Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Sketchbook Tuesday - Dex-Starr


Dex-Starr © DC Comics

A cat in desperate need of hairball formula food, Dex-Starr. :) I am finishing up a HeroesCon Sketch of Streaky vs. Dex and thought I would share a warm-up drawing of Dex from my sketchbook.

I am down to the last two advance pieces for HeroesCon. Finish the Streaky/Dex piece in the morning and then paint an Iron Man piece and the list is done. Pack tomorrow night and hit the road Thursday in the early AM. Whew! A lot to do but it's going to be a blast!

This is Post #1338

Monday, May 30, 2011

Sketchbook Monday - Superboy


Superboy © DC Comics

I have a bunch of art done but I can't show it. Luckily I have just finished reading SUPERBOY THE BOY OF STEEL trade paperback and was inspired to draw the title character. Anyone who knows me or visits this blog knows I am a fan of the original Superboy. I have never had a problem with this incarnation of Superboy, even in the days of his fade haircut. But what Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul are doing with him now is great. I really enjoyed the book. It has a lot of heart and make me a big fan of this Superboy.

This was done in my sketchbook with a blue Col-Erase pencil.

This is Post #1337

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Sketchbook Sunday


Artwork © 2011 Gene Gonzales

I've been working on some commercial projects and sketches that can't be shared yet. So we have a sketchbook sunday folks.

I had said I was closing down my advance sketch list for HeroesCon, but that wasn't quite right. I am still adding to the list but at this point it is my Friday sketch list. Meaning that I will probably be starting the pieces at the show on Friday, not having them done before I arrive. So if you want to get on my sketch list for the convention, send me an email and let me know. I have already added three requests to the list today. Thanks to everyone who has expressed interests in getting a sketch from me!

This is Post #1336

Saturday, May 28, 2011

The Geisha's Sword - HeroesCon Advance Sketch


Artwork © 2011 Gene Gonzales

The last of the pieces commission by Bill. He wanted a geisha swordswoman (think Kill Bill) and this is what I came up with. Thanks for all the commissions, Bill. I'll have quite a few pieces for you when I see you at HeroesCon next week!

This was done in ink on 11" x 17" bristol board.

This is Post #1335

Friday, May 27, 2011

Colossal Boy - HeroesCon Advance Sketch


Colossal Boy © DC Comics

The last Legionnaire for Michael is Colossal Boy. This costume was used around the time of the first issue of Crisis on Infinite Earths. In a lot of ways it's a simplified version of the one Dave Cockrum designed in the 1970s. Thanks for the commissions Michael. I have quite a few Legionnaires for you next week at HeroesCon!

Have a good and safe holiday weekend everyone

This is ink on 11" x 17" bristol board.

This is Post #1334

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Shadow Lass - HeroesCon Advance Sketch


Another Legionnaire from the HeroesCon Advance Sketch List. The first of two that are for Michael! 

Shadow Lass © DC Comics

Michael asked for the Shadow Lass of the Levitz/Giffen era. An all black costume with a black cape presents a a bit of a challenge. I don't want to do a big black mass like having her wrapped in her cape. That was done a lot in the comic which is okay, but for a pin-up commission, not so much. So I worked out a way to have her curvy figure against the inside of her cape. The inside of the cape would be dark blue if it were in color. I think this worked out. And below I have posted the rough pencils to show that just because the figure is all black, doesn't mean you don't have to work out the structure. 

Thanks Michael!



The final are was done in ink on 11" x 17" bristol board.

This is Post #1333

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Doc Magnus - HeroesCon Advance Sketch


Doc Magnus © DC Comics

This is a bit different in that it is incomplete. And I won't be completing it. Bill asked me about starting off a jam piece for him of the Metal Men and this is the result. I drew in Doc Magnus and other artists will be drawing his creations, The Metal Men. I will be putting down some light pencil guides for the other artists. Not roughs, but a road map of the direction for the final piece. I hope Bill shares it with us when it's completed. Thanks Bill!

This is ink on 11" x 17" bristol board.

This is Post #1332

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Darkchylde - HeroesCon Advance Sketch


Darkchylde © Marvel Entertainment

Another piece from the HeroesCon Advance Sketch List and another one for Bill. This is Illyana Rasputina, aka Magik in her Darkchylde persona. Illyanna is always fun to draw, no matter the persona. Thanks Bill!

This is ink on 11" x 17" Bristol Board

This is Post #1331

Monday, May 23, 2011

Nick Fury - HeroesCon Advance Sketch


Nick Fury © Marvel Entertainment

This could be the first time I have drawn Nick Fury. I honestly don't remember doing one before. This one was done for Bill. Thanks Bill!

I'm sorry I'm not writing too much with these posts lately. Last week was incredibly busy and looks like it will carry on right up till the time I hit the road to HeroesCon a week from Thursday. So until something changes I will have to let the art speak mostly for itself. Whew!

This is done in ink on 11" x 17" bristol board.

This is Post #1330

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Supergirl! - HeroesCon Advance Sketch


Supergirl © DC Comics

Here is one more for Royce. Royce has been collecting my take on Supergirl's various costumes for a little while now. This costume is a full body number. Supergirl only wore this costume twice. She was changing costumes pretty regularly in that part of her run in Adventure Comics and this one was not a favorite of mine. But after working on this commission, I like it. It does work. I took a little bit of time to put some quick color to it in Photoshop so that those unfamiliar with the color scheme could see how it looked. Thanks again for all the commissions Royce!


The line art was done in ink on 11" x 17" bristol board. Color done in Photoshop.

This is Post #1329



Saturday, May 21, 2011

Triplicate Girl - HeroesCon Advance Sketch


Triplicate Girl © DC Comics

Another original Legionnaire for Royce today. This time it's Triplicate Girl. Man, those mini dresses are all the rage in the late 30th century. :) Thanks Royce!

It's not to late to get on the list for HeroesCon. Details are here.

This is ink on 11" x 17" bristol board.

This is Post #1328

Friday, May 20, 2011

Shrinking Violet - HeroesCon Advance Sketch


Shrinking Violet © DC Comics

Here is the first of the advance sketches commissioned for HeroesCon. This first one is for Royce. We have been working on a series of pieces featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes in their original costumes. That's why Shrinking Violet is rocking in her 1960's (er, make that 2960's) mini-dress and boots. Thanks Royce!

I will be sharing more pieces leading up to HeroesCon over the next two weeks. I will only be sharing pieces that were paid for in advance though.

This was done in ink on 11" x 17" bristol board.

This is Post #1327

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Harley Quinn!


Harley © DC Comics

This is a piece I did for a friend of the family. Her sister got a Captain America piece from me and she wanted a Harley. She asked for it at MegaCon. D'oh! Better late than never. :)

HeroesCon Advance Sketch List Update

I will be heading up to Charlotte, North Carolina for HeroesCon two weeks from today. This show is creeping up fast. I mention this because I still have spots left on my advance sketch list. That would be okay except for what happened with the Pittsburgh list. Some folks waited until just days before the show. That's still in advance of the event, but doesn't leave me much time to start, let alone finish their pieces before the convention. So if any of you have been on the fence about getting on the list or forgot about it, please contact me as soon as you can. Details are here. And if you were not going to get on the advance list or you are sick of me mentioning it, well, never mind. :)

Harley was done in ink on an 11" x 17" sheet of bristol board.

This is Post #1326

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Sketchbook Wednesday - The Hulk


The Hulk © Marvel Entertainment

Just a goofing around in my sketchbook today in between other things. This was done with a green Col-Erase pencil, ink and Copic Markers.

Back to work for me. :)

This is Post #1325

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Scarlett!


Scarlett © Hasbro

This is the last of the commissions for James. Scarlett, of G. I. Joe fame, was done as a companion piece to the Baroness. A little light to contrast the dark, as it were. Here's how they look together...


Baroness & Scarlett © Hasbro

Thanks again to James for all of the fun commissions.

Tomorrow I will have an update on the HeroesCon Advance Sketch List. Hint: There is still room on it. :)

The Scarlett commission was done in ink on a sheet of 11" x 17" bristol board.

This is Post #1324

Monday, May 16, 2011

The Baroness!


The Baroness © Hasbro

This is the third of four for James. He has managed to come up with requests for characters I have never done before, and the Baroness is one of them. At least I am pretty darn sure I haven't drawn her before. The mind is a terrible thing. :)

Thanks James! One more to go!

Incredibly busy and very productive day today and another one tomorrow. Whew!

This is ink on 11" x 17" sheet of bristol board.

This is Post #1323

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Sketchbook Sunday - Roughs


Baroness & Scarlet © Hasbro

Just a couple of roughs I worked on today.

I am heading into an extremely busy week. Several things I am working on have all come back at the same time demanding my attention. This is going to be fun. :)

This is Post #1322

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Kitty Pryde! And Lockheed too!


Kitty Pryde & Lockheed © Marvel Entertainment

This is another commissioned piece for James. In case no one knows this, I love drawing Kitty and Lockheed. For this piece I went with Kitty's ability to walk on air. Coupled with her dance training, she got to be pretty graceful when doing this trick. All in all this was fun to do. Thanks for the commission James!

This is ink on an 11" x 17" sheet of bristol board.

Just for fun, here is the rough I did in my sketchbook for this piece. As you can see I flopped the final image. I thought it read better left to right.




This is Post #1321

Friday, May 13, 2011

Black Widow!


Black Widow © Marvel Entertainment

Today I finished this inked commission for James. This is the first of four I will be doing over the next few days. Thanks for the commission James!

Have a good weekend everyone!

This is Post #1320

Thursday, May 12, 2011 - (While Blogger was down)

Below is a reposting of the blog entry I did over at my website gonzoartstudio.com while Blogger was down. The idea of doing that was to preserve the daily posting of artwork. I'm moving it over here for continuity.

Looks like Blogger did what I was always afraid of...went down and left me in the lurch. One of the reasons I wanted to put my blog here is the never down nature of Squarespace. This post will be the absentee post for today on Blogger. Still maintaining my record of daily posts, just in a different place out of necessity.



Artwork © 2011 Gene Gonzales

I have been trying to find moments to work on my own projects each day. I only concentrate on one panel and only do one thing. Rough, or draw, or color. Never staying with it too long because of other work. So far this week it seems to be working for me. So I will try and stay with it. Looking at one panel at a time is not as daunting as looking at a whole page. The above image is a detail from my Moon Girl strip I am working on. I did the rough on paper and did the inks in Photoshop.

This is Post #1319

Blogger is back...

In case no one noticed, Blogger had been down since Thursday morning. It has only recently come back as of this writing. A couple of things happened. In fixing the problem they rolled back Blogger to it's latest stable version. Which would seem to be pre-7:35am Thursday morning. This means all posts and comments done after that date and time are gone. The Blogger team stated they will be restoring those posts as they roll out the fix, but as of right now the latest post showing on this blog is from Tuesday.

I have no idea if I will get my post back so here is the image from Wednesday, May 11th, 2011.


Artwork © 2011 Gene Gonzales

I didn't find out that Blogger was down until yesterday late in the afternoon. I was hoping that it would be back up in time for me to post my Thursday image. When that didn't seem likely, I went to my back-up plan and posted on my website blog at http://www.gonzoartstudio.com/sketchblog. I have always said the plan was to post art each and every day, I never said it had to be in the same place. :) So as far as I am concerned my streak still survives in spite of Bloggers boo-boo. Anyone disagree with my rational? :)

If Blogger is still around later this afternoon, I will move the post from yesterday from my site to this blog. I'm waiting in order to see if the post I did on Wednesday shows up on it own. Then I can follow it with Thurday's, and then later will be new artwork I am working on today. This will leave a chronological order to the posts.

Let's keep our fingers crossed.

This is Post #1318

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Sketchbook Wednesday - Doodle


Artwork © 2011 Gene Gonzales

Just a pose I had in my head that I had to get down on paper. Then a bigger idea was hatched for it and well, I will have to put it on the back burner for a while. Kinda busy right now. :)

This is pencil on 9" x 12" Canson drawing paper.

This is Post #1317

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Wonder Girl!


Wonder Girl © DC Comics

This is a commission I just finished for Bill. It was something I was supposed to do and bring with me to Kalamazoo for FCBD, but in the chaos of getting things done before the trip, I completely forgot. Age is a terrible thing. :)

Hopefully it was worth the wait. Thanks Bill!

This is ink on 11" x 17" bristol board.

This is Post #1316

Monday, May 9, 2011

Last FCBD Head Sketches (For now)

Just got home and thought I would post the last of the head sketches I did for the crew at Fanfare for FCBD. When I download all the photos I took of the sketches I did, I will figure out how to share them here. 



Modok © Marvel Entertainment


The Maxx © Sam Keith

Both of these pieces are ink on 9" x 12" bristol board.

And just a reminder that there are still open spots on my HeroesCon Advance Sketch List.

Now excuse me, it's time to collapse. :)

This is Post #1315

Sunday, May 8, 2011

More FCBD Sketches

These are some of the head sketches I did for the crew at Fanfare for FCBD.


Starman © DC Comics



Spider-Man/Peter Parker © Marvel Entertainment


Batgirl © DC Comics

All were done in ink on 9" x 12" bristol board.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Free Comic Book Day

One of 77 head sketches I did today. I sat in one spot from 10am-5pm doing sketches and had a blast. Thanks to Tom Fleming and the crew at Fanfare for taking good care of me and Dakota. And thanks to all the nice folks who got a sketch and chatted with me. This was a blast.

Let's do it again next year. :)

Friday, May 6, 2011

Head Sketch

Atomic Robo © Brian Clevinger & Scott Wegener

Another head sketch for today. Someone suggested Atomic Robo and I thought that would be fun.

This is done in ink on an 9" x 12" sheet of bristol board.

This is Post #1313

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Head Sketches

I did a bit of crowd sourcing on Twitter today for characters to draw. I am doing free head sketches this Saturday on Free Comic Book Day at Fanfare in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I don't do head sketches very often and wanted to do some warm ups to see how long they would take. Here are a couple I did today from the suggestions I got on Twitter.


Batman © DC Comics



Firestar © Marvel Entertainment

I've never did anything like this for FCBD so I was wondering, do artists doing these things normally do inks or just pencils? Probably doesn't matter, as long as I can actually turn them around pretty quick. :)

Batman was drawn with a blue Col-Erase pencil and Firestar is done in ink on 9" x 12" bristol board.

This is Post #1312

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Hellboy! - Conventionless Convention Sketch #17


Hellboy © Mike Mignola

Here is the final Conventionless Convention Sketch. I know I had said I would only take 12 for the list but then there were too many requests that came in that were just too fun to pass up. I mean come on, Hellboy being chased by machine gun toting squirrels? How could I not draw this? Thanks to Chris for this commission! This was done in ink on an 11" x 17" sheet of bristol board.

Thanks to everyone who commissioned pieces in this latest round of Conventionless Convention Sketches. I apologize to those that I had to turn away. The list was almost out of control as it was so I appreciate your understanding. I will probably do another one sometime near the end of the summer, so watch for that.

The HeroesCon Advance Sketch List is shaping up pretty good but there is still plenty of room for more. If you are interested, here are the details.

This is Post #1311

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Invincible - Head Sketch Warm-Up


Invincible © Kirkman & Walker

Best laid plans and all that...

I had one more Conventionless Convention Sketch to do today. And I finished it. It's a Hellboy piece for Chris. I finished it this afternoon and set it aside for the ink to dry. I would erase all the pencil lines just before scanning it. But later after looking at the piece again...I didn't like it. Just wasn't something I could let go. So I will do a new one tomorrow.

I will be doing free head sketches this Saturday for Free Comic Book Day at Fanfare in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I don't do many head sketches of characters so I have been doing warm ups. Above is an example of what I will be doing.

This is ink on a 9" x 12" sheet of bristol board.

Hellboy tomorrow!

This is Post #1310

Monday, May 2, 2011

HeroesCon 2011 - Advance Sketch List





It's almost time for HEROESCON 2011!

My advance sketch list is officially open. I will work on this list leading up to the convention. Especially the more complicated pieces. There are a few changes to the process this year so please look over the details provided below :)

Prices:

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

Acrylic painted: single figure on 12" x 16" (approximate size): 150.00

Canson pieces: single figure on 11" x 17": 125.00.


Payment: Here is the big changes this year. There will be three options for payment:

PayPal: You may pay in advance for your request using PayPal. Please contact me first with your request before you send money. Paying fees for PayPal is not a bother, so if this is a convenient option for you, please use it.

Credit Card at the Con: This is the first year I will be accepting major credit cards at a convention. I have signed up with Square (www.squareup.com) in order to do so. Fast and secure. This worked out great at the Pittsburgh Comicon and at MegaCon earlier this year. I can take Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.

Cash: You can pay for the art when you arrive and/or pick it up.

Special Note: I will be doing inked sketches at the show and will bring materials to do color work. But if you really want a color piece, I would suggest getting on the list and allowing me to do it in the studio. I am terribly slow doing color work at a show. :)

Please send your questions and requests to gene_gonzales(at)mac(dot)com with "HeroesCon Sketch List" in the subject line of your email. This will really help me keep track of everything.

This advance list is only for those attending HeroesCon 2011 in person. I do request that if you are on my list and are not going to make it, please let me know. And if possible, please pick up your artwork as soon as you can when you arrive at the convention. Or pay for your spot on the list, whichever applies.

I may ask for reference if I don't know the character or if 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.

An advantage to getting on the list early gives me some time to think about your request(s), bounce ideas around in my head, maybe doodle ideas in my sketchbook, and most likey show up at the con with your finished piece. There is a finite amount of requests I can take. I do not know what that number is because I don't know the requests. So sign up early and often. And there is no limit to any individual. 1 or 100, that's fine. Well, 100 will require more time, but I'm up to the challenge. :)

I may post some of the finished pieces here on the blog ahead of time. But that will only be done with the permission of the person commissioning the piece(s) and if they have paid in advance.

If you have any questions about the sketch list, please ask. And even if you are not getting something but will be at the show, please drop by and say "hi".

Other Convention Stuff

I will have other original art at the show, some you have seen here on this blog. I will also have my new sketchbook. This book will feature commissions/pin-ups done on color Canson paper. I will also have prints for sale.

This was a lot of information to cover. If anything is confusing to you, let me know and I will do my best to clarify. And please excuse any typos. :)

Here we go!

And Thanks!

This is Post #1309

Octoberfest Beer Maiden - Conventionless Convention Sketch #16


Artwork © 2011 Gene Gonzales

So what if it's only the month of May, Octoberfest is a state of mind. So today we have Royce's final Conventionless Convention Sketch request. And if I were to color her, she would have red hair. ;) Thanks again Royce!

One more to go folks and that will be tomorrows post. But check back here later, there will be a separate informational post this afternoon. Hint: HeroesCon 2011. :)

This was done in ink on an 11" x 17" sheet of bristol board.

This is Post #1308

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Melody - Conventionless Convention Sketch #15


Melody © Archie Comics

Today we have Melody, drummer of the Pussycats, for Gary! I love drawing Josie and the Pussycats. I've done quite a few over the years and it never gets tiring. It has to do with the outfits. They are sexy without being over the top and then there is the whole girl band thing. And I've said here before that I am a big fan of the movie. :)

Thanks Gary!

Check back tomorrow morning for an early Octoberfest. :)

This was done in ink on an 11" x 17" sheet of bristol board.

This is Post #1307