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Fall is almost over.

operator x — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:48:07 +0000

I painted this little overcast scene the other day, from reference I shot a while ago. I’m still settling into my new studio, and this was the first piece done at the new house.

Done in watercolour, ink and gouache on paper.

View full post on Michael Cho’s sketchbook

Two More Commissions

operator x — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 17:52:56 +0000

Since I’m no longer accepting any more requests for commissioned sketches, I thought I’d share the last two I did before shutting it all down. I’m now going to be concentrating mostly on freelance assignments and my own personal projects for a while, but if you’re in the mood for a custom sketch, you can still find me at conventions and get a sketch there.

Both of these were painted in gouache and ink on board, and are about 12″ x 17″ in size.

View full post on Michael Cho’s sketchbook

Black Canary and Hawkeye

operator x — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:58:23 +0000

Here’s a couple of paintings I completed recently, featuring Black Canary and Hawkeye. I think these are first times I’ve ever drawn those characters, even though they’re favourites of mine.

Both were painted in gouache and ink and are about 12″ x 17″ in size. While the final art is done in traditional media, I drew the pencil sketches for them digitally, in Sketchbook Pro, and you can check them out below.

View full post on Michael Cho’s sketchbook

Teen Titans Year Two

operator x — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:05:53 +0000

Not really. But when I was asked to do a pin-up for Teen Titans #100 (the last issue before the big relaunch) I thought it might be fun to pretend that Amy Wolfram and I were asked to do a sequel to Year One. This is what it might have looked like. An ode to my favourite era of the Teen Titans: the Wolfman/Perez cast.
Well, some of them, anyway.

View full post on karlkerschl.com

A Game of Thrones

operator x — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:05:50 +0000

So I was watching that HBO series “Game of Thrones”, and I decided to do some quick digital sketches of some of the characters. I was actually inspired to do so after seeing ultra-talented illustrator Sam Bosma’s drawings of the characters from the books. Now, I’ve only started reading the 1st book, so my drawings are based on the TV series, not the literary source, but I thought I’d share them with you anyway.

While working on these drawings, I tried to imagine them as interior illustrations from an old paperback from the 1950’s. They were drawn entirely digitally, in Sketchbook Pro on my mac.

First up: Jon Snow, the “bastard of Winterfell”:

Jamie Lannister: “the Kingslayer”:

Catlyn Stark (formerly Catlyn Tulley):

And finally, that creepy mom and the 10 year old breast-feeding kid. These two seriously creeped me out:

View full post on Michael Cho’s sketchbook

Saint’s Row

operator x — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:10:44 +0000

This is a piece I did for THQ ‘s upcoming game ‘Saint’s Row: The Third‘. It features the Morningstar gang. I have no idea what it’s being used for, but it’s out in the wild now so I figured it was fair game to post it here. I tried some new things with this piece in terms of drawing tools, palette, style, etc, and it was a lot of fun. Can’t wait to see the game!
And here’s a fun minigame for you: see if you can figure out which famous people each of the characters are modelled after…

View full post on karlkerschl.com

A Few More Fan Expo Superheroes

operator x — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:10:41 +0000

Here’s a couple more painted sketches of superheroes that I’ll be taking for sale to Fan Expo this weekend. I’m looking forward to the show. Look for me with my TX Comics pals at Booth 112.

These were painted in gouache and ink on board, and are approximately 12″ x 17″ in size.

View full post on Michael Cho’s sketchbook

jim & i

operator x — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:14:48 +0000

as many are aware, and if you’re not – well now you are, i am working on an adapting jim henson & jerry juhl’s TALE OF SAND. it is an unfilmed screenplay from 1974 and it is currently eating my life. i am eating, sleeping, and breathing tale of sand… and happily so. it’s a highlight of one’s career to be involved in something like this – and i’m glad archaia gave me the oportunity to be a part of it, and allowing me the freedom to adapt it as i think jim may have done so during his heyday… if he were doing comics ;P

i’m not going to blather on, as i have to finish drawing the book. but i thought i’d share one of the opening sequences in it’s formative stages – as we nail down colour and the look of the book. speaking of colour – i am blessed by the able talents of jordie bellaire in this department. check her stuff out. it rocks.

stay tuned for more…

oh, and here’s a larger ZOOM of the image above.

View full post on ramón pérez | calavera studio

Thor is Pretty Metal

operator x — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 18:16:49 +0000

This one was a fun one. It’s actually a collaboration between Andy B (as in Andy Belanger of Kill Shakespeare comic fame). We’ve wanted to work on a jam piece for a while now, and Thor was a good pick as subject. Andy knocked out an incredibly detailed and kick-ass drawing (see below) which, since this was to be a colaboration, he graciously let me do whatever I wanted to. I changed up the background and lighting and re-cropped for effect before painting. The final art was painted in gouache and ink and it’s another piece I’ll be taking with me to Fan Expo.

I want to thank Andy B for doing such a bang up job on the drawing, and for being such a fun guy to work with. I should also add that to get in the mood of working with Andy, I listened to a lot of metal while painting this one.

View full post on Michael Cho’s sketchbook

Reboot

operator x — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:18:54 +0000

While ‘The Abominable Charles Christopher‘ is dear to my heart, it is unfortunately not reaching a wide enough readership to sustain its continued production. Not in its current incarnation, at least!
I present to you a bold new direction. I call it ‘ABOMINABLE X-TREME’ and it will change forever the way you think about woodland creatures or integrity!
Gone are the boring conversations! Gone are the insufferable antics! Prepare for a whole new world of pain as CHARLES X-TOPHER fights his way through hordes of wolves, bats and killer spiders, all in the name of ACTION!
ABOMINABLE X-TREME starts NEXT WEDNESDAY and will cost 99 cents, less than a dollar more than it costs now!
It’s not just ABOMINABLE, it’s EXXXXXXTREEEEEEEME!!!

rated M for Mayhem

View full post on karlkerschl.com

Daredevil: The Man Without Fear

operator x — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:18:51 +0000

This one was a fun painting I did recently. It’s one of a batch of new paintings I’m working on to take to Fan Expo, the big comic con coming up in August here in Toronto. I’ve always been a fan of Daredevil, especially during the classic Miller/Janson and Miller/Mazzucchelli run of comics, so I’ve posted drawings of him a few times other times before. This one was painted in gouache and ink, and is about 12″ x 19″ in size.

For those interested, you can check out the pencil sketch of the piece below.

View full post on Michael Cho’s sketchbook

More Superboy

operator x — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 18:22:10 +0000

Superboy covers 10 and 11. I think these both ship in the same month and they mark the end of this Superboy run and, as a result, my run as cover artist of this series. Five issues! Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.
Big thanks to Rafael Albuquerque, whose cover (for issue 1 of this series) I swiped for issue 11. Being the last issue, the editors wanted to hearken back (way, way back) to the first issue to show that Superboy was no longer alone in Smallville; that he had formed a small family unit now with his pals Simon and Lori. So I took their notes very literally and (with Rafael’s blessing) just pulled the camera back from his original composition to show the gang together. I redrew Rafael’s Superboy to match the styles a bit. And added Krypto, of course. I tried to pitch a Krypto-centic cover a couple of times, but it never quite worked out.
That’s that! Hope you enjoyed these!

View full post on karlkerschl.com

A Family Portrait

operator x — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 18:22:09 +0000

It’s been a long delay between posts, I know, and deadlines are to blame. To make up for it, here’s a recent portrait of our happy little family that I painted in gouache. As a change of pace from the previous post, I kept the emphasis on two-dimensional design while working on this one. I like playing with various approaches to image making and adjusting the style here and there to fit the subject matter. And yes, my daughter is indeed wearing a home-made bunny costume while riding on my shoulders.

View full post on Michael Cho’s sketchbook

Legion

operator x — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:24:30 +0000

And here’s a Legion of Superheroes cover I did for DCs big relaunch…

View full post on karlkerschl.com

the old west…

operator x — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:28:15 +0000

just a quick doodle between pages of Tale Of Sand. i seem to have the old west on my mind these days. it doesn’t help that i’ve been watching everything from Stagecoach with John Wayne to High Plains Drifter with Clint Eastwood after my long days of work. outside of classic crime noir it is one of my favourite genres of film. especially the spaghetti westerns of italy. i think i need to work on a tale of the west after i wrap Tale Of Sand…

View full post on ramón pérez | calavera studio

PEN Canada: Dawit Isaak

operator x — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:28:12 +0000

PEN Canada recently asked me to draw a portrait of imprisoned writer Dawit Isaak, and I was happy to accept. For those unfamiliar with PEN, it’s an organization which assists and publicizes the case of writers in many countries who are “persecuted for the peaceful expression of their ideas“. I urge you to read more about Dawit Isaak online.

If you’d like to read a little bit more about the process, then you can continue below for a short process post.

I was grateful to art director Gary Beelik for giving me free reign with what I drew, pending approval of course. So to start with, I just researched everything I could about Dawit Issak and his case. There was a lot to read, and some of it was mis-information, which made this part very interesting.

Near the start, I asked my friend Tim Davin, one of the favourite art directors, for his help in throwing ideas back and forth. I always appreciate Tim’s input, especially on the more challenging assignments. He was gracious with his time and we had a great couple of meetings at local cafes while we drew quick thumbnails on a coaster and discussed issues surrounding Dawit Issak’s case.

Among the things we weened out during those meetings were initial ideas like this one:

Sometimes, you just gotta put your big first idea on paper to see that it’s not gonna work. It’s something I’ve had to do often in my career.

After some discussion, we agreed that I should just do a straight-up portrait, with little overt editorial. I also thought it should be something with a graphic approach, but still contemplative.

Next I drew up a portrait of Dawit Isaak in pencil (below left), and followed that up with a gouache painting at about 50% final size (below right). It was painted with two colours, mostly in drybrush:

From that painting, I cropped and tweaked an image in photoshop which made the final cut as the rough I submitted. It had something of the quality I was looking for:

After that rough was approved, I set about panting the final. Again, it was painted in gouache and ink on paper, using mostly dry brush. The main differences were a tighter under-drawing and a much larger size – 120% of final size:

Neither painting required much photoshop colour cleanup because they were painted in gouache. Both the rough and the final were painted in a graphic palette suited for posters. The final is a closer likeness, but the strokes are more subdued.

View full post on Michael Cho’s sketchbook

Oh yeah, i have a book about the Rapture…

operator x — Fri, 27 May 2011 18:35:26 +0000

With just days left till the big day, i really should be taking more advantage of it. Thanks NPR, for reminding me!

Therefore, Repent!

By Jim Munroe and Salgood Sam,
paperback,
160 pages,
Idea & Design Works Llc/NMK
list price: $14.99

This post-Rapture graphic novel would make an excellent stocking stuffer for your favorite disturbed teen, along with black lipstick and a wee nipple ring. Lovebirds Mummy and Raven negotiate the ins and outs of a creepy apocalyptic world in which dogs talk and demonic mutations abound. You might have to don an unattractive bird mask as a reminder of what happened to you during the Rapture. Warning: the feminist figure Lilith takes a hit, as do lesbians, angels and former presidents, but this action-packed narrative is sure to entertain any youth who wears a trench coat to school. Sam Salgood’s imaginative art puts an edgy twist on this world of disaffected youth.

I don’t want to give away too much for those who have not read the book, but do want to comment on this – “Warning: the feminist figure Lilith takes a hit, as do lesbians, angels and former presidents, ” Takes a hit? We didn’t favour anyone as good or bad by secondary traits, but lesbians are not as a group “hit”, and Lilith is more of an amoral anti-not sure what you’d call her-Oz? Not specifically a “feminist figure” in the imagining. Empowered hot witch or something like that yes but…we’re kind of on her side, even if she does scare the crap out of us!:D

The idea for us was to make a counter point book to the B&W moralities of the Left Behind series, and also just liked the idea of treating the Rapture as a Sci-fi genre.

I should also mention, there’s a squeal! ‘Sword of My Mouth’, Jim worked with my friend Shannon Gerard on that, came out last year. Also a good book to get you through the Tribulations.

View full post on ~ a short account of endeavors ~

TCAF TCAF TCAF!

operator x — Sun, 15 May 2011 18:36:42 +0000

Well, that clearly didn’t work! Wow, a majority, crap. No wait, better, a majority on about 40% of the vote. Damn we really need to have Preferential voting.

OK, well enough of that, life goes ON! Tomorrow after I run about picking up my last minutes, me and the lady get on the bus and head off to my old home town for the best comic festival of them all, TCAF!

I will not have a new book, but I will have art to sell, be up for doing sketches, and I’ll have a pile of cool new posters–see samples in the slide show HERE–and copies of the best of my published books! Dream Life vol 1, RevolveЯ One, Ghostbusters, Wonder Woman, and Therefore Repent!

As part of Sequential’s TCAF 2011 special coverage I’ll also be giving out a FREE magazine. You’ll find it all over the place at the event hopefully, but if not come find me and get one, before they run out, ‘cus they do.

This year I’ll be in the TX room, here’s a map of the main floor –>> showing where our space is and a detail shot <<– showing where to find ME, and the all others as well. Going to be fun, my first year at TCAF with the gang, looking forward to it!

See you there, come by and say Hi!

View full post on ~ a short account of endeavors ~

Our Lady of the Flowers

operator x — Sun, 15 May 2011 18:32:18 +0000

This is a one page comic essay I recently wrote and drew for Openbooktoronto.com. They’re having a month long comic and graphic novel spotlight, in conjunction with the recent Toronto Comic Arts Festival. I was asked by the organizer if I wanted to write and draw a comic page about a book that I considered important or was a favourite of mine and I immediately knew which book I wanted to pick.

Our Lady of the Flowers, by Jean Genet has been a favourite book of mine for a long while now, and I was thrilled to finally be able to write a short comic about it’s importance to me. I’d like to thank Openbooktoronto.com and editor Ian Daffern for giving me the opportunity and the freedom to do the piece the way I saw fit. It was posted online here.

You can read the one page comic above, or look below to see the original thumbnail drawing that lead to the final art. I painted both in gouache and ink, and you can compare the two and see the changes made along the way to the final. Please note that my comic, like the book itself, is for mature readers.

View full post on Michael Cho’s sketchbook

Mnemovore Redux

operator x — Sun, 15 May 2011 18:31:01 +0000

My friend Ray Fawkes’ excellent Vertigo comic Mnemovore, cowritten by Hans Rodionoff and illustrated by Mike Huddleston, is getting a deluxe hardcover re-release from IDW Publishing in August! There will be a gallery of pinups in the back by some amazing artists and I was kindly asked to participate. Here’s my contribution!

I documented the 5-hour process today on Instagram (username cameronMstewart):

Lineart drawn in Manga Studio, colour in Photoshop.

View full post on Cameron Stewart Illustration Blog