Here is the first of many prints that Danny Cruz and I are working on for the 2011 convention season to sell as prints.
Danny is an amazing artist...and funny thing is that now he lives in NYC...and he use to life right down the street from me....never knew it. Funny how things work out.
So, below is the first print I'm working on. After I inked the entire piece I really didn't know what direction I wanted to take in coloring the piece. Everyone is coloring everything in photshop and paint.....I was going to go that direction.....but remembered I had an entire set of copics that I bought while at the NYCC convention.
So, I started using a copic on the face. I did like how it came out....after looking at it for a day, I really wanted to go more in a direction of gritty....dirty and in your face look at this piece....and the copics.....great marker....just wasn't doing it for me. They seemed a little flat and it was just a blending and layering process that I didn't think went well for this....and didn't think it gave Danny any justice on the pencils he put down.
As you can see....the colors came out fine......but I wanted more tones and I also wanted a deeper look on his face that looked like he has been thru hell and back....and just wasn't feeling the copic markers for this piece. So, I put it away...put some turkey in my stomach and watched the Macy's Parade for the first time in ten or more yrs....and thought about what to do.
I love to water color....I like that you can make the colors looked caked on, or make them translucent if need be. Looked up some sites and went back to my favorite artist Sam Kieth and checked out some of his pieces.
I've always loved Sam's work in that it was different ..... yet amazing at the same time..and could go toe to toe with any of the artists working at Image, Marvel or DC....without falling into a standard at form.
So, looked around...found my 36 watercolor set...and started on the face two days after Thanksgiving.
Below is what I got.
I like this very so much more in that there is a ton of character in the face when the watercolor was added that I just couldn't get from the copics. Deep folds in his face....yet the cell phone camera does it no justice.....it looks amazing...and was very happy with it.
That being said....on to the hair and skull on his chest.
I was going to just go with a black for his hair...yet wanted to still keep with some of the comic book form. So, I opted for blues and adding black to take the shine off of the blue. I'll add highlights last...always last.
On the chest...I wanted to make his muscles look like they were just dying to jump off his chest. I used Lee Priest as a reference because I remember that as far as bodybuilders go...this man is an amazing person....speaks like it is....but has a superhero body.....each muscle is round...in place...plus...he's a huge superhero fan.
Below is where I'm at right now. Filled in his suite black....didn't want to go with the blue that most place him in.
Working on this while sitting at the airbrush shop.....figured I'd do a fast base color on the background with an airbrush......easy to use...it was right there...and blends without effort.
So....I'm going to go back in with watercolor and texture the sky and concrete ....paint the guns and add some more detail to his utility belts.....go in with some white paint and add some highlights...scan and move into photoshop to tweek here and there.
For all of those wondering.....just talked to the screen printer and we are running 150 black or white shirts with a black and white print on the front and DONT & CRUZ 2011 on the back. Any size...and shipping is included.
Only $15.00!!!!
So get them while you can...and while they last.....already have orders from shops and fans coming in.
We are saving the colored versions for the prints. :)
Also....going to do a couple of ladies shirts....will keep you posted on those....because we'll be having a contest for these. :
Cheers Bra
Troy Zurel
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