2016 Superhero Library Card! Exercise Your Mind!

Back again with yet another superhero-themed library card (see past card designs here)! The same North Carolina library system tasked me with creating this year's captivating card, and here it is! Click below to see its creation, in a sensational step-by-step process!

Below three images: Some rough ideas I submitted, retaining 

the idea of superhero action, mixed with reading and learning!

Below two images: The above "running profile" pencil 

sketch was chosen, and I began work fleshing out the 

two main superhero stars! It was decided to make the 

female fighter the main star, so, into the spotlight she goes!

Below: Characters are put in place, but the pencil 

sketch still needs some fine-tuning!

Below: The final pencil sketch!

Below: The final inked piece, ready for colors!

Below: The fully-rendered card, complete with 

colors and text in place!

Below: The finished lending card (with key-chain fob-tag)! 

I'll see ya at the library! 

Hey Hey! It's a Monkees Custom Guitar Neck Plate!

One of the oddest uses of my art has to be this one!

Super Monkees fan (as am I) Scott Murray was commissioned to create another one of his amazing custom Monkees-themed electric guitars, and approached me to ask if he could re-purpose my own Monkees artwork for a nifty neck plate for this new awesome ax!

Click below to view this amazing one-of-a-kind guitar, one I'm proud to be a part of!

Below: My original 1995 artwork!

Below two images: Scott's design for the guitar's rear neck 

plate, using the above artwork, re-formatted into the 

limited plate area!

Below four images: The printed and etched plates are ready 

to be attached to the guitar!

Below: The new custom guitar (bottom) seen with Scott's 

earlier color custom Monkees guitar (top)!

Below: The attached neck plate! This brass plate helps 

attach the neck to the body of the guitar!

Below: Even cool custom picks are created!

Below: New proud owner (Jodi Ritzen) poses next to the 

talented Scott Murray (holding his original custom ax)! 

Scott has also made other themed custom guitars such as 

a "Steve Jobs Apple guitar," and a George Harrison "Magical 

Mystery Tour" guitar! See them (and so much more) here, 

or at Scott's new site, over here!

Batwoman! A Limited-Color Illustration! Step-By-Step!

Here's a fun illustration I took on recently! Even tho I don't read the new BATWOMAN comics (or any current comics, really), I love the look and costume design of this bold DC Comics crime-fighter! I'm also a sucker for red-and-black used together in any way (on costumes, clothing, vehicles, design), so I just had to see if I could come up with a unique look for this unique character…Click each image below to enlarge! 

Below: This photo really caught my eye! That black 
and red (with no competition from any other 
colors) is just wonderful! This is cosplayer 
Cami Roebuck as Batwoman!

Below: My original quick pencil sketch, trying to 

capture the exactly pose and composition I 

envisioned for this illustration...

Below: A more refined pencil sketch, working with 

symmetry and very graphic design elements...

Below: The final inked artwork!

Below: Adding a bit of texture and atmosphere to the illustration...

Below, Working with the image in black and white, to 

gauge value and contrast, before adding actual color...

Below: Playing with adding the single color (on many b/w 

copies of the art), but how much? Where? Just 

the figure? The background? Both?

Below: Still playing with the color, and finally 

zeroing in on its final placement!

Below: The final, colored, finished artwork!

BATMAN-THE ANIMATED SERIES! More Rare Artwork and Designs!

Here, direct from my voluminous vaults, are more rare images from my work with the 90s BATMAN-THE ANIMATED SERIES properties! Click each to enlarge!

Below: The original cover art for a BATMAN "Mark and See" coloring book!

Notice how the publishing firm reversed the image, and substituted the loom-
ing visage of Killer Croc with an insidious image of the Joker? I wonder where 
they cribbed that Joker image…

Below: That's where that Joker artwork came from! Here 

is a style guide piece that spotlights the daring Dynamic Duo, 

doing their best to thwart an oversized death trap!

Below: Batman makes a leap from his own speeding 

Batmobile, to get the goods on some escaping thugs! I 

love the sense of motion and skewed perspective I was

able to achieve with this one!  A portion of the art was 

even used for the cover of the premiere BATMAN-THE 

ANIMATED SERIES DVD set, as well as a toy racing set!

Below: DC comics was being told that manufacturers wanted more

images of Batman and Robin together, and this was part of answering

that call! Again, lowering the viewer's perspective made for

an exciting layout, one that gets to include the Batmobile, too! 

This design was used for trading cards, package art, even

t-shirts!

Below: The original art for a dramatic scene of Robin and 

Batman, just as they complete the capture of their two greatest 

foes! Not sure where this art was re-purposed…T-shirts? 

Posters? Puzzles?

Below: Speaking of puzzles, here are my pencil roughs for a 

series of kid's puzzles that were tied into the 1997 BATMAN & ROBIN 

live-action film! It was interesting trying to depict the movie's 

stars in the "animated style!"

Below: A piece I both pencilled and inked, for one of the original BTAS style guides from DC!

Below: Here are some images used on the Kenner NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES action figures packaging!