Head shots

I used to love those corner boxes on Marvel comics, particularly the team books with head shots of the main cast. Outcastes' equivalent is of course those who's who character boxes on the inside cover, which I figured were overdue an update...

 

 

Outcastes fashion

With Outcastes #6 taking place in that style capital, Par Isis, I figured now's the perfect time to give the main characters a makeover. Winter's drab coat had been bugging me for a while, but after a few fancy redesigns, I settled on simply enlivening it with a new shorter coat with trim and buckles.

Summer's flower girl look was getting a little old, so I turned to the red riding hood shawl rendition on the back cover of the rare first print of #2. I experimented with a black top, but went with the second lighter top in the end.

Armida's #5 peasant goth dress was a little overly complex, particularly the choker which I could never draw the same twice. So here's the new streamlined version.

I designed Astraea a couple of years ago now, so it took some practice just to remember what she was supposed to look like. For variety I added a slit to her gown, which is displayed in all its glory on the #6 cover.

As for Geo, well as he'd no doubt tell you, he's perfect just as he is.

Outcastes #6 cover

While you're all busy ordering your copy of Outcastes #5 (hint), I made a start on next issue's cover. Following the last cover's simple composition, I fancied a challenge and threw the proverbial kitchen sink at this new one. The basic idea was to emulate the style of a vintage magic poster, with various arcanery floating around behind the foreground figures.

After this rough thumbnail I pencilled the three main elements separately to composite and filter later. Surely the dullest thing I've ever had to draw, the curtains were done from reference, whereas the magician's pose was loosely based on this Thurston poster below.

I tried to stick to a red and white colour scheme, colouring in my usual flats and layers manner. Astraea's dress started off gold, but blue seemed more in keeping with the final image. The cards were done in a Tarot style. For the smaller two in the background I ended up tracing and colouring two cards I'd inked in #2. The crystal ball was straightforward, just using the circle tool and a few white radial gradients for the highlights. I warped the curtain background behind it to make it appear spherical where it shines through. I gave the cards, ball and skull a glow effect, something I'm usually loath to use, but necessary for this particular image.

Finally I pasted on a couple of star patterned brushes in the background. I always try to draw these things myself from reference, like the pentagram on #2's cover, but in this case there's no way I could replicate that same soft glow in pencil. It's a minor cheat but I think it really sets the whole image off, without becoming too over-busy.

So job done, just got to draw a comic to go with it now...

BICS 2009

Next weekend (3rd-4th) sees the annual British International Comics Show in Birmingham. I'll be there of course for the grand international (nay, intergalactic) launch of Outcastes #5. This and many more True Stories titles will be on sale at the MC2 (Midlands Comics Collective) table, so pop along, say hello and buy stuff. I might even throw in a free sketch if you ask nicely.

The Outcastes treadmill never stops turning, with the next issue in the works, although it'd be nice to squeeze in some more Eva Nova somewhere. Here's a quick teaser for #6...

The Big Push

The Birmingham Comics Show is in but a few short weeks (4 to be precise), which I perhaps unwisely set as the date for the release of Outcastes #5. So in order to have any chance of getting it back from the printers in time, I've been hammering away at the old drawing board like a demented person, sticking to my self imposed target of a new and complete page every other day. I've also been simultaneously cracking on with adding the numerous tones and lettering. 

Regardless, Outcastes and other True Stories titles will be on sale at the MC2 table as per usual. I'll be taking turns manning the stall, so be sure to pop by and say hello, grab a sketch, or even a comic.

Here then is a 5 page My ebook preview of the new issue...

Over The Sea to sky

As the title Over The Sea might give away, there's an awful lot of the wet stuff on display in Outcastes #5. Which posed the question of how best to render all those pesky waves and clouds. I'd used cloud brushes on a few scenes back in #2 & 3, so I employed a similar technique here, turning images of waves and clouds into black and white brushes which I then stretch and transform into place. Some panels work better than others, but overall it blends fairly well and looks natural enough. Plus it saves me the trouble of actually having to draw the things...