Retro Post_Batman.

A cover for Batman:Legends of the Dark Knight from a few years ago. Very pleased with this image and continues my focus on headshots and faces as the primary element of the cover. It's an approach that is also seen in my Dredd pics too.

Batman_sketch.

A sketch from the Paris Manga weekend. Played around with the familiar Batman profile sketch (a favourite on the circuit) and added another visual motif with the bats and moon. Might work this up a bit more when I have time but an interesting and fairly positive experiment. The fan was delighted.

Batman. Sketch.

Batman. Sketch. Bristol. May 2012.

One of my favourite sketches from Bristol Comic expo last month was this Batman. I normally sketch a profile of the Caped Crusader but was asked for a full figure instead and really concentrated on the cape this time. Worked up the texture hoping for a leather effect and fairly pleased with the end result. Added a quick background for some depth to the piece. Another satisfied fan.

Batman.

After the positive response to the Dredd piece I thought that Batman would be an appropriate follow up. The caped crusader profile was done on the same day as the Dredd colour test and was a direct response to the convention sketch version I have been doing for the last few shows. Again, for speed and reference, a couple of photos were taken and used as the base colour layer for this image. I worked up the texture of the leather cowl (still not quite right) and chiselled the chin into a suitablely heroic profile. Digital painting finished the piece off and overall I am very happy with the final composition. Not bad for a three hour turnaround.

Would a background help? Almost certainly, but too many choices confuse me and I would eventually spend longer deciding on a background than on completing the actual painting. Sometimes the simplest choice is the best. Having said that, next Thursday's post may well feature the Batman with a cityscape behind (same with Dredd!) Stay tuned...