Covered Blog: RIP

Hola!  I would like to take a few moments to personally thank fellow blogger, Robert Goodin, from the COVERED Blog.  He has decided to close up shop and move on to pursue other works for the time being and I want to wish him the best of luck.  

I used to go to his blog almost daily and look at all the great submissions (and even managed to get a few of my own posted) and it will be greatly missed.  I have discovered a great many other artists who's work I follow, and fellow travelers that I see on various art blogs out there ("Hail and well met!").  The blog will still be up, but no new posts will be updated.

It is weird for me to think about who all may have seen my work on his blog--there were several professionals who had their work featured and regularly dropped by the blog (Joe Jusko, for example, posted on his RIP post)... so the idea that Joe Jusko--and others who's work I greatly admire--may have actually seen some of my work fills me with both an immense amount of joy, and more than a little bit of terror to be judged by some of the greats out there.  And I could always count on a bump in traffic to my modest ol' blog whenever something of mine was posted.

There are still a LOT of covers that I would like to redo in the future, and it will be too bad that I won't have an opportunity to post them on his blog.  Oh, I'll still post 'em here, but it just won't be the same.  :-)

Queue the sad music as we walk down memory lane, here are my submissions to the COVERED BLOG:

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Miracle Man #1 

I actually did this painting long before I knew there was a Covered Blog.  Once I found out about it, I added the logo so I could submit it.  Here's the LINK to the page on my blog.

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Yummy Fur #18

This was the first one I did specifically for the Covered Blog.  Here's a LINK to the process I used to create the cover.

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Detective Comics #31

This was originally a birthday present to a friend of mine (Hey, Dave! :-).  Robert saw it on my blog and asked if he could post it on Covered.  OF COURSE!  Here is a LINK to the post on my site.

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Action Comics #256

And here's a LINK to the post on my Blog.

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Thanks, again, Robert!  I wish you the very best of luck, and your Blog will be greatly missed!  :-)

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Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Celestials (Ziran)

CELESTIALS - Ziran the Tester

Here is the entry in the Marvel Handbook.

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Here's my version for the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe: REDUX EDITION.

Well, here it is, the last of the Celestials in the Marvel Handbook.  Sorry for the bit of a document dump, but I finished them all at almost the same time, alas.

 Now that I look at them all, while I think they turned out OK, I now sorta of wish I would have done something more with them.  Pushed things a bit more.  But, with the size constraints for the Celestials (they were only a 1/4 page for each entry), I wasn't sure how much that would have shown up as I wasn't sure if they were going to be displayed the same way when posted to the OHTTMU:RE blog.  So, I kept things a bit more simplified than I usually would.

I will definitely be revisiting the Celestials again in the future.  They are one of those things which captured my imagination when I first read "The Eternals" back as a teenager, when I found them in the Back-Issue Bin for a quarter each.  

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STEP ONE:  I pencilled the image on a 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" piece of cardstock with a .5mm mechanical pencil with 2B lead. 

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STEP TWO:  The inks are done with a .3mm Copic Marker for the outlines, with a brush and ink to add a little more line weight.  I then scanned it into Photoshop and cleaned the line work up a bit.

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STEP THREE:  Once cleaned up in Photoshop, I copied the layer and set it to MULTIPLY to color it.

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This was done with pen-and-ink on 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" cardstock and colored in Photoshop.

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Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Celestials (Eson)

CELESTIALS - Eson the Searcher

Here is the entry in the Marvel Handbook.

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Here's my version for the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe: REDUX EDITION.

I really like the visual of Eson the Searcher--the helmet he wears looks like he has six eyes.  I'm not so sure about his color scheme of brick red and lime-green, through.  :-)

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STEP ONE:  I pencilled the image on a 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" piece of cardstock with a .5mm mechanical pencil with 2B lead. 

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STEP TWO:  The inks are done with a .3mm Copic Marker for the outlines, with a brush and ink to add a little more line weight.  I then scanned it into Photoshop and cleaned the line work up a bit.

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STEP THREE:  Once cleaned up in Photoshop, I copied the layer and set it to MULTIPLY to color it.

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This was done with pen-and-ink on 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" cardstock and colored in Photoshop.

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Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Celestials (Hargen)

CELESTIALS - Hargen the Measurer

Here is the entry in the Marvel Handbook.

* * * * *

Here's my version for the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe: REDUX EDITION.

Hargen the Measurer... Um, I'm running out of things to say about each Celestial.  :-)

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STEP ONE:  I pencilled the image on a 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" piece of cardstock with a .5mm mechanical pencil with 2B lead. 

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STEP TWO:  The inks are done with a .3mm Copic Marker for the outlines, with a brush and ink to add a little more line weight.  I then scanned it into Photoshop and cleaned the line work up a bit.

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STEP THREE:  Once cleaned up in Photoshop, I copied the layer and set it to MULTIPLY to color it.

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This was done with pen-and-ink on 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" cardstock and colored in Photoshop.

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Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Celestials (Oneg)

CELESTIALS - Oneg the Prober

Here is the entry in the Marvel Handbook.

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Here's my version for the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe: REDUX EDITION.

Oneg the Prober (must not... make joke... about probing...) sort of looked like a sad SCUBA diver to me. 

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STEP ONE:  I pencilled the image on a 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" piece of cardstock with a .5mm mechanical pencil with 2B lead. 

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STEP TWO:  The inks are done with a .3mm Copic Marker for the outlines, with a brush and ink to add a little more line weight.  I then scanned it into Photoshop and cleaned the line work up a bit.

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STEP THREE:  Once cleaned up in Photoshop, I copied the layer and set it to MULTIPLY to color it.

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This was done with pen-and-ink on 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" cardstock and colored in Photoshop.

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Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Celestials (Nezarr)

CELESTIALS - Nezarr the Calculator

Here is the entry in the Marvel Handbook.

* * * * *

Here's my version for the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe: REDUX EDITION.

Awww, look, he's smiling!  :-)  Even though he looks like he is wearing a giant grin on his face, there is still something about Nezarr which I find appealingly designed.

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STEP ONE:  I pencilled the image on a 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" piece of cardstock with a .5mm mechanical pencil with 2B lead. 

* * * * *

STEP TWO:  The inks are done with a .3mm Copic Marker for the outlines, with a brush and ink to add a little more line weight.  I then scanned it into Photoshop and cleaned the line work up a bit.

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STEP THREE:  Once cleaned up in Photoshop, I copied the layer and set it to MULTIPLY to color it.

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This was done with pen-and-ink on 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" cardstock and colored in Photoshop.

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Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Celestials (One Above All)

CELESTIALS - One Above All

Here is the entry in the Marvel Handbook.

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Here's my version for the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe: REDUX EDITION.

The "One Above All" is the ruler of the Celestials (not to be confused with "One Above All" which is referring to either Stan Lee or Jack Kirby, depending on who you ask :-).  

Oddly, I don't think I've ever seen Jack Kirby draw "The One Above All".  He's referred to in the original "Eternals" series, but he stayed up in the Celestial's mothership and was never actually seen.  Still, a cool looking character.

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STEP ONE:  I pencilled the image on a 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" piece of cardstock with a .5mm mechanical pencil with 2B lead. 

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STEP TWO:  The inks are done with a .3mm Copic Marker for the outlines, with a brush and ink to add a little more line weight.  I then scanned it into Photoshop and cleaned the line work up a bit.

* * * * *

STEP THREE:  Once cleaned up in Photoshop, I copied the layer and set it to MULTIPLY to color it.

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This was done with pen-and-ink on 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" cardstock and colored in Photoshop.

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Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Celestials (Tefral)

CELESTIALS - Tefral the Surveyor

Here is the entry in the Marvel Handbook.

* * * * *

Here's my version for the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe: REDUX EDITION.

Tefral is another one of the Celestials that I find visually interesting.  They are supposed to be unknowable, alien space gods, and the faceless helmets reinforce this.

Below are the steps in the process.  They are mostly the same for each of the Celestials, so I suppose these will all be pretty much Copy/Paste.  Sorry it will be so boring.  :-)

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STEP ONE:  I pencilled the image on a 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" piece of cardstock with a .5mm mechanical pencil with 2B lead. 

* * * * *

STEP TWO:  The inks are done with a .3mm Copic Marker for the outlines, with a brush and ink to add a little more line weight.  I then scanned it into Photoshop and cleaned the line work up a bit.

* * * * *

STEP THREE:  Once cleaned up in Photoshop, I copied the layer and set it to MULTIPLY to color it.

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This was done with pen-and-ink on 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" cardstock and colored in Photoshop.

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Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Celestials (Jemiah)

CELESTIALS - Jemiah the Analyzer

Here's the original version from the Marvel Handbook. 

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Here's my version for the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe: REDUX EDITION.

In this case, Jemiah seems like something between a Transformer and Shogun Warrior (the giant robots, not the Japanese military leaders).  He is one of the few Celestials that has a human-like "face".  Personally, the "faceless" Celestials are more enigmatic and interesting to me.

* * * * * 

STEP ONE:  I pencilled the image on a 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" piece of cardstock with a .5mm mechanical pencil with 2B lead.  I usually like a softer lead, as it erases easier and generally cleans up well (I keep the lines pretty light, though).  Once again, I think the pencils are far superior to the inks.  Sigh...

* * * * *

STEP TWO:  Here are the inks, done with a .3mm Copic Marker for the outlines, and the a brush and ink to add a little more line weight.  That system, while a little awkward and cumbersome, seems to work better for mechanical objects...  At least for me.  I then scanned it into Photoshop and cleaned the line work up a bit.

* * * * *

STEP THREE:  Once I cleaned everything up in Photoshop, I copied the layer and set it to MULTIPLY to color it.  Three down, 7 to go...  :-)

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This was done with pen-and-ink on 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" cardstock and colored in Photoshop.

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Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Celestials (Gammenon)

CELESTIALS: Gammenon the Gatherer

Here is the entry from the Marvel Handbook

* * * * *

Here's my version for the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe: REDUX EDITION.

Once again, a slightly simplified version, given the size constraints of both the entry, and the paper I was working on (5-1/2" x 8-1/2" cardstock).

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STEP ONE:  Here are the pencils.  I drew this with a 2B .5mm mechanical pencil.  For some reason, the pencils always seem better to me than the inked/finished work.  I think it has to do with the varying intensity and levels of gray for the pencil lines.  Also, as the pencil work is a bit more sketchy, leaving more for your brain to finish the picture--you choose which lines to emphasize, as opposed to the inked line.  Or, maybe it's just that I'm not all that great at inking, yet.

All of 'em are true, no doubt, to varying degrees.  :-)

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STEP TWO:  Then I inked the pencils with a .3 Copic Marker and went back over parts that needed extra line-weight with a No. 5 brush and Speedball Superblack. 

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STEP THREE:  Once scanned into PhotoShop, I created a new MULTIPLY Layer and colored it.  Again, I kept all the colors simple--both for the cool, 80's retro feel, and because, well, I have eight more entries to try and get done in the next week-and-a-half.  :-D

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This was done with pen-and-ink on 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" cardstock and colored in PhotoShop.

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Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Celestials (Arishem)

CELESTIALS: Arishem the Judge

Here's the entry from "The Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe".

* * * * *

Here's my version for the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe: REDUX EDITION.

OK, because sometimes I'm not all that bright, I jumped at the chance to draw the Celestials but didn't stop and think to myself, "Hey, Self, there are 10 of 'em to draw from the Marvel Handbook entry, y'know."  I think I will be posting 'em as I get them done, rather than wait until I get 'em all done and post them all at once.  Because of that, I'm gonna be posting a LOT in September!  :-D

[I was already interested in The Celestials, as evidenced by my previous post HERE, which featured my Repanel of Arishem in ETERNALS #7, page 18]

* * * * *

STEP ONE:  Here are the pencils.  As each entry is about 1/4 of a comic page, each Celestial entry was pretty small.  So, I cut some 8-1/2" x 11" cardstock in half and set to work pencilling them out.  Also, as they would be relatively small, I also tried to keep them simple in design, as well.

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STEP TWO:  Here are the inks.  I first went around the pencils with a .03 Copic Marker I had laying about.  The line weight seemed pretty dead, however.  So, I went over top of everything with a size 05 Round brush and ink (just a cheap, generic brush, nothing fancy).  I then scanned it into PhotoShop and cleaned up the inks.

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STEP THREE:  I created a Duplicate Layer and set it to MULTIPLY, and then colored over top.  I kept the color scheme pretty simple, as there are going to be nine more over the next week-and-a-half... and I sort of liked the look of the vaguely 80's throwback for coloring the pen-and-ink drawing. 

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This was done with pen-and-ink on 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" cardstock and colored in PhotoShop.

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