The Self-Absorbing Man

Daredevil Trade

2012-01-27T09:41:00.001-05:00

Daredevil #1 Cover. 2011. Gouache and acrylic on bristol board, 11 × 17″.

In case you haven't heard, the first Daredevil trade is out in stores (here's a glowing recommendation). I've got my copy and it's a pretty handsome volume (if I may say so). It includes a couple interviews, preliminary sketches, and a step-by-step feature of my page process, not to mention the first 6 issues of our relaunch. If you're not near a comic shop, it's also available via my Amazon store.

Next week, The Twelve #9 continues the story that started in 2008. I provided a hard-to-ignore cover for the issue. My apologies. Although I painted (and posted) this a while ago, I gave the file a minor facelift, improving the color and contrast with Photoshop. I've learned a few tricks in the last few years, resulting in a truer representation of the original artwork. It's tough to say how your individual computers will portray the difference, but I thought I'd show jpegs of the 2 versions.

The Twelve # 9 Cover. Acryla gouache on bristol board, 11 × 17″.

One trick I that helped was copying the background, pasting it on a layer above, blurring it, and lowering the opacity according to taste. This lessened the splotchiness of the paint strokes, which tend to be exaggerated by the scanner (and my own heavy-handed contrast adjustments). The other issue was CMYK conversion, a larger subject that I tackled in a previous post.

The original file I submitted in 2008.

Rounding out the news, I'm about a quarter of the way through Daredevil #10 and things are going great. And if all goes according to plan, I'll be making a trip to my alma mater, RISD, next week to give a lecture. Should be fun. Have a great weekend!

The Twelve #12 Demo Video

2012-01-25T11:23:00.000-05:00

The Twelve #12 Cover. 2011. Gouache and acrylic on bristol board, 13 × 19″.

I'm skipping Wacky Reference today because I've got a demo video to share with you, courtesy of Mike Furth and The Comic Archive. We documented the creation of this cover from start to finish, including multiple interviews and an unabridged time-lapse recording of the painting process. Running time is 30 minutes, split into 3 parts, and we cover quite a bit of material. Here's the link. Hope you enjoy it.

NYCC 2010 Commissions — MJ

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

MJ. 2010. Watercolor on paper, 9 × 12″.

Splash Page Comic Art

2012-01-20T00:32:00.000-05:00

Daredevil #9, Page 6, Panel 1. 2012.

Ink(ed by Joe Rivera) on Marvel board, 11 × 17.25″.

In case you missed it via Twitter, there's a 3-page, unlettered preview of Daredevil #9 on Comic Book Resources. Above is the inked version. This story has been a blast—I'm working on issue 10 at the moment—and I can't wait to draw more Mole Man. And in case you were wondering, dark caves are pretty much the easiest thing on earth to draw.

In other news, Mark Hay at Splash Page Comic Art, my exclusive art rep since 2004, has revamped the site, and is now on Twitter. Please follow him! I try to post whenever new work is available for sale, but if you know of a piece that you'd like to purchase, please let him know.

Have a great weekend!

Daredevil #8 — On Shelves (Digital Too!)

2012-01-18T15:56:00.000-05:00

Daredevil #8 Cover. 2011. Ink(ed by Joe Rivera) on Marvel board, 11 × 17.25″.

I totally forgot! Daredevil #8 is out today with art by Kano and color by Javier Rodriguez. Mark Waid concludes this 2-part crossover (starting in Amazing Spider-Man #677), setting the stage for a subterranean tussle with the Mole Man. It's a great story, and it's now available digitally!

Wacky Reference Wednesday, No. 160

2012-01-18T11:50:00.002-05:00

Daredevil #1, Page 3. 2011. Ink(ed by Joe Rivera) on Marvel board, 11 × 17.25″.

This was a fairly complex page to set up, but aside from Cloisters and wedding reference, most of the figures were from my head. I needed some help on Daredevil's hand, though, as that angle always gives me trouble. Nothing a mirror in my parents' house couldn't solve. I should also note that I used to use a pipe for Daredevil's billy club. Now I use a rolled up piece of paper (which is easier on the neighbors when I drop it).

1: Layout, 4 × 6″ 2: Digital Composite 3: Pencils

Back to Blogging

2012-01-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

Daredevil #9, Pages 2-3. 2011. Pencil on Marvel board, 22 × 17.25″.

Howdy, folks! My apologies for the extended break, but deadlines demanded it. The good news is Daredevil 9 is finished (at least my part of it) and 10 is under way. Marvel already previewed a spread from the issue, so I thought I'd show a behind-the-scenes, penciled version. As you can see, blue line prints and pencils have become an integral part of my process.

I also wanted to send out a big and hearty thanks to the unbelievable number of comics sites that named us as one of the top comics of 2011. Seriously: I kept getting Google alerts for my name and I kept thinking it was for the same article. I really feel like I'm a part of something special here, and couldn't be happier with my collaborators.

Speaking of whom, I'd like to give special thanks to my Dad, who is inking his 100th page of Daredevil today. Here he is—complete with pro badge—signing his very first comic at the 2011 New York Comic Con. Congrats, Paw!

Daredevil #7 — On Shelves!

2011-12-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

Daredevil #7 Cover. 2011. Ink(ed by Joe Rivera)

on Marvel board (with digital color), 11 × 17.25″.

Daredevil #7 is out today... and I'm off to Florida for a week at home with my girlfriend, my mom, and my inker. Happy holidays to all! I'll be back to blogging in the new year.

P.S. I've also got a variant cover out this week for Avengers #20.

Fantastic Four 50th Anniversary: Cosmic. 2010.

Gouache and acrylic on bristol board, 11 × 17″.

Daredevil #10 Time Lapse

2011-12-18T16:35:00.000-05:00

Did I say I was taking a blogging break? Sorry, but I just had to share this video, courtesy of Mike Furth's The Comic Archive.

Megacon 2011 Commissions — Cap and Bucky

2011-12-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Captain America and Bucky. 2011. Watercolor on paper, 12 × 9″.

All right. I am officially taking a blog break for the rest of the year... for the most part. I'll be back on the 21st to remind everyone about Daredevil #7. I'm currently in my "method acting" phase, shying away from sunlight in order to identify with the Mole Man. In the meantime, I'll leave you with a commission from Megacon (that I finished at home). Enjoy the last vestiges of 2011!

Megacon 2011 Cosplay — Mortal Kombat

2011-12-09T09:30:00.000-05:00

I may be taking a blog break here fairly soon. Deadlines are starting to get the best of me. In the meantime, here's a lovely couple from Megacon, and here's an interview with me at NYCC, courtesy of the Secret Identity Podcast.

Moooooooortaal Kooooombat! (breaks into dance music).

Wacky Reference Wednesday, No. 159

2011-12-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

Amazing Spider-Man # 640, Page 19. 2010.

Ink on Marvel board (with digital color), 11 × 17.25″.

Sometimes reference can actually impede the process, as in this page from One Moment in Time. I liked the bottom panel Spidey in my layout much better than what I ended up penciling and inking. In the end, it works just fine, I just prefer the former. I also took a photo for Spidey's left hand in the top panel. I always have trouble with that angle, mainly because that's the side I can't see.

In addition to my own photo reference, I used my trusty Google Street View to find a suitable setting in Forest Hills. Don't be shocked if you find yourself driving through Queens and see that exact neighborhood.

1: Layout, 4 × 6″ 2: Digital Composite with 3D meshes

3: Pencils. 4: Inks.

Daredevil #10 Cover

2011-12-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Daredevil #10 Cover. 2011. Ink on bristol board, 11 × 17″.

Wacky Reference Wednesday, No. 158

2011-11-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

Spectacular Spider-Man #14, Page 2, Panel 4. 2004. Oil on masonite, 16 × 24″.

Here's an old panel from one of my very first projects. I had just moved to Brooklyn, and I went around the neighborhood looking for cops (thanks, officers!). If you're ever in trouble in Williamsburg, chances are you can find a cop at Sal's Pizzeria. The background is from the Lorimer stop on the L. I detailed another panel from this page back in WRW No. 26.

This was the first project for which I used detailed, digital color studies. Much of my work prior to this was pretty ham-handed. Part of being a professional comic book artist is finding the right balance between predictability and innovation. Your editor (and your audience) are depending on you to repeat yourself (in terms of a cohesive style), but without becoming trite. Planning my color schemes in Photoshop created a fertile testing ground for new ideas, leaving the painting process a little more measured and methodical.

Captain America Poster Available (Sorta)

2011-11-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

Captain America: The First Avenger. 2011.
Gouache and acrylic on illustration board, 16 × 24″.

If you weren't a member of the cast and crew who received this limited edition poster, you still have a chance, albeit in a different form. It's reprinted in The Art of Captain America, along with the cover I did "on spec" to get the gig. The book is available via my Amazon store... just in time for holiday shopping.

And while I'm on the subject, I'd like to recommend the Smudge Guard, a partial glove that makes working on a Wacom tablet (or Cintiq) a dream. I even got one for my Paw. I like the single-finger model, since my track pad needs 3 free.

And if you're looking for art-related gifts in general, I've got a fairly comprehensive list of everything I use in Art Supplies. I've covered many of my favorites under the blog's Tools of the Trade and Reviews labels.

Blackest Friday

2011-11-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

Army of Darkness. 2004. Ink on board (digital color by Jim C.), 11 × 17″.

Be careful shopping out there, folks. You can see the process for the above cover at this post from 2008. As for me, I'm finishing up the cover to Daredevil #10, one of the more time-consuming covers I've done. Then it's off to pencil #9. Have a great weekend!

Wacky Reference Wednesday, No. 157

2011-11-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

Daredevil #1, Page 1 (detail). 2011. Ink(ed by Joe Rivera) on Marvel board, 11 × 17.25″.

Last March, as we were just getting Daredevil under way, I spent a month at my parents' home in Florida. Below is a pic of me trying to get the right pose from behind. I often have trouble with backs (backs pain?), especially when the arm begins to overlap the latissimus dorsi. I also took reference for the right hand, but it was more critical for a close-up on a subsequent page.

Rivera Secrets: My father uses Brut. The gene was not passed on. I'm pretty
sure my mom is vacuuming in the background. I was also spared that gene.

Below, you can see the various initial stages, from design, to perspective grid, to rendering. At this point, I was still tracing my digital composites via light box, a step I now skip thanks to my printer. You can also see my original intention to draw the stained glass window. Deadlines divested me of that notion.

The Cloisters set the scene for our hero's first adventure, and I used Google Earth to find a suitable vantage point. The action takes place inside the main courtyard, but I used the southwest corner for the first shot of Daredevil. Additional details were found by scouring people's pics of the Cloisters on-line. I still haven't been there myself.

View Larger Map

Last but not least, my dad inked over the original pencils. Since I was home, it was easy enough to hand it over, assembly line style. I ended up creating the borders digitally and doing minor edits. I quickly learned that my pencils needed to be tighter, since he couldn't always tell what I was thinking. For instance, in the bottom, right-hand corner, I had intended the tree to be in the foreground, not touching the wall. Like I said, minor edits.

Daredevil #9 Cover

2011-11-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

Daredevil #9 Cover. 2011. Ink(ed by Joe Rivera)
on Marvel board with digital color, 11 × 17.25″.

My girlfriend has taken off to a faraway land this week, leaving me to my own devices. It always fascinates me how, without an anchor to civilization, I quickly devolve into a man-cave mode. It verges on being anthropologically noteworthy.

In other news, I'm working on the cover to Daredevil #10. To facilitate that process, as well as to prepare for drawing the next 2 issues, I've sculpted a couple digital maquettes in Sculptris. Each one took about an hour, using my Matt Murdock maquette as a starting point. While that may save some time, I end up having to "un-sculpt" a lot, so the basic sphere may still be the best bet.

A moloid and his master, the Mole Man.

I'm also excited today because I'm supposed to receive my Cintiq 12WX. I had ordered the larger version earlier this year, but supplies were short. I opted to get the smaller because I think it will be a better fit for my workstation. I can't wait to try some digital sketching.

Ho Ho Ho

2011-11-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

Daredevil Character Study. 2011.
Ink and blue pencil on Marvel board, 17.25 × 11″.

Marvel has an early Christmas present for Daredevil readers in the form a 3-page preview (plus cover) of issue #7, due out in December. Pictured above is my "battle-ravaged" study for our eponymous crusader. This type of sketch is indispensable for keeping clothes torn in just the right place—it's tough enough trying to remember on which side Matt Murdock parts his hair. Can you remember without looking?

Daredevil #7, Page 9, Panel 7. 2011.
Ink(ed by Joe Rivera) on Marvel board, 11 × 17.25″.

The featured pages are inked by Joe Rivera (my Paw) and colored by Javier Rodriguez (not my Paw). The entire issue takes place during a blizzard, so I opted to add wind and snow digitally. To facilitate that process, I darkened the pages slightly, and exported the layer as a separate file.

We wrapped up the issue this week, so I'm off to do more covers, Daredevil #10 and The Twelve #12. They're both pretty time-intensive, so I'll be working on them for all of next week, if not more. After that, it's on to DD #9, the cover for which I'll post on Monday. Have a great weekend!

Wacky Reference Wednesday, No. 156

2011-11-16T10:24:00.001-05:00

Daredevil #1, Page 18. 2011. Ink(ed by Joe Rivera) on Marvel board, 11 × 17.25″.

Most of the reference for this page comes from my digital archive of New York City rooftops, amassed over years of internet scouring. None of the images are mine, but were all found via Google Images and Flickr. You won't find a similar composition in the lot, but you will find buildings and architectural elements peppered throughout. The only reference photo I took myself is shown below, a hand poised to catch a returning billy club.

Here's a quick breakdown of the process from a Marvel Spotlight feature:

1. Layout: This is a 4 × 6″ comprehensive sketch that I show to my editors and collaborators for approval. Captions are included to ensure the page reads fluidly.
2. Digital Composite: Here I copy and paste the layout into my digital template and rearrange elements as needed. I then superimpose perspective guidelines to help with backgrounds and architecture. Borders are drawn in digitally to streamline the process.
3. Pencils: All the elements are fully rendered, Xs indicating solid black to the inker.

4. Blue-Line Print: My Dad prints this out and inks directly over it. Borders and any finalized elements are printed in black.
5. Finished Inks: He scans it and sends it back to me
6. Final Product: I make any final edits, including post-production transformations like the negative image in the last panel. This is turned in to my editor who passes it on to the colorist [Javier Rodriguez].

NYCC 2010 Commissions — MJ

2011-11-14T10:01:00.001-05:00

MJ. 2010. Watercolor on paper, 9 × 12″.

Interview(s)

2011-11-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

Artist Paolo Rivera Gives a Tour of His Studio (PART 1) from The Comic Archive on Vimeo.

I've got a new interview at David Wasting Paper, #248 in a long-running series of great quick-fire interviews with artists of all genres. Sorry, no "gotcha questions." I was, however, reminded that I may not have posted this video interview by Michael Furth of The Comic Archive, who put together the Daredevil #1 time-lapse video. If all goes well, he'll be recording my progress on the last cover for The Twelve.

As for the Man w/o Fear, my Dad and I will be finishing up issue #7 this weekend. And the cover to #10 next week. And starting #9 after that. Have a great weekend!

Artist Paolo Rivera Gives a Tour of His Studio (PART 2) from The Comic Archive on Vimeo.

Wacky Reference Wednesday, No. 155

2011-11-09T09:56:00.000-05:00

The Twelve #10, Cover. 2011. Gouache and acrylic on bristol board, 11 × 17″.

The Twelve is finally nearing completion! That means a return to painting the pulpiest covers of my career. This particular piece replaces the original #10 cover, which was repurposed for The Twelve: Spearhead. It features Electro, the Allied engine of destruction, propelled by the thoughts of Professor Zog—from the comfort of his own lab.

AAAAARGH!

When taking reference piecemeal, it often helps to alter the background according to the amount of light behind the object in your composition. In the case of the hands above, those in front of fire (or the blue light of a screen) require a white background, while the hand in front of Electro's chest requires black. Aside from the camera automatically metering the available light, the resulant photo will be more legible to your own eyes.

Hand detail. I paint more opaquely than I used to, at least for the salient strokes.

Marvel are reprinting the earlier issues as a trade (1-6) and a double feature (7 and 8), in case anyone else wants to get up to speed. The individual issues also available via their subscription service. You can see my other covers for the series below:

#5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10 (Original), #11

The Twelve: Marvel Must Have #1, a composite of my covers for #7 and 8.

NYCC 2010 Commissions — MJ

2011-11-07T00:42:00.000-05:00

MJ. 2010. Watercolor on paper, 9 × 12″.

I'm officially on "crazy-time" as I finish up the last 6 pages of Daredevil #7. In the meantime, here's a commission from last year's New York Comic Con.

In somewhat related news, I'm headed back to the Javitz Center, though for a completely different kind of convention. I'll be giving portfolio reviews for RISD, my alma mater, at National Portfolio Day this coming Sunday, November 13th. The focus will be on college-bound students who are seriously considering a fine arts education and have questions about the experience. This is the very same event that put me on (what I consider to be) the right track when I was just a senior in high school. If art school is on your horizon, be there.

Megacon 2011 Cosplay — Indiana Jones

2011-11-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

He's on the right, in case you missed him.