Regarding Batman

Another sketch today. The Dark Knight, The Caped Crusader, Gotham's Vigilante/Playboy Billionaire Schizophrenic answer to yesterday's sketch of Superman. He's darker, harder and meaner but just as much of a tragic hero in my opinion. Again, the interest for me is in the emotional core of the character.


I always think of the Batsuit being run up on some Victorian sewing machine by Alfred - In the same way I like to imagine Martha Kent sowing up Clark's Superman suit - I'd end up with hundreds of 'sewn' lines if I let loose - the whole home-made thing really appeals to me - I mean, really, those hero suits HAVE to be home-made don't they?

Contemplating Superman

For a character I like so much and one that really did have a massive impact on my childhood - I draw Superman on surprisingly rare occasions.



When I do draw the character, I draw Superman, not Clark, never Clark and it's odd, because I always find that when I've finished drawing... the Superman I've drawn is Clark in a Superman suit... if you know what I mean.

Ernest Errol Quinch

After I posted DR yesterday, there were requests for his best friend to join him here - apparently you can't have one without the other.


There is one small regret I have with this sketch, and it has to do with when the doughnut idea happened - notably after I had sketched the signature smiley badge! The smiley always appears on that side of Quinch and so he would need to be seen from the other side from the jam-drip joke to work - ah well, if I decide to do a pic of DR& Quinch again, you know I'll make sure that I work it out so this idea works properly... BUT, that is what sketches are for, innit? - working things out!

Diminished Responsibility

Another sketch today... still busy beavering away on stuff I can't show.


This is DR, a classic character from the 2000AD archives. Created by Alan Moore and Alan Davis as a one-off Time-Twister - the character and his sidekick Quinch were a runaway success with the fans and gained their own series.

Johnny and Wulf

Been away for a couple of days. Seeing family & friends and speeding around like some sort of guided missile.


I snatched a few moments to sketch this one morning, whilst my lovely lady slumbered. No idea how long it took but I'm happy with it and as I'm still busy on a project I can't show - I thought I'd share it. Can't let the blog go without an update for too long!

V&A Illustration awards

I've entered the V&A Illustration Awards 2010 with the work I produced for Cambridge University Press. The work was for a couple of books published earlier in the year, but I have only entered with illustrations done for Tales of Terror.


My entries can be found here. It's all very exciting. Fingers crossed for me everyone!

The reason I entered was a twitter post I saw made by Dave Gibbons. Now, I'm not wholly sure I like twitter, but without it, I doubt I'd have entered...

Poppies

Remembrance.

Photo ©Kevin Levell

Dredd Heading (again)

15 minutes.



Not sure I like this Dredd as much as the one from yesterday. I'd like yesterday's to be my model from now on...

15 Minute Dredd Running

Whilst I'm busy on stuff I can't show... here's a morning warm-up.
Yup, 'nother one of those 15 minute Dredds!


I ran out of paper (and in some ways time also) hence the lack of Judge Dredd's boot on his leading leg!

...curse my haste, Dredd there is trailing an arm and a leg from the same side, a natural running pose would have opposite sides leading. Bless photoshop transform command - see how much better this is:

Zenith and Gronk

Earlier in the year, I illustrated two strips for the fab chaps at FutureQuake Press...
The first was Red Dragon, a Zenith prequel.


The second was Strontium Gronk, A Strontium Dog spin-off.


What do you mean you still haven't bought copies? GO NOW and order them... PLEASE?

Unlettered art for all the pages can be found both on my comicspace page and on my DeviantART.

Joker - Teeth

The next topic for DrawerGeeks is teeth and I did my piece early this time. As this was intended as a companion piece to Harley Quinn anyway, I decided to submit it to Scotch Corner as well - those lovely guys were kind enough to feature it over the weekend!


I, as I'm sure many others have been, was incredibly impressed with how the Joker was portrayed in The Dark Knight. A lot of that was down to Heath Ledger, but I thought the Chelsea Grin was a great idea and I don't know how original it was but I thought about trying to take that one step further, whilst I was sketching I reasoned: "What if the Joker had cut off his lips in order to create a permanent smile?". It's a horrible thought and it surprised me - sometimes you have to go with those thoughts and not self edit...