TRDL 2012 Series, No. 11 – Emma Frost, X-Men First Class Version [TRDL Redesign]

The TRDL R3 Challenge this week was to redesign a character from a comic adaption show or film that you specifically didn’t like. I chose to do Emma Frost from the X-Men: First Class film. Setting aside my frustration with how January Jones either played the role, or acts in general, depending on your opinion of her I guess. I’m focusing here on the costuming. They were after a 60′s influenced version of Emma Frost’s well-known duds, generally being white tall boots, long gloves, and white undies and corset, like an S&M maven inverted. What they delivered, however, was confusing to me. Now, I now full well from my experience as a designer that editorial changes can push a great design into dubious territory fast, but I was lost on this. Big furry shoulder puffs at the perimeter of a white cape, OK. Kind of a snow queen russian thing happening there. Then, a plain brazier (which looks like a bra), bare midriff, a plain white miniskirt, and thigh high boots with makeshift garter attachments. I don’t know if the costume execution failed or the concept as a whole. This is my take on what I’d have done.

I liked the massing of the shoulders but I made them glittering crystal, to allude to her ‘secondary mutation’ as we saw in the film, transforming to diamond. The cape is actually a draping over the arms that falls long but split open at the bottom. I used a white corset with lacing, and a blouse matched to the cape. I have briefs instead of a mini-skirt, and I used a silver ring detail for the garter attachment points as well as to affix a silver necklace from … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL Tribute: Emma Frost 2
2. TRDL 2012 Series No. 09 – Baroness
3. TRDL 2012 Series No. 10 – Nightcrawler [TRDL Redesign]

TRDL 2012 Series, No. 10 – Nightcrawler [TRDL Redesign]

This week’s TRDL R3 Challenge is Nightcrawler, from the X-Men (found here and here, always open for entries). He’s currently deceased, but you know how long that sort of thing sticks in comics. Anyway, I chose to do a TRDL Redesign (not a Blank Slate Redesign, but just a facelift) which focused on the aspects of the character I liked best as a younger guy: hiding in the shadows, ambush attacks, and weapon proficiency. Essentially, I looked at him as a tactical weapon, such as might conceptually be used in X-Force (the hit squad version) or some other black ops type mutant team. I know sometimes my redesigns, especially on fighting characters, skew perhaps over-realistically to black. It’s hard for me to put on that redesign hat and rationalize much color in the outfit if they are meant to evade detection. Anyway, that’s certainly the case here: I gave him a simple, body-hugging tactical suit, like a thermal neoprene kit, with arms and half the legs exposed. Bare hands and feet, because I never really grasped how someone with the mutations allowing for agile acrobatic maneuvers and hanging/swinging/climbing capability would dull their tactile ability with gloves, or use gloves and boots with grip in lieu of their own mutation. So. Also, forearm bracers contain throwing chits with nerve toxin lacing, and the two swords (in this case I used a more vaguely eastern style weapon, like a pair of even-length katanas, rather than a rapier, so that he would have an edged attack as well as the stabby business of a sport rapier) do criss-cross deliberately to give us a familiar ‘X’ motif without having to emblazon it on his uniform.

You can find a larger version here.
And as … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL 2012 Series No. 08 – Wonder Woman [New 52]
2. TRDL 2012 Series No. 09 – Baroness
3. TRDL 2012 Series No. 01 – Starfire (Happy New Year)

TRDL 2012 Series, No. 09 – Baroness [GI Joe]

This was done for the 2nd Cobra Art Jam Projecton the #Cobrafanclub group on dA. In this case, the jam is an aggregate of all the art submitted in a line-up. We got to pick who we wanted to draw, and frankly, while I have no time for extra projects right now, I can’t get Baroness out of the midbrain, so i joined the project. This also, sort of as a stretch, but was included in the Assassins Challenge on the TRDL R3 Forum.

My task specifically was to draw the black uniform version of Baroness. I was thisclose to drawing her classic cartoon version, but as I worked, I just felt like embellishing it in a more custom manner. The colors skew to the blues to allow detail to be seen, but I think it’s obvious it’s not the blue uniform she sometimes wore which is you know, technicolor blue. For action figure sales. Big gun too!

You can find a larger version here.
And as always you can read about some of the design notes in my process pics below.

Artists, come join us on R3 and submit to the jams! The R3 Illustration Jam offers new characters weekly, but all jams remain open so you can contribute to any that you like, here:
http://www.thirdraildesignlab.com/forum … m.php?f=27
or in the TRDL-R3-WeeklyJam group on DA, here:
http://trdl-r3-weeklyjam.deviantart.com/

:::

Background:

Who among us is unfamiliar with the Baroness? Even if you weren’t of the age to see her in the old cartoons or have the figures or read the comics, as I was, the GI Joe mythos has been revisited many times in the decades since, and thanks to Sienna Miller’s swagger in the film, and Adam Hughes’ everything else, … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL 2012 Series No. 08 – Wonder Woman [New 52]
2. TRDL 2012 Series No. 01 – Starfire (Happy New Year)
3. TRDL 2012 Series No. 02 – Admiral Hamilton (Time Traveler)

TRDL 2012 Series, No. 08 – Wonder Woman [New 52 Jim Lee Design]

This was done for the TRDL R3 Challenge this week, the subject being the New 52 version of Wonder Woman.

When I first saw this design (Jim Lee’s concept art specifically) I felt that the detailing was overwrought and the redundancy in the little gilded W’s everywhere was distracting. However, what I DID like about it was that he used silver instead of gold detailing, which was something I’d done myself when redesigning the previous Jim Lee redesign (the jacket one) so there’s that. Since this design was released, it was hacked up in public view, by other artists drawing off-model as well as by editorial decision, and we ended up first with a simplified version of the costume and later with no pants, apparently responding to the demands of fandom. I think I’ve found something to like in each design version, the longer I looked at them. Anyway, I chose Jim Lee’s first version of the New 52 redesign to see if I could make sense of the detail in the bodice and leggings and such. Wasn’t as painful as I feared, but there’s a lot going on!

You can find a larger version here.
And as always you can read about some of the design notes in my process pics below.

Artists, come join us on R3 and submit to the jams! The R3 Illustration Jam offers new characters weekly, but all jams remain open so you can contribute to any that you like, here:
http://www.thirdraildesignlab.com/forum … m.php?f=27
or in the TRDL-R3-WeeklyJam group on DA, here:
http://trdl-r3-weeklyjam.deviantart.com/

:::

Background:

This is the version of Jim Lee’s design that I approached. Ribbed bodice, multi-seamed ‘wonderpants’, star cutouts in everything, multiple W motifs in the silver, … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL 2012 Series No. 01 – Starfire (Happy New Year)
2. TRDL 2012 Series No. 02 – Admiral Hamilton (Time Traveler)
3. TRDL 2012 Series No. 07 – Xartherian Warmonger

TRDL 2012 Series, No. 02 – Admiral Hamilton [Time-Traveler Version]

Admiral Hamilton is one of the creator-owned characters I’ve helped one of my longterm clients design and flesh out for his universe of stories and comics. Think space opera, but with a decidedly personal tether back to cultural experiences of the author. So, Admiral Hamilton, one of maybe 12-14 characters I’ve done for Al Hobbie, was already worked out last year or so in his middle-aged adult persona, which can be seen in the process notes below. The challenge this time, and I have to say one of the hardest ones to suss out as a designer to date, was to send him back in time, into the 70′s Projects somewhere in the hard inner city, but wearing victorian dress. Also, he was to have aged considerably, and wield a technologically-enhanced walking cane. And have a cyborg lower half. With ROM style feet. But not be pantless. And he was to look either angry or crazed, depending. He’s trying to get back home, etc. As you can imagine, it was a journey reaching a design that realized the client’s vision and made some visual sense. More on that in the notes! But it’s always fun working with Al, and I’m in this for precisely this reason: finding a design solution to the images in a client’s head, even when they are hard to nail down.

You can find a larger version here.
And as always you can read about some of the design notes in my process pics below.

Artists, come join us on R3 and submit to the jams! The R3 Illustration Jam offers new characters weekly, but all jams remain open so you can contribute to any that you like, here:
http://www.thirdraildesignlab.com/forum … m.php?f=27
or in the TRDL-R3-WeeklyJam … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL 2012 Series No. 08 – Wonder Woman [New 52]
2. TRDL 2012 Series No. 01 – Starfire (Happy New Year)
3. TRDL 2012 Series No. 07 – Xartherian Warmonger

TRDL 2012 Series, No. 01 – Starfire [New 52]
Third Rail Thrills Pinup No. 73

This was done for the TRDL R3 Jam this week, the subject being the New 52 reboot design version of Starfire from DC Comics.

I used this week’s jam selection as an opportunity to roll out our TRDL Happy New Year pic, which was a lot of fun, despite my general dislike for this character (going back to my childhood, frankly, but even with the reboot, I’m failing to understand the design logic of chaps slash thigh high flare pants over boots paired with impossible brazier business the likes of which even Quitely’s Emma Frost couldn’t pull off). That all said, half the fun is doing the superdeformed (well, thats how I knew them, from my youth; they are referred to as chibi these days) character for the new year’s baby. Last time I did MODOK, in 2009-2010′s Rogue pic, and this time we have the New 52 version of Darkseid. Anyway, I tried a few things out with Starfire’s energy fire hair, and tweaked her colors in her skin and outfit to have a bit more saturation and harmony to them. Otherwise, it’s the reboot design. So, Happy new Year (Western) from Third Rail Design Lab!

You can find a larger version here.
And as always you can read about some of the design notes in my process pics below.

Artists, come join us on R3 and submit to the jams! The R3 Illustration Jam offers new characters weekly, but all jams remain open so you can contribute to any that you like, here:
http://www.thirdraildesignlab.com/forum … m.php?f=27
or in the TRDL-R3-WeeklyJam group on DA, here:
http://trdl-r3-weeklyjam.deviantart.com/

:::

In addition, here’s the familiar Third Rail Thrills series variant of the same pinup. Say, I mentioned … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL 2012 Series No. 08 – Wonder Woman [New 52]
2. TRDL 2012 Series No. 02 – Admiral Hamilton (Time Traveler)
3. Happy New Year from Third Rail Design Lab 2010 – 2011

Outcast and dA member Aoste sent me a note the other day that my Third Rail Thrills series was featured on Comics Alliance. You can check it out at the link below:

http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/12/2 … n-lab-art/

That was a nice surprise! The comments on CA are pretty polarizing, but that’s to be expected with such a large site, but hey, if even a few click through and see the main body of my work, especially the creator-owned TRDL Universe stuff or the Finit-e comic, then any press is good press! But all the same, a great way to end the year!

Follow this topic in the R3 Forum
here!… Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. Third Rail Thrills No. 55 – Deja Vu [Plan B Comics]
2. TRDL Featured in Plan B Pin-Up Book Available Now
3. Eisner Awards FInally Considering Web Comics Media

Next up in my holiday con sketch series: Blue Devil, from 80′s DC Comics, for Tropiko.
Happy holidays dude!

Follow this topic in the R3 Forum
here!… Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL 2011 Holiday Con Sketch – 3Finger
2. TRDL 2011 Holiday Con Sketch – Generator Rex
3. TRDL 2011 Holiday Con Sketch – Girl Genius

TRDL 2011 Series, No. 87 – Pixie [Uncanny X-Men]
Third Rail Thrills Pinup No. 71

This was done for the TRDL R3 Jam this week, the subject being the use of wings in the illustration.

This time, I chose to do an X-Men member that seems pretty awkwardly used in the pages of the title book, but well characterized in earlier books like New X-Men. In Uncanny, Pixie looks like any other Greg Land supermodel, grinning and acting fabulous and posing, with virtually no personality from the script bleeding into the art. But my impression of this character is one of teen insecurity, playfulness, exotica, and independence. In, I suppose, some sort of subconscious response to how Land’s work paints her as a 6′ tall anorexic sex object, I chose a reasonably demure classic pinup pose that doesn’t show you much of her womanly business, hides her skin under the X-Men uniform, and showcases two aspects of the design I really like: her pink/purple hair, ears and black eyes, for the face, and her translucent gossamer wings. So, I hope that was successful. I wanted to show her as being pretty and feminine without being overt.

You can read about some of the design notes in my process pics below.

Artists, come join us on R3 and submit to the jams! The R3 Illustration Jam offers new characters weekly, but all jams remain open so you can contribute to any that you like, here:
http://www.thirdraildesignlab.com/forum … m.php?f=27
or in the TRDL-R3-WeeklyJam group on DA, here:
http://trdl-r3-weeklyjam.deviantart.com/

:::

You can find a larger version here.

You can see this illustration herein the TRDL Tribute Gallery.

:::

Background:

I couldn’t bring myself to post one of Land’s illustrations, but her eis a slightly more reasonable cover art pic showing Pixie … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL 2011 Series No. 62 – Iron Man vs. Wasp Vs. TMNT
2. TRDL 2011 Series No. 20 – Haywire
3. TRDL 2011 Series No. 85 – Enchantress

TRDL 2011 Series, No. 85 – Enchantress / Executioner [After Robert McGinnis]

This was done for the TRDL R3 Jam this week, our 2011 Annual Vlad Fiks Memorial Noir Jam.

Here’s the sneak WIP I posted to Tumblr earlier in the week.

The concept of my piece this year is to pay homage to three or four aspects of my relationship with the dear, departed Vlad Fiks: love of lighting, classic Marvel, pulp novels and a commission. You see, many years ago Vlad commissioned me to do a Marvel U babe, this being prior to my modern pin-up series work. I chose Enchantress, and drew her in her original costume. He liked it, but it was a flawed piece, and over the years I felt I could do better, and drew a new piece, which you can see here and below in the process notes. I sent it to Vlad as a surprise, framed. That week, we learned he died. I never knew if he got the illustration, but I was glad I had done it, even if the timing was chilling. So this time around, I did this illustration as a nod to a classic Robert McGinnis pulp novel cover for Kill Now, Pay Later (by Robert Kyle), but featuring Enchantress and her longtime lover/minion, the Executioner. The concept is that Skurge the Executioner has raised the stakes and seized the throne of Asgard… but without the Odinfire, the realm is eternally dark. His manipulator and seducer, Enchantress, sits with her face in shadow. It’s a hollow victory, the sort of rewards such skullduggery yields in pulp stories. Anyway, this was for Vlad, and I hope he’d like it if he could see it today…

You can read more about the process on this pic after the jump…… Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL Tribute : Enchantress [DC]
2. TRDL Tribute: Enchantress [2009]
3. TRDL Tribute: Enchantress

Less Current »