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TimTownsend โ VALKYRIE cover
Published: 2010-08-20 18:03:04 +0000 UTC; Views: 33796; Favourites: 869; Downloads: 1511
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Description
This is the cover to VALKYRIE by Chris Bachalo and myself. Ive always loved this character since way back in the early 80's era DEFENDERS books. I think her boobies should have been bigger (in keeping with the character) but I still love this cover.Related content
Comments: 128
Thoes lines are so smooth. What do you use? Brush?
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Yes, brush. Thanks!
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This just makes me want to draw... beautiful work sirs.
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Love this!
As someone who is studying to be a comic artist, how did you decide which lines were to have a bolder thickness? Are you only doing contour lines of the body, outfit and weapon? Pleases explain your method. It seems that the interior lines are generally thinner.
Thanks.
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Thanks! Regarding line weights, they are the essence of inking. Since youre working in a very one dimensional medium (ink is either black or its not there at all) you have to trick the eye in to seeing depth and gray tones. Grey tones are accomplished by hatching, feathering, and other various methods of line-work. When you pull back from the page the transitions (if youre doing them right) will give the illusion of light-to-dark.
The line weights are what is used to trick the eye in to seeing depth. The principals are very simple but can be applied in many, many ways. When something is closer, it appears larger. When working with ink, the thicker the line the closer or more prominent it seems to be on the page. In terms of figure work, you need to establish a hierarchy of importance. What parts of the figure are most important? Generally speaking, you need to define the over-all shape and contour. Contour lines are typically thicker so that the figure is more defined, standing out from the background elements and other extraneous information on the page. Then, in order of importance, you have the head and hands. Take it a step further, you have another order of importance on the head: eyes, mouth, nose. And so on. Hatching and other line work should be the most subtle, the least prominent. You dont want to draw attention to the lines themselves since youre attempting to fool the eye in to seeing light to dark.
The other purpose for thin and thick lines is light sourcing. You should always have a light source established. Sometimes the pencils will clearly define one and, if not, its the inkers job to create the illusion. After that its simple. Areas of the figure and objects on the page that are closest to the light source should have thinner line. Areas further away should be thicker. If a light source is directly over head, the top of the head should have a thinner contour and the bottom of the chin a thicker one. And so on. You have to take all these basic rules and apply them as you go, getting more and more refined with each step. if you do it right youll have a page that has depth and can be easily interpreted by the viewer (without color).
As with every rule, there are methods and ways of breaking them without the art falling apart. Knowing when and how to effectively break them comes with experience. Its always best to learn the rules before you can figure out ways of effectively breaking them.
And people think inking is simple. Right?
Hope this helps!
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Thanks for the detailed explanation. That really helps.
So you do the line weights in inking and not in pencilling? Please post the pencils so we can see the differences.
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Some pencilers do the work very tightly and add line weights. These are the pencilers you typically see having their pencils digitally inked. Most pencilers do not, though. Why would they? Thats our job. I dont always have scans of the pencils handy. I have copies laying around but it just takes too long to scan them all. There are more than a few examples if you look through my gallery.
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Thanks, you've been a great help and I love your work.
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My pleasure. Thank YOU.
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awesome! great lines man, and yeah I think the tiny chest makes her look a bit young
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You guys are a killer combo for sure! Love your work together!
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SO. BADASS.
I love it. With flaming passion. <3
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I love your inkings and Chris Bachalo is such an awesome artist!
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Valkyrie is one of the most underappreciated Marvel heroines. Thanks for this!
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Must say, your inks + Bachalo's pencils = pure joy for this humble fangirl.
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Copic liners and fountain pen? Or are you 100% digital inker?
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Anything but digital. With few exceptions, Im not a fan. Im a traditional inker using about 80% brush, 15% crow quill nib, and 5% other.
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Yah, thought so. At least some of your outlines seem to be 'other' because they are too uniform for a nib or a brush.
I'm not a fan of digital inking either it takes too long.
Maybe if I had a bigger tablet or perhaps a cintiq I'd feel differently but I've noticed that the time it takes to get the stroke you want, with all the 'undos' isn't worth it when it looks almost the same and takes half the effort and time to do it by hand.
One technique I've yet to really try is not to ink it at all but to do all the finished lines in pencil then use photoshop to darken them. I don't think that would save me much time but it would certainly save money in art supplies.
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My outlines are brush.
Darkening pencils requires you to, essentially, ink in lead. In other words, you have to create line weights, textures, all the things you typically do in ink. Theres no real savings in time at all. Most pencilers would rather move on to the next thing instead of noodling around with finished pencils.
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That's pretty much what I figured but I'd have to test to see if it took longer.
I think it would be about the same time and since I have to ink my own work it might be worth it for me.
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hey nice work!!!! I must admit im not a marvel fan but still think there are great ideas, like this one...i love valkiries=!!!!
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When I die, I hope this Valkyrie will take me to the big bar in the sky!! FaB work sir!!!
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Sure. If you post it though, just be sure to give full art credits. Youd be amazed at how many people dont.
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Ok, here it is finished
[link]
If you have a free minute, I'd be thankful for some feedback.
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This would make a great t-shirt! I like the contrast between the rock-like skulls and Valkyrie`s smooth-clean design.
Nice signature too!
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RE: Boobies. Dunno.
I think its awesome until I scroll down to her feet and I wonder if I am not seeing things right. Her feet seem oddly shaped/neo cubist almost.
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Its comic art. Its interpretive. Have you ever seen Bachalo's pencils before?
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I interpreted that the feet looked a bit like legos.
Sorry I said anything.
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LOL, I dare you to say that to Valkyrie's face, about her boobies, with the Lady Liberators standing around her
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