The Harlem SPIDER, Book 4, Vol 1 "UNLEASHED"

(cover art only!) purchase link: http://www.lulu.com/content/1631102

What can I say except "WOW!" you will love this issue when I get finished with it. SPIDER is in a whole heck of alot of trouble and again he is on his own. I really go to the meat of the storyline in the book and build for the unbelievable finale that is hard-hitting in book 5. Again this issues is not yet finished. I have most of the breakdowns completed and the revisions have been made to make this a +50 pager. You will definitely enjoy the all out action in this one!


Cover Art for The Harlem SPIDER, B4V1 "UNLEASHED!" How I do it!
Stage One the Concept

With each cover I not only want to tell the story in one-shot, but I also want to give the audience an adrenaline rush. For The Harlem SPIDER Book 4, I thought that having members of The GUARDIANS looking down at a mauled VIOLATOR stretch out in the background while SABRE is about to make dessert out of SPIDER, should do the trick. I use a diamond composition to help bring the action from the high background, through the Mid-ground and finally, to group of shocked GUARDIANS in the lower foreground. I am an expressive artist, so my freehand work is a jumbled mess. Thankfully I can make head and tails of it in the next stage. With that thought, I start wildly sketching the rough idea of a cover on plain bond 10x17” paper.




Stage Two Cleaning up the Lines


I trace over the freehand sketch and start using a ruler. I am able to quickly take care of the major players. I ensure that they are properly spaced, sized, completely rendered in. This is a birds-eye view of the action so I have to ensure that the perspective in relatively correct.



Stage Three Details, Details and more Details


At this point, I fill in most of the tiny details. I want realism so I focus on the tiny things in the background, mid-ground and foreground. I make sure there is enough broken glass and a large puddle of VIOLATOR's life fluids oozing out. I really work on SABRE's hair and the slobber around his lower lip. I even add arms to SPIDER to have him seem more in a struggle to get free. I pull out the ruler and tighten up all the major angles on the floor and in the control room. This is my second sheet of tracing paper, so I clean up many of the lines. I add word balloons to ensure that I do have enough room for them when I go to Adobe Illustrator.

Stage Four Tightening the Pencils


Everything is tight and I have a big smile on my face, but there is still work to do. Any last changes are made right here. I even have to slide DEACON more the right to get him from under the ISBN Block and to add to the overall tight grouping of the GUARDIANS.



Stage Five Inks


The inked page goes smoothly thanks to a lot of pre-visualizing of where the darks and lights are supposed to be. SPIDER’s suit is the real focal point even though there is a lot going on in the cover. I fiddle with the placement of the SPIDER LOGO. I do my best to incorporate it into the background. Working it in behind SABRE's hair was a slight challenge. I should've did the same thing with the title, cause it will come back to haunt me at the end.::

Stage Six Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop


I absolutely love Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop! These super-duper time savers extend my talent with their versatility. They allow me complete the project in a snap. If you have to work with words and pictures, these are a must. At this point, the only major thing left to do is color and I will have to go back into Photoshop and move SNIPER in front of the title. Yet overall I think that the cover still packs a shocking punch. I eventually chose to change the wording and title logos somewhat, so let me know what you think.