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Ultimate Spider-Man Character Studies. 2010. Pencil on bristol board, 11 × 17″.
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Nearly 2 years ago, I was asked to contribute concept art to Ultimate Spider-Man, Marvel's first attempt at a self-produced animated series. I had heard that Marvel was determined to employ its comic creators in other media venues and was quite honored to be asked for my own personal vision of an animated Spidey.
I was charged with creating sketches and turnarounds for several characters, but my comics schedule prevented me from contributing as much as was originally asked of me. Over the next 2 weeks, I'll be featuring all of the artwork that I managed to finish.
This page of sketches was one of the first pieces I did, done as much for me as for the team. I wanted to codify what makes my own take on Spidey unique, while explaining why I made the choices I did. The story centers on a teenaged Peter Parker, balancing high school with superheroics, so my main focus was how to convey a youthful spirit with powerful anatomy. Tomorrow, I'll explain in greater detail how I tried, with more or less success, to balance those competing attributes.
Paolo, I love where this series of posts is headed, But I can't read the writing on the sketches. (Hope I'm not alone here)
ReplyDeleteDid you try clicking on the image? It's a good 1200 px high at full resolution. If you still can't read it, let me know, and I'll post some details.
DeleteI had the same problem when just clicking on it. The way around it is to right-click on the image, choose "open link in new window." The image that opens up in the new tab/window then zooms in when clicked.
ReplyDeleteHmm... clicking on it should reveal the full-res image in a slideshow format, with the rest of the page being dimmed. What browser are you using? And are you using an RSS reader?
DeleteIt does open the image in a slideshow format but it doesn't zoom in at all. I'm sure it works well in most browsers (I haven't tried from home) but we're only allowed to use Internet Explorer where I work (and, for security reasons, we're always two versions behind). I always joke about how my employer should be considered in violation of work environment laws because of the stone age browser situation. ;)
ReplyDeleteWow. I can't even remember the last time I used Internet Explorer. I'm getting nostalgic now.
DeleteAt last, a long-standing mystery solved! I was wondering why you shaded Spidey's hands in so often. Though now that I read the logic behind it, it seems stunningly obvious. (I'm not sure I should thank you for the insight, since now every time I read a scene in which he's eating or without taking his gloves off I'm going to get grossed out. Heh.)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think I've been doing that since I first started with Marvel. It's a small detail, but something I always think about. And yes, Peter Parker probably has a very tough time washing his hands.
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