These here pieces are a few recent commissions I did of my Zegas characters, Emily & Boston. It’s weird drawing commissions because there’s little room for mistakes. Zero room, actually, and so I was super careful in the inking and hand coloring. Considering how messy I can be sometimes, I’m proud at how clean they turned out!
On the flip side, I’ve been toying around with digital coloring these past few weeks, and who better to practice on than the Black Terror? You may have seen this guy around, he’s one of those public domain Golden Age properties. It’s basically the Punisher with a cape… how could I not draw that? The drawing itself is in ink and his gray/yellow suit is hand colored, the rest is digital. Although it looks like the simplest, most rudimentary set of choices, what you see here is me trying to figure this whole coloring thing out.
It was fun, but I don’t know if I’d like to do an entire comic like that. It would take forever. For now, I’ll try to stick to what I know.
8 replies on “Zegas Commissions & the Black Terror”
Glad you stuck your toe in that digital pool.
You may fall in though!
Cool Commissions!
I like that thick black line you’re putting around your figures. I couldn’t get away with it, but you rock it nicely. The color is good too- even though I know Photoshop intimately since I use it in my day job, digital coloring is a frustrating mystery to me.
Oh shit. Ya gotta draw BLACK TERROR! I suddenly “see” his potential.
Boston and Emily are sublime. As they should be! Their duo portrait would make for a great cover and/or teaser.
BT’s foot-in-the-dust effect is wild. I love the line technique you’re rocking. It looks like you nib most of the drawing and then selectively dry-brush chunks of it? Badass!
Tim, NEVER… and thanks!
Johnny, a frustrating mystery is right. I’m surprised I got this far, actually. If I can do it, you can definitely pull out a flat color or two.
Dino, I’v always liked the way BT looked, despite his lame origin. Is it weird that I have a gazillion stories for him?
Kiel, I usually do the thick dry brush first, then go in with the thin lines. It really depends on the drawing. One day I hope to not have to use a think line at all! At least for a story or two.
I, too, dig the shit out of that thick dry-brush outline! It just fuckin’ WORKS, man! You’re an inspiration to us late-20’s early-30’s wannabe cartoonists, Mr. Fiffe, and long may you reign…..
Ant
…and what tools do you use to ink, please, if that isn’t too rote of a boring question….G-nib? Cheap mop-headed No.3 brush? Us wannabe cartwoontwists want to know this sort of thing, mang….
Vollsticks, you flatter me, sir. About tools, I just use a Hunt 107 nib for thin lines, lettering, and most of my inking. For any dry brush stuff, I use any ol’ brush that I happen to have around. The crappier the better (I sometimes use cleaner brushes for coloring).