Dawn of the Black Axe #2 Rodriguez Cover

Dawn of the Black Axe is a 3 issue mini series written and colored by me and illustrated by the amazingly talented Gabriel Rodriguez (Locke & Key) about Bardrick, the first wielder of the Black Axe! 

Issue 2 is up for preorder now in local and online comic shops (FEB250073 for the Gabe cover) And I wanted to use this post to share a deeper dive into the cover art for cover A (I also have a variant cover and there will be at least one other guest artist for each issue)

Gabe agreed to do the project, but really wanted me to be the colorist. It's been the hardest coloring work I've ever done...

Since we are both doing covers for the series, I tried to avoid us drawing the same scene or have the same emotional tone for the same issue.

For his Issue 2 cover I asked Gabe to have Bardrick alone and in despair as the spectral elk looms behind him (it will make more sense after you get to read issue 1 next month!).

Gabe sent over pencils (which I quickly approved), and then later this amazingly clean and detailed inked art.

When coloring these Dawn of the Black Axe pieces of Gabe's I start with establishing the color holds (areas I want the inkwork to be a color other than black) like the elk, and then start laying in flat colors to establish all the shapes. Anywhere Gabe didn't close off his linework I needed to smudge out my hard line of color in the gaps.

I wanted this scene (which isn't a direct scene from the issue––but sums up an emotional tone for part of it) to be very blue and set at night. That meant toning down and adjusting the hue of Bardrick and his cloak.

While the flats were easy to establish (only one color hold and a few areas of different color), the rendering is where the work was for my part.

I started by quickly gradating the sky with a paintbrush and then by rendering the elk, all with the dodge tool adding in highlights as through the elk was lit from within and below. to help the ghostly feel I also added an outer glow to the layer and painted in stars (where the stars we see through the elk are at a lighter opacity). I then used Dodge and Burn tools to light the branch and Bardrick from below. To give that warm light I used the freehand lasso with a light feather to select areas to color shift warmer.

Below is the solicitation info for the second issue that will be in shops April 23rd, 2025

CODE: FEB250073

(W) David Petersen (A/CA) Gabriel Rodriguez

The origin story of the Black Axe continues!

Bardrick, the first wielder of the Axe, continues his campaign against the serpents surrounding the mouse territories, but even he can't be everywhere at once...The legendary weapon-bearer must serve his duty, but can he truly manage it all on his lonesome?!