Beta Ray Bill

I can honestly say this is the first time I have ever drawn this character. And he is a tough one. Before drawing him I had to read up on him. I do remember seeing Beta Ray Bill on covers but never read Thor so I had no idea what he was or how he connected to Thor. Not sure I understand yet but here is my take on the character. As tough as he was, it was still fun. :)

This is Post #970

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow!

I've finally gotten around to doing The Shadow. Even though I put him the background of the Margo Lane piece, I had every intention of doing a solo Shadow piece. I read quite a few of the Shadow stories when they were released in paperback in the 1970s. I remember I enjoyed them quite a bit. Maybe it's time to revisit them.

This is Post #969

Magneto - Essendon Bombers

I completely forgot to share this commission that I completed at the beginning of May. This was commissioned by Alex as a prize for a winner in his Football Tipping Competition. This is Aussie rules football, folks. As I understand it, Alex runs this competition on a forum where other people pick a team to follow. The aim of tipping is to get all the eight winners for each week of football games. There are prizes for last place and first place (cumulative scores) for the year 24 rounds of games. If someone picks eight, then they go into the prize hat to be picked for a prize for the week. The prizes are either a care package of Aussie goodies and football paraphernalia or a piece of art with a footy slant.

The person that won had picked the Essendon Bombers and is an X-Men fan. He submitted a list of characters he liked and Alex pulled Magneto from the list. He then asked me to do this piece of art for the winner. Magneto is wearing the Bombers jersey and that is a Aussie football that he is manipulating. (There must be something in the ball that Magneto can use his powers on). Thanks for the commission Alex. And I hope the winner liked his prize.

This is Post #968

Ferro Lad - Legion of Super-Heroes

I believe Little John suggested Ferro Lad. If you are not familiar with Ferro Lad, he was a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. He wears the mask because he is horribly disfigured. At least that is how he is described in the comic. He has the ability to turn his body into iron, and yes this was years before the X-Men's Colossus. Ferro Lad has a twin brother with the same ability.

Ferro Lad is also the second Legionnaire to die in the line of duty. (Lightning Lad "died" earlier but he got better). He was introduced in Adventure Comics #346 and died saving the galaxy in Adventure Comics #353. A very short career in the Legion but he made a big impact with Legion fans nonetheless. A newer version of Ferro Lad was reintroduced in the many Legion Reboots.

Thanks for the suggestion LJ!

This is Post #967

Buck Rogers and Wilma Deering

I believe this could be the first time I have drawn these two. I am not all that familiar with Buck and Wilma. And even though I did watch the 1979 movie and TV show, the only thing I remember about that is the annoying little robot and my crush on Erin Gray. Oh, and I also remember going to the theater to see the movie, which I believe was really just the two hour pilot cut for the movie going public.

I did this piece a little different by adding some gray marker to the mix. Also I attempted to give Wilma eyes that fit the 1930s. A lot of actresses back then seem to have large expressive eyes. And the eyelashes were thiner and separated. Whether I succeeded in my attempt is up to you. :)

This is Post #968

Magik (Illyana Rasputin)

No one requested Magik, but after researching Wolfsbane for yesterday's post, I was in the mood to draw her New Mutant teammate this morning. I hope no one minds. :)

This is Post #967

Wolfsbane (Rahne Sinclair)

Today's post was a suggestion from Erica. I have to admit it has been a very long time since I looked at any book that featured any of the New Mutants. I was buying the original graphic novel and series when they first hit the stands and was a fan for the first several years, but that was long ago. In researching the character for a present day look, I was confused by all the different interpretations. I had no idea what is recent and what is not. So I opted to go with the Rahne Sinclair I remember: The sweet, shy, good hearted girl from Scotland in her human form. Thanks for the suggestion Erica.

I have started on some of requests on my HeroesCon Advance Sketch List. There is still time to get on the list if anyone is interested. A few are finished and a few are in various stages of completion. I'm having fun with them and can't wait to share them at the show. And not a minute sooner. :)

This is Post #966

OMAC

Here's a lunchtime offering. Travis suggested Kirby's OMAC and I thought it was a visually interesting character to draw. And this is the first time I have drawn OMAC. I never read the original run but I remember a friend of mine at the time buying the series and I would look at it. Interesting stuff from King Kirby.

This is Post #965

Flash Gordon & Dale Arden

I wanted to take another shot at Flash Gordon. Yesterdays post was a bit dark. I still like it but I think it's the grim and gritty Flash for the 90s. :) So in revisiting Flash today, I added Dale Arden to the composition. This is closer to what I had in mind originally.

I am still working through the original batch of suggestions, but would be interested in hearing some more. This has been a fun way to draw characters I haven't done before or haven't done in a long time.


This is Post #964

Flash Gordon

Can anyone think "Flash Gordon" without hearing in their head Queen signing "Flash! Ahhhhh!"? This is another suggestion from Royce. This was fun because I got to open up my copy of Al Williamson's Flash Gordon for reference. And then got lost in Williamson's art. Should have been working, but hey, it's Al Williamson! Thanks for the suggestion Royce.

And just an update on these inked pieces: The Doc Savage, Margo Lane (Shadow), Vigilante, and Captain Marvel are all reserved as of yesterday. So those pieces will not be making the trip to HeroesCon.

This is Post #964

Dr. Strange

Dr. Strange was Travis' (doughnut42) suggestion. The good doctor has such a hard, angular look, the opposite of how I normally draw, so this was fun to do. Thanks for the suggestion Travis.

We are closing in on HeroesCon. Two weeks from today folks. The guest list is so incredible I am wondering where everyone is going to fit in the hall. I am really looking forward to this show. My sketch list is still open for a few more requests. Contact me at gene_gonzales@mac.com if you are going to be at the show and are interested in a sketch. I'm so anxious for the show I have started pencils on a couple of the sketches from my advance list. :)

For those wondering, yes, I will be bringing all of the head shots I have been doing for the past few days to HeroesCon. And they will be for sale.

This is Post #963

The Vigilante

Today's artwork was done at Little John's suggestion. This is the original Vigilante, DC Comics western hero. I have read the reprints of the Mort Meskin stories as well as the times the character showed up in the JLA and Worlds Finest comics in the '70s. Gray Morrow did some nice Vigilante work as well as the mini series  with art by Tony Salmons in the 90s. The Vigilante is an interesting character in that I don't know if he was originally set in the old west or if he has just been a modern western character, reflecting his publishing era. With his white hat, red bandanas, blue outfit and motorcycle, I always liked the look of the character either way.

In other news, I still have some Iron Man 2 Artist Proof cards available for commissions. The art does have to be approved by Marvel and I have to get them in by the end of May. So time is running out. If you are interested let me know as soon as possible.

This is Post #962

The Avenger

Another pulp character suggestion today, The Avenger. I never read the original stories, I found out about the character from the DC Comic Justice Inc., with art by Jack Kirby on the second and third issue. I don't recall who did the first issue art. I must have liked it enough to buy it off the newsstand in 1975. A lot of people think that he was created by Kenneth Robeson, "creator" of Doc Savage, but I read recently that Robeson was a "house name" at Street & Smith Publishing, with many writers using that name including Lester Dent, the actual creator of Doc Savage. Also using that house name was writer Paul Ernst, who is credited as the creator of Richard Benson, aka The Avenger.

If I remember right, the origin story for this character is pretty tragic, as most are. But the interesting thing I remember is his face is pale white and paralyzed. No expressions. And his flesh could be molded like clay. Pretty odd stuff but also really cool.

Most people will draw The Avenger with his trusty .22 revolver nicknamed "Mike", but I opted to show "Ike", his throwing knife.

This is Post #961

Iron Man

Iron Man in his original armor was requested by a few people so here he is. This one took about 45 minutes to do, not including the time I spent searching the web for references from Iron Man's first appearance.

This is Post #960

Doc Savage - Man of Bronze

The Man of Bronze. Or The Man of Gray, I suppose. I decided on Doc Savage for today, and I also decided to look at the Street & Smith Publishing covers for Doc Savage Magazine because I didn't want to do the James Bama version of the good Doc. James Bama did some incredible covers and they have become iconic for Doc Savage, but I've gotten tired of that hairstyle. It looks like some kind of gold/bronze helmet to me. Over the years, more people have stylized it to the point that it looks off, to me anyway. And that hair doesn't reflect the time period of the pulps. Who had hair like that back then? So for better or for worse, I went with the look of the original pulp covers. :)

This is black & white ink on 9" x 12" gray charcoal paper.

This is Post #959

Margo Lane & The Shadow

Thanks to Royce for the suggestion of Margo Lane (and The Shadow) for todays post. All of you came up with some good ideas and I will probably be making my way through most of them. The suggestions seem so obvious now, but not when I am sitting in front of a blank piece. So thanks everyone!  :)

This piece was done in about 45 minutes on a sheet of 9" x 12" gray charcoal paper with both black and white ink.

This is Post #958

With One Magic Word...

SHAZAM! Just another quickie for today. I'm having fun with these little sketches. It's always nice to break up the daily work with something different and these are fitting the bill. The only problem is coming up with a character to draw. The good Captain here is light on the cross hatching and dark areas because he is such a "bright" character. Lines crisscrossing his face just doesn't seem right. So, any suggestions for future gray paper sketches?

HeroesCon is just three weeks away, and I am still taking advance orders for sketches. So far I have some really cool ones that run the spectrum of characters. I have a couple of Canson pieces, a couple of double character pieces and some fun single character inked sketches. And all are going to be fun! Here are the details from last week for getting on the list. Thanks to everyone who has signed up already!

This is Post #957

Black and White and Gray

The above pieces were done early this morning as a warm up. Just to get the creative juices flowing. I did a quick pencil structure sketch on 9" x 12" gray charcoal paper, and then went right in to finish the art with Copic Multi-Liner black markers and Higgins White Ink, applied with a watercolor brush. I only allowed myself 30 minutes for each one.

I remember doing something like this in life drawing classes I took at Art Center. We would draw the live model using black ink & white ink with a crow quill on very large sheets of gray charcoal paper. It was a fun and equally frustrating process for me. I don't work in that style and taking the class in my late 20s meant I had a lot of bad habits to break before I could really learn. Still I'm glad for the experience.

Have a good weekend everyone!

This is Post #956

Sketchbook Thursday

Just some sketchbook randomness today.

This is Post #955

Iron Man 2 Artist Proof Sketch Cards

I promise there will some art work posted later today but for now I am shamelessly doing a sales pitch. :)

I now have my blank Artist Proof cards from the IRON MAN 2 card set. I am going to offer them here first. If any are left over, I will post them on eBay.

Single Character in full color: $75.00
Second Character, add $10.00
Shipping: 5.00

Because of the limited space on a card I would not recommend full figure requests. Waist up is good. Bust shots ideal. But that is completely up to you. I have posted some samples of the cards I did for the set below.

PayPal is accepted.

Contact me at gene_gonzales@mac.com to request a card, or cards.

This is Post #954

Karate Kid & Timber Wolf - Final Art

Here is the final art for Travis' commission. Thanks again to Travis for the commission and for letting everyone see it's creation.

Tomorrow I will be the recording the first segment (of 50) of me drawing everyone who has ever been called an Avenger!

Just kidding. :)

This is Post #953

Comic art commission - Karate Kid & Timber Wolf-Final

This is the last segment. I hope you all enjoyed it. Or at least some of it. I doubt anyone will ask me to do this again. :)





This is Post #953

Comic art commission - Karate Kid & Timber Wolf Pt 9

Almost finished up...




This is Post #952

Comic art commission - Karate Kid & Timber Wolf Pt 8

Another post of inking. I believe we will wrap all this up tomorrow folks. Hang in there. :)





This is Post #951

Comic art commission - Karate Kid & Timber Wolf Pt 7

The inking continues...





This is Post #950

Comic art commission - Karate Kid & Timber Wolf Pt 6

I really hope I am not driving people away from this blog with this series of video posts. We are past the pencil stage and I am now starting the inks. I believe there will be two more clips of inking. Maybe three. And that will do it. But for now, let's start slinging some ink.





This is Post #949

Comic art commission - Karate Kid & Timber Wolf Pt 5

Yikes! It is all becoming a blur. When the camera memory was full and the battery needed recharging I thought I did the final pencils without recording it. I was wrong. I did record it and didn't notice until I filled the memory up again with the inks I am working on and recording tonight. So here is the real final part of the pencils. I will post the first inks in just a bit.





This is Post #948

Comic art commission - Karate Kid & Timber Wolf Pt 4

This is the last of the pencils. And you will notice it ends abruptly. Sorry. The disc was full and the camera stopped. Didn't realize there were 275 pictures on there along with whatever I had recorded. After I deleted the photos, the battery was on it's last legs. So I set it up to recharge while I finished the pencils.



This whole process has been real interesting for me. Also a lot of work. But as I have done each one, I learned a little bit more and have streamed lined the process of editing and putting the package together for YouTube.

This is Post #947

Comic art commission - Karate Kid & Timber Wolf Pt 3

Some more footage from the pencil stage. There will be one more shorter video to watch that finished up the pencils.



This is Post #946

Comic art commission - Karate Kid & Timber Wolf Pt 2

I had hoped to have this up yesterday but time was cut short. (We went to see Iron Man 2 on IMAX.) So here is Part 2 and with any luck I will post Part 3 later today. That will finish the pencil stage. Since these clips are real time, they may get a bit boring, but rather than edit or speed up, I figured it would be good to get a feel for the actual time involved. This piece is taking more time because of the recording, editing, exporting, uploading and displaying process, but you can still get a good idea of the time involved in an actual commission. As I have said before when I post my "process", nothing groundbreaking, but I hope it's at least entertaining.

Oh, and feel free to post or email questions. I will try to answer while I record the inking process.




This is Post #945

Comic art commission - Karate Kid & Timber Wolf Pt 1

This is the first of what I think will be 4 or 5 part series of me starting and completing an inked commission in my studio.



This is post #944

Stormy Weather - Commissions

I just finished the second of these two commissions and got the "okay" to share here. Joe has had me do color sketches inside various hardcover comic collections before and I have shared them here in the past. Well, here are two new ones. I took digital photos of these because I didn't want to damage the spine of the books trying to force them down on my scanner. I also believe this is the first time I have drawn across the spine, making the image bigger. I hope Joe doesn't mind!

First up is a leather clad Storm drawn in the X-MEN MUTANT MASSACRE hard cover collection.

Then we have the hammer wielding Storm from the X-MEN THE ASGARDIAN WARS hardcover collection.

Though these both have colored paper to work on in the inside covers, they are not art papers, so sometimes working on them can be tricky. They have almost no texture and they want to suck up certain inks. So if the paper is too dark, it's hard to get a black line. But after doing several of these I have learned a few tricks and I think these came out pretty nice. Thanks again to Joe for these commissions and the permission to share them here.

Both images were done in mixed media including color pencil, black ink, white ink and white fluid acrylics.

This is Post #943

HeroesCon 2010 - Advance Sketch List

It's that time again. HeroesCon starts in 4 weeks and since I am already getting emails about my sketch list, I figure it's a good time to open it up .

Art and prices:

Inked sketches, single figure, on 11" x 17" Bristol Board: $50.00

Canson color pieces, single figure on 11" x 17": 125.00.
Knowing the character request in advance will allow me to select the right color paper from my files. I may ask for reference if I don't know the character or I can't find it on the web at the show. You can email me links to references before the show. I can alway print them out and take them with me. There is a good chance that I will try to start them before the show. So if you are interested in a Canson color piece let me know as soon as possible so I can get the right color paper if I don't already have it.

Payment:

• PayPal - This time around I am accepting payment in advance. I understand that carrying around a lot of cash at a show can be difficult, and every show I get a request or two to pay with PayPal. So, if you want to pay in advance, that is fine. Contact me with your request first and I will give you my PayPal account information.
• Cash - If you would rather pay cash at the show, I am perfectly fine with that. You can pay for the art when you pick it up. I do request that if you are on my list and are not going to make it, please let me know as soon as you can.
• PayPal at the show - I can accept credit cards at the show if you have a mobile device that allows you to do PayPal payments. (Smart phone, laptop, etc) Someone did this at another show and it worked out quite smoothly. So this is an option as well.

An advantage to getting on the list early gives me some time to think about your request(s), bounce ideas around in my head and maybe even doodle ideas in my sketchbook. I doubt I will get any pieces completed before the show. My workload is pretty heavy and I do have three commissions that need to be done before HeroesCon.

To get on the list or if you have any questions, please contact me at gene_gonzales@mac.com.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the show!

This is Post #942

Sketchbook Wednesday - Wipeout!

Our island friends are back for the first time since New Years Day. Just a little doodle from my sketchbook with some Photoshop colors.

This is Post #941

Sketchbook Tuesday - Manhunter

While searching searching for some of the Dalgoda books that I know are still somewhere in the garage, I came across some books that didn't get sold off with the rest of my collection. The only reason why they didn't get sold off is they didn't fit in my Xterra. :) I may revisit these characters here just for fun, much like I did yesterday with the Dalgoda sketches. Today we have Manhunter. I remember picking up the copies of Detective Comics at the newsstand that the Manhunter back up series first appeared in. I thought it was pretty cool, but when he teamed up with Batman in the final story, that really was great! I won't spoil the ending of a comic run that is over 30 years old, but I will say if you come across any of the collections, check it out. Manhunter was created by Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson and was based off the golden age character by the same name.

This is Post #940

Sketchbook Monday - DALGODA & crew

A couple of weeks ago I bought two pages of original art from one of my favorite comic series, DALGODA, written by Jan Strnad and art by the incredibly talented Dennis Fujitake. DALGODA was the title character, a canine like alien, who comes to Earth asking for help to save his race from another alien race. The book had drama, humor, adventures on Earth, political intrigue, space adventure and so on. And in issue #4, Dal ends up on a south pacific island, surrounded by island girls. What more could you want? This is my poor attempt to draw the main characters, Dal, Gunner and Posey. This was done in my sketchbook.

This is Post #939

Sketchbook Sunday - Low Rise

Just another sketchbook Sunday. I did take a break to go to the Rays game today (They won!). I had to skip a game during the last week because I couldn't get away so early in the project I am working on. But today I even managed to catch a ball when Kansas City was on the field warming up. And I managed to get Rays pitcher Matt Garza to sign it, along with one of the relief pitchers. All in all it was a good day at Tropicana Field. But I am now paying for that time off.

This is Post #938

Sketchbook Saturday

Another sketchbook page today folks. Just some faces I drew this afternoon. I took a break and took Deena to the beach for a about an hour and a half. It was nice just to decompress a bit. Then came back and got to work again. :)

This is Post #937