Another process thread (Masked Muchachos)

[Steve Chanks]

I documented a little step-by-step process from sketch to art to ink to print of my Hispanic Batman poster art that we had for sale at San Diego Comic Con. This was one of my most ambitious prints yet due to overlays and tight registration but I learned a lot and fortified my love of drawing and print making.

Get your hands on one here http://www.gigposters.com/classified...p?siteid=11619

Starting with a rough sketch for the Hispanic Batman poster. I knew I wanted to do a low rider bike with a makeshift sidecar.



Here is the updated sketch along with my rough bicycle drawings that I drew to help understand and craft the swift carrier of Hispanic justice. There are rough perspective lines in the sketch but I'll refine them in the penciling stage.



After I was happy with the rough sketch I went over to Brian Ewing's dope-ass art studio in scenic Long Island City and used his lightbox to transfer the sketch in non-repo blue pencil to a clean piece of Bristol board.



After the blue pencils are complete I begin finalizing all my lines in a regular #2 pencil. I prefer Ticonderoga pencil for their smooth and consistent line, plus they tend not to break under my heavy hand.
Notice the perspective lines. I rough them out in the sketch but refine them in the tighter pencils. I try to keep them loose and approximately accurate as to not "decartoonify" the image too much.



With the pencils finished I begin inking. Note the addition of the horns and streamers to the handlebars, often times I start inking and an improvement pops into my head.
Also notice that Batman's expression has gone from a "Heeeeey" to a surly Latin "Joo dohn sayeeee."



Inking detail. I use Faber Castell PITT Pens of varying sizes and a Japanese brush pen to do my inking. Each pen has a different line and use.



More ink progress. Note, another couple mods, the front reflector became a dope headlight and, not visible in this pic, but a front fender was added.



Inking details continued. I love the way the horn came out.



Inking is just about finished. Notice the second flag added to the back of the bike, almost another instance of adjusting and tweaking in the inking stage. Some people shun this idea but I think it keeps me interested while laboring over the inks.



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At this point I scanned the artwork in and hand drew my separations into Photoshop using my Wacom tablet. I wanted to keep the color count to a minimum while getting a wide range of values and colors.
I yucked it up with Adam Turman and he gave me some great advice, not to mention the fact that he really knows how to use a limited palette to its full potential.

Digital color mockup.


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Mixing up color #1. I'm looking to get a rusty, terra-cotta orange.



First color down, it's a bit of a terra-cotta orange and will help create the fourth color when color 2 goes down.



The separation marks are in Espanol and the color choices are all wrong to make it look bootlegged



Racking up the prints.



Oops, forgot to show you color #2. This color is a bright yellow with a hint of green and brown to age it a bit. It also needs to have about a 50% translucency to help create the gold color where it overlaps the orange.



Screening color #2. Transparent yellow worked like a charm, the gold looks... well gold.



The stack piles up on the drying racks. Color #2 is looking sweet.



Detail to show how color #2 creates the third color, gold, when it overlays color #1.



Mixing color #3, a greenish brown.



Color #3, the line art, is down, locking up all the colors and finishing the poster.



The finished posters start to pile up, 130 in all, sorted to a 100 piece series.



Finished poster detail. 3 colors, screen printed by yours truly.



Joo like what ah-joo see? Chure joo dooo.

[phoondaddy]

i

[eyepeace]

Holy mierda, batman!

Love seeing the very early pencils and the evolution. Great job on the colors, too.

[ASPrintingPress]

ur ight I chure do.

soooo gooood

[squeegeethree]

Great work. SO nice seeing the pencil work

[vrooooom]

vanishing points, how do they work?

very nice work!

[Steve Chanks]

Thanks dudes.
I'm pretty psyched to keep at it. I just picked up a pair of hinge clamps for when I can't get to the SVA printshop.
Going to set up a makeshift table in my home studio.

[Josh Rickun]

Yes!

[johnny]

¡Muy good, Esteban! Love seeing comics process stuff. Print looks great.

[Kotah]

Good Job!