ReCovered - CyberForce Vol 2 #14

So, here we are then.
Months later and this is my final version of Marc Silvestris' cover of CyberForce #14.
I'm sure i could tweak the colours more and more and make it never ending... and in future i might re-visit it but for now i need to move on to other projects.

All in all i was happy with this effort and also with the execution of what i had in mind once i read the full story. As i mentioned on the "inks" post i didn't want to just do a bunch of superheroes posing but instead combine it with the story within. I focused on Cyblades' story and her effort to time travel back to the hundred year war and help out the French who of course thought that she was Joan of Arc. Other things seem to be happening through the pages that obviously go further back than the story arc i read including an army by the name of "Machines of Death" that i decided to include within the cover. The MoD's skull
can be seen in Cyblades cy-power (or whatever it goes by).
Did anybody know that Cyblade was French? Her name is Dominique Thibaut... and to think all this time she was of Asian origin... hmmm go figure!

Finally the break down. The idea was all sketched in Sketchbook Pro and inked in Illustrator. Washes were done in Art Rage and the image was finally all coloured in Photoshop.


Art: Illustrator, Art Rage & Photoshop
Noise: Local H - Hallelujah! I'm a Bum
Pulled Apart By Horses - Tough Love
Future of the Left - The Plot Against Common Sense

Big thanks to my model Jess for helping out with the pose.

Sky - Illustration Friday

Who said i never post?!.... Aaaaaah!

Well was really thinking about heading for bed but thought since i'm blogging let me head over to a neglected  site i so enjoy. So i carefully clicked through my tab infested browser and found http://illustrationfriday.com/.
While my eyes tried to adjust to the bright yellowness of it all i squinted and made out this weeks topic "Sky".

I was looking for an excuse to shamelessly post this one and i found it! : D
It has a sky! and it also contains funny looking cartoon characters fully equipped with band-aids, wings and even tiny brains floating in jumbo sized plastic cups!
If you haven't already seen it in my Flickr or Deviant accounts then... TA DAAAA!!!

The serious bit here - Inspired by the greatest 8 bit arcade game ever Bubble Bobble it was completely created in Illustrator... i'm going bed now...

The Long and Winding Road

Took a while to return here. Truth be told i could have posted the inks much earlier.

A while back i decided i wanted to do a random cover a month
(or 3) where i would re-create whatever fell on my lap so to speak. Did some quick googling and fell upon http://www.coverbrowser.com that did exactly what i wanted it to, be random.

So my first random is Cyber Force Vol.2 #14 and the original cover, which i will share alongside my final effort very soon, drawn by the legendary Marc Silvestri.
Just to make it clear the idea was not to reproduce the original or try to best it but to give my take of the cover and the story within.
I admire a few cover artists but one that stands out above the rest for me is Dave Johnson and his minimalistic and story based covers and while mine is far from minimalistic i set down and  read the story arc that ran around issue 14 to get some insight (will get into the story more in the next post).

Finally a quick wrap up; Cyblade washes done in Art Rage and the rest inked in Illustrator and touched up in Photoshop.

Art: Illustrator, Art Rage & Photoshop
Noise: 3 months worth...

The Dweller on the Threshold

Facebook Timeline artwork featuring Agents Cooper and Cole from the series Twin Peaks.
Few too many months in the making this one. The inking had to be done twice and the image was later coloured also twice before i decided to go with the limited palette.

Art: Illustrator, Manga Studio & Photoshop
Noise: Mostly Beatles :)

Space - Illustration Friday

While looking through and leaving nice comments to bloggers who had posted their pretty pictures for IF's theme of the week (Space) i noticed a few images of animals out in space and then thought... I HAVE ONE OF THOSE! So thankfully i get to be included this week, even though late, as i was heading for a second week without an entry (due to finishing other important masterpieces :s). Plus i get one more blog post up for this month! woohoo!!!

About the image: Spacemonkeymedia was an old company name i had created and this was a bit of promotion work. Art mostly done in Illustrator.

Shiny - Illustration Friday

Hmmmmm... Shiny you say?... So i immediately started thinking interrogation room with this one and slowly i started taking it to a more complex idea. I don't know if anyone can spot it though it didn't come through that clear.
As per usual my inks still need work and so do my colours but practice will make perfect in time!

Art: Illustrator, ArtRage & Photoshop
Noise: Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math
Marilyn Manson - Born Villain

Hurry! - Illustration Friday

First try on IF's topic of the week.
The lifeblood brigade to the rescue?

Art: Illustrator, Manga Studio & Photoshop
Noise: Silversun Pickups - Neck of the Woods