(click on the image for a larger view in a new window)

Daredevil, for you kids who are behind the times.

I needed a card for a birthday gift I was giving and didn’t have one. I was giving the ol’ gal (sorry Toni) a copy of the Daredevil: Director’s Cut DVD and wanted to include a copy of the Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller Vol. 2 collection. She loves super-hero movies but owns no comics, so I’m thinking, “This would be a good way to get her to check one out.” However, I didn’t have the book ready to give, yet, so I figured I’d tide her over with a sketch, which doubled as the birthday card. Clever, no?

I inked the sketch with an inexpensive brush pen marker and it turned out pretty nice… unfortunately, I gave her the inks and didn’t scan a copy for myself, so I’m left with the pencils.

For Max Hades I don’t want a slick-looking book, so I’m using a type of pen-sketch inking style. The goal is to capture some of the fun and feel I get when I sketching/drawing with a pencil (obviously, it won’t be exact). I want something sketchy, yet refined; spontaneous, yet planned; quick and “raw,” yet deliberate.

Lately, I’ve been doing some practice drawings to help me improve, and become more comfortable with, the style of inking I want to use on the book. I’m also getting used to using the G-Pen and Maru-Pen nibs for inking. Here are a couple pencil and ink comparisons (click on the images to open in new windows):

I like the finished inks on this drawing I did of a woman in a dress. Though not perfect, I think it captures the feel I wanted, and the hatching works well. I like the linework, because it’s simple, and reminiscent of a sketch.

This is the first Batman I’ve drawn in a while. The basic drawing is a little ugly, but I think the ugliness actually makes the drawing attractive to me. The inks aren’t too bad, and for the most part I like the spotting of my blacks.

While working on the female figure, I did a sketch of a character named “Lizzie.” I have no idea what Lizze’s supposed to look like, but this one is a contender. Of course, she reminds me a bit of Elektra. Maybe it’s the full lips? The tight body outfit? The athletic body? She’s got a pretty big hand there, doesn’t she? You know what they say about chicks with big hands…

…don’t let them hit you.

Though, I’d always imagined Lizzie as a blonde. I’ll have to draw her as a blonde next time.

You guys have no idea who Lizzie is, do you?