Spider-Man cover process
Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 02:05PM 
I thought I'd give you a look at each stage of the process on my latest Marvel Adventures Spider-Man cover.
Thumbnail: drawn in Photoshop. This is where I laying it out for my editor to see. I like to work up a color comp so that they can fully understand what I intend to do with the piece.
Pencils: Drawn digitally with Sketchbook Pro. You can see here that I'm not working out the details. I'm just going in and roughing it out. I ink myself so there is no reason for me to waste alot of time drawing things perfectly. Then the inking stage would be no fun.
Inks: I print out the digital pencils onto bristol board and ink traditionally with a brush. Here's where I make most of the line choices. I really just start inking lines. Not a ton of thought, just going from the gut.
Color: Photoshop. You can see that I changed the pallet from the thumbnail. I decided that since this piece was focused on the Police, I wanted a color that would invoke that feeling. The boys in BLUE goes along way. When I think police, I think blue. Works well on a Spidey cover as well and blue is big part of his color scheme. (even thought I don't show much of it on his costume.
There you go, a little look into each stage.
Reader Comments (25)
Man, your work inspires the hell outta me...
i second that notion.
your art blows my mind.
Thanks for this Skottie - super inspiring.
Quick question - I was wondering why you prefer Sketchbook Pro over sketching in Photoshop?
I love the dynamism that have these characters and the composition of the painting.
You have definitely left the clean style that take place before, or is back to see more colors in the style of the cleaner who worked at the time when drawing the Human Torch, Venom or Alpha Fight?
Thnks for share your art and sorry 4 my english
Greetings Skottie
Thank You! Thank You! Thank YOu!! Always love to see the process!! Hope you upload more like this in a near future, or one of the Wizard of Oz in step by step like this one.
Have a great week!
Yo Skottie, nice work man, i'm a big fan. I was just wonderin' how long (on average) does it take you to produce a piece like this?
Thanks for the peek into the process. For someone starting out, would you recommend PS over something like Sketchbook Pro (aside from paper, of course)?
I love ur style n teknics
Such great work Skottie! Thanks for sharing some process work.
Wow this is incredible! What do you ink with, and at what size do you print the pencils?
Good stuff man, thanks for the insight on the process. I learn alot from these posts. Keep up the great work.
always nice to see how the big boys do it. as previously said great insight and inspiration. Keep up the great work
that spiderman pose is butter!
Just wanted to say Thanks for showing this. I love seeing the thought process.
Thanks again
Damn Skottie... Ridiculous man!!! That shit is bad! In a good way, of course. I use a similar process with my work, it's really fun that way. I used to draw really, really tight pencils, but that ain't my style! The inking stage, whether it be digital or tradish, is the most fun cuz it's not so robotic... anyways, GREAT STUFF!!!
cool works!!!
I was wondering how do u get your Inked work in photoshop to be able to work the color in? Are u redrawing it in photoshop, or doing something to the image once scanned in?
haha...his web looks like barbed wire! Awesome work Skottie, I love it!!! I like seeing yer process!
Just finished Oz #7 and have to give props--Oz is the one comic on the stands that I really look forward to every month. And then I saw that you're hookin' up the next book this winter. Can't even tell you how psyched that made me.
Thanks for bringing some measure of awesome-ness (and a heaping-hot-huge measure, that is to say) back to comics!
Incredible work Skottie! You have THE best Spider-Man anywhere. Your work on Venom is still some of my favorite. I was wondering if the change to the pose from the original sketch was feed from the editor or your choice?
you keep getting better and better man !!!!
Awesome mate! You really turned things around for me man. The way u ink has opened up my eyes to a whole new scale of ways to do my own art! Awesome!
I've been trying out alot if different brushes and inks lately and haven't found anything majorly awesome yet... So I was wondering wich brush and ink u use. :)
Cheers mate!
love ur work
big fan
:)
thanks for sharing these process sketches
Skottie, this shit is TIGHT! haha Seriously, though. :)
Why sketchbook pro? Whats the advantage?