Superhero

by Eddy on October 31, 2010

in character design,digital,girls,process,sketches

superhero final illustration
This is my entry for a “design a superhero” competition announced on Jonathan Rector’s blog. Check it out here.

This involved creating a superhero and writing a description including name, superpowers, and traits. My character is a small town hairdresser that has the power to change into crusading crime fighter.
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Pitch: A small town hairdresser is caught in a nuclear test explosion in Los Alamos, New Mexico and transformed with super human powers.

Name: Hairpin
Real name: Betty D’Angelo (hairdresser and proprietress of D’Angelo Beauty Salon)

Superpowers:
When Betty transforms into Hairpin her hair becomes a deadly weapon.
Her modest ponytail grows over 12 feet to become a lethal cat-o’-nine tails lash alive with an electric charge. All her senses are heightened. She gains strength, agility, and acrobatic prowess.

She compliments her superpowers with weaponry that she designs herself. Her favourites are a pair of modified hairdryers that can fire heavy ammo. She is also known to use a curling tong that can slice through metal.

Traits
Betty D’Angelo she is cool, professional, bright, ambitious business woman. She prides herself on being a great hairdresser with a loyal clientele.

As Hairpin she is sassy, head strong, arrogant, impulsive and sometimes over confident. She is more likely to fight first and ask questions later. She is also very sensitive about her hair or lack of it. Any comments about her baldness evokes her wrath.
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My development sketches (below).

superhero sketch 03
superhero sketch 02
superhero sketch 01

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Character sketch02
Character sketch02
Character sketch01
Some pages from my sketchbook.
Media: Col erase blue pencil, lead pencil, PITT artist pens.

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Girls on paper

by Eddy on September 8, 2010

in character design,girls,sketches,traditional

girls on paper 02
girls on paper 01
A couple of sketchbook pages.

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Mad Monsters

by Eddy on September 4, 2010

in character design,sketches,traditional

mad monsters sketch 03
mad monsters sketch 02
mad monsters sketch 01

After reading Thom Taylor and Ed “Newt” Newton’s book “How to draw crazy cars and mad monsters” I was inspired to try a few of my own.

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Circus Kong

by Eddy on August 29, 2010

in character design,digital,process,sketches

Circus Kong illustration
For this self-promotion piece I went with a circus theme. My initial idea was to have a monster or creature standing behind the ringmaster with only it’s huge feet visible. That didn’t work because you couldn’t tell what you were looking at. Changing it to ape and revealing more of the leg made things clearer. I like the idea that you can only see a part of the ape and it adds to a sense of scale.

As for the style, my inspiration was mostly UPA animation and picture books from the 1950′s. I kept the drawing pretty simple with just enough rendering to show the form. Definitely tried to get away from the painterly look. You can see my development work below.

circus kong sketch 05

circus kong sketch 04

circus kong sketch 03
Redrew the ringmaster making him shorter and fatter and more cartoon like. The creature turned into an ape which seemed to fit the scene better.

circus kong sketch 02

circus kong sketch 01
My first attempt at the ringmaster (right) had him tall and elegant. In fact he looks more like an equestrian sportsman. I wasn’t sure what do with the creature either. I scrapped this version and started again.

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Party girls

by Eddy on August 16, 2010

in girls,process,sketches,traditional

party girl 01
party girl 02
The sketch on the left hand side is my initial drawing. (pencil/marker on photocopy paper). I then used detail paper to refine and tighten the drawing. (right)

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Sketches on coloured paper

by Eddy on August 3, 2010

in girls,sketches,traditional

coloured paper sketch 05
coloured paper sketch 04
coloured paper sketch 03
coloured paper sketch 01
coloured paper sketch 02

These sketches were done on Canson Mi-Teintes pastel paper with PITT oil based black pencil and ink. Highlights were added with a white conte pencil.

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Abigail

by Eddy on July 22, 2010

in digital,girls,process,sketches,traditional

Abagail colour 01
Here’s a colour sketch of 1970′s Aussie soap siren, Abigail. This is based on the photo below. As you can see I began quite realistically but then progressed to a more stylised caricature.
Abagail linework 01
Abigail sketch 02
Abigail sketch 01
Abigail photo

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Modesty Blaise

by Eddy on July 15, 2010

in girls,sketches,traditional

Modesty Blaise sketch 01
Modesty Blaise poster
A rough brush and ink sketch of Modesty Blaise. This wonderful Japanese poster for the film served as reference.

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After Kirby

by Eddy on July 14, 2010

in comic,sketches,traditional

Jack Kirby sketch 03
Jack Kirby sketch 01
Jack Kirby sketch 02
These pages are from a new sketchbook. I want to keep practicing with brush and ink and chose to copy some classic Jack Kirby panels. I have always loved Kirby’s work and his dynamic drawing is ideal for letting loose with the brush.

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