DETECTIVE COMICS COVER PROCESS
The Essence of Batman
A series of process pics I took while working on a Detective Comics cover.
It’s very helpful to look at your art from different angles to check for composition and drawing errors. In the past I would look at my art in a mirror, and when I finally got a computer with a scanner, I would flip the art, turn it over, etc. to look for flaws.
Now I just take photographs. Here’s the entire series of snaps.
Flipping this snap of the head allowed me to see that the face was a bit crooked.
The dark blobs on the art are eraser pills.
You can see how I flop the photo back and forth and redraw areas of the face and jaw to get the features more even.
I also see that the entire figure leans to one side, and strive to fix that. It’s very common for drawings to lean one way or the other.
At this point, i think I’ve nailed the face and form, and I clean up the drawing to prepare for painting.
The Painting begins!
The edges of the painting are lined, and it is attached to my drawing board with acid free artist tape.
Thank you! Seeing your process is very interesting and helpful!
Zowie!
That's gorgeous.
I'm an old school comic nerd from the 70s. Jim Aparo's Batman is my ride or die, but I love your work! That cover is spectacular.
Your point about the mirror is something my oil painting mother taught me way back when. You obviously learned the lesson better than me!
I'd say 'super work', but this is really 'bat work'.