Hey, gang- got a new marker painting to share with you. This one is Sam, the iconic character from the 2007 movie “Trick ‘r Treat“- a must watch Halloween movie for me.
I mostly use acrylic Sharpie Creative Markers, IVSUN dual tip acrylic markers, or a variety of other paint markers/pens. You can get them online or at most art stores (Michaels, Casey’s Art Box, The Art Center), or department stores such as Walmart or Ollie’s. I haven’t tried Posca markers yet, but have heard good things about them and they are easy to find out in the wild or on the internet.
I started off with pencil on a round stretched canvas. I recently bought a 2pk of 10″ canvases at Five Below (have found a few inexpensive wooden easels for my con table there, too). I enlarged the photo reference on my computer to scale it to the canvas, traced the out line and a few details on tracing paper, rubbed #2 pencil lead on the back of the sheet of paper to create “carbon paper”, and then traced over the front drawing to transfer it to the canvas. I then started filling in the background with an acrylic paint marker.
I added black paint marker to the background and then filled in Sam’s orange jumpsuit.
I then started working on the highlights and shadows.
I filled in the burlap hood, added more shadows to it, and filled in the patch on his chest. I occasionally blend the paint with my finger while it’s still wet. I’m so used to blending with Copic and other alcohol based makers, and it’s a bit tricky to blend these water based paint markers. But, unlike the alcohol markers, if you goof up you can paint over your mistakes. Just make sure the paint has dried. Doesn’t take long with these pens.
I continued by filling in the ropes and working on more of the hood details with the acrylic markers. My paint marker pens have either a brush tip, a fine point, or a broad nib- and some have two different nibs or colored tips.
I added the fraying and the stitching to the hood with a beige and a grey marker. I also did my inking with a black Pigma Micron pen. I usually ink with an 03 sized pen.
For the white highlights I used a white Gelly Roll pen and a Prismacolor pencil.
Once the painting was finished and completely dry I took it it outside and sprayed it with a few light overlapping coats of Krylon Workable Fixative. It’s best to do multiple lighter coats than a heavy one.
I’ll have this one and another round canvas as part of the MSCA/Mid-South Cartoonists Association‘s “Drawn Of The Dead” art show this October in the lobby of the Germantown Community Theatre. The group art show will run alongside the GCT’s presentation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, performances go from October 24th-November 2nd.
I’ll also have some wooden panel acrylic maker paintings and other art including some “Scared Silly” and monsterpiece original art and print prints, “BATS” trading cards, stickers, sketchcards, sketchcovers, and more for sale at the upcoming Monster Market at The Medicine Factory in downtown Memphis on October 10-16. Lots of great in-store events at this annual monster pop-up shop.
I’ll also be set up at the first ever Comic Con in the Park on October 11th at Marquette Park in Memphis.
Fall is always a busy time for me, but it’s also one of my favorite times of the year- especially when I get to sit outside with my coffee and Monster Cereal!
Cheers!
Lin