Archive for ‘Sketchbook’

64 results.

Sketchbook Entry #014

by Denver on August 21, 2010 at 3:00 AM
Posted In: Sketchbook

Hello and welcome to another entry into my sketchbook!  This week we’ll be looking at some TOACM layouts again as you all seemed to get a kick out of the last ones I posted.  Both of these layouts are interesting because there were some significant changes between this rough idea stage and the final comic.  As always, click on the images to enlarge them in another window for a closer look.  Enjoy!

First up is a layout page for TOACM #020 “Call of Duty pt.9” from June 10th, 2010.  Here, no good crook, Joey the Sloth is waking up after our hero fell on him from his rooftop perch.  As Joey wakes up he hears an ominous voice reciting a spooky motto…  To be quite honest I like where this layout was going in hindsight far more than the final comic.  I love all the rendering of Joey especially in panel 3.  I also like how our hero lowers his cape in the last panel as he admits his motto needs some more work.  If I remember correctly I originally wanted to blur out panel 1 to create the effect of Joey regaining consciousness too.  This effect would have dissipated entirely by panel 3 as Joey is startled by the mysterious recite of mottos lurking nearby!  

Second is a layout sketch for TOACM #027 “Psionic Attack” from July 6th, 2010.  The layout page here shows panels 2-3 essentially the same as the final drawing but panel 4 is quite different.  Same scene, same moment, same concept, but an entirely different POV or “camera angle” – I have to say that I like the sketch here better than the final.  It’s a stronger image.  Sure it needs some refinement, but I like the bird’s eye view far better than the flat shot I decided upon in the end.

So there you have it!  Until next time…

-Denver

└ Tags: , , , , , ,

Sketchbook Entry #013

by Denver on August 14, 2010 at 3:00 AM
Posted In: Sketchbook

This week’s sketchbook entry shows a two-page spread out of my actual sketchbook!  It’s mostly a free-for-all doodle-fest.  No rhyme or reason.  However, you’ll find familiar faces here and a lot of new ones.  Hey, some of these faces might even be characters appearing in future TOACM comics!  Hmmm… 

[Click on the image to enlarge it in another window]

└ Tags: , , ,

Sketchbook Entry #012

by Denver on August 7, 2010 at 5:00 PM
Posted In: Sketchbook

Sorry this sketchbook entry is a little late today.

A few weeks back I posted some conceptual sketches of Penelope, the first person our masked hero does the honor of helping.  Well today I'd like to give you a few glimpses into the design of the runty lil' bug-eyed crook who tried to snatch Penelope's purse, Joey the Sloth.

Joey began as a much more "serious" or threatening looking fella -- and his overall look was originally inspired by a HeroClix figure.  That'd be Street Thug #008 from the Arkham Asylum booster set for those who're counting!  Obviously he morphed away from that look, though some minor elements remained.  It might be of interest to note that I was watching a lot of Hanna-Barbara cartoons at the time which I feel allowed me to bend and squish his overall stature down to its current size.  Anywho, enjoy these sketches and we'll see you again next Saturday!

Cheers!

-Denver

└ Tags: ,

Sketchbook Entry #011

by Denver on July 31, 2010 at 3:00 AM
Posted In: Sketchbook

Not too long ago I posted some non TOACM artwork I drew of Spider-Man, Superman, and the Fantastic Four as a wee lad.  I got some fun emails about those pics!  Thank you.  This Saturday’s sketchbook entry will focus on some more recent artwork that focuses on some non TOACM characters.  This week I’d like to show you some of my renditions of some MARVEL characters.

The THING: Ben Grimm is in my Top 10 favorite superhero characters of all time without a doubt.  I love this grumpy old lump-a-rock!  Ben is a very interesting character, and I enjoy the “man inside the monster” aspect of him much more than say the Hulk because he can never revert back to a human form and he is adored by the public (“the idol of millions”) as the Thing, even though he himself hates his rocky prison.  This particular piece was based after Joe Jusko’s Thing card for the Marvel Masterwork card series he painted back in the 1990’s.

NIGHTCRAWLER: Kurt Wagner is another of my all-time favs.  I love that his mutant exterior contrasts so much with his jovial nature.  Kurt is a devout Catholic but looks like a demon…that’s just plain interesting to me.  I dropped this card into Photoshop and added the background.  I always loved Kurt’s -BAMF- teleportation clouds to boot – I’ve always enjoyed drawing Kurt mid-Bamf in that iconic comic leap pose.  This is just a plain joy to draw.

MOLE MAN: I can’t say that I was ever a Mole Man fan or anything, so I honestly don’t know what possessed me to draw the lil’ bugger.  He’s rendered in pencil and ink and shaded with Prismacolor Cool Grey markers 10%-50%.  I mostly like the deformed proportions here and those crazy upper choppers!  Youch!

IRON MAN: The last entry for this all-MARVEL edition of the sketchbook is Iron Man in the Mark 1 armor.  This is a very simple pencil, ink, and Prismacolor sketchcard which I enjoy more for what it isn’t rather than what it is.  I’m big into “line economy” and this sketch uses very few lines altogether and is pretty effectively shaded with minimal color.  I’ve never been a huge Iron Man fan, but regardless I always had a soft spot for the original armor designs (be it grey or gold) because of its retro 50’s sci-fi look.

-Denver

└ Tags: , , , ,

Sketchbook Entry #010

by Denver on July 24, 2010 at 12:00 PM
Posted In: Sketchbook

This week’s sketchbook entry takes us back to TOACM but with a twist!  This time around I’m going to show you some older sketches that are about 5-6 years old and were done after my good friend Joe George and I had completed our two TOACM mini-comics.  I struggled with issue three and sadly, the whole thing died at that point.  Following these two comics, I began experimenting with the character’s look and the results began the evolution toward how you see him today.

Our first sketch is a small, tight, moody little piece that looks like our hero has seen better days and means some business.  Note the wider-brimmed hat and the more elongated, sharp jaw as well as the cavalier-style boots, and prominent glove cuffs which have all been altered in his more current state.  I don’t remember the “story” behind this sketch but it looks like he’s dripping wet and not in a very good mood.

Next we see a large sheet of scribbles that I remember sketching while watching a Detroit Red Wings game.  This page which comes from a larger coil-bound sketch pad (16x20?) and much of the page is devoted to developing the new “big on top, little legs” look he has today.  I even see a redesign of Norb in there…and a corn dog or two…  Click on the image to view the page in a new window at a larger size to get some of the details!

I hope you enjoyed this look into the TOACM past!  Until next week!

Cheers!

-Denver

└ Tags: , , ,

Sketchbook Entry #009

by Denver on July 17, 2010 at 9:00 AM
Posted In: Sketchbook

This week I’d like to take a break from posting TOACM sketches and post a few items of mine that I found from a long time ago.  I know there are lots of other comics out there on different subjects, but I always come back to physically perfect men and women in garish skin-tight costumes and capes. 

Why?

Well, because I love super-heroes.

I always have for as long as I can remember and the following images prove it.  I found these not too long ago in an old sketchbook of mine and I couldn’t help but grin.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Cheers!

-Denver

└ Tags: , , ,

Sketchbook Entry #008

by Denver on July 10, 2010 at 6:00 AM
Posted In: Sketchbook

This week’s look into my sketchbook shows off a couple fun doodles I drew back in early 2010 as I was working on the first few strips prior to April’s launch.  Here we find our hero doing battle with two staple foes; robots and skeletons.  You may remember that I used the sketch of him vs. the skeletons as a logo/header for the Sketchbook Saturday page on the old Blogspot site.

Now we haven’t seem our hero do much of any sort of battling anyone (except maybe those pesky pigeons) so what gives?  I suppose you will just have to keep reading and find out for yourself…

-Denver

└ Tags: , ,

Sketchbook Entry #007

by Denver on July 3, 2010 at 9:00 AM
Posted In: Sketchbook

I’m still developing my process.  I can honestly say I don’t produce two strips the same at this point.  Layout, penciling, inking, etc. – I’m still trying to find my sea legs.  Years ago that would have drove me nuts!  However, now I operate under the mantra, “keep moving forward.”

I created a quick template and printed off several on legal-sized cheap copy paper and coil bound them together.  This way I can layout my strips at full size and work out lots of my issues on cheaper paper before I even get to the penciling stage on bristol board.  Here are a couple examples of some strips for the Call of Duty storyline.

I chose these two because of how different they are.  One is in ball-point pen and the other in non-repo blue pencil.  One has some dialogue notes, the other doesn’t.  Enjoy!

-Denver

└ Tags: ,

Sketchbook Entry #006

by Denver on June 26, 2010 at 2:54 PM
Posted In: Sketchbook

UPDATE – (original published) Saturday May 29, 2010


I approach my comics as if I were a director. I choose settings, props, camera angles, lighting, etc. This includes "casting" the various roles of the characters in the comic as well. The following is a look into the development/casting of the role of the victim in the Call of Duty storyline going on now in the TOACM comic.
 
All of my characters get their start from an archetypical perspective. 
 
The victim here is an attractive woman who seems to somehow found herself in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Typical, right? How many times have we seen that before? That’s exactly what I was looking for – something that felt more classic to offset how atypical our protagonist was versus so many other costumed heroes.
 

One of the major similarities I see in all of these sketches is the personality she exudes – a sweet charm which is offset by some of the more risqué costume choices.

-Denver
└ Tags: , , ,

Sketchbook Entry #005

by Denver on June 26, 2010 at 2:50 PM
Posted In: Sketchbook

UPDATE – (originally published) Saturday, May 8, 2010

I get my “artistic” genes from my Mom. I remember looking through her sketchbooks filled with pencil and pen and ink drawings when I was a kid. My siblings and I required a lot of time and attention and sadly her sketchbook days faded away through the years. She’s still a very creative-minded person and parlays that creativity into other facets of her life, but it is those sketchbook renderings that I will always remember with the most fondness.

My Mom tells a story about me from my early childhood inquiring about drawing while she was probably working in one of those very sketchbooks I so fondly remember. As the story goes, she answered my questions with practical but encouraging answers. However, curious as to why I was asking such direct questions about the subject matter to begin with, she in turn questioned me why I wanted to know.

“Because I want to draw a squirrel,” was my answer.

A squirrel. Why a squirrel? Who can really say. However, it appears as though it all began there. So, in honor of my mom and her art genes, my love of drawing, her love of this sketchbook page, and that darn squirrel, I am dedicating this entry to her.

Happy Mother’s Day Mom.

Thank you.

Love,
 
-Denver

└ Tags: ,