Christmas Sketch 2011

Merry Christmas guys.

Body's on the floor

Detail from a panel from a page from my drawing table :)

Batman

It's not often that I'm asked to draw the Dark Knight and, when I got the chance, I play a lot with the outfit :)

Preview and update

Hi guys

Since I'm back in Italy I'm working on a lot of new stuff, I've spent the last days designing new characters for a new mini-series (or series?) written by Ryan Matta (The Complex). I love the character designing part, specially when I've so much freedom as when I work with Ryan, he has very precise ideas but he loves to confront and mix it with my own when we go from the "talking and reading" part (his side) to the "draw-scan-send" part (my side) and I really love putting all the small and meaningless details in every design page. Of course I cannot share anything yet and cannot share the pages I've been workin on too but I think I can show some pencil panel taken from here and there without doing any damage :) Hope you like it. Hear you soon.

Small update

Hi guys

I know I've been not posting anything new in the last month or so, that's just 'cause since I'm back in Italy I've been putting my hands on some new projects aside the ones I'm already working on. I hope I'll be able to post something in the next week.

Back in Italy

Hi Guys

Today I've found my way back in Italy, I had a wonderfull time in New York both on the comics/work side than on the friends side. I had a small trip through visiting some friends in Connecticut and Massachussets, spent some beautiful day in New Haven and on Martha's Vineyard island and then some here and there between Boston, New York and New Jersey. Now back on the drawing table :)

NYCC and Punisher pages

Hi guys

Tomorrow I'll leave Italy heading to New York for the NewYork Comic-Con this next week (13-16 October). See you there.

And here's some page I did in the last couple days before throwing everything into bags and cases.

DONE!

I've just finished and delivered the last page of a book I've been working on for a quite lot of time on and off (you've seen some teaser panel here and there). After scanning the last page I've checked all the pages (and lay-out and sketches and piece of paper and...) before pulling it in storage (sounds a lot like Ghostbusters-thing) and thinked: "Ok... now I take this pile of horrible pages, set it on fire and draw it all over again... but BETTER!". Who of you that is into the creative thing knows it's normal, after doing each panel you think you should do it again... better and the panels became pages and after doing each page you think you should do it again... better and the pages became a book and... you got it! The thing get even more annoying when you did all the pencils first and then you go with inks, so, when you finished the pencils of the last page and take on the first one to start the inking you look at it and think: "who's the dumbass who did this horrible thing?" then realize were you and think it looks like you did it forever ago, when you were barely able to hold a pencil (and you STILL are barely able to hold a pencil). Then you ink the last page and looking at the first one inked you think... a lot of bad things (to be fair). But the deadline's over (good or bad?). I hope to see the lettered pages soon.

Ok... time to get to work again. I've a script waiting for me, just a few pages but I hope to get it done before leaving for the New York Comic-Con.

New iterview

New INTERVIEW

Neverland sketch

Just some character design/sketch I did for the Tales from Neverland serie from Zenescope.

Small interview

Just a small single-question interview.

Behind the door

Just a random panel from a page I just finished.

Interview part 4

Here's the part 4 of the interwiew.

Interview part 3

Here's the 3rd part of the interview, some more step-by-step.

INTERVIEW PART 3

More The Complex preview

The colors're out so I think it's ok if I show the "behind-the-colors" stages.

DSP pencils, as you can see the angel statue was added later. I had a crazy fun doing this spread, specially with the perspective elements. When I was on the first pages of the book I was not yet supposed to be the inker so I tried to pencil tight enough to make everything clear for the inker:

DSP inks. I was very happy to be the inker on my pencils on this book, I remember when we started doing some ink-test with some inkers (all great artists) we used this spread but the writer (and myself) wasn't so happy of the results... of course the inking was well done but something was "missing" from the pencils to inks so, after looking at some DC pages I inked some year ago, he asked me to ink this spread and then said: "would it be too much if you're goin' to ink the book?" and I said: " I would love it!" As you can see the angel statue was added later and there has been some changes from the pencils:

Here's the pencil sketch I did for The Complex wraparound cover. We started with the idea of a painted cover so I imediately setted the idea of having a "real life" like drawing, not too tight (at all), something like having the characters in pose in front of me and me doing a life portrait. I really like some part of the drawing, some "bit" here and there:

Here you can see the colored versions.

Interview part 1 and 2 and The Complex preview

Had internet back today and I see that part 1 and 2 of the interview are already on-line. The part I prefer of this thing is that I can share something from one of the projecs I've been working in the last months. So, here you go:

INTERVIEW PART 1


INTERVIEW PART 2

The Complex wraparound cover, pencils and colors by me, story by the great Ryan Matta in the interview part 1 you'll find some more details about the book.

and a double splash page (I consider it as a splash image even if it's divided in panels), pencil and inks by me and colors by Kote Carvajal:

I hope you like what you see, I'm putting a lot into this book, first of all 'cause I love the story and the characters.

Here we have a steb-by-step some pages from "The Dead and Endless Wasted" written by Fred Kim. More explanations into the interview part 2. You've already seen it here but maybe someone will enjoy the process:

Pg. 5 lay-out:

Pg. 5 pencils:

Pg. 5 inks (bottom panel had some massive changes):

Pg. 6 lay-out:

Pg. 6 pencils:

Pg. 6 inks: 

NEW Interview presentation

There's some new presentations around about the interview I was talking about. This one features a preview of the wraparound cover I painted for one of my upcoming projects. Hope you like it.

PRESENTATION-2

I'll keep you updated.

Interview presentation

This's the presentation of an iterview I did recently. It will be a 4-parts with some preview pages from my upcoming works.

PRESENTATION

I'll keep you updated when it comes up.

Non-spoiler Preview

I think I'm not spoilering anything showing this page so here it is:

Mid-August holiday

Happy mid-August holiday to all of you!

I'm here in my studio suffering due the heat with the face on the drawing table with a half of a book inked and the other half waiting for my brush... and the heat perched on my shoulder :)

Random panels 2

More random panels from the same book:

Maybe my fav panel of the whole book... Wake up lady:

Whose the bad guy here?

May... I... touch?

Dots fun

Having fun creating some zip-a-tone in Photoshop. This kind of halftone screen ot's something I've ever liked in comics, gives some extra "vintage" feel to the page and, 'cause of it's very difficult to find some of it into the stores, I'm trying to create some of my own in Ps. It's just a 1st test, in fact it looks a bit messy (specially on the left-hand side face) but I really like how it makes the foregroud figures so "in your face" poping up from the bg. If someone of you got some tutorial about this thing or has or is still using this technique any comments and tips will be very apreciated.

Here's a side-by-side of a panel I've been usig as "Patient Zero"... no, I'll be not using this halftone thing into the actual book.

EDIT: This's the good time I buy a damn Photoshop user manual, can't believe the amount of stuff you can do just knowing how to do that... and thanks internet.

Random panels

Some random panels from some pages I've inked in the last days.

A guy left alone with his guns:

What the...?

Still alone:

Comics x Africa 2011

Just get back from the 2011 edition of the Comics x Africa the benefit manifestation featuring international comic artists, and people from the show biz (music, television and so...). Did a lot (very lot) of sketching and spent my time with amazing people. The whole thing takes place in the thermal garden of Telese (BN) so the staying has been very enjoyable (specially in this time of the year). I'll try to post some pic if I'm able to find some. Now I'm back in the heat of my studio and going to finish something I've left on table 4 days ago and taking a deep breath 'cause i don't think I'll see the direct light of the sun before the end of august.

Psylocke commission

Here another femme fatale from the X-Men.

Brush, brush and brush.

Rogue commission

I'm sure enough it's the first time I draw this character.

Done in pencil, ink and markers.

Something into the mail

Opened the mailbox today and find out I had some copy of GREAT ZOMBIES IN HISTORY #2 featuring a story I did with writer Frederick Kim (2nd time I work with him and it's always a pleasure).

This's the 1st time I work on somethin Western/Cowboy-related and I had crazy fun doing it, aside the sick pleasure of posing dressed like a halloween jerk handling a hoover as rifle taking photo references, the whole thing has been very enjoyable and artistically stimulating, plus there're zombies, a lot of zombies. I really hope I'll work on something like that soon (either western or zombies) and sure thing I'm really enjoying (doing) black&white art.

Here's a link to buy the book on indyplanet

The Preacher commission

The Preacher (DC - Vertigo) commission featuring Jesse Custer and Tulip O'Hare. First time I draw this characters and I'm happy I had a chance to put my hands on them.

Detail

Just a small detail from a huge wraparound cover I'm painting

Some non-Preview

Here's some pages I did for Zenescope's Tales From Neverland #1, after the "final cut" those pages wasn't included into the book so I think it's ok to post it .  Once I'll see on-line some preview of the actual pages from the book I'll post it.

Before you ask: yes, I've used a much cleaner-line style than my usual with less textures and rendering, the book was a "pencil-straight-to-color" so I tried to be as clean as possible.

New Family Member

Here's a new family member just arrived on my desk.

Zenescope Tales From Neverland #1

Ok, Here's my 1st work-related post: below you can see the cover of a book I did for Zenescope titled 

Tales From Neverland #1

The book's right now on the stands. What to say... sexy near-to-non-dressed fairies... plus there's a story behind :D

Here' some credits and info:

Credits:
Written by: Linda Ly & Raven Gregory
Pencils by: Judit Tondora & Antonio Bifulco
Colors by: Rolland Pilcz & Miguel Garrido
Letters by: Jim Campbell


Cover A by Al Rio
Cover B by Joe Pekar

This new Grimm series features all new tales about the characters and creatures that inhabit the realm of Neverland.

Neverland was once a place of peace and beauty filled with magical creatures. The most beautiful and magical of them all where the fairies. But that was before the Dark One started his war and before a new ruler came to Neverland…a ruler who had his sights set on a very special fairy…a fairy named Tinker Belle. 

Hope you like it!

Workspace bits

As promised here's some pics of my studio (click on thumbnails to see full-size images):

Bobble head Elwood Blues (hope soon to be with his beloved well-known brother)

My sexy girls on my desk

Some "always on hand" tools

Sporty guy

Some of my CDs and DVDs with my lil' Siamese at guard

Books, books and books

Blue-eyed

more books

This's just some random piece, in fact there isn't any drawing table or even a pencil in this pics so take this as "Part-1".