Monday 27 September 2010

2000AD PROG 1704 COVER PROCESS!!!

I AM A TOOL.

Yeah, you heard me. This was one of those moments where I should listen to my own advice and know that YOU ARE NEVER AS GOOD AS WHAT YOU THINK YOU ARE!!! Read on....

Ok, this is the cover process for this weeks issue of 2000AD. I wanted to depict a scene with Defoe fighting his now zombified ex comrade, The Spiriter, and especially show how the zombies are flying in this episode.

Here's my initial idea that I put down, but didn't submit to Tharg as I wasn't happy with the composition yet, but I was happy with the idea....
After a few obscene photos (that you will not see) I settled on this rough, that was approved by the boss....
Now, I decided early on that I wanted to do this as a digital painting, similar to that of the Defoe 1666 book collection cover found here. So with that in mind, I only pencilled this image, and darkened it up in Photoshop to paint over later....
And here, is what I thought was the finished cover painting that I was initially quite proud of. That, my friends, was the horrible trap I fell in to...

Much like a 10 year old boy running up to his parents to show off a crappy crayon picture of an anatomically incorrect donkey, I emailed this painting to Tharg shouting "Look at me! Look at how clever I am!"....to have him (quite rightly) REJECT IT!

"But...but...but...", I whined to my girlfriend, "He's NEVER turned down ANY of my work before!" (wipes nose on sleeve)

He was completely right of course. As he explained, he thought the image didn't look defined enough, looked a bit blobby, and that he generally preferred my line work. Looking at it now, I can see a DOZEN more problems with it, but it's strange how at the time, you're completely oblivious to them....
So the problem I had was how to add line work to a painting, which is harder than you'd think. Here's the ink line layer that I added in Photoshop, but realized quite early that we'd have to compromise and have it "half and half" and hope that the boss still went for it.
Here's the finished image! It took a while to clean it up around the line work, and as you can see I also recoloured various things that I realized were glaringly naff, including making Defoe's eyes a lot more defined. Thankfully this extra work paid off, and the boss approved it....
Being the impatient type, I did this quick cover mock up, using an older issue's text...
But of course by now, 2000AD have a lovely new redesign, and thanks to designer Simon Parr, here's the final cover that you can find in stores NOW!!! And that is a clever tagline...
And there ends my tale. The moral? DON'T BE A COCKY SOD!

L

11 comments:

hoops said...

Man, it was a bummer Ezreel Tonge got nailed last week...he had such a cool hat!
Nice one on another cool Defoe cover although i agree that, despite the wounded ego from Tharg-rejection, it was probably for the best; the finished cover is much better for it.
Spiriter makes a mean-looking zombie that's for sure.

Leigh G said...

Ahh but it was a good way to die though Rob!
Glad you like it--there's another cover process coming up in a month--not as heartbreaking this time!

VickyS said...

hmmm, i still like the early version... and that ladies & gentlemen is why I'm not working for TMO !

Leigh G said...

Well, you're definitely in the minority Vicky, but thanks!

The Cosh said...

I ike the blurring effect on the original version caused by the lack of outlines. Makes it look they're falling or flying or moving in some way.

Still, Tharg knows best...

Leigh G said...

Cheers Cosh. Yeah, that was the idea, but at least I still got to retain that effect for the surrounding birds in the retouched version.

Anonymous said...

pass this onto Mr Mills.
a band called Slough Feg.

http://www.myspace.com/sloughfeg

Anonymous said...

Hey Leigh,

Really found a new appreciation for your work with Murder of Angels. I was wondering do you take any commision work? I heard on the ECBT2000AD podcast you've been pretty busy lately though, so if you were at Leeds Thought Bubble again this year, if you could spare the time I could pay for something there.

Cheers,
Lee

Leigh G said...

Bumcrack, will do, but if you ever need to contact him in future, he's got a public Facebook and Twitter.

Lee, very kind of you sir. Yeah, I'm busy, but I generally do free headshot sketches at Thought Bubble, but if you want anything more substantial, email at :

leighgallagher2000@yahoo.co.uk

I'll have a bit of time at the end of the year for the odd commish.

Cheers!

L

Anonymous said...

Sounds good mate. No doubt I'll see you there for a quick sketch. You did me a very nice Hell Boy last time around.

Cheers,
Lee

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