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Description
Seems like I always manage to do at least 100 pictures a year, and this year is no different, with this submission being marked as #400. With that I always try and and do a special type of image to mark the occasion. When I hit 200, it was the Justice Society; now, its time to have the Justice League step up to the plate.

First appearing in "Brave and the Bold" issue number 28 all the way back in 1960, the Justice League of America was the continuing updates to old Golden Age status quos at DC Comics, following on the successful relaunches of the Flash in 1955, and Green Lantern in 1959. With a revolving door of memberships (the Flash, Aquaman, Elongated Man, and Fire all had lengthy tenures with the group at various times; Martian Manhunter's status as the group's longest serving member was a more recent retcon) everyone had their favorite incarnation, and the group did have several versions that saw massive popularity over its original 260+ run, with the Bronze Age "Satellite era" that included Firestorm, Zatanna, and Elongated Man being cited as the most popular.

As such, Alex Ross has often done many images painted that show those various incarnations from the Big 7 (Flash, Aquaman, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter) all the way to the modern day incarnations. The photo I did is meant to recreate one he did of the Silver Age version of the JLA, completed when Black Canary traveled from Earth-Two to Earth-One to join the group in issue 74. Much like they had been in the 1940s with the JSA, Batman and Superman weren't always around for group appearances, so Green Arrow and Martian Manhunter (and Hawkman, when J'onn was in and out of the group as well at times in the 1960s) were there analogous replacements.

The photo isn't exactly as spot on as the Ross painting; for one thing, some concessions had to be made regarding the poses. Being that Mattel and the 4 Horsemen design team constructed these bodies for reuse they are at best very bulky and cannot really get into many tight poses unless it was something more relaxed. For another, I didn't have the short-haired Superman that Mattel put out, so in his place is "super mullet" (admittedly I'm a fan of this period, as its when I started reading superhero comics in full so I have fond memories). And finally Batman: while I'm sure Ross has painted a Bronze Age Batman in the actual painting its a more modern day look with blacks and grays and a swirling cape. I again don't have the one that Mattel released, and the custom that I do own is built around the earlier DC Superheroes Wave 3 Batman body, with the legs spread apart and one foot looking like its broken. Completely unacceptable in my eyes. I had no problems using Bronze Age Batman, and gave him the cloth cape I occasionally whip out for dynamic looking shots.

The real trick part was the lighting. Probably the hardest thing outside of the posing. Ross is such a classically trained artist that in trying to mimic his style for a photo with figures, the challenge was getting it as close as possible to that "Rembrandt style" he employed (or around that similar style...classically trained artists correct me if I'm wrong!) which meant positioning my lights in such a way to achieve what I wanted to achieve.

What more can I say?

Just thank you all for taking the time out as you do to like and comment on my works. Its you all who keep me going as I learn more about art from those that are my friends and hype me on to new ways of improving myself.

Description
Seems like I always manage to do at least 100 pictures a year, and this year is no different, with this submission being marked as #400. With that I always try and and do a special type of image to mark the occasion. When I hit 200, it was the Justice Society; now, its time to have the Justice League step up to the plate.

First appearing in "Brave and the Bold" issue number 28 all the way back in 1960, the Justice League of America was the continuing updates to old Golden Age status quos at DC Comics, following on the successful relaunches of the Flash in 1955, and Green Lantern in 1959. With a revolving door of memberships (the Flash, Aquaman, Elongated Man, and Fire all had lengthy tenures with the group at various times; Martian Manhunter's status as the group's longest serving member was a more recent retcon) everyone had their favorite incarnation, and the group did have several versions that saw massive popularity over its original 260+ run, with the Bronze Age "Satellite era" that included Firestorm, Zatanna, and Elongated Man being cited as the most popular.

As such, Alex Ross has often done many images painted that show those various incarnations from the Big 7 (Flash, Aquaman, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter) all the way to the modern day incarnations. The photo I did is meant to recreate one he did of the Silver Age version of the JLA, completed when Black Canary traveled from Earth-Two to Earth-One to join the group in issue 74. Much like they had been in the 1940s with the JSA, Batman and Superman weren't always around for group appearances, so Green Arrow and Martian Manhunter (and Hawkman, when J'onn was in and out of the group as well at times in the 1960s) were there analogous replacements.

The photo isn't exactly as spot on as the Ross painting; for one thing, some concessions had to be made regarding the poses. Being that Mattel and the 4 Horsemen design team constructed these bodies for reuse they are at best very bulky and cannot really get into many tight poses unless it was something more relaxed. For another, I didn't have the short-haired Superman that Mattel put out, so in his place is "super mullet" (admittedly I'm a fan of this period, as its when I started reading superhero comics in full so I have fond memories). And finally Batman: while I'm sure Ross has painted a Bronze Age Batman in the actual painting its a more modern day look with blacks and grays and a swirling cape. I again don't have the one that Mattel released, and the custom that I do own is built around the earlier DC Superheroes Wave 3 Batman body, with the legs spread apart and one foot looking like its broken. Completely unacceptable in my eyes. I had no problems using Bronze Age Batman, and gave him the cloth cape I occasionally whip out for dynamic looking shots.

The real trick part was the lighting. Probably the hardest thing outside of the posing. Ross is such a classically trained artist that in trying to mimic his style for a photo with figures, the challenge was getting it as close as possible to that "Rembrandt style" he employed (or around that similar style...classically trained artists correct me if I'm wrong!) which meant positioning my lights in such a way to achieve what I wanted to achieve.

What more can I say?

Just thank you all for taking the time out as you do to like and comment on my works. Its you all who keep me going as I learn more about art from those that are my friends and hype me on to new ways of improving myself.