Home Illustrations

 


Locutus of Borg.
Oil on illustration board
11" x 17."


Zephram Cochrane's Warp Drive-Vulcan Visions.
Gouache on Strathmore 500 Series 4 ply Bristol Board.
11"x17."



Data Borg.
Gouache on Strathmore 400 Series 140 lb. Cold Press Watercolor Paper.
11" x 17."

Gouache is a beautiful medium and is my favorite to work with. Just like Watercolor, you can pick out or "lift" highlights and create medium tones and move it around easily on the surface of the paper or board as it has great covering power.
Unlike Watercolor It is opaque and mistakes can be easily corrected. With the Star Trek character, Lt Commander Data I had trouble painting the gray stripes on his shoulder area and then I took a paper towel and just scrubbed it in and it worked instead of using a brush. I'm not sure if you can see it here as the original painting shows. I did some cool scrubbing with the Admiral Kirk painting below (Wrath of Khan).
The major disadvantage to gouace is not to get any mositure on it as you can ruin it and have to rework it but I still love this stuff.
I first learned of Gouace from Art School but a friend of mine, John, showed me some of the fantastic poster artwork of Reynold Brown and I was hooked. He had to work fast and used Gouache to get the job done with all the revisions and deadlines to meet.
Coincidently, Reynold Brown also taught at The Art School in California back then and Drew Struzan was one of his students who would later go on to do all those fantastic posters of Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Drew works in airbrush Acrylics.
Mort Kuntsler's magazine Gouche paintings awe inspired me as well and who doesn't love Alex Ross' art?!    




Kirk Genesis.
Gouache on Strathmore 400 Series 140 lb. Cold Press Water Color Paper.
11"x 8 1/2"


Captain Kirk.
-er, the new Captain Kirk and yes that is the Enterprise from the Wrath of Khan.
I did that as a homage to the old days.
Gouache on Strathmore 500 Series Bristol Board.
11" x 17."


Spock on Romulus.
Acrylics on 140 lb. Strathmore Cold Press Water Color Paper.
11" x 17."


Spock on Romulus.
Charcoal underpainting with sprayed on Acrylic Matte Coating.
I usually do pencils but once in a while I will do this just to do something different.
I pulled in the values so that the color from the Acrylic paint would be less trying
with light washes over it.
11" x 17." 140lb. Cold Press Strathmore Water Color Paper.




Andorians Anyone?
Andorians. Good guys or bad guys? Star Trek fans decide.
Casein on 500 Series Strathmore 4 ply Bristol Board.
11" x 17."


 

The Heart of Tony Stark-Robert Downey Jr.
Acrylics and Airbrush on Illustration Board.
11" x 17."



Ironmen.
Acrylics on Strathmore 4ply 500 Series Bristol Board.
11"x17."



Starbuck on Duty. From the new Battlestar Galactica series.
Gouache on Strathmore 400 Series 140 lb. Cold Press Watercolor Paper. 
11" x 17."



AVP Requiem.
Acrylics and Airbrush on Gessoed Illustration Board.
11" x 17."




AVP Requiem. Of course it's the same painting as above but I used Photoshop 6.0 Elements
to grey it out. Wow, just click the thing and it converts it all.




AVP Requiem again but I wanted to try one more thing out and just tint it. 
I only use Photoshop basically to clean up the art and enhance the lighting
sometimes and of course get it ready for emailing.



Predator Beacon.
Gouache on Strathmore 400 Series 140 lb. Cold Press Watercolor Paper.
11" x 17."





Predator vs Robocop. 
I would love to see a movie like this.
Terminator vs Predator would be another one and yeah like that's
going to happen!
Casein Paint on 4 ply 500 Series Strathmore Bristol Board.  
11" x 17."

All paints have their advantages and disadvantages. A lot of people ask me what Casein is.
It is the oldest paint known and is found on the cave walls of early man. Egyptians used it as well.
It is a milk based protein paint and can have the consistency of thick glue at first and can be thined down like watercolor. It dries to the touch in minutes but can be reworked as you go along. It is known to have a sour milk smell to it from early Illustrators until the Shiva Company added a sweet frangence to it. With that added, it reminds me of something similar to pinesol. Casein to me is a cross between Gouace and Acrylics.
Illustrators used it before Acrylics took to the market. It uses water instead of hazerdous solvents to move it about and is matte finish making it easy to photograph without the chance of light glare. 
Of all the water media paints, it resembles oil paints the most except that it is flat matte. It is also considered the most brittle of all the paints and should not be used in heavy impasto on canvas. I usually apply it on 140 lb cold press watercolor paper as is or on any sturdy illustration board and I usually gesso the surface of the board. You can even apply it to wood.
Illustrators such as Bernie Fuchs, Harry Anderson and Norman Saunders were known to use Casein.
It is not as brittle as most have said as I have creased a tested painted piece of watercolor paper and it holds up well and does not flake off. As mentioned before It can be reworked even after dry and takes about a week to fully become insoluable to moisture and can be varnished like an oil painting if so desired. It does not yellow and crack with age and is very lightfast.
It also can be buffed with a cloth to change it from it's natural flat matte finish to a semi glossy sheen.
One thing I have to warn about Casein is that when it drys that there can be some major color shifts so that can be pretty surprising at times. It color shifts even moreso than Gouache.
I use a John Pike water color pallette and with Casein you can use the paint up to a couple of days with a moist sponge inside to keep it workable. It is not like Water Color in the way that it can be reconstituted so be careful and clean all brushes after useing them. With all that said, it is a super fast but durable medium as we have seen with history and once varnished a Casein painting can last longer than even oils on canvas.             





Lara Croft Tombraider. 
This model did a great job playing the Angelina Jolie role and with all
the gear.
Acrylics on Strathmore Vellum 2 ply 300 Series 100 lb. Bristol Board.
11" X 17."
Acrylics are a great medium but they dry fast and you can't pick out highlights like Gouace or Casein or Oil pants or move the paint around as well to blend but it is a challenge to work with. It is more transparent than oils but that usually helps as you can do glazes that dry fast and correct mistakes by either painting over it. 
With some of Lara Croft's skin tones, a brush just wasn't doing the job for me and I didn't want to pull out the Airbrush so while the paint was still wet I moved the paint around with just my fingers and was happy with the results. Using a good hog's hair bristol brush is good for blending Acrylics as well. 




Snake Pit. GI Joe Snake Eyes.
Gouache on Strathmore 400 Series 140 lb. Cold Press Watercolor Paper.
11" x 17."




Son of Frankenstein. 
This is my "poorman's version" of the great art of Basil Gogos.
Gouach on Strathmore 400 Series 140 lb. Watercolor Paper.
11" x 17."



Bela Lugosi as Dracula.
Another "Poor Man's Basil Gogos "Trying to get there" painting.
Gouache on Strathmore 400 Series 140 lb. Cold Press Watercolor Paper.
11" x 17."


Loki Trickster.
Loki as a female from the current Marvel Comics incarnation. 
Gouache on Strathmore 400 Series 140 lb. Cold Press Watercolor Paper.
11"x17."


The Phantom vs Predator.
Here I go again pitting Predator vs an Earth hero. I am a huge Phantom fan
and I couldn't resist this.
It's a what happens when two Kings of the jungle come face to face scenario here?   
The scanned artwork didn't take up the 3 laser points on The Phantom's chest
as deep as I would like for some reason but I think it's still clear here.
Acrylics and Airbrush on Gessoed Illustration Board.
11" x 17."



The Crypt and The Phantom.
Gouach on Strathmore 400 Series 140 lb. Watercolor Paper.
11" x 17."



Phantom Raptors.
Gouache on Strathmore 400 Series 4-ply Bristol Board.
11"x17."

 

Detail of the Phantom with Diana Palmer. 



The Phantom Beginning.
I saw this in some way by another artist. I'm not sure if it was
the great Sy Barry's work so I'm sorry not to do an "After"
proper homage. I wanted this to look like Barry's work though.
I really liked the clipper ship in the background with the fire and flames
coming from it after being raided by Pirates. There is one lone survivor
washed up ashore who later becomes the first Phantom with the help
of the Bandar Pygmys. 
Casein on Strathmore 400 Series 140 lb. Cold Press Watercolor Paper.
11" x 17."



Vampirella of Drakulon. The twin Sun's of Drakulon setting.
Vampi is one of my favorite "heroines." I am always trying to get better at female anatomy 
because of her.
Casein on Strathmore 500 Series Cold Press 4 ply Bristol Board.
11" X 17."


Vampirella Beginnings.
This painting was especially done for and dedicated to Mr Robin Whale of Vampilore and his great site honoring the Daughter of Drakulon herself, Vampirella. www.vampilore.co.uk (Also, see Links)
Mr Whale is such a gentleman and we are lucky he has made it possible for everyone artist and fan alike to get to know her from the early Warren Publishing days through the current Publisher, Harris Comics. 
Casein on Strathmore 400 Series 140 lb Watercolor Paper.
11"x17."


Vampirella Fire of Blood.
Acrylics on Strathmore 500 Series Cold Press Bristol Board.
6" x 9."



The New Tortois and Hare Adventures.
Gouache on Strathmore 500 Series 140 lb. Cold Press Bristol Board.
11" x 17."



Space Raptor.
Acrylics on Strathmore 400 Series 4 ply Bristol Board. I popped in a Photoshop flare
on the eyepiece.
11" x 17."



Blue Wizard.
Acrylics and Airbrush on Strathmore 500 Series 4 ply Cold Press Bristol Board.
11" x 15."



Captain America Operation Rebirth.
I started doing a Cap Super Soldier origin. So far I have had time only
for this page 1 painting and the page 2 pencils below. 
This is based partly on the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby retelling of his origin in 
Captain America no. 109.
I had to pull out some books on U-Boats and look at the Internet to get
a shot like this. Landmines included. 
Casein on Cresent Cold Press Illustration Wash Board.
11" x 17."



Page 2 of Operation Rebirth.
I do tight pencils of line and mass before painting them to color.
It's hard to do that sometimes because I love pencil art and shading in the values
but this way you make the paint do that for you.
Pencil on Crescent Cold Press Wash Illistration Board
11" x 17."


Operation Rebirth pg2-Casein Paint.




Cap Leap of Faith.
I was just playing around  with a small piece of Strathmore 500 Series Bristol Board and thought I'd do a cap scene.
Strathmore 500 Series is real expensive but you can really scrub and beat up this paper big time and it keeps coming back for more.
The 400 Series Strathmore 140 lb. Watercolor Paper is more economical in price and can take a good beating as well but buckles a bit until dry. This is my actual favorite paper surface of all.
The 400 Series Strathmore Bristol Board is heavy duty and 4 ply but doesn't hold up too well for scrubbing but if you just want to do acrylics over it with little warping then it's OK and much cheaper than the 500 Series.
No, I don't work for Strathmore. I just love this American made paper!
I have not worked on Strathmore 500 Series 2 ply as of yet but I hear it is great to work on.




Spidey vs The Rhino!
You can't see it too well here but it is an "After Sal Buscema" cover from Marvel Tales
Starring Spiderman no. 30 (It was a double feature special) It would have to be so big an issue
to explain a cover like this. 
Gouach on Strathmore 400 Series 140 lb. Watercolor Paper.
11" x 17."



Swamp Thing Green Lantern.
OK, since Swampy is already green and "true blue" and fearless I thought this 
would be a reaaly good concept. I have Hal Jordan passing on the ring to Swamp Thing
much like Abin Sur passed it on to Hal. Silly stuff I know.
Casein and Acrylics w/ some Airbrush on Strathmore 500 Series 4 ply Cold Press Bristol Board.
11" x 15."



The Red Skull, Holder of the Cosmic Cube.
Look out Cap!!
Acrylics and Casein on 12" x 16" Canvas Board.
There is also a Photoshop flare punched into the cube to add some extra brightness.
It was glossed varnished and that's why we see the shinny stuff a bit but adds to the 
erieness I think.



Wolverine Devistation.
The diabolical no. 2 Sentinal gets his metal handed to him.
I'm not sure if you can see this but I did a lot of dry brush for Logan's beard and hair.
Gouache and Airbrush on Strathmore 400 Series 140 lb Watercolor Paper.
/>11" x 17."



Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr Ray Charles.
Acrylics on 2 ply Strathmore Vellum 300 Series 100 lb. Bristol Board.
11" x 15."



Semi rough pencils for the Robert Downey painting from the top of this page.
I penciled in a "heart" which is way too small here because in the movie his advisary, Obidaya was pulling out a much larger arc reactor heart piece in the actual scene.
Pencil sketch.

Below are a series of standard 10" x 15 " ( the official Comic book image size) pencil drawings on 2 ply Strathmore Bristol Board.
Full pages like these are called "Splash Pages."
If they are painted in color usually you need to paint an extra 1/4 inch on each side for the printer to crop them but if it's a color piece within the comic book as pages it's not necessary unless as you usually have or need white space around them but it's up to the artist and the look needed.



Cap vs Nazis!



The Original Avengers.
Thor!
Captain America!
Ironman!
Giantman and The Wasp!




Picard Pencils.

Make your own graphite tracing paper:

Usually I draw directly with pencil on the surface of the paper or board but sometimes in this way you can start to do too much erasing and damage the paper.
In this case because I like the feel of pencil on tracing paper and I liked the likeness renderred where I made my own type of carbon paper to transfer it over to the paper. 
I simply took a no. 6b soft leaded graphite stick and ran it over the back of the tracing paper getting it as dark and fully about the paperas possible. Then I took a cotton ball and poured a little bit of Bestine Solvent on it and wiped it about the graphite then it becomes uniformed with graphite and very little blotching. It looks very dark at this point.
I then take it to a light box and put down the working paper and tape it down to the light box then I tape on top of that the graphite Pickard penciled graphite paper just made and use a ball point pen to trace it over and I get a pencil replica of the original. Then where needed I tighten up the pencils.    




The Phantom.
Somewhat based on the Billy Zane movie. Her I go adding Mummys again.



President Obama.
Yes, I also do caricatures as well. I use to do a lot of Caricature Parties in the early 90's with the 5 Mousketeers.
I would just use a medium tip Design Marker (They had nasty Xylene in those back then. Don't kill me if I spelled Xylene wrong) and slick paper. I could do 10 to 12 people an hour back then and was booked to do 3 hours usually. I recall my feet falling asleep a lot back then. 




Here are two Children's books written by Matthew Martin Sonnenberg. I painted the covers as well as the black and white artwork inside.
You may link onto them to order the books. I hope you do. Matthew is a really good guy. Really.  



Publisher:
http://www.newleafbooks.net/page11.html



A Is For Alexander.
Follow along with Alexander as he takes you on a trip from A to Z.
This book may also be used as a coloring book.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/193007641X/newleafbooks





A closet can just be a closet that is unless you start hearing some rather bizarre sounds and unusual shufflings coming from it. Find out what happens next in Clown Closet....IF YOU DARE!!!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1930076428/newleafbooks



Please contact me at:
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All artwork copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cagle.

 

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