Here’s the cover I did for the Perhapanauts Classic Cover Challenge. It’s referencing the cover to Alpha Flight #25. That issue was awesome! Go to the Perhapanauts blog to see the other excellent homage covers that people turned in.
This is Big. He is a member of Todd and Craig’s Perhapanauts team. I love drawing this character. I may even get the chance to draw a whole one-shot starring him. Now, THAT would be cool.
Ink on paper. Tones done in Photoshop.
Here’s a shot of the rough panel next to the finished panel. For the most part, I followed the rough pretty close. I did end up making the panel a little taller so that it fit the page better. I put tone in for the distant figure to try to help it “pop” and not get lost in the background. I think it works fine. I might ditch the tone when the pages get coloured, though. We’ll see.
Panel development from start to finish.
First panel is penciled rough. Second one has been tightened up a little with my Cintiq. The last one is the panel inked.
As you can see, the final panel had a few things added to it as I was drawing. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much. In this case, I think it works.
Here’s an inked panel from the Tales of the Perhapanauts story. The inks are going slightly slower than I’d like them to be going but I’m pretty happy with the way they are turning out.
Having said that, the inks aren’t where I’d like them to be, stylistically speaking. I still need to get looser with my line. They’re getting closer, though.
Here is another example of how I work on a page.
The light gray parts are the rough pencil layouts. I place them and re-size them until I like what is happening, in terms of shots and storytelling. The black parts are lines I’ve added in the computer as I tighten certain parts of my roughs. I love using my Cintiq to quickly fix things that weren’t working for me at the rough pencil stage. Once I’ve tightened up the spots I need to, I print this out and ink it traditionally.
This one on the verge of being ready to go. I just need to tighten up the figure on the right in panel 4. Everything else will be tightened up as I draw in ink.
Here’s another panel from the Perhapanuts story I’m drawing. I think I’m starting to like drawing the Perhaps in period costumes.
The first page is inked and the second one is about to be stained with 100% carbon black pigment…. and probably a bucket full of whiteout.
I’m making good progress on a Rich Woodall penned Perhapanauts short story that will be part of Todd and Craig’s “Tales of the Perhapanauts” feature.
Again, you can see that my work is a hybrid mix of digital and traditional media. From here I would print this out in non-photo blue and ink it with brush/nib. I’m not sure why I feel that these digital lines aren’t good enough to be considered “inked” lines. It would save me a lot of time if I just decided that they were print ready.
I’m back. Sorry ’bout that.
The Perhapanauts roughs continue to ooze out. I’m calling them roughs but they are turning out to be pencils. That’s fine. I still haven’t finalized my process, in terms of incorporating the use of the Cintiq ( As you can see, my roughs are a mishmash of pencil and digital). But, I can go right to inking the roughs, at this point.
Here’s another rough panel from the Perhapanauts story. The roughs are coming along nicely. .
Not much else to say. Oh, wait, I know what to talk about…
I got some awesome in the mail, yesterday! This is the package I received from Tumor and Elk’s Run artist/co-creator Noel Tuazon. Personalized with drawings of Ace Frehley and Peter Criss!
Here’s a close up…
Not only was the outside of this manila envelope super cool but within the confines there was a copy of Noel’s very own hot off the press comic, Ribstallments! All the tales were written and drawn by Noel and they all entertain. My favorite one was about Jesus… you’ll never see it coming, folks! Go to his site and ask for your copy today!
Thanks, Noel!