Batman 2.0 Design Process pt. 2

Continuing from the last post.

So I've got my Design locked I think. I initially wanted the cape to be short for agility and connect to the underside of the arm. I then started to think that was too derivative of my Vampirella Redesign. So I went back to an idea I've had kicking around in my head of the riding cape/parka, which when flared would kinda make the bat symbol shape.

This is the costume design as it was going into the final drawing, minus the cape. It's your common bat costume with only a few minor tweaks that are Nightwing-ish. All the pieces that were black were going to be reinforced leather or amor. The face mask is meant to echo the old Dick Sprang/Adam West cowl look. It also recalls Robin's domino mask and the sculpted armor of the Batman movies. I figured the movies really inform on the way the general audience perceive Batman, so any new comicbook design shouldn't reject that style entirely. So the emblem has relief dimension to it as well. The gauntlets on his forearms become a short glove with (wrist spike) over arm-guards.

The Belt. The belt was originally going to be the old Robin, mixed with a police utility belt. all black leather with brass fittings. In the final drawing that looked under designed and way out of place. Or bad. It looked bad. So back to the literal drawing board. I redesigned it to have a more climbing-harness-lifting-belt look to it. This was too busy and still clashed with the rest of the design. So I started to strip things out. Irregularity of shape and extra elements were thrown out. What's left with is an all black belt made up of uniform compartments with a single button in the center. No buckle! The flares up the side is the same ribbed elastic armor from the arm guards. They serve to hold up the weight of the belt, and look Nightwing-ish.

This is the final drawing before rendering and background were added, paired with the color flats. The blacks aren't really black but a very dark and desaturated navy. The cape is a felted wool, lined with blue silk and reinforced with fabricised Kevlar. The suit is lined with that as well.

And finally a preview of the finished piece:

Batman 2.0 Design Process pt. 1

It's time for another Project: Rooftop Contest

This time it's design Dick Grayson (Nightwing, f. Robin) his own Batman costume. Very specific. Very Nerdy. Very Fun.

I wanted this to honor all the character's previous designs and be instantly recognizable as Batman. But what I didn't want was to be lazy and draw an electric blue bat-symbol that runs down his arms. So I got sketching. Many bad sketches were produced. You're not going to see those. These are the good stuff from the pile of brain spew.

 

The photo's are examples from Ferragamo and Alexander McQueen's new collections. Big Influence on the finished design. So is the BMW Z4.

More process and final design coming soon.

Remake/Remodel Dump

So in the last month I've been churning out work for my latest unanounced book deal. With whatever free time I (don't) have I've been participating in more the Remake/Remodel challenges. It keeps me entertained. So here's the last three I've done.

Click on any of these to Enlarge.

CAPTAIN JUSTICE. This forgotten pulp science hero was described as "Doktor Popeye of the 25th Century". I once met a length of leather (tanned in whisky) who claimed top be an offshore fisherman. He was always barefoot because "You never know when your hands are going to full and you'll need to save your life by grabbing something with your toes". So my Captain Justice takes that ideal, and mixes it with one part Brutus and one part Nick Nolte's Han-Solo-that-never-was.

SPACEHAWK:Described as the grim side to Flash Gordon, Spacehawk killed hella Aliens. And never smiled. Not once. Sooooo I imagined a human UH-60 helicopter, and tried to retain as much of the original character's design as possible.
I have a ship and gun design sketched too. I'll get them posted up here . . . someday soon.

The Black Angel: Aristocrat Englishwoman launches her private plane from her family castle to kick the shit out of Nazi's. I didn't want to do an aviatrix costume this week. But I did want to draw a dogfight. This is really a fancy photo collage. It's composition seems solid enough that I may go back and give it a proper paint job.

Remake/Remodel IRMA VEP

This was damn good fun. Warren Ellis has brought back his own character redesign meme. Now hosted on the Whitechapel Message board, this weeks challenge was to Remake 1920's film serial femme fatale icon, Irma Vep.

So I decided that to stray from the original is to lose the original's iconic look. So I elaborated on the catsuit's silhouette. The body stocking is a stretch knit styled after a commando sweater with the epulat shoulder pads. The Leggings are of course vinyl and the utility garter belt hopefully adds a touch of french sexuality while serving function. She has a clear plastic faceplate which provides a heads up display for her decrypting super computer.

Phonogram 2 B-Side

"Whoah! What is THAT!?"

You'll have to buy issue 2 of the fantastic comic series Phonogram2 (IMAGE COMICS) to find out. It was written for me by the nicest bloke in England, Kieron Gillen.

I've told Kieron before that he writes the best stuff in the world for me to draw. It's his genetic super power. He's a 21st Century Writing Mutant, fear his powers of artistic collaboration.

Also is the cover to the issue, on sale in January. It's drawn by the incredibly talented Jamie McKelvie. His masterful use of economic line drives me crazy. In a gud way. yus.

My gf Jenn got all choked up by seeing my name on a Phonogram Comic. She's a big fan.