Daredevil #505
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Labels: Color / Color Studies / Covers / Digital Color / Inked / Painted / Penciled / Photoshop / Step by Step
Among the February solicitations that were just released, you may have noticed my first professional Daredevil work. I'll be doing the covers for issues 505-507 (and I'll let you guess where the story takes place). I've always wanted to draw the blind vigilante (he was almost my first gig for Marvel) so I was very excited when my editor offered me the job.
The original art is ink and watercolor, but it required a little help from Photoshop to complete the image. My scanner couldn't seem to differentiate between the two reds, so I had to alter them digitally. This file also appears more saturated because it was never converted to CMYK (though it's tough to predict how these jpegs will actually appear to you, the reader).
I don't usually tape off something that's going to be inked, but since it was to be painted as well, I figured I'd keep things "classy."
The pencils are fairly tight and self-explanatory. This is the stage where I really nail down all the forms so that there's not too much guessing in the ink and painting stages. I like to mess up here, so I can avoid it later.
This is the revised digital color study where I honed the composition and figures. The one prior to this, which I revealed last month, was just to get the basic idea across to my editor.
Have a great weekend!
Looks awesome Paolo!! Thanks for posting your process shots :)
ReplyDeleteShuriken on his stick are a supercool detail!
ReplyDeleteI want it. Best Daredevil since Miller, Romita Jr and Quesada.
ReplyDeleteHey Paolo, seeing this in Previews I totally forgot that this was yours and didn't recognize it as your "style."
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't seen it, I also like David Aja's short in #500 for some recent killer DD work.
Quick questions - the colors appear to be digital flats in the final, did you watercolor it to have a large original color piece?
And, do you lay the watercolor over waterproof inks?
THX
Thanks, Sketchguy!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Salvo! You may be seeing that detail again.
Paolo, you are too kind! But thanks anyway.
Michael, I haven't seen tons of Aja's work, but what I've seen, I like. As for the watercolor, it is, indeed, painted over a waterproof ink: Pelikan Drawing Ink A, which I highly recommend. I decided to use real paint both for the "look" as well as the selling potential (which worked). However, the scanned file didn't meet my expectations, so I had to help it along with Photoshop. How I accomplished that will have to be the subject of its own post.
Absolutely fantastic cover, some of the best work since Djurdjevic, and though he was recent he was also a master. I look forward to seeing the next two covers.
ReplyDeleteIt's always a treat to get to follow along with an artist to see the process he uses in a particular work. Beautiful stuff, and I look forward to seeing the rest of your DD series.
ReplyDeleteVery cool - thanks Paolo.
ReplyDeleteRyan, Darediva, and Craig: thank you, thank you, thank you!
ReplyDeleteMy next two covers got approved today. You may be seeing a Hiroshige-inspired work from me very soon.