. He has moved his left hand to cover his mouth, and stifle a yawn.
YOUNG BANNER (CAPTION): Man I could be at that Digable Planets gig right now.
BECCA: “Because it’s all about asking the deeper questions, y’know, seeking true wisdom.”
Panel 7
Call back to the very first panel, a close up on Banner’s eye.
BECCA: “It’s all about choosing who you want to be. Who you were meant to be”
YOUNG BANNER (CAPTION): ♫nuclear is we different time different space/ uh oh planet earth we brought the mad bass♫
———————
NOTES:
The story is inspired by Rick Baker’s work in American Werewolf In London which showed the process of transformation of a man becoming a werewolf. Typically classic horror movies would have the mad scientist or werewolf victim disappear behind a counter, or have a slow series of transition shots showing the change. Baker went against the grain by trying to show as much of this process on camera. Given that Stan Lee was inspired by Jekyll and Mr Hyde for the Incredible Hulk, it seemed fitting.
Given the shifting timeline of the Marvel Universe, Banner is now a college student in the early 90’s, hence the music and clothing references (not to mention the giant cups of coffee). Digable Planets dropped references to existentialism and physics in their lyrics, so they seemed like a group Banner would like as an upper middle-class white kid wanting to seem cool.
———————
THE HULK and related characters are © Marvel Comics.
SHAZAM!
Week #54 of the OzComics Drawing Challenge saw the introduction of a new challenge running in parallel, that of the Sequential Challenge. Entrants were given a script written by Lucas Testro and had to create one page of panels to depict it. The story revolves around a DC Comics characters Captain Marvel, aka Shazam, and the villain Parasite. For the uninitiated, Captain Marvel is the alter ego of Billy Batson who can morph between the two with the uttering of the word ‘Shazam’, while Parasite sucks the powers of his foes upon touching them.
Having entered a few of the Drawing Challenges, I was ready for a more ambitious challenge and can say that I really enjoyed it. There are a couple of areas on this page that I’d probably like to improve, but I’m fairly satisfied with the way all the work and exploration I did in my Drawing Challenge entries has come to bear. Definitely the furthest I have gone with a comic. Having a deadline definitely helps and I must thank Darren Close at OzComics.com for supporting the local comics scene and giving us this opportunity to grow and learn.
Comics is a medium that offers a something that other mediums cannot. It’s not just the words and images jelling correctly in the panels, but also the way in which those panels are laid out and relate to each other. Being relatively new to the medium, I find these dynamics fascinating. Below is the script, for those interested in comparing. Click on the image for the hi-res version.
Panel 1
Wide shot of Captain Marvel and Parasite smashing through a billboard advertising Fawcett City, which is on top of a city building. Parasite is clutching on to Cap, kind of riding him. He’s hulked up to a monstrous size, clearly having already sucked a lot of Cap’s Energy.
1. CAPTION: Can’t shake him.
2. CAPTION: Powers fading.
3. PARASITE: A few more seconds and all your powers will be mine, Captain Marvel. And there’s nothing you can do to stop it.
Panel 2
Tightish two-shot of Parasite and Cap. Parasite has one arm wrapped around Cap’s neck, choking him – and he’s clearly enjoying seeing Cap suffer. Cap’s trying to wrench Parasite’s arm free but he’s too exhausted to manage it. He looks on the point of unconsciousness. All seems lost.
1. PARASITE: Any last words?
2. CAPTAIN MARVEL: Just… one….
Panel 3
Close-up of Parasite, looking dismayed at what he’s hearing. He’s just realised he’s screwed.
1. CAPTAIN MARVEL: Shazam.
(nb make Cap’s dialogue here small and understated – he’s weakly sputtering it out, not shouting it.)
Panel 4
Big wide shot looking up at the sky from a city street, skyscrapers towering either side. A HUGE LIGHTING BOLT strikes two tiny figures far above.
1. SFX: KABOOOM!
Panel 5
High angle mid shot of 12 year old Billy Batson falling towards the city, his body slack, unconscious. In the background Parasite tumbles beneath him.
1. CAPTION: His conduit to Cap’s powers severed, Parasite plummets towards Earth.
2. CAPTION: But so does unconscious Billy Batson!
Wolverine
Here’s this week’s OzComics entry. A bit of Wolverine taking on the Juggernaut. Similar screen tone approach as previous entries. Just trying to really nail down my technique for a bit of comic work I’ve got in mind. On this occasion I did the roughest of pencil sketches and took them into the tablet quick smart before drawing it up digitally, rather than doing a fairly finished pencil version, as is usually my method.
Superman
A quick Superman image for the OzComics.com challenge this week. He’s never been one of my favourite Super Heroes, but I felt like having a crack at him. As ever, it’s telling a snippet of a story, albeit a daft one.
This one began life as a sketch in my pad before being transferred to my ASUS Slate tablet PC. Having purchased the kit over half a year ago, I had been neglecting it. I picked it up again when I went for a Drink’n’Draw session last week and I really felt we bonded, finally.
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.
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.
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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Art Nuggets 