Superhero of the Month...

Superhero of the Month is a really cool blog that asks readers to redesign a different superhero each month. This month the chosen character is actually a team- the Birds of Prey, who have had a changing roster over the years. I chose to redesign Black Canary and Huntress, who have been two of the team's most enduring members. I have no idea if they will be posting my designs, but I'm posting them here for you to see, along with a brief description of how I came up with each design.

I think the key to the Birds of Prey is that they are rugged women who will do what nobody else can, so it was this that I kept in mind when designing them.

The Black Canary has always struck me as a trashy dresser with those fishnets and leather jacket, so I took that as my starting point and made her the type of woman who'd be at home in a rough nightclub. I kept leather as her main texture, but moved the fishnet onto her back and forearms, covering her up her legs while echoing traditional martial arts arm strapping. I cut her hair short so that it won't get in the way in a fight.

The Huntress is a brawler, so I gave her tough leather padding and got rid of her exposed hair and her cape, which would be a target in battle. I covered her mouth with black cloth to emphasize her ninja-like stealth, and mounted her trademark crossbow on her arm so that it can't be wrestled from her. Her harness-like styling mirrors her traditional crucifix motif, while also suggesting a tough, S+M look.

I hope you like the designs, I had a lot of fun drawing them!

Stone!

I've contributed a page to a comic book, set in Maidstone, called STONE. It will soon be on sale in the Tourist Information Centre, and I assume also in The Grinning Demon comic shop. It is written by bona-fide comic writer and novelist Dan Abnett, and each page is drawn by a different brilliant artist. If you live in the area pick it up and support the efforts of the fine creative people who have contributed! I've been doing some stuff for it today, but took a break and sketched this, to rest my weary brain!

Summer bloke...

I've let my blogging slide over the past six months... I basically figured I should stop hurriedly doing things just to stick on here, thinking instead I'd put on some good stuff. That never materialised, so I'm putting this on! This was meant to be a drawing of Superboy, but it turned into a random guy in swimmers, and it was meant to be a darkened, wrestling scene, but it became a summery sky instead. All great art has a life of it's own! :-D Haha, not! I like the silk-screen-ishness of it. If I get round to adapting it into what it was meant to be, I'll post that too.

Doc Alibi!

This is a character of mine named Doc Alibi. You go to him if you've done a murder or something and you need a water-tight alibi constructed. As a concept I think it's a solid basis for an ongoing series, with a new client each story laying the basis for the plot to come. Often it is the opening of an adventure that is the most difficult to make believable. Also I really like the idea of a story that is not about the 'hero' or the 'villain', but a middle-man doing his job really well!

I've done it again!!!

I've nearly missed August! It's like July all over again! I've actually been quite creative this month, but mainly in ways not conducive to blogging! But here is a work-in-progress Crimson Iris cover idea... not sure where I'm going with it at this stage, I think it could do with being more sinister somehow. Regardless, I submit it for your attention and as ever your valued input! x Oh! By the way! Gratitude to Enchanted Doll and Sky Doll for the inspiration! xxx

Quick! July is nearly over!

I've been pretty productive this month, but a lot of what I've done has been pages for The Crimson Iris, which are pretty meaningless out of context, soooo... Here's a bit of old random rubbish that I did ages ago! It's just a sketch, but it's pretty colourful so it caught my eye when I was looking for something to post before the end of July. xXx

Just a little sketch...

I've been super-busy with work and birthdays and weddings etc lately, and coupled with the computer having had a bit of a nervous breakdown I nearly missed May completely! However, the computer is now better than ever so I thought I'd post this little sketch. I'm pretty happy with it and I hope you like it too.

Crimson Iris cover thoughts...

This is the cover for one of my Crimson Iris stories, although I'm not sure which yet. I really love the typefaces I used on this, but since getting them my computer had a big old breakdown, so I don't have them any more, and can't remember where I got them! Grrrr. The image itself worked exactly as I wanted it to, a mix of comic drawing and photography that stops it being too 'super-hero-y' and, I think, is suggestive of the moral grey area occupied by the protagonist. As far as using this piece goes, I think it will suit the first CI story well - in it we do not see Iris in her costume until at least halfway through, and the anticipation is built by occasional glimpses of a gloved hand or a spiky boot. To have a plain picture of her on the cover would seem to undermine the reveal page at the story's climax. Let me know what you think of this image, I always love feedback, good or bad!

Killing time on a tuesday afternoon...

Just a little doodle to keep me occupied while I'm waiting!

What I've been up to...

I've really enjoyed doing this drawing, mainly that of the Crimson Iris herself, and the colouring has been a real self-teaching thing - I've been doing it more professionally with the help of The DC Comics Guide to Coloring and Lettering Comics, which is absolutely excellent and I think will be crucial to my work in future! You'll notice that there isn't any dialog yet... this is for two reasons - because the Lettering section of the book requires far more precision and care, and because the dialog is to be in Italian, which I do not speak! Anyway, I hope you like it, its still a work in progress so please tell me what you think!

Batgirl sketches.

More Viper!

Another image of The Viper, this time in the role of the femme fatale!

Enter The Viper!

The Viper is another of my characters, something of a villain, a mercenary and assassin who is in possession of a piece of alien technology called the Viper Vest. It links into the nervous system and allows total physical metamorphosis, which means that the Viper could be anybody. Literally anybody, man, woman, child, priest, senator, police sergeant, Barbra Streisand. Anybody. That's what makes the Viper exciting to me - you could have a whole comic series and never actually know who the main character really is. And being a mercenary really opens up story possibilities too. Visually the viper vest presents quite a challenge, having the colours and visual texture of oil. I know I could pick something easier, but that's what it looks like in my head - that or beetle shell colours, but that was even harder to pull off! As usual, I don't expect to get around to developing this idea further, as much as I'd like to... so many ideas, so little time!

Mist Maiden!

This was an experiment, trying to do some kind of hair texture, which I actually think worked pretty well. I have no use for it beyond that, but every day is a school day! x

Atomic Woman in... A Friend in Need

Part 2 of an occasional series! Previously, Ubero sought answers to the mysterious diminishing of his super powers...

A little bit of sunday sketching!

I didn't really sleep last night, and I've been restless all day. I don't know why, it's just been a weird day. I thought I would do some sketching to give my mind some exercise, and this is the result. It, or something rather like it, would make a fun nightclub flier, if any club promoters are reading! Ha ha, that seems oh-so-likely! x

More from The Crimson Iris!

I did this sort-of Lautrec inspired poster image this evening... I really like it, and I think I'd like it as a poster in my house! I hope you like it too! x

The Crimson Iris

This is somebody I thought up whilst driving back from Newquay t'other day. She's called the Crimson Iris and she is dedicated to ending organized crime, whatever the cost.
When I was growing up we had a swing set that faced a flower bed of these tall, deep red Irises, and for some reason they made me uneasy. They struck me as very fleshy flowers, and their colour was almost bloody. It may be that, or anything else, that gave me the creeps.
I thought for this character - which I have absolutely no use for - I would recycle that vague fear from childhood, so that she might seem more real to me. Whoever she is, I have decided that she too grew up afraid of Irises. x

Another design for Chalice...

Cookie Cutter, investigative journalist!