Some more Roller Grrrls character trailers.

The Roller Grrrls project that I am working on with Anna Malady has been unfortunately postponed over the last few months due to work and schedule commitments and personal distractions. Back on the series for a July release of the first episode. Here are some new teaser trailers for the characters. We have around thirty principal and secondary characters in the story and this format is proving to be a good way of introducing them to a new audience.

Roller Grrrls cover and spread sketches.

Been a while since I posted any Roller Grrrls work. Here are some sketched ideas for the cover and a double-page spread. The main concern for both layouts was the number of Grrrls in the series. Each team has fourteen characters and we have three teams. Only George Perez could pull off such a cast heavy group shot. I decided to split the characters over the two images instead. Tiered levels [either from physical steps or perspective] helps to make the scene less of a line-up. Prioritising main primary characters over secondary ones is a wee trick too. Overall I am pleased with this initial pass but it needs more tweaking before committing to inks.

You can see more progress on Roller Grrrls on our Facebook page

Roller Grrrls. Sketch.

Roller Grrrls pencils.

Behind the scenes sketches for proposed Roller Grrrls covers and characters this week. Tried some forced angles and a couple of Klimt parodies (Judith I and II). Just a small selection of ideas drawn on the train while passing the time. There's a proposed zombie chase cover and a locker room phonecall.

For more derby images please visit the Facebook page to order the Roller Grrrls sketchbook SK01 or email orders_rollergrrrls@hotmail.com for details.

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. A radial fracture break of the elbow kinds spoils the mood when trying to draw. Working through the worst of it.

Roller derby MCs.

A roller derby sketch of local Glasgow MC Gerry Helliverance Fog and GRDs Haberbashery who helps out in Edinburgh. Fairly pleased with this sketch. This image along with many others will soon appear in print when Roller Grrrls release their first sketchbook magazine in a couple of weeks!

Pop by theRoller Grrrls Facebook page and keep up to date with the launch and other exciting RGs news!

Roller Grrrls. Teal Leone. Character sketch.

Here is another Roller Grrrls character sketch. I have included the pencils (drawn in biro) and the finished  inks. No layouts for this episode as the idea was very clear in my head and I could see instantly how the end result would look. There was a subtle change to Teal's right arm in the first panel but very little else is different. So very pleased with this small vignette.

Roller Grrrls birthday image for LRG!

LRG Birthday Card. Gray version.

Wishing the London Roller Girls a very happy sixth birthday! Derby Love to everyone on the team, NSOs and fans from Roller Grrrls. 

Lineart.




















 Colour version.

Roller Grrrls. Promotional trailer. Evolution.

The Roller Grrrls promotion trailers went live on Tuesday and feature vignettes of our characters leading up to the leads Mouse, Snow and Anna. The second teaser features Bridget, our comprehensive teacher.The following images show the four stages of how each of these episodes are created. It is also the same process I use for most artwork.

Layout. Biro. The most important part of the whole creative process. It defines the composition. Everything that follows is polishing that original idea.

Next step is pencils. I use a brushpen on 90gm tracing paper and treat this a first draft ink pass. It takes a lot of confidence but after twenty plus years it works for me (mostly) Some minor additions (her waiscoat) are made and corrections too.

Inks next. The waistcoat didn't work so I dropped it. The pencils are flipped and I ink in reverse as it allows me to correct a skew (eyelines and perspectives especially) Details are tightened up too. The reference below is shown correctly for the purpose of continuity. The third panel was drawn earlier.

This is a raw scan only and still requires processing in Photoshop. Contrast and levels passes make for a sharper and blacker line. Some additional corrections and cropping are made and the image is finally flipped one last time back to it's correct orientation. Lettering and logo are added and then the post is uploaded. Repeat this every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday! ;)

For more Roller Grrrls images and further trailers you can visit our hub at www.rollergrrrls.com

Band. Sketch. Work in progress.

Band. Sketch. Work in progress. Biro on 90gm xerox paper.

Roller Grrrls. Inside Line magazine.

Jessica Ali from Inside Line magazine asked Roller Grrrls to contribute a couple of illustrations for an article regarding roller derby injuries to be included in their third edition. This is our second illustration for the magazine. Yel Zamor did the colour and Anna Malady worked on the lineart. We are very pleased with the end result and this is an alternate version to the one printed (red background instead of the original blue/gray)

For more information and ordering the magazine (with stickers) you can contact Inside Line magazine direct by email at info@insidelinemagazine.co.uk or visit their site here. They also have a Facebook site here. Go buy a copy now! ;)

For more Roller Grrrls action please visit our hub at www.rollergrrrls.com

Roller Grrrls. Process.

Rather than showing a sketch for this post, I considered instead to put up some of the early process work I do towards creating a page or cover. This is the most fun part for me as there are many ideas that come out of this stage of the process and you are free to experiment with more radical views or perspectives. For this cover, I wanted a Jammer's (player's) POV of the pack crossing over her (after her fall). Roller derby is a full-contact sport and that immediacy and chaos needed to be at the fore-front of the image.



I worked out a simple pack formation and tried some tumbles to best provide the Jammer's POV (looking back) of the mayhem! Skewed perspective, close-cropping of figures and a sense of tightness to the pack helped convey the 'carnage'. This kinda thing is difficult with a static image so every trick in the book is employed where necessary! Still lots to work out with this cover but the initial sketches from this week look promising. I will check over again at the weekend with a fresh eye after day job commitments and hopefully spark some more elements to add or tweak?

While trying to nail the perfect composition for the client or project, there will be many initially discarded layouts (for a variety of reasons) but these will eventually be recycled back into other books or projects. Nothing is ever wasted (not even your time!) Roller Grrrls for example, was originally born out of an idea for an all-female Serenity spin-off called Helles Belles that went as far as layouts, but the cold hard realisation of doing a lot of concept design and character developement really put that project on hold (an overly complex idea for a personal project ) and sadly meant it was shelved for a couple of years until Mhairi and I realised that major elements of the concept could be fashioned into Roller Grrrls. A lot of the characters and personal relationships and social dynamics stayed. The girls camaradre too. All good! The laser guns and hyperspace ideas were grudgingly jettisoned! ;)



Helles Belles will still be something to look over again at some stage but right now the contemporary setting of Roller Grrrls is proving 'easier' to work with and more immediately enjoyable. It also proves instantly loved by fans who 'get' the concept quickly. No genre to confuse or distract. Just roller derby action and real lives. Eastenders on skates? Or Love and Rockets on flat track! You decide!

You can see more roller derby work by visiting our hub at www.rollergrrrls.com

Roller Grrrl. Inside Line magazine.

Jessica Ali from Inside Line magazine asked Roller Grrrls to contribute a couple of illustrations for an article regarding roller derby injuries to be included in the third edition. Yel Zamor did the colour and Anna Malady worked on the lineart. We are very pleased with the end result and one of the smaller images is included here.



For more information and ordering the magazine (with stickers) you can contact Inside Line magazine direct by email at info@insidelinemagazine.co.uk or visit their site here. They also have a Facebook site here. Go buy a copy now! ;)

For more Roller Grrrls action please visit our hub at www.rollergrrrls.com

And Now for Something Completely Different!

It's official! Roller Grrrls has the BEST DERBY FANS EVER! Many thanks to Marie Roz Maquerelle (Vermine Granger) for this wonderful tribute to our Caught Out Late At Night cover! Working on Roller Grrrls has proved to be a lot of fun and we have really been touched by this suitably quirky response. Marie's photograph captures the original image's off-kilter humour brilliantly! Love her gurning smile! Perfect!

Please check out Marie's wonderful photography at http://www.rocknrozpix.biz/

For more Roller Grrrls please visit the hub at rollergrrrls.com

Lil Rollers sketches.

The Lil Rollers are a project that my wife and I are working on. The five Grrrls shown here our the first incarnation and were given to the talented Abby Ryder to magically breath life into. Below is one of her finished designs. She has a real gift and we love how she has turned these characters ideas into the Lil Rollers. More of her lovely images can be seen at our rollergrrrls.com hub and on Tumblr.



Abby's personal site is here.

Another Roller Grrrl sketch.

I love roller derby. Simple.

This sketch of Sarah is one of many characters we are including in the Roller Grrrls project. It was done with brushpen at A5 on 90gms tracing paper. You can check out more images by clicking on our hub at rollergrrrls.com

Roller Grrrls! Eerie Erin.

Recently (when I have free time) I have been working on a roller derby comic (writing and drawing mostly) with my wife Mhairi and storyboarding colleague Anna Malady. We are also aided by the brilliant Yel Zamor on colour and the talented Abby Ryder on Lil Rollers. You can see more images and covers when you visit the Roller Grrrls hub at rollergrrrls.com.

This image here works well as a 'time out' piece from the main story. Erin waits her turn to enter the play. It captures the downtime perfectly and is so much more satisfying an image to work on than spandex heroes destroying giant robots and buildings. Very pleased with this image.

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