EXPLORATiON

EXPLORATION

An exploration in iconic cover illustrations from yesteryear. Capturing the trials and tribulations by undergoing the procedural steps to re-imagining these iconic covers by giving it the “What If…” issue run scenario. I’m logging the hours as we explore the art form that cultivated many generations’ imaginative aspirations and the finely rendered compositions which draws the eyes to scan over the canvas by sparking the minds towards storytelling.

Chris Claremont – Writer and co-plotter who scripted the legendary story.
John Byrne – Penciler and co-plotter who provided the classic artwork.
Terry Austin – Inker whose clean, detailed ink work enhanced the pencils.
Jim Novak – Editor and letterer who managed production details for the issue.
Uncanny X-Men #135 was published by Marvel Comics.
On-Sale/Release Date: It first hit newsstands on April 15, 1980.

It focuses on the superhero Jean Grey and the cosmic entity Phoenix Force. The storyline commonly refers to the story in Uncanny X-Men #129–138 (January – October 1980) of Jean Grey's corruption by the power of the Phoenix and the Hellfire Club, the destruction she causes, and ultimately her death. Sometimes included is Jean Grey's assumption of the Phoenix power and the repair of the M'Kraan Crystal in Uncanny X-Men #101–108 (October 1976 – December 1977).

What I had taken from the original cover by John Byrne and Terry Austin was a very vibrant period in the comics industry. I can see where things had to be rushed and that’s where style and experience will never go unappreciated. Terry Austin’s inks are dynamic and with the finesse of an artist that would rank against the best traditional Japanese calligrapher.

In this initial phase, the rendition above is my first rough layout and positioning all the graphical elements was the main goal that I had to figure out. The image above is also the final version of many renditions of that rough layout. The process starts from general shapes on the page which quickly evolves into inking. Yes, I skip the pencils and go straight to inks because if the ink bottle never goes out and the magic keyboard combo of Cmd Z or Ctrl Z is set on god mode why not and break the mold! So start thinking different from what has been a cost prohibitive hobby rather than tools of production which I had started my career in and now these traditional tools has become a luxury item for me.

During this explorative phase, experimenting with varying line weights from the background towards the foreground and establishing how much rendering will be invested for every element on the stage.

EXPRESSION

expression

At this point of the illustrative journey, I take every character and imbue it with textures and embellishments which enhances each individual’s persona. Working with so many characters on one page is quite the challenge but I didn’t want for them all to be lifeless husks so I opted to use my narrative skillsets by establishing separate scenes for the foreground and background. Applying the right amount of spot blacks and strong line weights brings forth the negative space to emerge and helps to distinguish foreground and background elements.

When the inks are all finalized, applying grayscale values is the next procedural step. This process is similar to applying flat colors even though colors are not involved in this step. Following what has been established with the inks, a ready made map to place spot or local lights casted upon the facade of each character allows for some dramatic lighting.

Preparation for each step is largely due to good pre-planning and anticipating the challenges that we face as artists. Each challenge is rewarded by obtaining the confidence we need to complete every facet to an ambitious undertaking. Patience is truly a virtue and by completing this step all the way through and not allowing your tendencies to abruptly switch to color mode, you see will see this process in a more holistic approach. When you always reach out for the final result you will surely miss out on more of the opportunities for free expression.