Spawn ( not fan art )

[Aleksi]

I'm currently working on an upcoming Spawn mini-serie for Todd McFarlane Productions and the french publisher of Spawn : SEMIC
2 * 22 pages of blood, sins and darkness for june.
I'll do pencils, inks and colors...

Here is an illustration made for a special dustcover in limited edition for the announcement of the project, done for the coming of Todd McFarlane in France for the big european festival of Angoulême.
Todd had first proposed to ink it but he hadn't the time so I've done the whole piece.

Spawn®, its logo and its symbol are™ 2003 Todd McFarlane Productions, Inc.
©2003 Semic S.A. for the french version



http://aleksi.aleksi.free.fr/Workforweb/Aleksi-Spawn-dustcover.jpg


and some studies :

http://aleksi.aleksi.free.fr/Workforweb/Aleksi_Spawn_01.jpg

[EVIL]

Whoa.. OMFG.. its sooo cool you did a awsome job

[TARGETE]

:thumbsup:

Fantastic job Aleksi this is one of the best renditions of the character I've seen. The flow of the chain leading you through the composition is pure genius. This is a perfect example of dynamic composition. My only minor critique would be I would like to have see a little bit more atmosphere between him and the building..just a tad to pop his form out because when it prints it will be darker.

J.P.

[amphex]

Oh..god..save..me.....too...beautiful =D
This is amazing..truly inspirational for me..What materials did you use to make the first one?

[John P.]

That's just so amazing!

You people seem to pop one of these out every other day too... http://home.online.no/~johmoe/smilies/erm.gif

It would take me several weeks to make one of these...

-But at least it's a real inspiration. I wish I'll be this good someday. :)

:bow:

[HoodZ]

SUHWEEEET!:chug:

[gekitsu]

i'd say if anyone touched this top pic with ink, he would have ruined it, compared to what you did.

that chain thing is a terribly good idea. i barely see someone exploiting the full potential of spawn's chains, composition wise.

[Lono]

that stuff is GREAT!

i personally think you should lose the back lighting on the top one in the area where his cape would be shadowing him.
mainly his back. or you could have the light from the right side slightly coming through his cape and casting a subtle red glow on his back.
one more little thing, HIS right shoulder has a glow around it which seperates him from the cape slightly. was that intentional? i personally think it would look better without it.

fantastic work man!

-Lono

[SouL]

Looks cool.
The bottom most studies remind me of Ashley Wood's stuff.

[Travis_Bourbeau]

I have never wanted to model a building until now great job and i agree with the chain it realy pulls you into the pic ! great p.o.v.

[negativespace]

Awesome work! Will this be released in the U.S.?

[Aleksi]

Thanks everybody, for both crits and compliments. it had been already printed, it looks good.
What is very hard with this kind of stuff is dealing with Darkness and shadows. Keeping it dark but "clear"

I just begin to get used with the character ( that's maybe a reason for problems like the shoulder and the cape ). I think i can push further the use of the chains and what i'm talking about above : darkness

it took me approximately 3 days for the whole thing but i've worked 16H per day so it's quite like a week :)

It will be released in the US ( Image comics ) but I don't know exactly the date...
i hope I could post some pages during the work
Ah, another challenge : story-telling, rythm and pages design

here's the pencil of this dustcover :
Pencil (http://aleksi.aleksi.free.fr/Workforweb/Aleksi-Spawn-dustcoverB&W.jpg)

[Ra Havok]

:eek:

INcredible


Can't find anything to crit...

[Scotty]

I am AWE..........absolutely fantastic. The color, the perspective, the EVERYTHING.:chug:

[Bomba]

Aleksi,

Congrats on the job. Sounds crazy about the schedule.

The Dust Cover jacket is well done, but I would like to mention that it's rather too warm. It's very saturated with warm color that it de-emphasises Spawn a little. If you added in some cool colors to the piece... it might help to balance out the piece.

Great sketches. Love the bottom right corner piece.

-J-

[Aleksi]

The schedule was actually really short.
It's because I was waiting for Todd inking and he had'nt the time ( it was during the Christmas Holidays ). There will be maybe another piece on which we can work both. Very motivating for me !!!

I'm not sure about the use of a cool color to manage a better contrast but I agree that it is a little too much saturated...
Fortunately, the print looks less saturated...
Lono, you're right about the back lighting, I could have reduce it and I must have darken the shoulder... Maybe If there will be a trade paperback of my two episodes with bonus, i'll use it again and correct this little things

[MindCandyMan]

HOLY COW HOLY COW HOLY COW....HOLY COW...THIS IS FANTASTIC ALEKSI...whoa whoa whoa. Awesome job man. Fantastic.
:eek: :jawdrop:

[Don Wilkinson]

Wow, very impressive and I also love the use of the chain on the dustcover, i'm in love with the studies to :) fantastic stuff. Sorry I don't really have anything to critique right now but keep up the awesome work.

[amphex]

The penciling work looks awesome!
I wish I could draw like that =)
What did you use to color it?

[Aleksi]

Amphex : Acrylic paint then scann and some other minor photograph imports ( personal photographs )
All with Photoshop
I tried some strange effects on the acrylic background using fluo markers. it didn't give a very specialt result but it was funny playing with paint layer and superposition...
Sometimes working with the paint is the best moment, just concentrating on abstract effect, rythm, plasticity...
And when I begin to play with some other material, sellotapes, collages and finding new things I become totally "possessed" :evilbat:

[TJ Verhagen]

Sweet! Great job Aleksi! Very nice!

[behemot5]

:'( sometime...it is painfull....:'(

[thomasaurus]

I think i just died and went to heaven, or hell in this case.

[Kappei]

:shocked: :shocked: :shocked:
yeah man GREAT work :rock:

i love the colors... the darkness

c
kappei

[endregan]

wow this is teh pwn. such detail and a good style of spawn. ive been a fan of spawn for a long time and i must say you do a great job- maybe a bit better than todd perhaps ? :) ;). you roxor

[KayCustomz]

its increidable
:eek:

[Max4d]

Hey

I already loved Spawn but this is great, very inspirational work i must say. Keep it up :D:D

Greetz Max4d

[GONTARO]

nice man really nice. s

[afklamer]

OMG

me-> :bash: <-u

[Dementist]

Heh, heh... Spawn and that cape of his... how every comic artist loves to draw it so!

Anyway, very nice job! The cape almost looks like its drenched in blood.

[theognis]

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[Chaser226]

gasp...:eek: