Zulu's art

[zuludelta]

Again, I hope you don't mind Zulu... I was just messing around.

Dude, that's awesome!  :thumbup: He definitely looks more intimidating with the goggles down.

Anyway, here's a Silver Surfer piece I've been sitting on for a while now:

[BatWing]

thats pretty cool zuludude :thumbup:

[psychopanda]

Nice job(s)!

A few suggestions: Deathblow could use a slightly darker background and Snake-Eyes (I really like) pose looks a little wonky, mainly the angle of his right leg.

The warp effect on the Silver Surfer piece looks very nice. Looks like you're really nailing down this new "animation" style of yours.

I'm also getting intrigued about this darn secret project that keeps getting mentioned!  :lol:

[zuludelta]

Nice job(s)!

Thanks!

A few suggestions: Deathblow could use a slightly darker background and Snake-Eyes (I really like) pose looks a little wonky, mainly the angle of his right leg.

Suggestions noted. I'll probably go in and improve on Snake-Eyes when I work on the rest of the GI Joe images I have planned (thinking of doing the five figures included in the 25th anniversary set, and maybe the Cobra set as well, if I can find the figures).

EDIT: modified Snake-Eyes

The warp effect on the Silver Surfer piece looks very nice. Looks like you're really nailing down this new "animation" style of yours.

Glad you like it. The style is as much about saving me effort (I'm lazy that way) as it is making things look neat and minimalist. I'm not the fastest worker in the world so I want to get as much visual information out there with as little deliberate detail as possible.

I'm also getting intrigued about this darn secret project that keeps getting mentioned!  :lol:

Hopefully, we can make it worth all the intrigue I've managed to pique in you guys  :)

[zuludelta]

Here's the 1990s Ghost Rider:



I've always preferred the bike on the Daniel Ketch incarnation of Ghost Rider, just looks speedier and less "Easy Rider" to me. Also, the chopper/Harley-Davidson is quickly becoming the hallmark of middle-aged men trying to live out their fantasies while they go through mid-life crises and is this close to becoming the anti-thesis of cool and we just can't have an uncool Ghost Rider... the guy's practically a distillation of everything cool in superhero comics.

[Ajax]

I agree the Harley is becoming a trademark of the weekend rider, men in their middle ages trying to recapture their youth, but the choppers (Harleys stripped down to maximize speed) will forever be associated with the Hell's Angels. Reguardless I like your Ghost Rider pic, especially the coloring.

[zuludelta]

I agree the Harley is becoming a trademark of the weekend rider, men in their middle ages trying to recapture their youth, but the choppers (Harleys stripped down to maximize speed) will forever be associated with the Hell's Angels. Reguardless I like your Ghost Rider pic, especially the coloring.

Glad you like the pic. As for Harleys (and Harley-style motorcycles) losing their "cool" cachet, you can probably pin it on the mainstreaming of biker culture courtesy of shows like American Chopper and the general tendency of media outlets to oversaturate the market with a particular product when they see a potential hit.

Anyway, got inspired to continue working on the Heroes for Hire image I started a few weeks ago after reading the first Immortal Iron Fist TPB (I heartily recommend it... read my review in the "How Were They" thread). Here's an update:



I'm still missing Luke Cage, and a member from the mid-1990s post-Onslaught Heroes Reborn team, who'll most likely be She-Hulk or White Tiger (or maybe both, if I feel up to it).

[Panther_Gunn]

Heroes for Hire:

I look at this, and who do I see?

Michelle Yeoh, Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, and Coffy (Pam Grier).  Is Luke Cage gonna be Shaft? :lol:

Iron Fist has no chin.  Behind his beard is just another fist.   :lol:

[zuludelta]

Heroes for Hire:

I look at this, and who do I see?

Michelle Yeoh, Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, and Coffy (Pam Grier).  Is Luke Cage gonna be Shaft? :lol:

Ha! Neat observation  :D. Shang-Chi as Bruce Lee is the only straight-up reference to an actual person (consciously, at least), though, but I can see how you arrived at the others. Colleen Wing was very roughly based on one of my former classmates (who also happens to be a wushu practitioner), Iron Fist was basically Iron Fist crossed with every other guy in the UFC, and Misty Knight is inspired by Halle Berry's badonkadonk  :lol:

I'm thinking of going with a young Mike Tyson for Luke Cage... kidding kidding, although now that I think about it, it wouldn't be such a bad idea...

Iron Fist has no chin. Behind his beard is just another fist.

Good one. My favourite's probably "Time waits for no man. Unless that man is Chuck Norris."

[zuludelta]

Been in something of a creative funk. Normally, what I usually do is step away from the drawing table (or the mouse, as it were) and do something else, but I still do quick drawings/paintings of things I'm familiar and comfortable with on the side so I don't get too rusty. In my case, the default subject of choice has always been the female form (huuuge fan  :lol:):

[zuludelta]

Real quick, animated-style Dickie Grayson, but without the goofy mullet, and with proper-length eskrima staves:



Here's the Red Skull, loosely based on the UK miniature figurine that's cropping up in comic book shops all over town:

[detourne_me]

Here's something of an accident:



The whole thing was actually supposed to be an original character design for a project I'm working on but I decided to discard this particular concept. I felt like it would be such a waste seeing as how I put in a couple hours worth of work into it, so I just changed up a few things and turned it into an "Ultimate Batman" piece.

I may actually build a skope of this guy,  he looks awesome!
and great work on the red skull and nightwing,  i'd love to see a toon based on your designs.
it's liie a cross between peter chung and genndy tartovsky.

[zuludelta]

i'd love to see a toon based on your designs.
it's liie a cross between peter chung and genndy tartovsky.

Ooh, you just made my morning, since I practically worship at the altar of Tartakovsky and Chung (although I also go to the church of Chuck Jones and Craig McCracken on alternating Sundays :lol:), thanks!

A 'skope of the design would be interesting to me, even if only to see if the design works just as well in 3d-form.

[zuludelta]

Been looking at a lot of "classic" superhero designs lately and trying to break down what is it about them that works, design-wise. Anyway, some Superman studies:

[Reepicheep]

man, zulu, these are looking very snazzy!

[Tortuga]

I like where this is going!

[MJB]

Lies! That was neither a bird OR a plane!

-MJB

[AfghanAnt]

I love the Batman redesign. It reminds me of the Red Son Batman costume which I'm a big fan of.

[zuludelta]

Thanks for the comments guys!

A couple of Wolverine images I did for my kindergarten-aged nephews over the weekend:

This first drawing is loosely inspired by Dave Cockrum's "Fiend-With-No-Name" from Uncanny X-Men #153


And this is a more traditional rendering:

[MJB]

The second pic needs arm hair added like the first one has.

-MJB

[zuludelta]

The second pic needs arm hair added like the first one has.

-MJB

good point and thanks for the suggestion. I held off on the arm hair because I didn't think adding that level of texture was consonant with the style I employed. In the end, I just added a darker tone to suggest the presence of hair, but I didn't do any actual hair texturing:

[MJB]

I don't know about it not working with your style but it sure looked cool. :)

Nice update. I'm no fan of Wolverine but I like how your version is actually short and dumpy looking.  Too many people want to draw him like Hugh Jackman and forget that he's actually a shortie.

-MJB

[zuludelta]

Did "a Greg Land" and traced over a photo for this one:



For those of you who aren't NBA fans, that's Steve Nash (point guard for the Phoenix Suns), probably Canada's greatest contribution to basketball since... well, the game of basketball itself (a lot of people forget that James Naismith was Canadian).

[MJB]

Nice jeorb and great Greg Land diss. :)

-MJB

[zuludelta]

Nice jeorb and great Greg Land diss. :)

-MJB

Poor Greg Land... he's quickly turning into this era's Rob Liefeld (not in terms of talent, mind you, but in terms of the controversy and bile his stuff generates amongst fans. I actually find Land to be a pretty decent artist when he isn't tracing over the cover of Backdoor Sluts IX for his Invisible Woman and Wasp drawings).

Anyway, here's Houston's Yao Ming, a real life Rocket Red (apologies to the DC fans mis-led by the title  :lol:... but he is a Rocket from Red China). Similar to the Nash pic, I overlaid the colours over a photo (except I freehanded most of the face this time, since I didn't fancy his grimace in the original photo):

[Tomato]

Your art is awesome and I think your style is the most original I've ever seen. Your recent "Greg Land" drawings look awesome, but strangely all your other fictional work looks just as good.

[MJB]

You should link the original photos.

Great job on the Yao pic. Nice likeness. :)

-MJB

[zuludelta]

Thanks for the comments guys. Lemme see if I can find links to the original photos... here's the Nash pic, it's from the playoffs from his first or second season with the Suns, I think (judging from the fact that Marquis Daniels was still with the Mavericks in this pic). The Yao pic I referenced isn't showing up on Google for some reason, but it's basically the same shot as this (from a slightly more elevated angle and with a different uniform).

[zuludelta]

Haven't been drawing a lot lately because I'm busy boning up on cartooning basics and techniques. Anyways, I'm reading a couple of books/trade magazine compilations that I think anybody can benefit from. My current reading list:

Draw and Paint Crazy Cartoon Characters - written by animator Vincent Woodcock, provides a lot of sound, fundamental advice on anatomy, caricaturing, and character design with a slant towards animation, but also applicable in comics and graphics work.

The Best of Draw! Vol.1 - Mike Manley compiles some of the best featured articles in Draw! magazine in this hefty paperback. This includes inking tutorials by inking gods Klaus Janson and Ricardo Villagran, a figure drawing demonstration by Bret Blevins, an in-depth article on computer-based illustration by Dave (Watchmen) Gibbons, a Phil Hester retrospective, a discussion with Samurai Jack creator and animator Genndy Tartakovsky, and a webcomics walkthrough by Steve Conley (who's probably more famous for his webdesign work). 

Artists on Comic Art - Mike Salisbury interviews 11 of the more influential comic book artists today (including Jim Lee, Dave Gibbons, J. Scott Campbell, John Romita, Jr., Alex Ross, Frank Miller, Dave McKean, Brian Bolland, and Joe Quesada). It doesn't really provide much in the way of tutorials or step-by-step production but provides a lot of insight into the thought processes that go on behind drawing good comics.

Rough Stuff Vol.1 - A collection of articles showcasing pencil roughs, design sketches, and basic storyboards by guys like John Byrne, Bruce Timm, Art Adams, and others.

I'm also re-reading author and critically acclaimed comic book writer Steven Grant's series of "Creating Comics" online articles. A lot of good, practical insights on the plotting and writing process (liberally sprinkled with Grant's sharp wit, blunt criticism, and political commentary), although some of it runs contrary to the ideas espoused by Scott McCloud (probably the foremost contemporary authority on comics writing... I'm willing to give Grant the benefit of the doubt on these, though. After all, he's the one who's sold more comics scripts and screenplays).

Creating Comics Step 1 (Introduction)

Step 2 (The Theme)

Step 3 (Characters)

Step 4 (Plot vs. Characterization)

Step 4B (More on Plot)

Step 5 (The Setting)

Step 6 (More on Characterization)

Step 7 (Dialogue in Theory)

Step 7B (Dialogue in Practice)

Step 8 (The Nuts, Bolts, and Mechanical Aspects of Comics Writing)

Step 9 (The Pitch)

Step 10 (Comic Book Art Basics, Part 1)

Step 11 (Comic Book Art Basics, Part 2)

Step 12 (Penciling)

Timing in Comics: An article where Grant discusses the concept of timing in comics, and makes reference to McCloud's work in Understanding Comics (BTW, after reading some of Grant's articles you might find that some of his own techniques, philosophies and ideas run counter to that of McCloud's, they both make good points, IMO, but I tend to put slightly more weight on Grant's practical advice and shorthand techniques since he's had more commercial success in his career so far)

Step 13 (Comic Book Covers)

[BentonGrey]

Cool list Zulu.  I haven't commented on your work lately, but it's all really awesome.  I especially like your Wolverine, he looks so compact and surly.  I like the last version most.  Your classic Superman isn't quite as big as I usually like to see him, but you really capture the grace of the characters flight.  Very awesome.  That Ghostrider is awesome, I love how you did the burning tires, very cool.

You know what character I'd really love to see your take on?  Aquaman, I think it'd be interesting, especially considering the grace many of your interpretations have.