Tag Archives: Superman

Above Metropolis

I found a sketch of superman in my images folder, i’m not sure who it was by, possibly Khary Randolph. Anyway I decided to color it in PSP using vectors. Picked out the best lines from the sketch and used bezier curves to ‘ink’ the drawing. I didn’t like the angle of the left hand (looking at the picture) hand or foot and so drew my own. Then picked my fill colors and line colors. The shadows are done with vectors also and set to multiply at 25%.

The pink sky background I found on google. I added the city skyline at the bottom using filled shapes to create the buildings and set it to soft-light. The superman logo at the back is my own vector one.

I like how it turned out, a sort of retro animation feel.

Believe! Superman/Superboy Concept

Just keeping my hand in with manipping really. Here we have Marcus Schenkenberg (whom I’ve used before – see my ‘Blink’ piece) as a younger Man (Boy?) of Steel.

Had to do a fair bit of cleaning up on the original image as there was a lot of text to remove. The costume was made by first creating a composite texture made up from three separate elements – leather, faux suede, and chainmail (much reduced in size) – to try and give it some texture (similar to spidey’s movie costume which I love the texture on the blue sections) Then I created a layer to apply the texture. Using the lasso tool to create appropriate areas, the texture is applied at various angles to match the body shape at that area. I then mask of the extra leaving the areas that would be the suit. Using the same mask I duplicate the original model layer, tweaking the muscles and smoothing/smudging where necessary. this layer is then duplicated again with the original layer’s mode was set to multiply and the second layer’s mode set overlay.

The logo was created from scratch in vectors a while back for another project, simply here reduced and distorted to fit the chest then used to create selections to apply the soft embossed feel. I tried to give the cape a believable flowing feel, not sure if I did, but I like how it turned out. It started with a solid block of color on a layer behind supes. Using the lasso tool I created gradually darker blocks of the red (using HSL adjustment) to give the feel of folds in the cape. The same method used to create supes shadow on the cape. Then used free hand soften tool to blend all the shades together. Over the whole lot applied a gradient fill to darken the cape further where it curves over the shoulder to light at the bottom.

The actual shoulder pieces are on a layer to the front of supes, again beginning with a couple of solid blocks of color. Used gradients, the lasso and HSL to create the tighter folds and wrinkles (where it’s stitched/joined to the costume). Over the whole lot I introduced some granularity. This had the effect of giving the cape some texture post smoothing. blended in the flag in the background to further enhance the ‘belief in something larger than yourself’ feel.

Oldies: Superman

Just another oldie that never quite came to anything.. this was just me playing about with with shapes, and shadows and was inspired by a Loston Wallace sketch of the Superman.. the insignia I added just now from the vector one I had created for my Supergirl pic. I quite liked this basic kinda style, but when I deliberately set out to do a shaded face, it never quite came out the same.

Superman – Last Son of Krypton Colored


This sketch was downloaded from kodiakcomics.com. I wanted to do something a little different in the coloring because of the chest detail. I made a copy of the sketch on a new layer. on a layer over that i applied a blue suede texture on multiply. These two layers were merged to provide the base for coloring the pic. i filled another new layer with the blue suede texture. using the lasso tool, i followed the outline of superman to cut away the excess from both layers. I then used the lasso and colorize tool to recolor each layer for the cape belt etc. The suede layer was set to overlay to enhance the color and texture. I then ‘inked’ over the main borders and edges. Then i created a new dodge layer for use in the highlights. these are softened gradient filled selections. The cape was darkened under neath using a gradient fill on a multiply layer. The background is made up of several more layers – my vector S logo, a black-white gradient, a white-blue gradient, and the ‘circuit’ texture. I deformed the bottom section of the circuit to create the floor for supes to stand on. I added the gradient at the join to give the impression of a curve where floor and wall join. The s-logo has a blurred corona around it on a dodge layer.

Smallville Promotional Concept

Just messing about with layers and such. Found this pic of Tom Welling on the smallville website. Recolored the tshirt from red to blue. The logo on the shirt and on the wall behind are from my own vector version. I tried to make the chest logo look like that plastic stuff they put on tshirts that you arent supposed to iron. This layer is on twice. once set to dodge, the other set to color.

The background wall is intended to look like faded paint. the logo layer was blown up and softened, and set to softlight. cut out where tom was standing. to add a bit more to the background, the wall not covered by the logo has a blue gradient fill on a multiply layer. Smallville ‘hoarding’ added as a flat black layer, overlayed with a noise texture. text created from dc comics cover, distressed slightly. added 3d lighting using eyecandy glass filter. drop shadow added. added logos to bottom.

Challenge: General Zod

JuvenileMike issued a challenge to do General Zod way back in November 2002 on C2F Here is my interpretation of Zod from the latest Superman run. I took some liberties, but i think they work.

The base model for this was body builder Chris Cormier. I started this months ago and have dipped in and out on a fairly frequent basis. The helmet was proving to be a complete and utter bastard, but i had a bit of inspiration when i found a nice clean pic of the Predator Mask, which i messed about with until it had a pleasing feel. The tubes were created by combining various sections of different industrial cable tubing bit. Added shading and shadows by hand. I particularly like how the eyes turned out.

The cloak started out as a piece of velvety fabric which i duplicated a few times and smudged together, adding hi and lo lights. The chainmail is an overlay layer containing the whole body with texture added and distorted to match muscles etc. The tunic is the body promoted to a layer of its own and smudged and softened. shadows were added to lift it away from the body where needed. The superman cloak was done using the vector tool and painted manually in various shades. Overall there are well over 100 layers in this piece.

Love, Or Something Like It’s Got A Hold on Me

Another piece using the art provided by Albea. We spent so long saying it would be nice to see them in a scene or a group, I did this to see how it would look. Both WW and Supes characters were submitted alone by Albea, my part was just to bring it together, background etc. The concept? Well Superman should have an equally noble and powerful partner, both in heroics and in love, and who better that Wonder Woman. Well, who knows.. it might happen….

Superman In Flight

I thought i would expand my repertoire(sp?) a little and have a go at using my tablet for something a little different than smudging photos. Here is a digital painting of Superman done only with the tablet and pen, the pose is based on a scan of a page i found on the web. I used this for the basic shapes and to give me an idea of where to put some shadows and highlights. I didn’t get round to doing the legs, so a bit of motion blur will had to do… Let me know what you think.