HB .05 mechanical pencil Archives

Bloodshot Pencils

Last week I posted a drawing I did of Bloodshot in 1993. With the news that Valiant comics was coming back in 2012, I got very excited and wanted to share a drawing I did of one of their main characters when I was younger. You can check out that drawing here: Bloodshot Drawing I did in 1993

After looking at the piece I did, I got really inspired to draw a new Bloodshot pin-up. The one from 1993 was drawn before I had taken any art classes some 18 years ago. (wow) I’ve really changed my approach and have found my own drawing style since then. So last night I grabbed some paper, clipped it to my artboard, and started a quick sketch while watching a marathon of the Office.

In the new promo art from Valiant, we see a silhouette of Bloodshot that is not a huge dude. So I decided to go with that and draw him more lean and athletic, not as bulky as he’d been drawn at the end of his comic series.

I enjoyed reading those earlier issues of Bloodshot back in the 90s. It was a time when I was discovering there were different types of comics other than Marvel and DC. Valiant stories seemed more hardcore and real, still heroic and fantastic but with a darker edge. I look at some of my own character designs and I can see how my imagination was inspired by characters like X-O Manowar, Eternal Warrior, and Bloodshot.

I enjoyed working on this piece, It was nice to just let loose and had fun with it. I used an HB .05 Mechanical pencil and drew on a 9×12 piece of Bristol paper. I’m planning on inking it tonight, so keep an eye out. Also, more Valiant characters are to come in the future too.

-Shazam

This blog post was originally published on my other website Comic Book Graphic Design and has now been migrated here to RSC Arts, Ralph’s Art Blog.

Sketch Card – Moon Knight

Moon Knight
Avengers Sketch Card – Day 5

Avengers Sketch Cards day 5 out of 365 days for the year 2011. Originally a West Coast Avenger and now a Secret Avenger, it’s nonother than the original lone wolf Avenger… Moon Knight!

For this card I used a .03 H2 Mechanical pencil, starting with a quick light sketch. Once the roughs were done I darkened and defined with .03 and .05 HB Mechanical pencils. This card took me about 20 minutes from start to end.

This blog post was originally published on my other website Comic Book Graphic Design and has now been migrated here to RSC Arts, Ralph’s Art Blog.

Sketch Card – Ms Marvel

Ms Marvel
Avengers Sketch Card – Day 4

Day 4 in my 365-day series of Avengers Sketch Cards for 2011. Presenting Carol Danvers, Ms Marvel, a.k.a Warbird. I tried to make it look like she was jumping or flying.

For this card I used a .03 HB Mechanical pencil instead of my usual .05. I started with a quick light sketch and built on the lines. I found that I had a little more control starting with the thinner-sized lead. This card took me about 15 minutes from start to end.

This blog post was originally published on my other website Comic Book Graphic Design and has now been migrated here to RSC Arts, Ralph’s Art Blog.

Sketch Card – Iron Man Bleeding Edge Armor

Iron Man
Avengers Sketch Card – Day 3

Here’s my newest Avengers Sketch Card. Iron Man in his newest Armor a.k.a The “Bleeding Edge Armor”. This armor was a challenge. Not sure I got the helmet just right. But I’m doing these sketch cards quickly. I’m trying not to overthink or overwork the drawings.

For this Sketch card, I used my regular .05 HB Mechanical Pencil. Started with a very quick gesture sketch then quickly defined the armor. I had fun with this one. Iron Man had always been a great visual character.

This blog post was originally published on my other website Comic Book Graphic Design and has now been migrated here to RSC Arts, Ralph’s Art Blog.

Sketch Card – Black Widow

Black Widow
Avengers Sketch Card – Day 2

January Day 2 and here’s a new drawing. Black Widow, my newest Avengers Sketch Card. I’ll be drawing a new sketch card every day this year. So by the end, I”ll have about 365.

For this drawing, I tried to make a more dynamic pose. So there’s some foreshortening in her stance. I used an HB .05 mechanical pencil. This card took me about 18 minutes. I’m trying to do these sketch cards fast and try not to worry about making them perfect. It’s a fun exercise for me.

This blog post was originally published on my other website Comic Book Graphic Design and has now been migrated here to RSC Arts, Ralph’s Art Blog.

Sketch Card – New Captain America

Sketch-Card-Captain-America — Captain America by Ralph Contreras

Captain America, Bucky Barnes
Avengers Sketch Card – Day 1

2011 is a new year and I’m giving myself a new personal challenge. Last year I did a couple of sketch cards. I had intended to do one every day, unfortunately, I didn’t follow through. But this year I’m rechallenging myself! Heck yeah! My goal is to have 365 Sketch Cards done by the end of the year!

The cards I drew last year were of Thor and Hawkeye of the Avengers. This year I’m going to continue with the Avengers-themed sketch cards. I’ve always been a massive fan of the Avengers, in fact the first comic book I read was an Avenges book. Also, the Avengers movie is being filmed in my backyard of Albuquerque, NM this summer. So it just feels right!

Here’s my first Avengers sketch card for the year, the New Captain America a.k.a Bucky. It’s a quick sketch that took me about 16 minutes. I used an HB .05 mechanical pencil. The reflective nature of the costume was challenging, but I think it came out ok. I had fun with this sketch card!

This blog post was originally published on my other website Comic Book Graphic Design and has now been migrated here to RSC Arts, Ralph’s Art Blog.