Steve Epting

FANTASTIC FOUR #601

2011-12-21T11:44:00.000-05:00

In stores today - Fantastic Four #601 by Jonathan Hickman, Me, Rick Magyar, Paul Mounts, and Clayton Cowles, Panel mashup below!

Fire Burning

2011-12-05T23:48:00.001-05:00

I decided to try adding a little animation to the last painting. Very crude, but it was fun to play with.

Quick sketch

2011-12-01T16:30:00.001-05:00

A quick digital landscape sketch done in Photoshop.

FF#12 Cover

2011-11-30T13:36:00.001-05:00

Out today - FF#12 written by JONATHAN HICKMAN Penciled by JUAN BOBILLO Cover by STEVE EPTING Fantastic Four 50th Anniversary Variant by SKOTTIE YOUNG 'ALL HOPE LIES IN DOOM' Part One The beginning of a 4-part arc that runs parallel with FOREVER in the Fantastic Four. We've teased it for years, now find out exactly how Doctor Doom and the Future Foundation will save us all. 32 PGS./Rated T+

FANTASTIC FOUR #600!

2011-11-23T08:42:00.001-05:00

Today the massive FANTASTIC FOUR #600 goes on sale featuring 96(!) pages of all new material! In the words of Tom Brevoort "You'll need a forklift to carry it home! Chock full of 50 years worth of epic goodness!" So join me, Jonathan Hickman, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Leinil Yu, Farel Dalrymple, and MIng Doyle for the 50th Anniversary of the one and only FF! Panel mashup below!

FF #10 and #11 Covers

2011-11-01T19:07:00.005-04:00

I'm really behind posting here on the blog, but here finally are the covers to both FF#10 and FF#11. When joined together the covers form a single image, presented above. FF#11 is currently on the stands, with the massive Fantastic Four #600 to follow in a few weeks!

Sentinel

2011-10-25T00:17:00.004-04:00

After a long break from the digital paintbrush I finally set aside an hour or two for a sketch in Photoshop. Hope to do it again one day!

FF #9

2011-09-28T09:04:00.004-04:00

Out today from Marvel Comics - FF #9, by Jonathan Hickman, Me, Rick Magyar, Paul Mounts, and Clayton Cowles.

Dune Buggy

2011-09-08T18:07:00.003-04:00

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Another old speedpaint from the archives.

FanExpo Canada 2011

2011-08-24T01:38:00.004-04:00

I'll be at FanExpo Canada this Thursday through Sunday at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Here's the rundown of my schedule for the show:

STEVE EPTING Table # P 15 (Full 4 days)

Panels-
TEAM SPIRIT: FF
Thursday August 25, 7:00pm Room # 717

Sketch Duel EPTING AND MALEEV
Saturday Aug 27 – 11:30am Room #716

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER: THE COMICS
Sunday Aug 28 4:00pm Room # 716

Signings-
Thursday Aug 25 Area CC 4:00-5:00pm
Friday Aug 26 Area CC 1:30-2:30pm
Friday Aug 26 Marvel Booth (#743) 5:00-6:00pm
Saturday Aug 27 Area CC 2:30-3:30pm
Sunday Aug 28 Area DD 1:30-2:30pm

Any time I'm not attending a panel or a signing I'll be at my table doing sketches (my table is #P15-look for the banners below). The sketch list fills up quickly so find me early each day if you want to get on it. Looking forward to a great show and seeing everyone in Toronto!

August 21 - Hellboy Day!

2011-08-21T22:52:00.005-04:00

Another year, another August 21st, and another Hellboy sketch. Following my yearly tradition, I'm celebrating the 4th anniversary of my inaugural post with a sketch of Hellboy. This is painted over an old commission I did where I believe the goal was to base the drawing on a photo of Ron Perlman in his Hellboy makeup and try to exaggerate it some to make it look more like Mignola's version. Hellboy is, of course, TM and © Michael Mignola.

As always, thanks to all subscribers, commenters, and casual readers who just happen to drop by. Year 5 starts tomorrow!

FanExpo Spider-Man variant cover

2011-07-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

Hey! I'll be at FanExpo Canada in Toronto for the big 4 day show August 25-28. One of the exclusive premiums for the show is a variant cover for Amazing Spider-Man 666 which is an altered version of a splash page I drew in FF#1. By removing the Empire State Building, changing the distant background to Lake Ontario, and adding in the CN Tower and the Skydome (not mention the subtle Canadian flag draped across a skyscraper), New York is transformed into Toronto for the occasion. I've been to Toronto a few times, but this is my first time attending FanExpo and I'm really looking forward to it.

Knight 3

2011-07-15T15:33:00.005-04:00

This is another digital sketch of a knight I did back around the same time this one and this one were done. Not sure why I never posted it but better late than never I guess. Done in Photoshop.

Seen at Heroes Con 2011

2011-06-30T23:41:00.006-04:00

At Heroes Con a few weeks ago a fan dropped by and showed me this tattoo based on my cover to Captain America #4. He incorporated the image of Cap and the tombstone with a tribute to the victims of 9/11. Though I've been told this cover is a popular tattoo subject, this is the first one I've actually seen (apologies for the crappy photo).

Gene Colan 1926-2011

2011-06-24T01:00:00.004-04:00

Sadly artist Gene Colan passed away last night at the age of 84 following months of declining health. You can read more about it here at Cifford Meth's blog.

I'm sure in the days ahead people far more eloquent than I am will be writing tributes to his art and career, so I'll share a small personal story instead.

The above picture was taken in San Diego in 2009, where I was fortunate enough to get the chance to spend some time with Gene over the course of the weekend. In fact, at a dinner Marvel hosted one night his wife Adrienne came to my table and told me that Gene wanted to meet me. It turns out he had been referencing issues of Captain America that I had drawn while he was working on issue #601 and wanted to tell me how much he admired my work. Needless to say I was (and still am) floored by this. I sat and talked with him about art and sequential storytelling for longer than I probably should have, but he was still so enthusiastic about what he was doing and saw something of a kindred spirit in me I suppose, particularly in the way we both approached shadows and spotting blacks. I could never hope to be in Gene's class as an illustrator or storyteller, but I can try to live up to the praise he gave my work, even if he was being overly generous in giving it.

I doubt he knew how much it meant (and still means) to me.

Thor Covers Part 3

2011-05-18T16:31:00.003-04:00

Well, I got sidetracked for about a week there, but here finally are the final 2 Thor covers from the series I did in 2004.

Thor Covers Part 2

2011-05-06T23:49:00.002-04:00

Here's the next two in a series of Thor covers I did back in 2004. Issue #81 and Issue #82-

Thor Covers Part 1

2011-05-05T23:07:00.004-04:00

Since there seems to be quite a bit of buzz around Thor right now (I think there's a movie coming out this week or something), I thought I'd present the seven Thor covers I've done in the original black and white. Back in 2004 I was asked to provide the covers for the six issue arc that would end Thor's (then) current series. The arc featured a Ragnarök (the final destiny of the gods) themed story by Michael Oeming and Andrea DiVito and I jumped at the chance to do the cover art for each issue.

The first two issues, numbers 80 and 81, both featured guest stars. Issue #80 showcased Iron Man alongside the Thunder God and issue #81 boasted Marvel's big three from the Avengers - Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man.

Two more covers tomorrow!

New Avengers Sketch Cover Auction

2011-05-02T22:57:00.002-04:00

The sketch cover I did for the the Hero Initiative's New Avengers project is up for auction on eBay. There's only one day left to bid and hopefully it will bring in a nice sum for this worthy charity. You can see (and bid on) the auction here.

Tentacles

2011-03-28T20:46:00.002-04:00

Photoshop CS4.

Captain America Movie Poster

2011-02-04T12:57:00.007-05:00

The first poster for the upcoming Captain America movie has been released and it bears at least some resemblance (even down to the color scheme) to a cover I drew several years ago:

I don't know if the poster was inspired by the cover to Captain America #4 or if it's just a coincidence, but at least some of the concept art appears to have been based on drawings I did during the course of my run on Cap (see below), so it's likely that it may have been the inspiration. Either way, I think the poster looks great and am looking forward to the movie!

D Day

2011-01-25T07:17:00.004-05:00

Fantastic Four #587 goes on sale today.

Tease

2010-12-20T09:58:00.003-05:00

Coming in March 2011

Broken Frontier Awards 2010

2010-12-18T16:18:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure who to thank, but someone nominated me in the best artist category of this year's Broken Frontier Awards. If you're inclined, go here to cast your vote, but make it quick because voting ends tomorrow night (Sunday, Dec 19th) at midnight!

Sergeant Dan - SPACE RANGER!

2010-11-24T14:02:00.005-05:00

Here's another painting I found lurking on the hard drive - an imaginary Pulp cover for a character that never existed. It was a lot of fun recreating the painting and typography style of the old pulps. Hope you dig it!

On another, more timely note, Fantastic Four #585 is in stores today! Look for the Alan Davis cover pictured below.

Have a great Thanksgiving holiday everyone!

FANTASTIC FOUR #585 Preview

2010-11-19T15:26:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone, CBR has an exclusive preview of FANTASTIC FOUR #585, which is due in stores next week. Head on over and check it out here.

New Avengers 100 Project

2010-11-18T16:51:00.006-05:00

This is the sketch cover I did for The Hero Initiative's New Avengers 100 Project. I decided to feature the characters who were prominent in the book during the time I was drawing it, after all, at the time they were the New Avengers! Read more about the project and see some amazing covers turned in by some of the other artists involved here.

Fantastic Four #584

2010-10-27T16:32:00.004-04:00

In stores today is Fantastic Four #584 featuring Alan Davis' regular cover (above) and a host of variants. There's a bunch of cool stuff in this issue and I especially enjoyed drawing the last 3 or 4 pages.

Also this week is the second printing of Fantastic Four #583 with a cover put together using my art for the promo images to the "Three" storyline. If you missed it the first time around you now have a second chance. Don't blow it!

New York Comic Con

2010-10-06T23:43:00.003-04:00

New York Comic Con is this weekend at the Javits Center in Manhattan, and for those of you who plan to attend, you can find me at U5 (that's table U, seat 5) right in between Ron Garney and Jimmy Cheung.

I'll be doing sketches all weekend and have prints and sketchbooks for sale. Also, I will be signing at the Marvel booth on Saturday from 5 -6pm and participating in a panel on Sunday called Next Big Thing at 2:45pm (I have no idea what this is all about, but I guess I'll find out when I get there!).

If you're in the area come by and say hello!

Druid

2010-09-03T01:48:00.004-04:00

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There's no story behind this one. It's just an old speedpaint from the archives (also known as my hard drive) - some sort of Druidy guy out for a stroll. Have a great weekend everyone!

Crossgen: Resurrected

2010-08-31T17:38:00.003-04:00

Broken Frontier has recently released the latest copy of their e-magazine The Frontiersman featuring a cover story on Marvel's recent announcement about the return of Crossgen properties. The article includes a creator roundtable discussion with several former Crossgen creators including Chuck Dixon, Ron Marz, Jim Cheung, Greg Land, and myself among others. Also inside - two unpublished El Cazador covers that I drew for issues 7 and 8.

The Frontiersman #10 is now available for download at brokenfrontier.com or at the iTunes store for the iPad.

Four Becomes Three

2010-08-26T21:41:00.005-04:00

Fantastic Four writer Jonathan Hickman and editor Tom Brevoort discuss the upcoming storyline here and here. Oh and there are a few new pages of preview art by some guy that they got to draw the book.

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Hellboy Day 2010

2010-08-21T17:54:00.005-04:00

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August 21st has rolled around again, and as always I celebrate the blog's birthday with a Hellboy sketch (commemorating the first post I made here). Since I don't have a lot of time for anything elaborate, I just did a quick digital sketch and then dressed it up with some fancy computer tricks. Even so, I kind of like how it turned out.

Usually on this date I also make a promise declaring my intent to post more often and then proceed to post even less, so this year I'm not going to do that. I'll just say thanks to all my subscribers and commenters and keep my intentions to post more to myself. That way maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised if it actually happens :)

FANTASTIC FOUR #583 Preview

2010-08-04T10:48:00.004-04:00

Marvel has released a 4 page preview of the upcoming Fantastic Four #583 featuring the return of Doctor Doom to the pages of FF. It probably won't surprise any of you to hear that I LOVE drawing Doom, and look forward to doing a lot more of it.

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THE MARVELS PROJECT Hardcover

2010-07-31T19:28:00.005-04:00

The Hardcover collection of THE MARVELS PROJECT came out this week collecting all 8 issues of the mini series I did with Ed Brubaker. It's available with three different covers to choose from. The two variants are covers I did for issues 6 and 7, one featuring the titanic battle between Namor and the Human Torch and the other showcasing the Red Skull (with a cameo appearance by Hitler naturally). You can check them out in the Marvel catalogue here:

HUMAN TORCH/NAMOR VARIANT
RED SKULL VARIANT

FIGHT! New print now available!

2010-06-14T17:30:00.008-04:00

For those of you who have expressed interest in buying the new Captain America print, It's now available in the sidebar over to your right -------->

Check the pull down menu for various discount options if you would also like to purchase the 2009 Sketchbook, The Captain America #600 print or all three items.

One day I'll get an online store set up properly but for now this will have to do. Also, I should mention that this is for US orders only (another thing I have to work on for the future).

All prints ship priority mail, but I'll only make the trip to the post office about once a week, so don't be alarmed if it doesn't show up right away. Okay, commercial's over. Back to regular posting next time.

Fantastic Four

2010-06-08T19:41:00.007-04:00

As you may have heard yesterday, I'll be following up The Marvels Project by working with Jonathan Hickman on Fantastic Four. You can read various articles and interviews with Jonathan and me at the following links:

Artist STEVE EPTING Talks Cosmic FANTASTIC FOUR & "3"

UPDATE: The FANTASTIC FOUR Become a Terrific Trio in Sep

Jonathan Hickman welcomes artist Steve Epting to FANTASTIC FOUR

HICKMAN AND EPTING'S FANTASTIC "THREE"

And here are the original drawings that were composited together for the teaser images that ran with the announcements and articles. These are my first real drawings of most of these characters as a professional aside from a trading card I did back in the 90s. If I can dig it up I'll post it later.

Heroes Con and New Print

2010-06-02T18:37:00.008-04:00

Hey everyone, I'll be at Heroes Con this weekend in Charlotte NC at table AA-301. You can see a seating chart here. Come by and say hi if you're in the area. I'll be doing as many sketches as time allows and have sketchbooks and prints for sale. Speaking of prints, I have a new one featuring Captain America in a WWII style propaganda poster. If you can't make the trip and still want a print, don't worry. I'll be making them available for sale here on the blog just like the other items are. Look for them to be available next week after the show.

Hope to see some of you there!

THE MARVELS PROJECT #8 Cover

2010-05-11T14:03:00.004-04:00

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The final issue of THE MARVELS PROJECT comes out tomorrow, wrapping up the eight issue mini series. I had a great time working on the book and will miss drawing all those Nazis. In the meantime, I'm at work on my new project for Marvel, which should be announced soon. Have a great week everybody!

Click here for a preview of THE MARVELS PROJECT #8.

Modesty Blaise - Good News, Terrible News

2010-05-04T23:05:00.008-04:00

I hate having to break this news now, of all times, but the 17th volume of Modesty Blaise reprints - Death in Slow Motion - is now out from Titan Books and I'm thrilled to say I contributed an article and some artwork. The book features three complete stories: The Balloonatic, The Alternative Man, and Death in Slow Motion, which was the first Modesty Blaise story I ever read. For this volume I wrote an article about Modesty Blaise artist Neville Colvin and contributed an inked drawing of Modesty and Willie Garvin. This is a thrill for me because I've been a huge fan of the strip ever since I first read that story over 25 years ago, and in the time since I've managed to read every strip and every novel - all of which were written by the great Peter O'Donnell.

Which brings me to the terrible news - Peter passed away over the weekend at the age of 90. Ellie Graham at Titan Books broke the news today:

“Titan Books is hugely saddened to report the passing of writer Peter O’Donnell, who died over the Bank Holiday weekend at the age of 90. “Peter O’Donnell was respected as one of the greatest writers in the comics medium today and had a devout following amongst comics professionals and fans alike”, says Titan’s Managing Director, Nick Landau. “I am honoured to have known him – and published his greatest creations, Modesty Blaise and Willie Garvin – for almost 40 years.” Born in South London in 1920, O’Donnell had a long and illustrious career, the highlight of which was his creation of classic crime character ‘Modesty Blaise’. The smart and sassy comic strip ran daily in the Evening Standard newspaper during the 1960s. O’Donnell retired from writing in 2001, but had continued to oversee Titan’s release of more than a dozen Modesty Blaise collections, contributing introductions and commentaries to his classic stories.“

O'Donnell wrote Modesty's daily strip adventures from 1963 to 2001, and also penned a series of 13 novels and short story collections beginning in 1965. If you've never read Modesty Blaise, I highly recommend it, particularly the first 7 years or so of the strip which were drawn by the incomparable Jim Holdaway. I place these as my all time favorite adventure strip, even edging out Prince Valiant and Terry and the Pirates. In the words of Chuck Dixon - "O'Donnell is in a very, very small club of writers who were masters of writing clear, concise, compelling action." I believe Titan has 4 volumes scheduled to come out this year (in addition to the 16 already published), and for my money you can't go wrong with any of them.

Sketchbook 017

2010-04-26T14:49:00.005-04:00

C2E2 Cancellation

2010-04-13T00:14:00.003-04:00

Unfortunately, some unforeseen personal issues have arisen and I have to cancel my scheduled appearance at this weekend's Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo. My apologies to all who were hoping to get at sketch at the show. I know a good time will be had in Chicago and I regret that I won't be there to be a part of it. For anyone who's going - have fun and be safe. Maybe I can join you next year.

Sci Fi Scene

2010-03-19T13:45:00.005-04:00

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As I mentioned in my last time, I have a few more warm up/speedpaints to post. Most of the time when I start these, I have no idea what they will turn out to be and I just make it up as I go along. This one ended up as some sort of Science Fiction Blade Runner riff. Definitely a change of pace from the various knights I've been painting (although I have another one of those waiting in the wings).

Knight 2

2010-03-12T12:51:00.004-05:00

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Another quick warm up painting from earlier this week. I've got a few more I'll be posting next week.

THE MARVELS PROJECT #7 Cover

2010-03-09T17:01:00.007-05:00

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The Marvels Project #7 hits the shelves in two short weeks on March 24th. What will you find inside? From Marvels' online catalog:

Cap meets Bucky! The origin of the Destroyer! The interrogation of the Sub-Mariner! And it's all leading up to the Nazis' conspiracy to bring the US into World War Two!

Below is the original cover sketch. It's obviously very rough, but it does its job in that it shows essentially what the basic elements of the actual cover painting will be. As you can see, quite a bit of compositional shuffling went on as I worked on the final image, but this was submitted with the understanding that it's a basic framework that I'll be working from, not an image set in stone that I'll follow slavishly. After so many years working with my editor, I can get away with a pretty rough sketch for the approval process, since he trusts me to turn it into something that's actually printable. Incidentally, the top portion of the sketch is left blank because that area will be covered by the banner logo.

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Color test

2010-03-05T18:27:00.006-05:00

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Here's a quick color experiment I did using a panel from an upcoming issue of The Marvels Project. That's the original Union Jack fighting in the trenches during WWI. Strangely enough, despite all the digital painting I've been doing over the past few years, I don't think I've done any coloring of black and white line art. It's something I'd like to try to do more of.

THE MARVELS PROJECT #6 Cover

2010-02-16T13:57:00.005-05:00

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THE MARVELS PROJECT #6 ships next week (Feb 24th) and features an epic battle between the Human Torch and Prince Namor in the skies of 1941 Manhattan. As with the previous issues, this one has three variant covers, and I think this is the first time mine has been shown. Hope you all dig it!

Sketchbook 016

2010-02-11T22:01:00.006-05:00

Hey look - I drew in my little pocket sketchbook again! It's been a while but I plan to do more of this in the future. Hopefully I'll have a page like this to post at least once a week (and hopefully they will be better than this one). Click on the image above to see it actual size.

Zero Hour

2010-02-10T16:03:00.004-05:00

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Here's a little teaser from an upcoming cover. I painted this on a separate layer (painting in Photoshop) and decided to post it just as a snapshot of what I'm working on at the moment. I'll be posting the entire finished cover soon.

THE MARVELS PROJECT #5

2010-01-12T16:53:00.007-05:00

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In stores tomorrow from Marvel Comics - THE MARVELS PROJECT #5.

Click here for a preview.

Face Time

2009-12-31T18:15:00.006-05:00

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I wanted to try to get one more post in for this year, so here's something I did a while back to practice painting faces. Have a great 2010 everyone!

Origins Of Siege

2009-12-23T13:47:00.004-05:00

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Out this week (today actually) from Marvel is Origins of Siege - a one shot giveaway that serves as an introduction to the upcoming "Siege" event. Included in this free issue are several one-page origin stories of the key characters in Siege. I was asked to draw the Captain America page and since I have a long standing policy of never turning down an opportunity to draw Cap fighting Nazis, I was happy to do so. Have a great Christmas everyone!

THE MARVELS PROJECT #4

2009-11-30T17:57:00.004-05:00

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THE MARVELS PROJECT #4 hits the shelves this week. In addition to the pages above, you can see a preview here.

Frankenstein

2009-11-10T13:04:00.004-05:00

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It's a little late for Halloween, but hopefully you'll enjoy this shot of Frankenstein's monster anyway. Not that it means anything, but this is the first painting I've done in Photoshop CS4. I haven't noticed a whole lot of difference from CS3, other than the rotate canvas feature which is completely awesome (even though I don't think I ever used it on this particular piece).

And just because I kind of liked the way it turned out, here's a detail of the face:

Spanish Conquistador

2009-10-28T18:15:00.005-04:00

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I found this on my hard drive while looking for something new to post. I don't think I've ever put this one up on the blog. I remember doing this one afternoon - probably spent 2-3 hours on it. Done in Photoshop CS3.

MARVELS PROJECT #5 Cover

2009-10-20T15:14:00.006-04:00

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Previews of Marvel's solicitations for January 2010 have started to appear, and included is The Marvels Project #5. Here's what's going down in a few short months:

THE MARVELS PROJECT #5 (of 8)
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils & Cover by STEVE EPTING
Cover by STEVE MCNIVEN
Variant Cover by GERALD PAREL
Marvel's ORIGIN story continues! Out of the ashes of the Project: Rebirth comes America's first Super-Soldier -- Captain America! Witness the first mission of Cap in New York...as Namor stalks the city streets and the Angel finds the hero killer he's been searching for. By the award-winning team of Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting.
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99

Once again trying to emulate the feel of the old pulp cover paintings.
Love that triangular shield!

MARVELS PROJECT #3 Preview Panels

2009-10-14T01:10:00.005-04:00

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A few preview panels from The Marvels Project #3 - due in stores today!

iGoogle

2009-10-09T17:59:00.005-04:00

If you use iGoogle, you are no doubt aware that a wide variety of themes are available to dress up and customize your iGoogle homepage. Marvel has joined in offering several comic related themes including Iron Man, Hulk, Spider Woman, and of course, Captain America. The Captain America theme has 3 rotating headers, taken from the original series covers I drew:

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According to the Captain America theme page, it currently has 30,563 users. Very cool.

Knight

2009-09-25T22:29:00.003-04:00

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A quick doodle this afternoon just for a change of pace - and a chance to try out some new brushes.

RIP Bernie Fuchs 1932-2009

2009-09-18T14:43:00.006-04:00

One of the all time greats.
There's a nice remembrance at one of my favorite blogs here.

Marvels Project #3 Cover

2009-09-15T16:35:00.007-04:00

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Over on CBR Ed Brubaker talks about The Marvels Project - featuring a preview of some of the art for issue #3. Click on over and take a look!

Sketches - Marvels Project

2009-09-03T15:06:00.005-04:00

These are just some quick rough sketches that were done while trying to work out some figures in the first couple of issues of The Marvels Project.

The Completely Unnecessary Marvel Comics 70th Anniversary Graphic Novel Cover Meme

2009-08-26T17:06:00.012-04:00

From Stuart Immonen:

Here’s the deal. Remember the Typophile Album Cover Meme? This is much like that, requiring you to re-imagine a Marvel Comics cover from the last 70 years as an actual contemporary novel cover. Follow the steps below, and post the results on your own site or forum:

1) Click this link for a list of Marvel publications from a random month and year at Wikia.com: Random Marvel date*. Choose the 7th cover (if there are fewer than 7, choose the last one). EDIT: I thought I had the java script working but I don't - click over to Stuart's post and follow his directions there. HIs link works.

2) Search for the first word appearing on the cover that jumps out at you (this may be the title itself) on Flickr. Select the 7th (or last) image (as with the album cover meme, it’s best to select an image with Creative Commons rights released).

3) Use your favourite image manipulation app to create a new 6×9 image, incorporating the original title (and as much other original text as you like) and the new image.

4) Share!

I got July 1959 and Tales to Astonish #4:

and here's my revision/update:

To see what some others have come up with, see Stuart's post here.

Happy 70th Marvel Comics.

Two Down...

2009-08-21T01:00:00.007-04:00

It's August 21st, the second anniversary of this blog, and in keeping with tradition that also means... it's Hellboy Day! Like last year, I have no time to spare for anything elaborate, so I've slapped some quick colors on a commission that I previously posted in black and white. Yes, Hellboy deserves better, but it'll have to do for now. Thanks to all my regular visitors and subscribers, and a special thanks as always to those of you who leave your comments. I'm hoping to post more often in the future, even if it's just a quick doodle or something, and if there's anything in particular any of you want to see here let me know! On to year three!

MARVELS PROJECT #2 Preview

2009-08-18T14:32:00.003-04:00

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Marvel has released some preview pages for the second issue of THE MARVELS PROJECT over on their website. Have a look here.

I promise my next post will be about something else :)

More MARVELS PROJECT

2009-08-11T17:09:00.005-04:00

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Here's a few more links about THE MARVELS PROJECT, courtesy of Newsarama, and some more pages from issue #1 in black and white.

Best Shots Extra: THE MARVELS PROJECT #1
The MARVELS PROJECT Project: NICK FURY

The MARVELS PROJECT Project - CAPTAIN AMERICA

2009-08-06T17:47:00.004-04:00

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Another Newsarama article on THE MARVELS PROJECT - this time focusing on Captain America and featuring my cover for issue #4:

The MARVELS PROJECT Project - CAPTAIN AMERICA

The Marvels Project: Black and White preview

2009-08-04T16:59:00.006-04:00

The first issue of The Marvels Project hits in about a week and several previews have already appeared online, so I've decided to post some of the pages in the original black and white, just to offer something different here on the ol' blog. Several articles have appeared on Newsarama promoting the series as well, so hey, let's link 'em:

The New History: Steve Epting on Drawing The Marvels Project
The MARVELS PROJECT Project: Marvel History with Ed Brubaker
THE MARVELS PROJECT Project - THE ANGEL
The MARVELS PROJECT Project - THE HUMAN TORCH

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San Diego Comic-Con!

2009-07-15T00:18:00.006-04:00

Hey guys and gals, in one short week I'll be attending Comic-Con in San Diego along with about 130,000 other people. This year I'm honored to be a special guest of the Con and to celebrate the occasion I finally jumped on the bandwagon and produced a sketchbook that I'll be offering for sale at my table in Artist's Alley (that's table AA-19 by the way). But that's not all! You will also have the opportunity to purchase a limited edition Captain America lithograph for the first time. You following me camera guy? That's right, a 32 page magazine sized sketchbook and a limited edition print. The sketchbook features a lot of art from the past several years including commissions and other rare pieces that have never been published. It was fun putting it together and I hope if you're in attendance you'll come by and take a look at it.

Also, on Friday from 3:00 - 4:00 I'll be holding a panel in Room 8 trying to think of something interesting to say. Come by and help me out by asking an interesting question if you're not already attending one of the zillion other panels going on at the same time.

I plan to be doing sketches at the show, but I unfortunately cannot take pre-orders (for those of you that have asked). I just don't have the time. And while I'm at it, let me apologize for not having time to respond to the email requests that have come my way. If I haven't gotten back to you yet please don't take it personally. I'm still working on catching up.

UPDATE: I'll be signing at the Marvel Booth (#2429) at the following times:

Saturday, July 25th - 5:00pm to 6:00pm
Sunday, July 26th - 12:00pm to 1:00pm

Heroes Con '09 Sketches

2009-06-23T15:53:00.006-04:00

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Here's a few of the sketches that were done at this year's Heroes Con. Thanks to all who came by!

The Marvels Project #2 Cover

2009-06-17T01:08:00.009-04:00

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Marvel's September 2009 solicitations are now available for all to see, and this time they include The Marvels Project #2. Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

THE MARVELS PROJECT #2 (of 8)
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils by STEVE EPTING
Cover by STEVE MCNIVEN
Variant Cover by STEVE EPTING
Variant Cover by GERALD PAREL
The award-winning and best-selling team of Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting bring you CHAPTER TWO in this definitive tale of the origins of the Marvel heroes. As 1940 hits the world is already changing -- The Human Torch is on the run, The Angel makes his masked debut, The Sub-Mariner stalks the surface-worlders who have targeted his people -- and a young soldier named Nick Fury saves a German scientist from the Nazis and leads him to the USA. The battle-lines drawn in this race to create superhuman weapons of mass destruction still reverberate today in the Marvel Universe -- as this epic espionage thriller continues to unfold and reveal new twists!
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99

Painting the Human Torch on fire is still a challenge. I probably spent as much time on the Torch alone as I did the entire rest of the cover. Below is the rough sketch that was approved, and this time around I followed it pretty much exactly when doing the final painting.

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Summer Conventions

2009-06-14T14:57:00.009-04:00

Hey everyone, I've got a couple of convention appearances this summer to let you know about.

First, I'll be attending all three days at Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC next weekend (June 19, 20, and 21). I've also agreed to do two stints at the Hero Initiative Booth. The first will be on Friday, June 19th from 11:30 - 12:30. This means that I won't be at my regular table until about 1:00 on Friday. I know people like to line up early for sketches, so I just want to make you all aware that I won't be sketching at my table when the show opens - but rather at the Hero Initiative booth. A similar schedule will happen on Saturday. From 10:30 - 12:00 at Hero Initiative, and then on to my regular table. Hopefully we can avoid the mix ups that happened with the sketch lines last year (for which I apologize, but it was out of my control).

I'll also be at San Diego Comicon July 23-26. I don't have a specific schedule for that one yet, but I will be doing a panel at some point during the weekend.

If you're planning to attend either of these shows, come by and say hello!

The Marvels Project #1 Cover

2009-05-18T20:49:00.007-04:00

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Preview solicitations are out for August 2009 featuring The Marvels Project #1. Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

THE MARVELS PROJECT #1 (of 8)
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils & Cover by STEVE EPTING
Variant Cover by GERALD PAREL
70th Anniversary Party Variant by PHIL JIMENEZ
The centerpiece of Marvel's 70th Anniversary celebration! Who is the mysterious old man who lies on his deathbed in a hospital in 1939, and how does his passing mark the beginning of the first heroic age of the Marvel Universe — and signal the rise of the superhumans? Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting unveil the defining story of the origin of the Marvel Universe, revealing the hidden connections that unite the earliest costumed champions, and whose reverberations are felt dramatically into the present day! It’s a world on the brink of war, and the race is on to create the world's first super-soldier! Witness the first days of the Human Torch, the Sub-Mariner, and many more-- how they shaped the world to come, and how the future they would create in turn shaped them! The must-read event of the season for any Marvel fan from the Award-Winning creators who redefined Captain America for the modern audience!
32 PGS./Cardstock Cover/Parental Advisory ...$3.99

Lots of texture overlays and some different painting techniques this time around, resulting in a slightly different look than the Captain America covers (at least I think so). I wish I had more time to experiment, but the ever present deadlines are relentless, as always.

Invader!

2009-05-13T13:45:00.005-04:00

Something a little different this time - a logo I did for a friend's band:

and here are a few shots of the logo in "action":

I have a background in graphic design, but haven't done much of it in the comics industry. I did however, create the logo for one of the books I worked on. Anyone care to take a guess?

Toronto!

2009-04-17T12:45:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow and Sunday I'll be at the Toronto Comicon Fan Appreciation Event. If you're in the area come by and say hello!

UPDATE: My flight isn't until Saturday morning so I don't know what time I'll get there... but it's safe to say I probably won't be at the show when it opens. I'm coming straight from the airport and will get there as soon as possible!

Green Girl

2009-04-03T23:48:00.006-04:00

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Just for fun I did a very quick copy of a Jack Faragasso painting. The original has a great painterly quality I wanted to try to emulate digitally. I also love the unexpected color choices. It reminds me of something Harley Brown says - that if you get the values right, the eye will accept the unlikeliest colors.

Captain America #600 Cover

2009-03-26T23:00:00.004-04:00

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No, you didn't miss 449 issues. After Captain America #50 in May, the book will return to it's original numbering making the next issue #600. Here's how it's described in Marvel's June 2009 Solicitations:

CAPTAIN AMERICA #600
Written by ED BRUBAKER with MARK WAID, ROGER STERN & OTHERS
Pencils by BUTCH GUICE, LUKE ROSS, DALE EAGLESHAM & OTHERS
Cover by STEVE EPTING
50/50 Cover by ALEX ROSS
Where were you when Captain America died? It's the anniversary of the day Steve Rogers was killed, a day of reflection and mourning in the Marvel U...a time to look back on the things Steve did and what he stood for... or is this issue actually the beginning of the most wicked plot twist since issue 25? Yeah, actually it's both. Plus, contributions from Cap creators past and present, including a very special essay by Joe Simon, a classic story from Cap’s Golden Age, a full gallery of 600 Cap covers, and more anniversary shenanigans than you can shake a shield at!
104 PGS./New and Reprints/Rated T+ ...$4.99

A fairly straightforward cover of James Buchanan Barnes in his three identities all under the watchful eye of Steve Rogers. It should be a great issue and I'm looking forward to reading it.

sketchbook 015

2009-03-18T01:04:00.004-04:00

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Wow, I apologize for the long absence from the ol' blog. I didn't realize it had been this long. Hopefully you all didn't wreck the place while I was gone. I should be back to my regular 2 - 3 times a week posting from now on, provided I can come up with something to show you. For now, here's another sketchbook page I filled up a while back but just now got around to scanning.

Captain America #50 Cover

2009-02-19T21:50:00.003-05:00

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Better late than never (or so I'm told) - here is the cover to Captain America #50. What will you find inside? Here's what Marvel's solicitations have to say on the subject:

CAPTAIN AMERICA #50
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils by LUKE ROSS
Cover by STEVE EPTING
Bucky Barnes, another man out of time, is the new Captain America now...but today he's trapped in the past, because today is Bucky Barnes' birthday. See Bucky's favorite and least favorite birthdays - from the cold winters of the Depression on military bases, to the front lines of WW2 fighting alongside the Invaders, to his new mission as Cap. Oh yeah, and someone's trying to kill him. By Ed Brubaker and Luke Ross.
48 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99

This, and the rest of Marvel's product for the month of May 2009 can be found here.

Victorian Detective

2009-02-03T20:03:00.005-05:00

I know you're all waiting breathlessly for the cover process step-by-step I promised, and though I am working on it, it's not done yet. So in the meantime here's another old concept painting I did that is either Sherlock Holmes or Simon Archard (or maybe a little bit of both) -

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Captain America #46

2009-01-28T09:47:00.004-05:00

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The above image brought to you courtesy of Captain America #46 - in stores today! If you're undecided, you can see a preview here.

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Captain America #49 Cover

2009-01-20T13:28:00.005-05:00

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Marvel's solicitations for April 2009 are now online, featuring Captain America #49. Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

CAPTAIN AMERICA #49
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils by LUKE ROSS
Cover by STEVE EPTING
The most important issue of Captain America since issue 25 is finally here! Sharon Carter's dreams are forcing her to relive the death of Steve Rogers -- and her time under the control of Dr. Faustus. But will these dreams also reveal hidden secrets about what she saw and did the day Steve died? By Ed Brubaker and Luke Ross.
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99

This is my 28th cover painting, and it's certainly not in any way a departure of what I've been doing stylistically. I'm conflicted over my approach to the covers. I want to do more loose, expressive, painterly pieces (note Boba Fett's cape, for example), but I have established a certain look for the covers of Captain America, and I like the idea of keeping the run consistent. For now, this is the side that's winning.

Sketchbook 014

2009-01-16T23:36:00.004-05:00

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NY Show = No Go

2009-01-15T14:29:00.004-05:00

Despite some previous announcements, it turns out I will not be appearing at the New York Comic Con after all. It's really just a case of bad timing, which is a bummer because I was really looking forward to it. Apologies to all of you who were hoping for commissions and/or con sketches, but I hope to be there next year since it is one of my favorite shows. As for other Con appearances in 2009, I have tentative plans for both San Diego and Heroes Con in Charlotte. I'll post more about any future appearances when plans are finalized.

UPDATE: At the 2009 New York Comic Con, my original art agent Spencer R. Beck of The Artist's Choice will be set up at BOOTHS G - 3 to G - 9 in the Artist's Alley. He will have available all of my artwork currently posted for sale on his website here.

Additionally, he will be premiering some Captain America artwork that has never before been offered for sale publicly - maybe even a cover or two - so stop on by.

Boba Fett!

2009-01-02T15:03:00.008-05:00

After ending 2008 with a total hard drive meltdown, I'm back up and running for the new year. I didn't lose everything, but I did lose quite a bit of non-critical data that I was lazy about properly backing up. Lesson learned (the hard way). Anyway, here's a Boba Fett painting I did about a month ago to kick off 2009. Happy New Year everybody!

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Captain America #48 Cover

2008-12-15T16:53:00.008-05:00

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Yes, it's that time again: when Marvel leaks out some previews of upcoming books, in this case for March 2009, featuring Captain America #48. Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

CAPTAIN AMERICA #48
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils & Cover by STEVE EPTING
The New Captain America faces the crimes of his past as the Winter Soldier as the Sub-Mariner and the Black Widow struggle to stop a new foe from unleashing a deadly attack on the world! By the best-selling Eisner, Harvey and Eagle award-winning team of Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting.
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99

This cover presented a new challenge in that I haven't ever really tried to paint fire before (at least not this close up). All in all, I don't think it's quite as successful as another recent painting challenge I had with splashing water, but it's always fun to try something new. Anyway, the focus of the image is the Invaders, and that's always a good thing.

Sketchbook 013

2008-12-11T16:27:00.004-05:00

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More of the same. I broke out the old crowquill pen for the three smaller faces on the right side.

These pages are all starting to look the same to me, but you can never get enough practice drawing faces. On the other hand, the same thing applies to figures, so I think I'll try to do more of that on future pages.

Alchemy Space Lizard!

2008-12-04T13:18:00.006-05:00

In a previous post I mentioned Alchemy - a free sketching program that is geared toward spontaneous visual experimentation, and since then I've spent the past several weeks slowly transforming an Alchemy sketch into a finished painting. I say slowly because as usual, I only work on stuff like this a little bit at a time - usually 10 or 15 minutes in the morning while I'm trying to wake up.

Here's the initial Alchemy sketch. It's not totally arbitrary in that you can get certain shapes to go in specific directions as you draw, but a lot of what happens is completely random. In this case it is supposed to represent some sort of armored soldier -

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I used this as the starting point for the painting below and as you can see, quite a bit of what was in the initial sketch survived to the finished piece.

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What's cool is that there are dynamics with the shapes and how they interact that I would have never come up with on my own and I think they add a lot of visual interest. On the other hand, none of it looks very practical and I would hate to have to attempt to draw that armor over and over and from different angles.

Also - Alchemy Space Lizard would be a kick-ass name for a band.

Sketchbook 012

2008-11-28T14:55:00.006-05:00

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More heads. A couple were from reference, the rest are made up.

Also, if you're interested, another Fallen Son sketch cover is on eBay here. Have a great weekend!

Sketchbook 011

2008-11-24T18:19:00.005-05:00

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Captain America #47 Cover

2008-11-17T12:59:00.011-05:00

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Marvel has released a preview of their February 2009 Solicitations, including Captain America #47. Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

CAPTAIN AMERICA #47
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils & Cover by STEVE EPTING
The New Captain America in the hands of the enemy in China! His secret past as the Winter Soldier in danger of coming to light! And what are his old Invaders teammate the Sub-Mariner and the Black Widow doing while Bucky Barnes faces his darkest past? By the best-selling Eisner, Harvey and Eagle award-winning team of Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting.
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99

A pretty straightforward cover with a symmetrical composition, but I'm fairly happy with it. I remember back during my Crossgen days I sort of got stuck in a rut doing several covers in a row with this same type of composition featuring a central figure until Butch Guice snapped me out of it. I'm certain it won't happen again here though, because I've already done the cover to issue #48, even though I can't show it to you yet.

Alchemy

2008-11-11T14:10:00.012-05:00

From the Alchemy website:

"Alchemy is an open drawing project aimed at exploring how we can sketch, draw, and create on computers in new ways. Alchemy isn’t software for creating finished artwork, but rather a sketching environment that focuses on the absolute initial stage of the creation process. Experimental in nature, Alchemy lets you brainstorm visually to explore an expanded range of ideas and possibilities in a serendipitous way."

You may have already heard of this program. I first discovered it a month or two ago but haven't had much time (or any time) to experiment with it. It's free to download and looks like it will be fun to explore. After opening it and figuring out the basic interface, I did these two quick sketches (with a little photoshop flourish here and there)-

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Like I said, this was a month or two ago, and even though the nature of the program makes the sketching quick and spontaneous ( both of these took about five minutes each) these are the only two pieces I've done so far. Hopefully I'll get a chance to play around with the program some more soon. Download it here.

Sketchbook 009 and 010

2008-11-03T23:21:00.005-05:00

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January Covers - BONUS!

2008-10-24T12:40:00.009-04:00

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I wanted to make sure it was okay to show this cover before posting it on my blog since it didn't actually appear in the solicitations, and now that I've been given the green light, here it is - the variant cover for AVENGERS/INVADERS #8 featuring the new Captain America and the original Invaders. Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

AVENGERS/INVADERS #8 (of 12)
Written by JIM KRUEGER & ALEX ROSS
Penciled by STEVE SADOWSKI
Cover by ALEX ROSS
Variant Cover by STEVE EPTING
With the real enemy revealed, two teams of Avengers are drawn together for a brutal battle royale. Meanwhile, a secret from the Invaders’ past threatens to destroy the present, upend the chessboard and send several heroes back through the veils of time...perhaps lost forever.
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99

I've always loved the Invaders so I jumped at the chance to do this. And here's a little bonus - the approved thumbnail layout:

January Covers

2008-10-20T13:31:00.006-04:00

A couple of covers have leaked out from the January 2009 solicitations.

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First up - Captain America #46. Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

CAPTAIN AMERICA #46
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils & Cover by STEVE EPTING
70th Anniversary Variant Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC (see page 4)
Eisner-Winning artist Steve Epting returns as the New Captain America comes face-to-face with an old ally -- Prince Namor -- on a dangerous trip to China. Can Bucky and Namor team up to save the memory of an old comrade-in-arms as Cold War crimes come back to haunt the Winter Soldier? Part 1 of 3.
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99

You may notice that I'm erroneously described as an "Eisner-Winning artist", when in fact I am only an Eisner nominated artist. I'll have to try to get that corrected if possible.

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The second January cover is for the CAPTAIN AMERICA: THEATER OF WAR series of one-shots covering Cap's time during WW2. Here's how Marvel describes it:

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THEATER OF WAR: AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
Written by PAUL JENKINS
Art by GARY ERSKINE
Cover by STEVE EPTING
The third in a series chronicling the adventures that made Captain America the hero we know today, Paul Jenkins (MYTHOS) does what he does best, weaving a tale of war, brotherhood and legacy. From skinny Steve Rogers at boot camp to the Super-Soldier leading a battalion of men against the Nazis, this is the Captain America you thought you knew but you’ve never seen. And when the choice is between his country or his best friend, this is the decision he had to make.
64 PGS./Rated T+ ...$4.99

I had great fun painting this one, and even though this is the fastest I've ever painted a cover I'm fairly pleased with it. I would love to do more WW2 stuff.

Overpass Assault

2008-10-14T23:44:00.007-04:00

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Another dopey speedpainting done over the course of the last week or so. No story behind this one - it was just done for fun and as a warmup before painting some covers.

Now I'm going to tempt fate and again attempt to show you an animated version that condenses the 2 hours or so of painting time into about 15 seconds. It didn't work out too well the last time I tried this, so let's see what happens today.

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Sketchbook 008

2008-10-10T18:13:00.005-04:00

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The center figure is a sketch of my daughter playing at her computer. The others are from the covers of some of her DVDs. Hopefully at least one of those is recognizable.

Two for Tuesday

2008-09-30T23:13:00.009-04:00

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First up, a quick one from this morning. I had timed myself so that I wouldn't spend more than 45 minutes on it, so there's not much detail. I kind of like the mood of it though.

The second sketch is a commission for Steven Gettis' awesome collection in which he has artists draw their favorite literary figure, author, or character. I'm not going to post my contribution here, because I want you to go to his site and browse through the amazing array of talent he has commissioned over the past decade. You can see it by clicking the link below-

Hey Oscar Wilde! It's clobberin' time!!!

Beer Is Good

2008-09-24T12:33:00.005-04:00

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I saw this Austin Briggs Illustration on James Gurney's blog (who posted it by way of Leif Peng) and had to laugh at the fact that beer ads haven't really changed much at all since the 1950s.

Captain America #42 is on sale today, featuring an unadvertised 3 extra pages of story for the same low price! Another added bonus is that these extra pages (in the form of the story's epilogue) feature art by Luke Ross, giving you a little sneak preview how awesome the next story arc will look.

Tank

2008-09-21T23:59:00.009-04:00

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Just goofing around trying some new brushes and new techniques. When I first started painting in Photoshop, I wanted to replicate the feel of traditional media as closely as possible, partly because that's the look I wanted for the Captain America covers I've been painting, but also because some digital paintings look sterile and artificial to me. However, there are things that Photoshop can do that can't be done any other way. I've been consciously avoiding these digital techniques on most of the published work, but I'm doing more and more of them in the speedpaints.

I'm not sure where (if anywhere) this may lead, but I'm having fun experimenting.

By the way, I didn't reference any tank when painting this. It's completely made up, so try not to laugh too hard at how impractical or stupid it looks.:)