Roughs and Raw Ink

What an exciting week! Wasteland #33 came out last Wednesday and I've been blown away by the great response the book has generated. Oni has a post up on their site that features some of the highlights from the reviews it's been given. Check it out HERE.

Also, I didn't do a very good job pimpin' the fact that the book was available digitally the same day it was released in your LCS. Wasteland #33 is available in digital form at Comixology, and I believe the rest of the arc should be released the same way over the course of the next six months. Check out the book digitally HERE.

I LOVE to see artists' process and sketches, and I'll try to put up this kind of thing as much as possible on my blog. I've often remarked that there's an energy in sketches and comps that is special, and it seems like the best artists are the ones who can capture that energy in their finished work. There is a balance and mindset to making the finished product look effortless, and this has been in the forefront of my mind as I've been drawing these past months.

Here are my roughs for the first few pages of Wasteland #33. I try and stay pretty loose, mostly interested with spatial relationships and value patterns. I really put a lot of emphasis on storytelling and design, and it's here that I make sure that everything has good rhythm and read. Click 'em to get a closer look.

After some mulling over and a bit of collaboration with Antony, I make notes on the comps and adjust what can be improved upon. Most pages have at least one observation written down, whether it's a revision or just a note to keep in mind. Here are the finished pages, ink to tone.

Thanks for checking out the work and supporting the book! More soon...

Wasteland #33 Out This Week and more Prelim Sketches

The time has finally come- Wasteland #33 hits stands Wednesday and for only $1! I couldn't be more excited for the release of this book and to see what folks think of the return of Michael and crew.

As I write this I'm only a couple weeks from completing pencilling/inking of the final issue of the arc and I can't help but reflect on what a wild ride it was getting to here. Over the course of the last 6 months, we've bought a home, moved twice, had a baby, and endured a crazy set of holidays. I'm proud that this book has stayed on schedule despite it all and I think it's some of the best work I've done to date. It's an exciting milestone to see this issue out and on time.

Here is the last of the new characters preliminary sketches I did, the last one being Zakk!

As you'll soon find out, Zakk is another of the major characters in this upcoming arc. These sketches are probably the loosest of the group, although I particularly liked the bottom right face. The drawings were used to get a feel for the character but I think this one stuck as a solid reference. 

Wasteland Prelim Sketches- Father Affon

This week's Wasteland sketch is Father Affon!

(Click to Enlarge)

Another of the character who will be introduced in next week's Wasteland #33, Affon plays a pivotal role in the upcoming storyline. I really had fun designing him, trying to put across the junxtaposition between his withering body but very strong will. Maybe it's drawing all of the wrinkles and such, but I always seem to enjoy drawing the older folks.

Also, There is a 6 page preview that went up on Warren Ellis' site yesterday, where he shows off some new pages and was said some nice things about the book. Check it a small piece of the new story here.

Wasteland Prelim Sketches- Rikerd

Happy New Years everybody! This week's Wasteland character sketch: Rikerd!

(Click to Enlarge)

What better way to kick off the new year than to show off one of the new characters to the Wasteland mythos. Unlike some of the other characters, I had a very clear idea of how I wanted Rikerd to look after reading through the script and he has definitely been one of my favorites to work on. I don't want to give away anything, but I will say he plays a major part in our story and I was really pleased with the way his sketches turned out.