240 replies to this topic

[Michael Stranger]

A couple of new things:

[Lucian Von Dooom]

As always Michael, you impress me. I love the baseball one.

[Michael Stranger]

Thank Lucian, mate. Very kind of you to say! I like the latest page even more but this watercolour business is a tricky beast.

In other news, thought I'd post a note about some prints I'm selling on ebay -


- an A1 size canvas of Gizmo from Gremlins, and A4 glossy prints of Back To The Future, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Airwolf, Batman, Lost Boys and Short Circuit. If you're interested, please pop over to ebay and have a look!

Click!

[Mike Cooper]

They're kind of cool. How are you doing them? There's obviosuly a photo involved at the start - looking at the Back to the Future one and Obi-Wan. Are you rotoscoping them digitally, or doing them in traditional media with some sort of projection?

Its a really cool effect - looking at the detail in Gizmo he's compleetly abstract till you pull back and see the representational image.

[Michael Stranger]

Yeah, I guess digital rotoscoping is the most accurate way to describe it. Don't want to go too deep into the process though as it took me a long while to work out!

[Michael Stranger]

Happy New Year, all.

Something I did on the theme of 'renewal' - kind of inspired by New Year's Day's atrocious hangover.

[Mike]

Ha, awesome!

Got a text from my mother saying she had 'accidentally' opened an envelope addressed to me because she 'thought it might be something important' (see the contradiction there!) and 'it was a picture of some Transformer thing'. Cheers Mike, and a Happy New Year to you too!

[Sanjay]

Nice Mike, was that all colour photoshopped (apart from the sketch)? I like the textures.

[Michael Stranger]

Ha, awesome!

Got a text from my mother saying she had 'accidentally' opened an envelope addressed to me because she 'thought it might be something important' (see the contradiction there!) and 'it was a picture of some Transformer thing'. Cheers Mike, and a Happy New Year to you too!

Oh cool, glad it arrived! I wish Jonny-5 was a Transformer. Although he'd probably be a bit crapper than Wheelie.

Nice Mike, was that all colour photoshopped (apart from the sketch)? I like the textures.

Thanks Sanjay! This one was actually all done by hand then composited in photoshop - the picture was sketched, then shaded with grey marker pen, then watercoloured (with zip-a-tone for the leaves and the pill). Made the background separately by collaging some photos then sponging over them with white acrylic. But yeah, used photoshop to place the sketch over the background.

Hope to see you two in Lisbon in March, if you're able!

[Sanjay]

Thanks Sanjay! This one was actually all done by hand then composited in photoshop - the picture was sketched, then shaded with grey marker pen, then watercoloured (with zip-a-tone for the leaves and the pill). Made the background separately by collaging some photos then sponging over them with white acrylic. But yeah, used photoshop to place the sketch over the background.

Hope to see you two in Lisbon in March, if you're able!

Yeah, I asked as I thought the watercolors were too organic to be PS.

A slightly thick acrylic ground always leaves a nice texture to work on (dries quick too!) I alwys used to start off with painting my sheet or canvas a neutral brown (a more warmer burnt sienna color) as it really let me decide the high and low tones of the piece.

As for Lisbon - I'd love too mate, if I'm cash-happy nearer to the time (we certainly need to return the favour to the city that Bruno has done upon ours! ), it's been too long since we've all had a drink-up.

[Michael Stranger]

Got some new sketchbooks for Christmas, so getting a lot of practice in at the moment (next page is three-quarters painted, Mr. Ayers!). Trying to sketch as much as possible, hoping to go freelance this year.

Thoughts and crits appreciated!

[Sanjay]

Nice Mike! What pen (or brush) did you use to ink the first two images? I love that organic look, the way you've used the line to create different textures on the first one really works.


Is that DiCaprio from Shutter Island in one of the pics? (nice colour palette there too)

[Michael Stranger]

Nice Mike! What pen (or brush) did you use to ink the first two images? I love that organic look, the way you've used the line to create different textures on the first one really works.


Is that DiCaprio from Shutter Island in one of the pics? (nice colour palette there too)

Thanks good sir!

I believe you may have met the brush in question. Same Pentel calligraphic brushpen, plus little lines done using an '01' Pilot drawing pen (only just started using two pens to ink, and it seems to make a nice difference). Did most of the shading on all the pics with a grey marker.

Yep, that's DiCaprio and a less successful Mark Ruffalo - loved the book, interested to see what Scorcese's done with it...

When're you going to post a thread of pics? I'm really curious what you get up to!

[Sanjay]

Ah of course, I have met that marvellous pen. I may have to look out for something similar. Yeah, Using more than one type of pen or brush can bring out some nice textures.

I want to get some pics up as I have quite a few done (along with some sequential art) - but I currently have scanning issues.

(I was debating holding off on reading Shutter Island before the film, the trailer does looks interesting. I've read most of Dennis LeHane's other books, they're a speedy yet quite enjoyable read.)

[Michael Stranger]

Ooh, forgot to add this one I did last night. My lovely other half, cold.

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[Mike Cooper]

That latest one, of your other half in the woolly hat, just rocks!

I like the deeper colour palette, and the cross between the realism of the underlying pencils/layout with the stylised finish.

[Michael Stranger]

That latest one, of your other half in the woolly hat, just rocks!

I like the deeper colour palette, and the cross between the realism of the underlying pencils/layout with the stylised finish.

Thanks Mike, I really appreciate it. I'm getting more and more into inking at the moment, so it's nice for someone to notice the 'stylised finish'.

[Patrick A]

Yep, that's DiCaprio and a less successful Mark Ruffalo - loved the book, interested to see what Scorcese's done with it...

I just read this. Great book and I too am looking forward to the movie.

[Michael Stranger]

I just read this. Great book and I too am looking forward to the movie.

Is a weird one isn't it - could be the sort of story that's made into a terribly hokey film wth the wrong director, like one of those crappy 'psychological horror' films like Along Came A Spider, Stir Of Echoes or Gothika ... but with Scorcese, DiCaprio and Jackie Earle Haley involved I'm really interested in seeing it.

[Michael Stranger]

Some more commuting sketches in my little Winsor & Newton book. Trying to keep it regular, like a little daily journal: