ON PROCESS... DEADPOOL VS RAPHAEL

The process of comicking is an ever changing one.  As we grow as artists we pick up new things and we let others go, and sometimes we go back to them later on and start the cycle all over again.

This is more or less what my process is looking like today.  This was a commission I just did of Raph and Deadpool clashing swords and sais.

ROUGH IN RED PENCIL

I'm using a red lead holder because it's easy for me to see and different enough from the black line I'm going to put down with ink that I don't get confused.  If I was going to go to final inks on this I would probably do a light blue underdrawing, because it's less distracting, and the original art page wouldn't look like such a mess when I'm finished.

DRAWING IN INK OVER ROUGH WITH AN ARTPEN

The Artpen is way more fluid than my G-pen, so it's still a really loose drawing. This is still my rough underdrawing, I'm just making some choices and finalizing some lines.  This is the equivalent to my "finished pencils".  

LIGHT TABLE FINAL LINE ART WITH A G-PEN

Then I use a light table and put my clean final art board over top of the Artpen rough, at this point I try to go slower and make more calculated choices with the G-pen.  I use the titanium G nibs and either Eon Vortex Ink or Deleter 4 Ink.  I use the Eon and the Deleter ink, because those are the only 2 that I've found that don't reactivate when you add water or alcohol.

COLORS WITH WATERCOLOR, AND FINAL BLACKS WITH A BRUSH-PEN

I do the colors before doing any blacks because I use cheaper ink to fill in the blacks, and it reactivates if water touches it making it bleed.  Right now I have Noodler's "The Heart of Darkness" in my brush-pen... it's super black and it's supposed to be waterproof and bulletproof but it's NOT.  It totally reactivates and bleeds ... which could be a cool effect if it's intentional, but it could also be very bad if you weren't expecting it.

At this point I'll just add some more variety of value, pushing some of the lights and darks, add some more rendering here and there and doing some clean-up with white.  And then BOOM, off to the Post Office and dropping this bad boy into the mail.

Hope this was fun to see and answered some questions.

If you have any other questions about tools or comicking or my process ask away in the comments and I'll try to do a post to answer them.

Best!

@interstateninja

*POOF*

KUBERT SCHOOL GRADUATION & MULTIVERSITY COMICS

Man, is it SEPTEMBER already?!?  ... and 2016 too!!!

It's been a super long time since I posted anything about comics or art, that doesn't mean I haven't been drawing... I've been drawing... A LOT!!

I wrapped up my time at the Kubert School back in May.  3 years and thousands of drawings later... I graduated with all my super cool 3rd year Kubie peeps.  We had a rad dinner with a small ceremony and my wife and son drove up for the festivities.  It was a good time.  Very challenging, but totally worth it.

The first part of 2016 was all in preparation for graduation, getting assignments done, getting the portfolio ready, meeting with tons of Comics publishers, editors and professionals.  We met with Marvel, Aftershock, and Valiant (to name a few), and I sent stuff to IDW and Udon.  I should probably do a post just about Portfolio reviews and meetings and submissions... it's pretty interesting stuff.  I also did a ton of sketch-parties at a bunch of comic book stores, and several cons and numerous shows and events... a special shout out to ZAPP COMICS in Wayne, NJ for being the best comic book store in the U.S.!!!

This summer, after finishing school and clearing out and cleaning up the "the Mansion" (one of the Kubert Student Housing locations- I was one of the RA's for the second half of the school year) I moved back down from New Jersey to North Carolina, and once in NC I moved from one house to another.

But now, School is back in session, and with my kid out the door early, I'm finding more and more time to draw again.

So here is something cool... I got a small feature on the Multiversity Comics Website.  I did a Supergirl illustration for them and the art will be auctioned off for a kid's Charity at a later date.  I'll keep you posted about that.

Check out the awesome write up, here >>> 40 Days of Supergirl: Erik Klaus

Without further ado... Here is Supergirl:

SUPERGIRL by Erik Klaus.  Ink and watercolor on bristol. 

More updates coming SOON!

*POOF*