Markers and material study.

So I have done fifty-some pinups at this point, and I am changing gears a little. I decided that if I am going to make myself paint more I need to just jump into it and I thought a good place to start is material studies.  I did these as an exercise in school a few years ago, and if I can do with these with what I did with the pinups, then in a couple of months these will start to look a lot stronger.  So I'm not posting these out of any "Look at ze PAINTING, children!" kind of pride, but to keep myself accountable. This is the art equivalent of practicing your spelling before you actually write any stories. It is tedious but important.  You can't write the Great American Novel with emojis and memes of walruses. So let's get the worst part over with.

Wood
Limestone
Obsidian
Gold
Muffin
Watermelon.

I think I'm gonna ditch the fairy wings. Just gonna draw some warriors on birds.  Deal.

Fairies on birds?

I saw a painting of a fairy riding a bird and I to try it myself. But I had to arm my fairies.  Because.

First I tried some markers, then some smaller water-colour-markers.  The bottom one I just inked by hand then painted in Photoshop - I think I like it the most so I am gonna try a few more pieces like that, I think.  More practice painting, even just kinda half-ass-shading like I did here is good practice.  Gotta ease into painting more.

Marker pin-ups 14

More pin-ups!  I came across a list of the greatest martial artists in the Marvel Universe (actually a forum where people were arguing over who gets to be on the list) and I grabbed a few of the lesser-knows (to me).

Spiral - A six-armed, time-travelling master of hand-to-hand-to-hand-to-hand-to-hand-to-hand and weapons specialist that uses dancing to do magic.  She's a badass. 

Ares - The God of War.  He can lift 70 tons and is, you know, a god of war.  So the dude can fight.  Plus he looks fetching in his tunic.

Arkon - Old enemy of the Fantastic Four and the Avengers.  He is both a kidnapper and attempted-atomic-armageddon-instigator.  He wanted to blow up all the atomic weapons on earth so that his planet could absorb the energy and stabilize its rings.  You know how rings get.  Iron Man fixed it though. It is cool.

Silver Sable - International mercenary, bounty hunter and CEO of her own company.She's in the new Spider-Man cartoon but I have not seen it yet.  She's all kinds of dangerous.

Marker pin-ups 13

So I have now crossed the line of fifty pinups.  Definitely doing better than the first few - I reeeeally think I should be doing these on better paper.  Some bristol or something - the mid-tone sketchbook is beautiful but kind of absorbent for the markers.  So I'll get to that once I am done with this book.  For reals.

The Guardians of the Galaxy!

No, really.  Bug, Mantis, Moondragon and Adam Warlock.  Bug is kinda like Spider-man, without webs, but with a spear.  Mantis is one of the greatest martial artists in the Marvel universe (respect).  Moondragon is one of the greatest martial artists / psychics / masters in all human endeavours and Adam Warlock is the saviour that comes out of a creepy cocoon to save whole swathes of the universe from super bad shit. He also looks fabulous in crimson booty shorts and tunic with gold accent belt and bracers.  I should write these like the red carpet interview things at the Oscars.

"Moondragon! Moondragon, who are you wearing?"

"I am rocking a monochromatic sling thong with matching boots and gloves.  Also, a popped collar on a swoopy cape."

"What about your hair?"

"I traded it for supreme knowledge of kung fu and telepathy."

"Wonderful!"

Aw dang I meant to make Mantis' hair more black.  Next time, Mantis.  Next time.

Marker pin-ups 12

So I tackled the original "Guardians of the Galaxy".

Yondu - The guy who whistled at his arrow in the movie and it killed shit. They did a pretty slick redesign for the movie... This is what he originally looked liked. And he controlled arrows with whistling and singing.

Nikki - Genetically designed to live on Mercury (as you do) Nikki is resistant to radiation and has an on-fire head.

Starhawk - Named Aleta Ogord, there is a whole convoluted history where she joined the team and then merged consciousnesses and whatever and looked pretty good and fought space-crime and I don't know what else.  There was also a dude named Starhawk, but I drew her/him like this 'cause she rocks a v-neck.  So does Yondu.  And Nikki.  This team is big on V-necks.

Charlie-27 - Genetically designed to live on Jupiter, Charlie-27 is hella strong and durable.  And self-conscious of his thick thighs. So, on Jupiter's surface you would weigh 2.4 times what you do on Earth.  I thought for sure it was way higher than that.  I mean, you would shoot through the surface because it is all gaseous, but Charlie-27 has probably got some gas-floaty housing. Yeah.  2.4 times as much.

Pen sketching

Just finished a sketchbook

Sketchbook number 25 is full and shelved.  Here are some sketches from it.  One-lines are 90 seconds, pencil sketches are about 5 minutes.

Marker pin-ups 11

Chosen from the ranks of the Legion of the Unliving. These boys were all alive at some point, but after they died they were resurrected by the Grandmaster and sent to fight the Avengers. Korvac, Terrax the Tamer, Baron Blood, and Death Adder. 

Their claims to fame:

Korvac stole the Power Cosmic and killed a bunch of heroes, notably Captain America and Wonderman (don't worry - they got better).

Terrax the Tamer was a Herald of Galactus, but never seemed to be able to get his shit together and gets played around by Doctor Doom, the Fantastic Four and Annihilus. Although he HAS destroyed at least one planet in its entirety.

Baron Blood is a Nazi-acrobat-vampire (as you do) who was been staked, decapitated and / or killed by Captain America, Union Jack, the Invaders, Namor, a different Union Jack, and an english army officer. He is also a professor at the Latverian School of Science.

Death Adder killed M.O.D.O.K., was shot and killed by the Scourge of the Underworld, was resurrected and killed Tigra, SURVIVED a fight with the Punisher and was then killed by Venom.

For the record, most of the people I have drawn I have only a passing familiarity with, and all the stories I tell about them I get from wikipedia.

Marker pin-ups 10

Not villains, although a lot of characters play for both sides, as it were.  Also, One of these MAY be Enchantress in disguise.  Which makes everyone kind of suspect.  Valkyrie, Thundra, Tigra, and Hellcat.  I didn't know that Tigra hooked up with Ant-man for a while.  Did you guys know that?  I did not know that.  Valkyrie's expression is my favourite of these.  Like she just shivved a frost giant and is all delicately surprised that something happened off to her left.

Marker pin-ups 9

The Masters of Evil! Same group as Baron Zemo's, just some different villains running with the name. Cardinal, Skein, Crimson Cowl and Man-Killer.  She's got Pym particles, hence the foreshortening. Still having trouble making the guys look pin-up-y and not just stretchy.  Friend of mine said to go more classic pin-up pose.  I dunno.  More practice.