Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Legends of the Guard Cover Stories Video 3

Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard covers aren't just wrap-around images meant to imply mouse-legends...no, I write a Legend for each cover (including the variants) and include it for the fans to read in each publication. To celebrate the release of a Legends of the Guard Volumes 1-3 Box Set, I've recorded narration for some of my favorites:


Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard Cover Legends 3



The Legends of the Guard Box Set
 is available from Your local comic or book shop and Amazon.com


For process blogposts on the 3 covers in the video:







2017 Appearances: 
C2E2: April 21-23
Heroes Con: Jun. 16-18
San Diego Comic Con: July 19-23
Baltimore Comic Con: Sept. 22-24
New York Comic Con: Oct. 5-8

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Power of the Dark Crystal #1 Variant Cover Process

Archaia will be publishing a new Dark Crystal series: "The Power of the Dark Crystal". Adapted from a screenplay by the same name, this is a sequel story to the film The Dark Crystal. As a big fan of Henson and that original movie, Archaia editors Cameron Chittock & Sierra Hahn asked me to do a variant cover for issue 1.


In this blogpost I go through my process for creating the cover art you see to the left.



Pencil sketches:
I was given a packet of reference material for the new series from Henson, which included new characters and a new species. I tried my hand at the two new main characters, but opted to only depict one of them in my cover, using the remaining space for the crystal itself and a menacing Skeksis.

I drew these on copy paper, and with the Skeksis, I got out of control having not planned a composition but just free drawing. I had to tape a few sheets of extra paper together to extend the drawing in the directions I was going. The main Gelfling character was sketched out considerably smaller and is based on some work by Brian Froud included in the reference packet. (I couldn't find my loose sketch of the crystal & surroundings when I was putting this blogpost together).

Layout/Composition:
I scanned the sketches above (and the now missing Crystal sketch) into Photoshop and worked up a composition for the cover. Each drawing was tinted a different color to help define the characters. This layout is a bit different for me because it's less of a scene and more of a montage-collage.

Because this stage had to meet with the approval of both Archaia & Henson, I also painted in the basic color concept and added a Froud celestial design pattern in to fill up some of the background. I sent this .jpg over to my editors to wait for approval before proceeding.


Inks:
The layout was approved with no changes (and very quickly) so I started inking the piece. First, I printed out my composite layout at the art-size (about 10" x 15") and then taped it to the back of a sheet of Strathmore bristol. On a light pad, I'm able to see through the bristol to the printout and use it as a guide while I ink. This saves me a later step of erasing pencil or having to digitally edit out blue-line pencil. I used Copic Multiliners to ink with (the 0.2, 0.3, & 0.7 nibs)

Below you can see some in-process photos I took to share with one of my editors as I worked:




Color Flats:
Once the inks were completed, I scanned the art into photoshop and prepared the file for coloring. At first this means adjusting the levels so that the blacks are true black and the whites are true whites while eliminating stray midtone greys. Then I lay in flat color behind the linework layer establishing the areas of color (the Skeksis' skin, the armor, the crystal, the Gelfling's armor & clothes, etc.) I also establish the color-holds. These are areas where I don't want my inked linework to be black, but to be a color. The background pattern is the most obvious one of these, but I also held the linework of the crystal, the Gelfling's freckles, & the glow of the pit below the crystal.



Final Colors:
The last step is to render all the colors adding light, shadow and texture. I mainly use the dodge and burn tools in Photoshop to do this while using a stock textured brush. I also make lots of slight color adjustments as I work, using the free-hand lasso tool with a feather on it to make subtle color shifts for rosey noses, glowing light sources that would affect color shifts, etc.

The final cover art sans-logo can be see to the right. And follow @Archaia on Twitter for updates about this new Dark Crystal series.



2017 Appearances: 
C2E2: April 21-23
Heroes Con: Jun. 16-18
San Diego Comic Con: July 19-23
Baltimore Comic Con: Sept. 22-24

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Toned Paper Commissions

In August I posted a batch of my Toned paper Commissions from Heroes & SDCC. Today I'm sharing all the rest of the toned pieces I did for Boston, Baltimore, & NYCC. I plan to keep doing these at conventions in 2017.

Lieam

A Wizarding Mouse

A Rough Guardmouse

Big from Perhapanauts

Choopie from Perhapanauts

Hogwarts Invitation

Rathraq from Rumble 

Thai Artist Mouse

Jester Mouse

Killer Robot

Pilot from Farscape

Dog in a suit

Dog in a suit 

Guardmouse

Healer/Apothecary Mouse

Old Guardmouse

A Fox in Armor

Shere Khan

An Ancestor of Mr. Toad's

Saxon

A Guardmouse

Dog in clothes

Hoggle from the Labyrinth

An Otter as Sherlock Holmes

A Guardmouse

A Mouse Blacksmith

Plague Doctor Mouse

Locke & Key Mouse

A Guardmouse



2017 Appearances: 
C2E2: April 21-23
Heroes Con: Jun. 16-18
San Diego Comic Con: July 19-23
Baltimore Comic Con: Sept. 22-24


Monday, November 7, 2016

Petersen Non-Mouse Guard checklist.

UPDATED HERE: 

I was asked by a fan on Twitter if there is a complete source/checklist for all my Non-Mouse Guard published/printed work. I was able to tweet him back with some help, but this blogpost will serve as a complete* list of my Non-Mouse Guard works.

*I will try to update it as best as I can. If fans find corrections, let me know.


Covers






Mr. Stuffins #1 Variant (BOOM!)

Mr. Stuffins #2 Variant (BOOM!)

Mr. Stuffins #3 Variant (BOOM!)

Muppet Robin Hood (BOOM!)

Muppet Robin Hood #2 (BOOM!)

Muppet Robin Hood #3 (BOOM!)

Muppet Robin Hood #4 (BOOM!)

Muppet Peter Pan #1 (BOOM!)

Muppet Peter Pan #2

Muppet Peter Pan #3

Muppet Peter Pan #4

Muppet King Arthur #1 (BOOM!)

Muppet King Arthur #2 (BOOM!)

Muppet King Arthur #3 (BOOM!)

Muppet King Arthur #4 (BOOM!)












Beneath The Dark Crystal #1 (Archaia)
















Dragon Prince #4 (Top Cow)

Following Cerebus #12 Jam Cover

Ramayan 3392 A.D. #3 (Virgin)






































Pinups










Cursed Pirate Girl #1 (Comixpress edition)

Cursed Pirate Girl #1 (Olympian Publishing)





Drafted: A Story from the Space Marine Corps #3


Dark Crystal: Creation Myths Vol 1 (Archaia)


2013 Baltimore Yearbook: Usagi Yojimbo











Hawkman Companion (TwoMorrows)



Perhapanauts (Dark Horse/Image)


Monsters & Dames 2009





Robotika: For A Few Rubles More (Archaia)



Skin Deep Vol 1: Orientations (Kory Bing)

Season of the Witch #3 (Image)






Vogelien Book 1 (Fiery Studios)



Stories/Interiors


The Abominable Charles Christopher: Guest Strip (webcomic)







Panels for Primates (comiXology)

Ye Old Lore of Yore ~ 3 short stories & cover (ComiXPress)


Misc






The Mill at Calder's End Promo/Kickstarter Poster




Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Packaging 



Torchbearer RPG Petersen Bestiary Vol 1 & Vol 2


Star Wars Galaxies 4 Trading Card (Topps)

Star Wars Galaxies 5 Trading Card (Topps)



Last Updated 1-19-24



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