Posted in: Project Updates
I did an Angel & Faith variant for season 10 which will be available at WonderCon this month, info here ». Since there were already variants for this first issue of the new season, I took the chance to go especially gonzo.
I originally pitched this cover as a more simple version, with the Scoobies standing in a mall parking lot and looking into a sunrise. DH wanted a little more bang to it, mentioning the ending scene of The Avengers. So this is my version of that scene, with the battle worn gang, taking a quick donut break, while menace encroaches.
Dawn started with wilder eyes, but DH felt she looked too "donut crazy," which was the angle I was going for, but I altered them for a less sugar crazed look.
I'm still getting used to drawing young Giles, I made his hair a little too moppy...he developed an unintentional Eric Forman thing, between the clothing and the hair.
My cover for an upcoming “Spike” graphic novel, written by James Marsters, and published by Dark Horse. There’s an interview with James on i09 here.
Over the last ten years I’ve painted very little, only a few animal portraits and nothing else. I’ve had new paint and panels sitting around the last couple of years, with the intention of diving back in…it just took a while to get there.
Before I get moving full force, I thought I’d warmup with a self portrait. Traditionally, I dry-brush large portions of my paintings…but paint, mediums, and retarders have come a long way, so I’m trying to work the paint more like oils…it’s producing pretty good results so far.
This is part of the self portrait which I’m currently working on. The head is life size. The weather hasn’t been cooperating, so I’ve been spending more time working on the left side of my face, and will pick back up on the right side when I have stronger light from the window. Winsor & Newton glazing medium has proven to be very useful for blending and tinting…far better than using water, or regular medium.
I made a minor wrong-turn a few days ago when I impulively decided to dramatically change the lighting. An hour into darkening the left side of my face, I realized a made a mistake, and spent the rest of the day repainting and reclaiming what I had covered up.
Below is the creature, without The Occultist overlapping. The design was a mix of the writer's (Tim Seeley) description and my own ideas.
For this first issue of season ten, Dark Horse requested that I do an iconic feeling action scene involving Buffy and a number of zompires/vampires. I really wanted to portray Buffy seeming at the peak of her slaying power, strong and unflinching. I tailored her pose, as I imagined she might look channeling Conan the Barbarian, via Frazetta...and set the action high on the hills, so that I could have a wide expanse of sky as backdrop, framing her, back lit by a bright moon.
The Occultist #2 of 5, for November 2013.
With this second cover I started to hit my stride on this series. I veered towards stylization, which lends itself better to the costume and subject matter, rather than the more realistic rendering I had used previously.
Sketch on bond paper, 8"x10", title: "Speed Yer Head."
This is the final graphite sketch for the piece. I'll do some test renderings on scrap paper before I move onto the final piece. I plan on blocking in the background with graphite power to keep the wisteria soft...another element I'll need to practice on scrap first.
Above is the initial digital sketch. I first drew it digitally so I could more easily play with the scale ( I probably should have made it bigger). I printed the image and then lightboxed it onto the bond paper.
These were some scrap paper tests for the design of the masonry. I only decided on this more complicated design after I was close to finishing the graphite sketch. It's one of the reasons the piece could have stood to be bigger, but I'll just stick with mechanical pencils for the smaller details and rendering...and maybe a magnifying glass.
I also post this personal work, in a stripped down version, on my second tumblr »
Title: "Restraint, as Yet Unpracticed”
I haven't done a new Butterbroda piece in months, but I decided to jump back in. I also have had an upcoming licensing opportunity which I'll post more about soon.
Dark Horse is bringing back "The Occultist" for a new limited series in Oct 2013.
House of Gold & Bones comic, issue 3 variant cover. Series written by Slipknot’s Corey Taylor. More info here»
I've included the sketch below.
