Megacon 2011!

Me and Alex Ross, Megacon 1999.
Please note size of family cell phone.

I am heading down to Megacon tomorrow, my "home con" as I have come to affectionately call it, since it was the very first large convention that I ever attended, not to mention the very place that began my career. That's where I met Jim Krueger, who would end up commissioning my first professional work, and subsequently promoting that work to usher me into Marvel.

It's been a long time since then and I'm honored to be on the other side of the table this weekend. Below is all the information for my panel schedule, location, and commissions policy.

I'll be at Booth 518 in the Special Guest area for the duration of the con, with the following exceptions:

Saturday, 2:50pm-3:40pm, Room 222A
Marvel Spotlight with Perkins, Peterson, Pham and Mann

Sunday, 2:50pm-3:40pm, Room 222A
The Do’s and Don’ts of Comics with DeCastro, Scott, Tieri and Bellman

I will be sketching all weekend, watercolor head sketches, limited availability, first come, first served. For more information, please see my commissions policy.

And finally, I think I'm going to take a blog break. I'm heading down to Florida for a month and I really need to concentrate on getting some work done. You may hear from me from time to time, but this is me signing off for now. As always, thanks for reading.

Daredevil #1 Time Lapse Video

Timelapse of Paolo Rivera Painting Daredevil #1 from The Comic Archive on Vimeo.

A big thanks goes out to Mike Furth, whose site, The Comic Archive, is a wonderful resource of creator interviews. Mike set everything up and I just did my thing. Wish I could work that fast in real life.

Mark and Marcos and Me

Daredevil #1 Cover. 2011. Gouache on bristol board, 11 × 17″.

Finally! I can finally talk about this! I'll be joining Mark Waid and Marcos Martin, two of my favorite creators, on a relaunch of Daredevil this summer. You can check out the full details at marvel.com.

There's actually a background to this image, but it's just too awesome to show. Or maybe I just got really, really sick this week and couldn't finish it by the deadline. Either way, I'm better now, and there will be one eventually. Time to work!

Anatomical Drawing Question

Figure Painting. 2010. Gouache and acrylic on watercolor paper, 9 × 12″.

I should have another post later today regarding my "big news," but in the meantime, here's an answer to an email from a blog reader about improving one's drawing:

Thanks for your question. First of all, that's quite a long time to be drawing without seeing any marked improvement. Without knowing your situation in any detail, I can give only the most general advice. Still, it could be useful, so here goes:

If you've never taken a drawing course, perhaps now's the time. You don't necessarily have to enroll as a full-time student at an art school, as many institutions provide continuing education courses. These may or may not include instruction, but sometimes just having a set schedule, some friendly competition, and access to a live model can make all the difference. Also, drawing every single day can't hurt.

The next step, especially if you want to do the kind of artwork that I aspire to, is to find a good source for anatomical information. My favorite book is Stephen Rogers Peck's Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist. Not only does it feature all the important details of the human body with beautiful illustrations, it shows how to utilize that information to create a convincing whole.

And finally, I think the best way to learn anatomy is to sculpt it. I've covered my technique in several previous posts, so I encourage you to take a look. Once you've seen the figure and reproduced it from all angles, your mind will have a much better grasp of all the relationships between neighboring parts of the body. Even stylized anatomy can be helpful, since gesture and proportion often trump technicalities. Perhaps you have a toy or model that you'd like to emulate? Try reproducing a limb or a hand—something manageable—to begin the process. That way you know exactly what the goal is and, therefore, where you stand with your own skills.

Hope this helps. Best of luck!

Thanks,

Paolo

Wacky Reference Wednesdays, No. 144

Amazing Spider-Man #577, Page 10, Panels 1-2. 2008. Ink on Marvel board, 11 × 17.25″.

Sorry, folks. I jumped the gun. You'll have to wait a couple more days for the big news. In the meantime, here's another dose of Wacky Reference. In other news, I have officially entered my 30s. Everything looks good so far, but I'll let you know if I come across anything disturbing.

NYCC 2010 Commissions — Spider-Man

Spider-Man. 2010. Watercolor on paper, 9 × 12″.

Spidey senses an announcement coming on Wednesday — news so big that we might just have to skip Wacky Reference Wednesday this week. So excited!

NYCC 2010 Commissions — Gwen Stacy

Gwen Stacy. 2010. Watercolor on paper, 9 × 12˝.

As promised, here is the second Gwen Stacy commission from the New York Comic Con. I've just wrapped up a fabulous week at Marvel, absorbing theories, advice, anecdotes, and good cheer from two legends in the industry, Klaus "In the House" Janson and Howard "The Duck" Chaykin. It was great being back in school again, even if only for 3 days. It was also great just seeing my editors on a daily basis, people with whom I have worked for over 8 years, but rarely see.

Having face-time with the crew made me particularly excited about our next endeavor. I can't reveal anything just yet, but there will be a huge announcement next week. It's going to break the internet in fifths.

Have a great weekend!

Wacky Reference Wednesdays, No. 143

Mythos: Ghost Rider, Page 5. 2006. Acryla Gouache on bristol board, 8.5 × 12″.

I have to admit, I make a pretty hot Roxanne Simpson. You can see the step-by-step process in my previous post (the 3rd of 3) on painting in Acryla Gouache. The maquette I made to capture her likeness can be seen here.

NYCC 2010 Commissions — Gwen Stacy

Gwen Stacy. 2010. Watercolor on paper, 9 x 12".

I'm running low on time here, folks, but here's a Gwen Stacy commission from the New York Comic Con batch. I'll have another one for you on Friday.

Tomorrow begins 3 days of seminars at Marvel, headed by Howard Chaykin and Klaus Janson. I presented my own seminar on digital tools at the same event last fall, but this time I'll be playing the role of student as well. Can't wait.

NYCC 2010 Commissions — Valkyrie

Valkyrie. 2010. Watercolor on paper, 9 x 12".

As chosen by my loyal Twitter followers, Valkyrie is the next commission to be featured from last year's New York Comic Con. I have to admit, I wasn't familiar with the character at all, but she was fun to paint. Wouldn't mind having another crack at her in the future.

I should finally finish my secret project this weekend, and thus (finally) move on to my next big endeavor. I'm afraid I still can't give any hints about either, but rest assured, both are huge deals for me, personally.

Have a great weekend!

Wacky Reference Wednesdays, No. 142

Mythos: Ghost Rider, Page 8, Panels 3-4. 2006. Acryla Gouache on bristol board, 8.5 x 12".
Original Art

This scene from Mythos: Ghost Rider depicts Johnny Blaze walking in on his adoptive father, Crash Simpson, who is slowly dying of cancer... but trying his best to hide it. The previous panel shows a performance from their family's stunt show. I didn't take any direct reference for it, but it did take a very long time to paint.

Pencils, Digital Color Study, and Layout (4 x 6")