Hey, gang- here’s another Monster Monday art post. This time it’s my latest sketchcover, “The Mummy” from the 1932 film starring Boris Karloff as Imhotep.
I started off with pencil on an Image Comics blank sketchcover. I usually size the reference art in Photoshop, print it out, turn it into some “carbon paper” by scribbling on the back of the printed paper, taping it in place with low tack masking tape (I stick it to my tee a couple times to reduce the tack), and then tracing the outline and a few key reference spots. I then finish the details by hand in pencil. I used a variety of grey markers for the “colors” – Copic markers, Ohuhu markers, Touch New markers, and Weisbrandt markers.
For the Mummy, I used warm and neutral greys, and for the background I used cool ones. For the textured effect I used a stippling technique with some torn tissue and a Copic refill. I saw a video where Jim Lee use this technique on a Joker sketch for Mark Hamill.
I continued to work on my shadows on the bust/face of Boris. I usually work light to dark. I used a black Pigma Micron pen to ink the image.
Then I used a white Gelly Roll pen and white Prismacolor pencil for the highlights.
Same techniques for the back of the comic. My pencils were a yellow #2 pencil. I bought a new electric pencil sharpener that I love. It’s battery powered, small, portable, and sharpens in a split second! You can see better how I started the textured background pattern here.
I started off with a lighter shade of cool grey, and then worked some darker grey in before using the torn tissue paper technique to blend it.
Again I used mostly warm greys on the Boris Karloff figure, with a mix of darker warm and neutral greys for the shadows.
I opened the book up and blended the back and front, then worked on my shadows a bit more. I used the micron pen for inking in some details, but tried to let my markers and pencils handle a lot of the detail work and keep the inks around the eyes and body outlines.
I used the white gel pen for my highlights, and did a white outline around the body like I did for the front bust image. Then I finished up my highlights with a white Prismacolor pencil.
Once I was done with the comic I sprayed the cover with some Krylon Workable Fixable. I recommend taking it outside and using light overlapping layers.
I’m really glad that Image Comics has been producing these Universal Monsters comic series and sketchcovers. Hoping for a Wolfman and a Bride of Frankenstein in the future..!
So far I’ve drawn Gillman, Frank, and Drac sketchcovers. You can see all my Monster Monday posts and Frankenstein Friday ones by clicking the highlighted links, or see all of my sketchcovers here.
If you’d like to see some of my airbrushed Monsterpieces, be sure to check out my paintings section.
I’ve done a few one man and group art shows, and will be part of a “Frankenstein” art show this October/November at the Germantown Community Theatre with the Mid-South Cartoonists Association, and will have a few pieces at this year’s Monster Market downtown.
You can see some of my Scared Silly cartoons on my site or zine as well. I’ll have copies of the zine for sale at the Monster Market, Memphis Library Con, and Crosstown Concourse Zine Fest.
You can visit the official Boris Karloff website here.
Lin