...a flash of purple sparks...

Jasmin's character is the end of the demo... 

...this poster is the beginning...

 

  ...here's the 'To Be Continued!' bit -

And now - The Middle!

After a busy bank holiday weekend - (we had visitors from a county far far away - deepest brightest Surrey) - I was rather tired, and probably did not have as much do-a-demo energy than I hoped to have. But I felt that the spark of comic book creativity was strong in King's Lynn. 

I wasn't wrong. No sooner had I arrived at Gaywood Library and set up a comic friendly zone in the area they had allocated to me, than young Logan took an impromptu seat at the comic round table and quickly coloured in an image of the Hulk on a template sheet!

The demo was to start in 30 minutes, but seeing Logan at work I was bitten by the bullpen bug and commenced drawing his favourite superhero for him - ol' Greenskin himself, and thanks to Logan for providing the Hulk's own deathless dialogue - "Hulk Smash!" - what else?

Sam and his brother Thomas also arrived a little early for the demo, but just in time for Sam to ask me to draw the Silver Age Green Lantern - off template and with red gloves and boots - but still in brightest day and blackest night!

Ok - we've got a group of comic creatives raring to go - we agreed to go 'round the table with each person to suggest a costume design element. Sam at 5 o'clock wanted us to start with the mask, but boots at 7 o'clock got the thumbs up. Imogen suggested reeeally long boots. With spikes on a spiral - and we're off!

In the meantime Thomas asks if I could show him how to draw Cyclops visor. This is more like it - when I was at school all our queries were about algebra, history and french.  CRZZZ!

 

Travelling clockwise - Tom asks to keep the gloves consistent with the boots - long and spikey; Thomas wants an elemental chest emblem - water and fire; Sam interjects that a detached head floating in a ball of fire - "Dormammu!" yells Thomas. (I'm thinking - 'How do these kids know who Dormammu is?' and then I remember Hollywood!) Jasmin and her mum prefer no trunks, a blank torso, thighs and shoulders!
 

Sam insists again for a detached head floating in a ball of flame. I'm still trying to figure out what to draw next. No neck! says Sam.

Phew! We're coming back for colour.

Dimensional Man by Thomas!

Lightning Girl by Imogen

In the meantime, while I'm co-creating, they're creating their own characters! 

Check out Thomas's 'Dimensional Man' (optic blast included!); Imogen's ultra kinetic 'Lightning Girl!'; Sam's flashy 'Boy Racer!' and Jasmin's mum's uber tactile 'Cacti Man!' - kinda reminds me of a customised version of 'The Porcupine!'

Boy Racer by Sam

Cacti Man by Jasmin's mum

It's time for Imogen to leave, and while the guys are busy designing the new age of comics, Jasmin steps up to the marvel spotlight and she and mum envision a new hero or villain - can't say at this point. But we start with power! 

Outstretched arms - hands holding high voltage lightning bolts!! Back to base with shiny high laced boots, denim cut off shorts and fish nets; Sam wants a mask again - Jasmin is thinking visor - there's a discussion with mum - we're holding off on the visor. 

We're going for a chest bullet belt and camo crop top with turtle neck doubling as spiked choker! There's a natural shuffling of personnel - Sam at 5 sits where Imogen sat at 7, and Nikita takes Sam's place. 

I've no idea what the time is - but it's never too late to create!

 

The super angular visor is in, and graphic black bob is out. Face is out - featureless mask and massive plats in. No name, no mission, no problem! 
 
Multi tasking style - Nikita and Jasmin have also conjured up the 'Love Cat' and 'Bear Grilled' while Tom produced graphite warrior 'Black Hole!'

Love Cat by Nikita!

Bear Grilled by Jasmin!

A big thank you to Nikita who stepped up to the easel and drew a blockbusting version of Big Hero 6's Baymar - well done! (And thanks also to Nikita's dad - a big Watchmen and Sandman fan - for showing me his very own Dr Manhattan!)

Black Hole by Tom!

Baymar by Nikita!

Before we got down to playing Dr Spectrum with the colours, Sam asked for a 'quick sketch' of Daredevil. I started with the feet and just worked my way back, couldn't see where I was going...

 Hope this is OK Sam

Having recently purchased a veritable arsenal of Winsor & Newton Promarker colours, I was armed and - maybe not dangerous - but certainly ready, to colour in those newly created characters. 

So without further adeu - here's Elemental Man! (Well, it's not so bad. Thomas wanted 'Dorspiku!) 
 

 
 Apologies to all for not having time to discuss, list and compare all the characters that I had in my display today - particularly to Thomas who was unsure whether the Silver Surfer was a villain or hero. 

Before I could say that while the Silver Surfer was not a villain as such, being the herald of the planet devouring Galactus he would by no means have been viewed as a hero when he first appeared. Thomas mentioned that the Surfer was indeed a villain when he was in the thrall of Thanos! 

By now I didn't know what he was talking about, or where I was going. Before I could defend my knowledge of Marvel history I quickly reminded myself that being twelve, Thomas was forty eight years younger than me - and me having not really read many Marvels in the past fifteen years - he probably knew what he was talking about. 

...and coincidentally, 
Fantastic Four #48 was the issue featuring the first appearance of both the Silver Surfer and Galactus!

'Nuff Said?

I didn't realise it until I got home and uploaded the photos I had 

taken, and sure - I knew that of all the genres the workshop could 

have been placed in, we were in the 'Crime' section. 

But it was only later I noticed the very much more than 

appropriate placement of the character sketches!

A big thank you to Elena for organising the workshop event in conjunction 

with Richard of the Youth Advisory Board and Norfolk County Council. 

A Galactus-size thank you to Imogen, Tom, Thomas, Jasmin, Sam and Nikita 

for taking part and creating a new universe of Super Heroes and  Villains!  

And a Hulk-sized thank you to Logan for starting us all off so well!!

...Superheroes over Ely...TINDALLS TITANS...

Driving into Ely this sunlit Saturday morning to take part in TINDALLS Three Artists' Workshop weekend, I knew it was going to be a good day. I'm not sure when I realised this, probably not when I was stuck behind a 'Sitra' 40 mph tanker for 20 minutes, more than likely it was when Emily and Emily came into Tindalls and told me how they wanted to design their superhero from - well, the boots up. 

A- shaped boots with a deep tread, cow dot trousers, utility belt for mobile, ipod and...well...superhero stuff. Screwdriver? A - shape gloves, more cow dots for top, capital 'U' chest emblem - of course. Angular eye mask. 

'Anything else? Sorry - what did you say? Unicorn horn? - Coming up.'

'What's your character's name going to be?

'UNICOW!' 

'Brilliant - of course it is. And what are your names?'

'Emily'  'Emily' 

...and so a new superstar is born...

'UNICOW' by Emily and Emily.

And this was pretty much how the day went. 

James came by next with his family and volunteered to create the JAGUAR replete with corinthian Magneto helmet, Wolverine claws and spiked boots!

'JAGUAR' by James.

I think it was James' sister Kate that asked me to draw WONDER WOMAN, 

I wasn't quite sure what her costume looked like, but with a little help from Kate's mum we got there in the end.

'WONDER WOMAN' BY Kate!
(Created by William Moulton Marston - a long time ago).

A heroic thank you to James' dad who when asked to take a picture of me in action at the easel, took plenty of great photos. Cheers!

Here's one of them...

Prompted by James - I create... the 'JAGUAR'!

Just when I think it's all quiet on the western front - in walk Josh and Jenson - all ready to conjure up their inimitable superhero. Plenty of magnets, stripes, metallic boots, shiny knee and elbow pads and an inverted double magnet chest emblem. Watch out McDonald's -

Here comes MAGNET MAN!

'MAGNET MAN' by Josh and Jenson.

I take a short break for lunch and return in time to meet Daniel. I go off template and modify the characters left hand and foot - and with Deadpool's eyes, Iron Man's repulsor rays and the Flash's trademark lightning bolts we give birth to none other than ...

IRONFLASH! 

'IRONFLASH' BY Daniel!

Normally I work from my design template - more speed and less fear. It's  a good thing I drew a handful of freehand superhero sketches before I went to lunch and got my confidence up. 'Cause that's just what Josh wanted me to do - draw a freehand Hulk picture. 

OK - with a pencil I quickly scribbled in a few layout lines starting with the outstretched fists, growing back to his shoulders, barrel chest and then a crouching knees out position. Straight back in with a Winsor & Newton chisel tipped Promarker and before you know it I'm spelling out 'GRRAAAR!' by JOSH in the background, logo style!

THE INCREDIBLE - and quite angry - HULK!

The 'HULK' by Josh -
(after Stan Lee & Jack Kirby of course).

Joe's seen what I'm up to and asks me to draw a picture of SHIELD boss NICK FURY! Being a little bit older than Joe - and a comic collector from the 60s - I have to ask Joe if he means the original Sgt Nick Fury from the 1960s or does he mean Avengers Assemble's Mr Samuel L Jackson? 

And yes he does indeed mean - Mr Samuel L Jackson. 

...and laser pistol in hand, here he is - the Director of SHIELD - NICK FURY!

'NICK FURY' by Joe - (more Lee & Kirby).

It's been pretty much heroes all the way today, but here comes Christopher to change all that. He only wants me to draw one of Spider- Man's baddest bad guys from the late 80s. Almost the very opposite of Spidey himself - the unforgettable VENOM!

Originally a new costume Spidey found on Battleworld back in the original seventies Secret Wars, the costume turned out to have an evil will of it's own, and finding a host of it's own has given Spider-Man a run for his money ever since.

Same as before - a lot of frantic scribbling starting with the claw like hands, down the arms to the chest and then the angular legs and clawed feet.

The demonic (one-eyed...oops?!) VENOM!

'VENOM' by Christopher -
(by Marvel again - not quite sure who...).

I was right it was not only a good day, but a great day!

Thanks a lot to all the kids (and superhero fans), that took part and helped me create an unbeatable team of TINDALLS TITANS to rival the Avengers.

Many thanks also to Matt and Mark for inviting me along to take part, and to all the Tindalls Ely staff for their hospitality throughout the day. 

HEROES ALL!

...where do those superheroes come from...?

Like every six (and sixteen) year old I copied characters and superheroes  relentlessly from any comic I could lay my eager hands on - TV21, Fantastic Four, Hulk. Pencil, colouring pencils - pots of poster paints when I'd progressed at age twelve to reproducing comic covers and full splash pages up to A2 on cartridge paper which were often often pinned up on the display boards outside the first floor school art room. 

Ahh a warm glow when a for a few weeks only, ascending the stairs from the vestibule to attend classes on the first floor hundreds of young minds were momentarily captivated by the vivid painted image of an angry Galactus raging at the Silver Surfer, or Maximus the Mad glowering over a trapped and frustrated Hulk. 

What marvelous joy.

Almost without fail in those 'best days of your life' if you were caught reading a comic - especially in class or assembly - you were facing comic book confiscation at least until the end of said lesson or in some cases - until the end of time ie four o'clock - home time. 

I almost lost Tales to Astonish #97 this way in assembly, but managed to distract the Deputy Head by dropping and breaking my glasses - yep - made of glass in those pre plastic lenses days - my mag became a side issue compared to my now inability to see the blackboard and learn. Still confiscated until the end of the day though - curses, I wouldn't know if the Hulk survived the terrible threat of the Legion of the Living Lightning for hours now...

Fantastic Four Annual #6 featuring the birth of Reed and Sue's baby boy almost met the same fate in woodwork class. As fascinating as mortice and tenon joints and wooden wall lamp units - shaped like an upside down shoe with a protruding tongue was - it couldn't compare with the majesty and mystery of Reed, Ben and Johnny going up against their newest foe Annihilus in the demented wonderland that was the Negative Zone.

Boy-oh-boy! When the woodwork teacher noticed that I was distracted by a comic when I should have been paying attention - I discovered that dear old Mr Griffin was as implacable a foe as any Stan (The Man) Lee and Jack (King) Kirby could dream up! Luckily he instructed me to put it away rather than have it confiscated here and now. Phew! Did Sue or didn't Sue have her baby???

OK - I've gone back to the beginning to get to the present, but - life drawing! From my first time life drawing at Croydon Art College during my Foundation course - I was 18 and I expect the model was 68 or so - the tutors mantra was as follows - "Draw what you see. Not what you think you see."

Any comic book course I've attended in the past - such as 'The London Cartoon Centre' back in the late 80s could not stress strongly enough the value of drawing the human body from life, and whenever the opportunity presented itself - to get onto a life class. 

Certainly it's all very well referring to and copying from your favorite artists such as Gil Kane and Neal Adams (who know their anatomy inside out) - providing you back it up with a solid foundation understanding how human anatomy works. One editor I spoke to said it was comparatively easy (and fun) drawing superheroes, but the hero has to inhabit a world of real people. Creating the real world environment allows our hero to be who she or he is. 

The more real and more believable the environment, the better.

The two life classes I have attended recently are The Ely Life Drawing Group which takes place on Thursdays at Ely's Babylon Gallery, and The Ouse Life Drawing group which takes place on Wednesdays alternately in a converted church on the River Little Ouse and Ely Community Colleges Art Department - both are highly recommended!


Oh, and by the way - Reed and Sue had a baby boy...